My 1999 Yamaha Roadstar was going to be a difficult bike to replace. I love that bike. Even as I started the process of deciding on its replacement I started to feel guilty, like I was cheating on it. But it was time.
Seeing as Yamaha no longer made the Roadstar (and hadn't for about 15 years), simply replacing my old one with a new model wasn't an option. That made the decision making process more difficult. I started by listing out the things I really wanted to have in a new motorcycle:
Electronic Cruise Control - This was my number one must-have item for a new bike. My Roadstar had a throttle lock. This kind of worked, but didn't account for hills. If I set it for 70 mph on a flat part of the road, that meant I was going 55 mph up hills, and 85 mph down hills. Very annoying, to the point where I didn't use the throttle lock that often. However, the older I was getting the more I was getting tired of holding the throttle all day. Electronic cruise control seems like a luxury item, but if I was going to get a new bike I was going to make sure this feature was included. In fact, if the option was available to add it to my Roadstar, I probably would have kept the bike for a few more years.
V-Twin Engine - I don't dislike other types of engines, but there's something visceral about the thump of a good old pushrod V-Twin. Other engines are a little too smooth, which seems backwards to what common sense would tell you should be best. Smooth should be good, right? Well, apparently smooth is good when making hummus, but not when feeling a cruiser motorcycle engine pulsing beneath you.
Air Cooled - Water cooled engines run cooler and last longer, so they should be better too, right? Maybe. But on a motorcycle it's one more maintenance item to hassle with, and I find most radiators on motorcycles to be pretty unsightly. Motorcycles in and of themselves are not very practical machines of transportation. One of the reasons we like them is because a good motorcycle is like a rolling piece of art. Often radiators look like they were stuck on the front as an afterthought.
Full Dresser - My Yamaha came with leather saddlebags, and I had a piece of tail luggage I would strap on the back when traveling. While I actually prefer the look of classic leather bags, I liked the idea of my next bike having the full complement of hard luggage. Not having to deal with the hassle of attaching and unattaching my luggage every night to lug it into the hotel sounded appealing. Also, my saddlebags/tail bag weren't lockable. I have never had an issue with anything being stolen out of them (did have them gone through once) but I know it was just a matter of time. The ability to have lockable hard bags was enticing.
Seating position - I like the relaxed, feet-forward seating position of cruiser bikes. European/Japanese touring bikes often have you sitting upright with your feet under you. While this may help improve handling, my personal preference is to have my feet out in front of me.
GPS - A built-in GPS would be a really nice feature to have. However, seeing as I had already purchased a Garmin Zumo XT, I could always use this unit if the new motorcycle doesn't have a GPS. So I counted this item as a "nice to have" feature, but not a deal breaker. Most late model touring bikes come with a GPS anyway.
Personality - A motorcycle has to have personality. My Yamaha Roadstar had a ton of personality. If I wanted bland, I would just buy a Toyota.
Age - I already had an old motorcycle. If I was going to update I wanted a bike no older than five years.
There were three motorcycles currently available that checked all of the boxes on the above items. This was my "A" list:
Yamaha Star Venture
Harley Ultra Limited
Indian Roadmaster
In addition, there were three more motorcycles that checked most of the boxes. I wasn't particularly enamored by any of these bikes, but I wasn't going to eliminate them completely from consideration. This was my "B" list:
BMW K1600 Grand America
BMW R18 Transcontinental
Honda Goldwing DCT
The Honda Goldwing DCT probably was farthest from what I was looking for than any of the other bikes. Still, it was difficult to remove it completely from consideration simply because of its legacy and how many devoted Goldwing riders there are. You don't develop a legion of fans without having something good going. Also, the DCT (dual clutch transmission) intrigued me. I've never ridden a bike DCT, but have seen enough diehard manual transmission lovers get won over by the DCT that I had to admit there may be something to it. These have come a long way from the "Hondamatics" of the 1970s. Ultimately, the complete lack of personality was enough to take the Goldwing off my list. It's just a bit too refined for my taste.
The BMW K1600 Grand America is basically the German version of the Goldwing. They had nearly all the same features. However, I didn't pursue the BMW too far, primarily because there just aren't that many of them available in my area, especially on the used market.
