Last Friday I published the unofficial picture taken at the Indianapolis Dealer Expo. Today, Big Dog Motorcycles officially announces the upcoming introduction of its lower price model based on its popular chopper-style platform. Simply called the Big Dog Chopper and available in May, 2010, this new model is marketed as a high-style, high-quality Big Dog motorcycle experience with an MSRP in the $21,000 range that will appeal to a wide range of riders.
The question you already asked over and over is about the components used on this model. Sheldon Coleman, founder and CEO of Big Dog Motorcycles states that “Specifications of the motorcycle include a wide range of upscale components, starting with a 111 cubic inch S&S engine and a six speed transmission. In addition, components include chrome handlebar controls, a new handlebar array, chrome forward controls, the new BDM multifunction speedometer, machined aluminum wheels, a new rear suspension, a 42 degree rake, a beefy 250 mm rear tire and a full line of passenger-friendly accessories”. Coleman adds that “Thanks to the cooperation with our dedicated suppliers and the hard work of our engineering experts, we are able to provide classic Big Dog performance and style to a broader range of consumers” . Acceleration is stated to be from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds and fuel consumption 42 mpg. The new Big Dog Chopper will be offered standard with a solid paint job and optional custom graphics. Big Dog Motorcycles.
That is AWESOME ! Looks just like the one from 2000…… Thanks CYRIL for your endless work but this bike is OLD and gross !
Cyril just report the news. Big Dog will sell some of these bikes. But what a lack of imagination. Yes, it’s like being back in 2000. Is it the best strategy to save the company? Not sure. Big Dog brings a lower budget bike, but no excitment. Why Sheldon Coleman doesn’t mention the brands used for transmission, wheels, etc? Cyril, do you know?
What tranny are these BD chops using? BBC has em beat with the Bad Bones for sure
why would anyone want one?? It looks like that Honda Chopper thing..except the Honda is only about $12,999
Wow! Way to grab the blue collar workin’ man! (insert sarcasm her!) What a piece of crap! (no need) Way to stay ahead of the curve Big Dog! Your R&D team is topnotch are they looking for new work yet. Oh I see they found it. Enter the Honda Furry! FAIL! The baby boomers are starting to trade in their bikes for CD’s and IRA’s. Wake up and smell the next generation and their money! See RSD!
why would anyone want one?? It looks like that Honda Chopper thing..except the Honda is only about $12,999
yeah and the Honda comes with a great dealer net work and wont break down!!
Honda Furry………….. Bbbwwwwwhhhahahahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!! You left out the H-F has a shaft drive… LOL
Bet the forks wont leak on the Honda, even after 50K miles… I had a Honda street bike once, rode the piss out of it. Took that bike off road and even jumped it a few times being a dumb ass… Had 37-40K miles on it when I got rid of it. Only thing I did EVER did mechanically was change the oil and new chain and sprocket… I have all types of motorcycles but the Harley haters will NEVER change….. Furry, not for me but most of the bikes from Japan and Europe are damn good… Might one day have to buy another Harley, but by that time they will be made in India, I guess that’s still “Metric”…..
Like the other guy said, if you where an everyday ‘Joe’… and you wanted the ‘look’… and you where not in the industry, you just wanted to ride (what you thought is) a cool bike…. you can get the damn Honda for 12K rolling down the street ! By the look of this new BD… ether they need to fire there design team or maybe by the look of this bike they already have !!!!!!!!!
….about 17 years ago i was in a motorcycle dealer here in the UK to get a new bike and i was torn between buying a new Sportster or a Yamaha Drag Star – as far as i was concerned they both looked good and were about the same price.
The dealer said to me when you are at the lights which bike would you rather be on? I chose the Sportster and I guess most of the readers of this blog would as well – that’s not to say Honda, Yamaha et al, do not sell a shed load of bikes, and in some cases are better quality – theres more to bike choice than that.
Either way there is probably not a wrong choice to make, just a personal one.
I have a friend that has a BD with under 2k miles that looks just like the one in the pic. He can’t get rid of his for half that price.
Honda…a true poser for a so called chopper.
Big Dog should do very well with this new chopper. Like it or not, Big Dog is a proven manufacturer with more custom motorcycles sold and on the road than any others that were or remain here today. You here should wish all the best to Sheldon & his Team with their new introduction and support the industry! To those of you licensed manufacturers posting that can do better, please by all means show us readers here what you have to offer for the price of this chopper.
