My first bike. I just graduated from high school this year and have been saving money for 3 1/2 years to buy a bike and take ti cross country. Any suggestions on a sturdy, dependable Harley. I have @ $1200 to spend on the bike.
Add a zero to that and you're more i the ballpark, there kid. You ain't gonna find a Harley for that much, not even a basket case!
Sorry but I have to agree with Mike here. You will not even find just a parts bike that would be able to buy for the money that you have saved. I am not even sure that you would be able to get a cheap crotch rocket for that price. Sorry to burst your bubble.
I hope that the OP ment $12,000, or they really do not know anything about Harley's. The cheapest that I have ever seen one sell for was $8,000 and that bike had been in a fairly serious wreck and needed some work.
I tend to think that you will have to have more money if you don't want a piece of junk that isn't going to make you even half way across the country. Of course, you're also going to need money for insurance. So, I'm really hoping that you just made a mistake in your typing LOL
Hate to say it Tony but a Harley is nowhere in your budget. If you could muster up another grand or so you can go to the HD trader online and get one for under $2000 used but be careful.
I paid $3000 off of e-bay for a old ironhead sporty bought a trailer went from southern AZ to cali (LA) picked it up brought it home added over 500 in parts got it running well took it to the MVD they confiscated it do to wrong vins even though everything matched the title but they weren't harley vins they were restamps. I ended up getting all my money back except 100 dollars due to e-bays buyer protection policy (long time coming). Then the only bike locally I could find was another ironhead sporty in ruff shape for 4000 dollars bought it spent probably 1500 fixing and adding to get it right for commuting to work (80 miles a day) after 8 months of riding the sporty I had to give up my back was being pounded to death I went and bought a 99 roadking classic (love it) now I had to sell the sporty and try to make back a little cash for the wife. Well we run adds all over and couldn't sell it not even a call and I run adds for weeks so I ended up trading it for a 62" HDTV just so it wasen't rotting away in the back yard. So to end a long story save your cash and when you do decide to get a "HARLEY" pay more, get one that suits you the first time it will save you cash in the long run. Just a little wisdom from someone who learned the hard way, take it for what it's worth.
No disrepect intended. Do your self a favor and spend some of that money you have and take a riders course. This being your first bike, you need to understand that every person in a car could become your own personal nightmare come true. Be prepaired before you get on the road. :s