The BMW R18 Transcontinental is an interesting bike. It is a touring bike with retro BMW style, positioned to compete with the more traditional American cruisers. I preferred how it looked compared to the K1600. However, like the previously mentioned BMW, it's tough to find them in my area. The fact that I've never seen one in real life pretty much removed it from contention.
So that left me with the three bikes on my "A" list.
When I first heard about and researched the Yamaha Star Venture, I had pretty much made up my mind that this was the motorcycle I wanted. I had good luck with my current Yamaha, and there's a bit of loyalty that goes along with that. The Star Venture has pretty much every feature you can imagine on a touring motorcycle, including a reverse gear. They are priced very competitively and probably are the best value in the touring cruiser market.
I began the shopping process for a Star Venture. This is when I realized it suffered from a similar problem as the BMWs: availability. Yamaha only made the motorcycle for four years (2018 through 2021), and never seemed to promote it very hard. In fact, Yamaha has pretty much abandoned the cruiser motorcycle market. As a result, there weren't that many of Star Ventures sold as compared to other brand touring cruisers. There were none available for sale anywhere near me. I searched for a couple months hoping that one would come up for sale reasonably close to where I live, but the nearest Star Venture that I ever saw for sale was 250 miles away.
This got me thinking. If finding a Star Venture to purchase was so difficult, how difficult would it be to obtain parts? One of the big reasons I was retiring my beloved Roadstar was limited parts availability. Why would I want to spend a ton of money only to find myself in the exact same situation? As appealing as the Star Venture was to me, I had to reluctantly remove it from my list.
This left just two motorcycles left: The Harley Ultra Limited, and the Indian Roadmaster.
Harley Davidson has the most loyal fanbase of any brand in the world. That statement isn't just limited to motorcycle brands. HD is the only company I can think of where a measurable percentage of its customers voluntarily tattoo the company logo on their bodies. Apple has extremely loyal customers as well, but they are probably a distant second to HD.
Surprisingly, this customer dedication was one of the strikes I had against owning a Harley. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a HD motorcycle. They're everywhere. I have nothing against the machine itself, but I kind of like the idea of riding something different. I wasn't going to eliminate it from consideration completely if I came across a low mileage Ultra Limited at a good price, but I also wasn't going to go out of my way to shop for one.
I wouldn't have discounted the Harley if the Indian Roadmaster didn't make such an appealing case. It checked all of my requirement boxes, and included almost everything else I could want in a motorcycle.
The Indian Roadmaster had the features I wanted and more. It was made in the USA, which was cool (actually the factory is located in Spirit Lake, IA less than 100 miles from my home .)
The Indian had a much better ride quality than the Harley. Overall fit and finish was very good. It has the best sounding factory stereo of any motorcycle (which I didn't think I cared about at all, but have learned I love listening to music while I ride.)
The retro styling of the Indian is somewhat polarizing. Many people like it, many people find it looks dated. Personally, I love it. The fairing was designed to look like a 1930s locomotive engine. Overall the styling is very art deco. I happen to be a big fan of art deco styling, so maybe that's why I am drawn visually to the Indian?
There were a couple of features that the Indian did not have, but those items weren't deal breakers for me. A reverse gear would be a very nice and useful feature. Also, most of the other bikes in the touring market came with a CB radio, although I don't know how much I actually would use one.
For those unfamiliar with the Indian Roadmaster, here is a basic list of the features:
111 cubic inch "Thunderstroke" V-Twin engine (116 inch beginning in 2020.)
LED lighting
"Ride Command" touchscreen system (beginning in 2017) with full vehicle information, tire pressure monitoring system, GPS navigation and ride modes.
200 watt audio system with four speakers.
37 gallons of cargo space with remote locking.
Heated hand grips and seat.
Power adjustable windshield.
Electronic cruise control.
Bluetooth connectivity.
Keyless ignition.
So, now that I had decided on which brand and model bike I wanted, it was time to start the shopping process. In the spring of 2022, motorcycle prices had gone nuts. The supply chain crisis was in full-swing, creating a shortage of bikes on the market. I had to accept the fact that I would be paying about 25% more to get a motorcycle than I would have three years prior.
I thought about just waiting until the market settled down. There was plenty of uncertainty about when or if this would happen in the near future. Plus, due to the ratchet effect I was willing to bet that even if prices dropped, they would never fully return to their pre-Covid levels.