As for Big Bear, please do not forget all the issues…failed deliveries when promised, dealers turning bikes back in, and most importantly the amputee’s lawsuit from the front fender mounting hardware failing, and additionally, the massive frame recall with the neck separating from the backbone/downtube that is now in excess of 1,100 frames and counting upward along with dealers having issues with the repair methods issued by Big Bear. I am wondering if he is thinking about going back to Australia…does anyone really know the truth?
Boss Hawg
One thing I have discovered over the past few years of reading this blog, whenever something is said about Big Dog, the haters come out en mass.
Someone is always comparing Big Dog to AIH, well AIH is dead and gone or have you not read that. Big Dog to Big Bear, the number 1 Big Bear dealer in the country is in Midland, TX and he only sells 1 or 2 a month. They have frame issues and the dealer is directed to weld them. Big Dog had a frame issue and they took every single one back to the factory and I’m drawing from a very old memory here but I’m 99% sure they replaced every single one of them.
I have rode lots of Big Dogs at various different events and I can tell you they ride better and handle better than any other “production custom” on the road. They take the time to make sure the bike is as close to perfect as possible before ever letting the public see it. I got to see the new Chopper in person this past weekend in Indy and also got to see several Furby’s (Hell even S&S had a Furby in their booth). They are comparable bikes in pictures but when I actually got to look at them in person there was no comparison. The Furby is covered in lots of plastic and lots of chromed plastic. The wheels still had casting flash on them. The Big Dog looked as good as the rest of the bikes they had there.
Just like Boss Hawg said, if your so much better, bring it, release it and show us what you have. Can you build an American Made bike for $21k RETAIL using S&S, machined wheels – Not Cast like the Furby, real steel body work, not plastic like the Furby, Right Side Drive, not shaft like the Furby. Who really cares of they decided to go with a Road Max instead of a Baker for the transmission, AIH did it for years and it’s a good transmission. Go to your local V-Twin shop and ask the guys who make a living fixing bikes, a majority of them will tell you the Road Max is as good or better anyway. Granted, it’s made overseas but pound for pound, or dollar for dollar it’s minor in the grand scheme of things. The bike is still American Made by an American owned company employing Americans. Maybe not as many as before but they still have a payroll and they still have employees coming into work every day. Big Dog frames are made it Wichita, KS, the engines are made in Wisconsin, the wheels, struts, forward controls and most every other machined part are made in Newton, KS, the tins are made in Michigan, the bars are made in Minnesota. Seems pretty American Made to me. So Big Dog till has somewhere around 30 on the payroll full time and another 40 to 60 on furlough that they call in to make runs of bikes. But, they also affect and allow these other companies to employ some people that they may not otherwise have a need for. How many American jobs does that really work out to. I don’t know but I’m willing to bet its as many or more than Big Dog employs itself.
Yes, Sheldon did announce that he’s looking for an investor but so did GM, Chrysler and Harley Davidson. Unfortunately our current government believes in everything large and could care less about helping the small guy. It’s unfortunate because the majority of people in the country are employed by small business but that’s what we have. I would bet Sheldon is looking for capitol to take the company to the “next level” which requires a hell of a lot of cash.
Kudos Sheldon and Big Dog, there’s finally a brand new one I can afford. I’m going to put the HD up for sale and order one of these from my dealer.
My husband rides a Big Dog K-9. We ride everywhere and I love it. We have never had any problem with his Big Dog. We can ride 600 miles or more a day and never complain about our backs, butts, or anything else. I have rode on the back of other motorcycles and not been near as comfortable. The seat is big, soft, and very comfortable and the sissy bar lets me lean back and relax while we are riding. We have a t-bag that goes right over the sissy bar so we can go anywhere and have plenty of room to stuff shopping bags or clothes in case we don’t come home. When we stop for gas, people will come talk to him about his bike and crowd around it. I don’t see that happen very much with other bikes. Harley’s all look the same and the people that ride them are all dressed the same. I am not sure why people say the negative things they do about Big Dogs, it seems like they don’t have a clue about what they are talking about. I am assuming they have never even rode a Big Dog. I am glad my husband rides a Big Dog at least they are made in the United States. Plus, he looks great on a Big Dog. How many other women can actually say their husband looks sexy on his motorcycle?