After a lot of deliberating and hem-hawing, I finally decided that I could wait a couple of years to try and save a couple thousand dollars, or I could spend the extra money now and have a couple years of riding enjoyment and memories. On my deathbed I probably won't look back and think about all the times I successfully saved a buck. In a rare fit of splurging, I opted to make the jump and purchase a bike.
That didn't mean I was going to willingly spend an obscene amount of money with little thought. Certainly I intended to shop around and find the best deal I could within the current market.
When I purchased my Yamaha Roadstar 18 years ago, I immediately started putting money away for my next bike. Every month I would make a "motorcycle payment" to my savings account. Eighteen years later I was in the fortunate situation where I could afford to pay cash for this new (to me) motorcycle, as long as I purchased it at the lower end of the market rate. This meant a used bike, but that was OK with me.
I began shopping. There weren't a ton of bikes for sale in my area, but there were a few. All told, I probably looked at about fifteen bikes in person, and hundreds more online before I found "the one." It was an exercise in patience, as I knew how much money I wanted to spend, what mileage range I would accept and what accessories I would either need included with the bike, or enough left in my budget to purchase them separately after the fact.
Among the fifteen bikes I saw, I had very serious considerations about two of them prior to finding the motorcycle that I eventually purchased. The first one I found fairly early in my search. It was a 2016 model (pre-touchscreen) located at our local consignment dealer Power Brokers. It was a very nice color, about 12,000 miles and had many of the accessories I wanted.
I tried haggling a bit, but Power Brokers prices the bikes at a mostly fixed price. Ultimately, I decided that they were asking about $2k more than what I felt the motorcycle was worth, compared to similar bikes in the region I'd seen online. I decided to pass on this one. A couple weeks later the motorcycle sold to someone willing to pay that amount, so obviously it wasn't the motorcycle for me.
A few weeks later I found a 2017 model on Facebook Marketplace. It was a private owner sale, located in a small town about 15 miles away. It had the accessories I wanted, and the price was about on-target for what I wanted to pay. I contacted the owner and went out one Sunday night to look at the bike. The motorcycle was pretty nice, and the owner seemed like a good guy. He even let me take it out for a test ride.
The seller seemed like a stand-up guy. We had some mutual friends and I checked with them, and they all vouched for him. After about three days of deliberation (any bike I bought was a LOT of money to spend, so I wasn't going to do it flippantly,) I decided I wanted to purchase this motorcycle.
Unfortunately, the same day I made this decision I also started to feel lousy. I got tested and confirmed that I had come down with Covid. For more than two years since the beginning of the pandemic I had managed to avoid the virus. It finally caught up with me.
Thankfully my symptoms were pretty mild. I had about two days of a 102° fever, and some tiredness and aches. No cough or lack of taste/smell. After two days I felt fine again. I waited another few days of being symptom-free before I started to venture out of the house. I didn't want to expose anyone else to the plague.
After I was in the clear to be around people, I contacted the seller and made him an offer on the motorcycle. He responded that he would have certainly accepted my offer, but he actually sold the motorcycle the previous day. Rats.
While I felt really "on the fence" about making an offer on the bike, it wasn't until I found out it had sold before I realized how much I really wanted it. I felt bummed out about missing the opportunity to buy a motorcycle for a couple of weeks. My wife was even more bummed than me, which kind of surprised me.
I continued to keep my eye on the market. By the end of June I had to accept that I wasn't going to have a new motorcycle for the 2022 motorcycle trip. That worked out though, as I was able to have one last enjoyable trip on my trusty Roadstar.
In late July, a couple weeks after I had returned from my trip, a 2019 Indian Roadmaster appeared on Facebook Marketplace. It was a private seller, and located in my city. It had all the accessories I was looking for, and the price, while at the top end of my range, was close to what I wanted to pay.
I contacted the seller and made arrangements to come by their house to see the motorcycle. They turned out to be an older couple who had owned the motorcycle since new. They said they loved the bike, but were selling it because, in his words, "I've had too many birthdays." The gentleman said he no longer felt comfortable on two wheels, and had recently purchased a brand new Harley CVO Trike.
I looked over the motorcycle. It was in extremely nice condition and was obvious that it had been cared for. Almost every accessory I wanted was already on the bike, such as a Stage 1 air cleaner and a heel shifter.
They had added a vanity mirror to the trunk, which I knew my wife would appreciate.
The front fender is a polarizing and distinguishing Indian feature. Some people "upgrade" to a more traditional looking fender. I happen to love the retro look. I'm glad it still had the valenced fender.
The owner had already added a driver's backrest, which was a "must have" in my book. They also added passenger arm rests, which I probably wouldn't have added on my own but were a nice-to-have item.
The Indian comes with saddlebags, which can be centrally locked via a button on the tank or by using the key FOB. This would be a nice upgrade from my Roadstar which has non-locking bags. Also the Indian bags were nearly twice the capacity of those on my Yamaha.
The seller had already upgraded the exhaust to the factory Stage 1 pipes. He also added the fishtail tips to complete the retro look, which I also love. Before I found this motorcycle, I had already decided that if I bought an Indian that I would add the fishtail tips. Already having them on this bike would save me some cash.
The owner had upgraded the windshield as well, to a wider Klockwerks tinted and flared model.
The motorcycle had 12,300 miles on it. I had set an upper limit of about 15k, so this was within range. Also, the bike had been ridden very regularly which I preferred to an extremely low mileage bike that had just sat unused. In my experience, mechanical devices that don't see regular use tend to have more problems.
The owner had even spent $1,000 to put upgraded driver and passenger floorboards on the motorcycle. This is definitely a splurge that I would have never purchased on my own.
Overall, the owner had sunk more than $35k into this motorcycle including the original purchase price. They were only asking 75% of that amount, and I suspected with a little haggling I could probably get another 5% knocked off their asking price.
The owners and I hit it off pretty well. I wound up spending about an hour talking to them, a lot of the time spent talking about things other than the motorcycle. They seemed like very nice people, and if they were scammers they were probably the worst scammers in history. They even let me take the motorcycle out for a short test ride.
I told the owner I wanted to think about it for a few days. I was pretty certain this was the bike I should purchase, but because this is a sizable expense I didn't want to rush into the decision. The owner understood, and even encouraged me to take some time to make sure this was the bike I wanted.
The only real hesitation I had about the motorcycle was the color. It was (almost) my least favorite color. Solid black is a little boring. Only white would be duller. I would have liked a two-tone model a little more, but I didn't hate the sold black color enough to eliminate it from consideration. Besides, I had lived with my Roadstar for 18 years with a color combination of which I wasn't extremely fond.
I mulled it over. Four days later I contacted the sellers and shot them an offer 5% less than their asking price. I kind of figured they would hold firm to their price, or maybe make a counter-offer, but to my surprise they accepted my figure. I think the fact that I was able to sign the papers immediately without having to wait for financing was enough incentive to accept the lower price. Plus, I like to think that I was able to charm them with my pleasing personality. Yeah, that's the ticket…
As it was late in the day when we agreed on the price, we met the next morning at my bank and signed the papers and exchanged the payment. I then went over to their house to pick up the bike. They also gave me boxes of original parts that they had replaced with the upgraded versions.
I rode it home. Unfortunately I had to return to work, so I couldn't go on an extended ride. I also maintain a strict "I only ride my bicycle to work" policy, so I didn't even ride it to work.
When I got home from work that night, my wife and I had plans to meet some friends for dinner. We decided to take the motorcycle that evening, so we at least got a little bit of riding in that day.
As it turns out, the bike wouldn't "officially" be mine for another couple of months. We ran into a title issue due to a transposition error that happened when they originally registered the motorcycle in South Dakota. The owners had to get that straightened out on their end which was supposed to take two weeks, but due to the speed of government bureaucracy wound up taking four times that amount of time.
During this time period they let me keep the bike, and they kept the money. Also during this time I had to extend a bit of trust that they weren't doing something nefarious, but as I already said, if they were scammers, they were the worst scammers ever.
Nearly two months to the day, the corrected title finally got issued. The seller contacted me and we were able to finally sign the motorcycle into my name. So I became the official owner of a 2019 Indian Roadmaster.
Return To The Main Motorcycle Gallery
This page last updated on 10/25/2022