Personally I wish Big Dog well, competitor or not. We have had enough doom and gloom in this industry ….. it is time for better days for all of us.
Over & Out,
Jeff
It is funny to me that there is so many people on here that claim that they have all the answers but they never do anything in this industry. How many of you so called experts could put out a bike in this price range that could compete with this bike? It is easy to sit on the side lines and claim to know everything but lets see you guys build a bike that is equal to or better than this one. Most of you guys that bash every thing on this site could not even change the oil in your own bike let alone build a bike.
Jeff is right; We have had enough doom and gloom in this industry ….. it is time for better days for all of us.
American Honda Motorcycles based in southern California purchased a couple of ’04 Big Dog Choppers five years ago. It is purely evident that the Fury does resemble one of the best selling Choppers of all time. In the one year of 2004, BDM produced over 3,100 units of that one Chopper model. Rolling Thunder could not produce enough frames for all of the orders coming in, so Daytec helped BDM by producing the other 1,400 orders for that year.
That is a huge complement to BDM having a major manufacture like Honda realize that this Chopper market is worth investing such costly measures to develop a new model.
Why would anyone compare the BDM Chopper to the Honda Fury? It should be no different when the metric manufactures launched the cruiser line targeting H-D riders.
Let’s not forget the original.
Mr. Advocate,
Your not really serious that a Road Max is the same thing or better than a Baker Trans, are you ? That’s not even a funny joke. That’s like saying the Furry and the new Big Dog are the exact same bike with a different name….. Your statements concerning AIH and the use of these transmissions is unfounded and false. I’ve seen pallets and pallets and more pallets of broken Road Max transmissions that only pertained to AIH.
Like you said though, good thing most of BD other stuff is AMERICAN MADE !
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IMOP, I hope BD is with us for the next 100 years. I would like to see something new and exciting. That does not mean a redesigned engineering space ship… But a fresh face. This ‘new’ bike just looks like the same old thing.. But I will have to give them allot of credit in this area. Its been very successful with Harley, to have the same looked for a bike for the last two hundred years and people buy the crap out of them. So maybe that’s the game plan? Hopefully they sell a ton. In the last post Cyril posted last week I thought it was a good start to get a ‘good looking scooter’ out for a more ‘normal’ price. That was a good thing for sure.
I think what they have done, and the scooter they put together for $21 is a great deal. Considering what the parts cost, labor, and running a business. Cant they have a bike that POP’S out at you and sell it for $21?
We all might have our own ideas of American made, German, Japanese built bikes.. But would any of you buy a brand new car that looked just like the same car built ten years ago? NO WAY, weather it was American, German, Japanese….
American built is the best, American labor is some of the most expensive, building a bike like this and selling it for 21 is impressive. Good luck BD
gabehcuoD; We all might have our own ideas of American made, German, Japanese built bikes.. But would any of you buy a brand new car that looked just like the same car built ten years ago? NO WAY,
Perhaps you have not seen the new Camaro or the Mustangs they are styled after the cars of the 60s and selling faster than most dealers can get them. And the truth be told HD has been selling bikes that look the same for thirty years or more. Technology has improved but the bikes basically look the same. There is very little in styling that has not been used at some time in the past but that does not mean it will not sell. Chopper are a style that will not go away anytime soon. Sure they are not going to out sell the crotch rockets or even the HDs but there is definitely a market for these bikes and priced as they are they will sell very quick. This is a great looking chopper at a price that would be hard to build one at.
Good job Big Dog
gabehcuoD:
I’m sorry if you thought I was saying that a Road Max is as good or the same as a Baker. Baker is a superior transmission, hand built by American craftsman. I was saying that in the overall picture of Big Dog’s “entry level” bike that having that one component come from an overseas manufacturer is not taking the bike down to an “Assembled in America” as opposed to a “Built in America” machine. Sure I would like to see it with a 6 spd Baker but if that’s where they had to make a choice to keep the price where it is then I can live with it. I would rather have an S&S motor and a less expensive transmission than have S&S – Baker powertrain and cast wheels, plastic bodywork etc. Granted they could save enough to go the S&S – Baker route by going with less quality in other areas but then it would be closer to an over-priced Furby rather than and American muscle machine.
Yes the design is old but like another poster said, Harley keeps doing it, Ford, GM and Chrysler have spent billions to make the new breed of muscle cars look like the old ones albeit at a much higher price than the original and they can’t get them fast enough. Sheldon is using his all time best selling platform, making some changes and unlike the aformentioned manufacturers, bringing it to market at a much lower price.
Yes Road Max transmissions fail, so do Bakers and so did the transmission in my 1 year old Chevy.
I would like to comment on the facts presented by “Advocate ”
I agree with about 85% of what you said.
Big Dog Motorcycles uses a plastic composite side covers starting in 2005. They decided to make a frame with out a seat post ( Big Mistake). The bikes frame and handle bars vibration is vary high and documented at the big dog testing center. The bikes were braking the side covers off at low mileage and some multiple times This caused a big problem with Warranty paint because these side covers have graphics on them.
Good luck to all American Manufactures.
Lets see where this goes. Looks like a new bike but has the same features as their old bikes…Maybe using up old inventory or tearing down old bikes that are stored in massive warehouses???? IDK but we will see shortly if the doors stay open throughout the year. My bet is that they will fold up and the bank will be trying to liquidate faster than that of American Ironhorse!
Hell, in that case, maybe even using old frames and knocking off the VIN #s and slamming new ones on to issue with a new MSO???? Just saying out of a whim though!
Blondie
My husband rides a Big Dog K-9. We ride everywhere and I love it. We have never had any problem with his Big Dog……
Your one lucky couple :), are you related to Sheldon or marry into the Coleman family?? and the lifetime warantee on that bike?
Go out and buy powerball tickets ASAP
Jeff u ole snake in the grass, didnt CCi sell a Pail Yaffe 200 tire back that looks the same as this back in 2000-02 for what 19k as kit??
Yours Truely:
The only massive warehouse is at the corner of Douglas & Hydraulic in Wichita where I park my truck and unless they called back every employee and knocked out 25 or 30 bikes a day while I was gone to Indianapolis there are only about 60 bikes in the entire facility. I should know as I work in transportation for the company. Please stop by some time and ask for a tour then you can verify the fallacy of your statement.
1550tc:
A CCI kit for $19k in 2000-02 with a 200 tire(and a 96ci motor with a left side drive 5 speed transmission)? Your trying to slam Big Dog but it sounds like your only helping with the true value of a complete bike with a 250 rear tire, right side drive, 111 ci motor and 2 year warranty out the door for $21k. You buy the 200 tire, left side drive kit for $19k then the labor to assemble it, all the little stuff that you wind up having to buy locally then find a painter, go through the hassle of trying to register it, the added cost of insurance for a one-of-a-kind and no warranty on any of it. Why are we spending money on advertising when we have people like you who do such a great job for us. Thank You.
Scott…
Some folks here just do not know what the costs are nor understand how to run a viable and profitable business model. Just look how the industry has self-cleansed itself.
Let alone the facts that you bring to light regarding special construction motorcycles, engineering, research & development, warranty issues, product liability and extremely higher personal insurance premiums…2 to 3 to 4 times more than a reputable duly licensed manufacturers’ motorcycles insurance costs. Been there, done that and got the shirt.
Jeff Nicklus may even want to jump on this.
Boss Hawg
To those of you that seem to endlessly stick up for Big Dog. I appreciate that fact that most of you work there and are only trying to save your job, but face some facts here. From what I am told (and it is a very good source) this bike was not even put together until a couple of weeks ago. They do not have much of an R&D department and do not have a testing center at all anymore. This bike has been put together with parts from the 2005 Chopper. There are some parts that they have added to make the bike less expensive but have not tested. Most from overseas. (Transmission, handle bars, controls, prymary, and those junk ass front ends they use on all of their bikes) Without the presence of a solid R&D group, this bike will probably end up in the same situation that they ended up in 2003 and 2004 with the untested Chopper. I hate to say it, but they definatly went backwards on this bike. No new styling and no new, well, anything. They have put this bike out for 21k, do the idiots there at Big Dog realize that their used market will be devestated by this. This will hurt not only the retail customers that have purchased thier bikes, but the dealers that Big Dog always seems to forget about. Another example of Big Dog only looking at the trees instead of the forest. I love my 2003 Chopper, don’t get me wrong, but they just made a bike that was worth 12k into a bike that is now worth 8k. I guess if they were wanting a bike to compete with they Honda, they got it. (All of the used Choppers out there)
Boss,
Nope, not going to comment on this issue other than what I have already said above: I wish them well! Every time I chime in on anything to remotely do with Big Dog I get “mauled” with “Alias Named Attack Dog” comments talking smack about me and mine that are generated from … well you know what I am talking about here…….
By the way … it was good to see you in Cincinnati!
Over & Out,
Jeff
I don’t really have much to add to this conversation. I would like to suggest that if you are going to post something negative you have the balls to do it using a real name. Some of us actually utilize blogs like this to gauge the industry’s direction, position future product development based on perspectives both from professionals and hobbyists, and offer and recieve critiques from all sides. It just seems like if you are going to participate in that kind of community then you shouldn’t hide behind some cute screen name. If you have something to offer that is negative bring it. But don’t hide like little bitches.
Oh yeah, and I don’t really care for the new bike either.
1550tc –
I am not related to Sheldon Coleman, married to Sheldon Coleman, I did not marry into the family, and I do not work at the factory. We are very happy with our Big Dog and we are, like you said, one lucky couple!
Thank you.
I understand that the transmission being used in this “new” chopper is from an outfit called Saite. They are a Chinese or Taiwan based company. Back when Jim Mooreman was given the reigns of R&D he had us in the test center acquire a transmission dyno. After spending over $60,000 and never getting a transmission tested on it due to some type of controller problem, the dyno was taken out of service, no transmission was ever tested and Jim Mooreman left the company. Since the Saite transmission was designed as a replacement for a stock Harley type of frame, not sure what the factory did to make it compatable with that tranny. the tranny mounting plate was moved on BDM frames to accomodate the Baker tranny and the bdm “balanced drive” primary.
They did loose the EHC which should reduce the number of warranty claims for electrical problems and I believe they went back to HD style handlebar controls. I don’t know if any of the front fork issues were ever fixed (fork seal leaks, fork bushing wear, or lower neck bearing binding).
In my days in the Test Center, replacing the front forks was typical at the 10,000 mile service. Replacing the old bushing and seals with HD parts improved things but the amount of errosion in the fork slider (lower leg) resulted in enough play in the slider to cause the replacement seal to leak. Ultimately, the teflon coating on the forward inboard side of the upper fork bushing would errode and cause scoring of the fork tube on the front.
As part of the 10,000 mile service, oil samples were taken and analyzed with consistent excessive wear metal (aluminum) contamination. The real frustrating thing was that R&D didn’t make provisions for a drain plug in the fork, requiring either the fork legs being removed and placed upside down to drain the oil, or removal of the brake caliper and front wheel to access the fork dampener screw to facilitate the draining of fork oil. However, the aluminum sediment that remained in the fork slider can only be removed by flushing out the slider.
All you BIG DOG haters can just kiss my ass. I have been riding motorcycles since i was 6 years old and I am 46 now. I love my BIG DOG K9. I have rode it 1,200 miles in one day on 3 different occasions. BIG DOG builds a quality comfortable motorcycle and stands behind their product period.
Duane,
Wow, 1200 miles in oneday on several occasions?? That sounds a little like bullshit to me and if not bullshit than just a little illegal……
Conrad Nicklus
“Duane”
Lets scientifically check this 1200 miles per day.
24 hours in a day averaging 50 miles per hour is 1200 miles in one day.
The K-9 gas tank would need to be 35 gallon capacity and average 35 mpg.
You would need to install a port-a potty for on the move bathroom brakes most states don’t allow this.
You might need to perform this Superman test out of the continental US
The only comment I’m going to make is that I’m a little surprised/disappointed to see the extended amount of rake in this bike, not because I don’t think it looks good, but it limits the international markets this bike could be sold in.
Big Dog has previously metioned they wanted to expand their business to include international markets, and they’d be crazy not to considering places like Australia have been virtually untouched by the GFC and there’s plenty of spending going on down here! A bike with that much rake could never be licensed in Australia and I’m sure there would be European countries with similar restrictions on how far the front axle can be pushed out horizontally from the neck of the bike.
Big Bear made a point of building their sub $20K Bare Bones with a conservative 34 degrees of rake so they could achieve full international market penetration with it. Even the Honda Fury has been designed to fit into those limits and is now on sale world wide.
For those of you who are wanting to de-bunk Duane’s 1200 statement, you might want to go back and watch some old episodes of American Biker on Speed. They did a story on him and the rest of the group. One of the guys in that group did it on a Ridgeback. The made a 1 day, 1200 mile trip to Wichita for the Tornado Rally two years in a row then turned around two days later and went back. Or if the Duane posting on here is not the same one then there is another Big Dog owner named Duane on a K9 and Dana on a Ridgeback who did it.
Lets move past the 1200 mile port-o-potty.
Think about this issue that could affect the production of this motorcycle in Kansas.
last week the unemployment insurance fund in Kansas was exhausted. The mass layoffs in Kansas “Big Dog included” have exhausted all funds.
This is a article in the local news.
” Wichita, saw its unemployment taxes more than quadruple from in 2009 for 2010″.
Big Dog has minimal production employees left and if they bring them back off unemployment they well be taxed hard for every one of them. Can Big Dog afford to incur this quadruple tax to build a cheap chopper?
Sheridan, let’s not forget the other American bike manufacturer, Saxon Motorcycles USA (Gilbert, AZ.) which has 4 models certified Euro3 Compliant. (The Crown) will be the fifth model by fall 2010. 29 countries and counting!
Hey out there somewhere. Thanks for backing me up, you are correct! The first time was on a Ridgeback. American thunder did have us on the show. They did get me and Dana mixed up but thats no big deal. Those rides created memories of a lifetime and yes… I DID BREAK THE SPEED LIMIT ALL DAY LONG. It was exactly 1,187 miles in 14 hours.
Good for you, Duane! That’s an Iron Butt, right there folks!
And that’s why we use names so that details about posts can be verified, corraborated, debunked, or denied.
Hey Buell 1, The point here is to clue in you haters about the rideability and quality of BIG DOG motrcycles, Not to talk about me. But I do have to say my wife thinks i am superman sometimes! This is the first time a guy has ever called me that… Thanks sweetheart you are the best 🙂
“Duane”
You are welcome on the complement. Averaging 85.7 miles per hour with gas stops is a great achievement.
You did look sun burnt when you arrived at the Tornado Rally. Map quest has Kingsport to Wichita at a little over 900 miles. Where did you go for the extra miles.
You have me wrong I support Big Dog, and I can guarantee you I have more miles documented on Big Dog Motorcycles than you do.
I TOOK 11W TO 25E TO I-75 UP TO I-64 WEST ALL THE WAY TO ST. LOUIS, THEN WEST ON I-70 TO KANSAS CITY, 435 SOUTH TO I-35 ALL THE WAY TO EXIT 50 ONTO DOUGLASS AND IN TO THE FACTORY. I THINK IT IS LESS MILES TO GO I-40 SOUTH THRU MEMPHIS BUT IT TAKES LONGER AND THE INTERSTATE THRU ARKANSAS SUCKS. IT IS EXACTLY 1,187 MILES FROM MY HOUSE. I COULD NEVER MAKE THAT TRIP ON ANY HARLEY.
The 1,187 miles was according to the Big Dog Speedometer. We all know how good that thing works!! Still, from Kingsport to Wichita is one hell of a ride in a day on a hard tail. I don’t have the confidence in my Big Dog to do it without a chase vehicle. Unfortunatly, most of the Big Dog owners would agree with me on that. Duane is a dealer and he knows how to work on them when they break down. A huge advantage over the general public that is supposed to drop 25k to buy it. The Dealers are the back bone of Big Dog. The company would be nowhere without them and their loyalty. Several of them are questioning Big Dogs loyalty to them right now though.
I still don’t see this bike making much of a difference.
We’ll see what happens.
The Beast
it is 1,187 miles in my truck too, and my other truck, and my van. I have heard of some people with service issues. I know it is hard to get good service anywhere these days, Thankfully our local h-d dealership has terrible service. It is great for us. I don’t care what you ride if it is not serviced properly there will be problems. I am excited about the new chopper, looks like a right side drive improved 03 model for a killer price. i can’t wait to get some. Why in hell would somebody buy a screamin’ eagle anything when this can be had for 21k.
Because Screaming Eagles have multiple dealers in all states. And when you shred a tire in Montana on a Sunday you know you can get it replaced. I’m not against Big Dog but I wouldn’t buy one either.
i ride a bigdog and had 2 it is agreat bike, and as far as they stand behind them there great.
Yes you’re right Fredp, Saxon also has a great international marketing program and we have those on sale down here in Australia and have had for quite a few years now, including the Crown which I assume must also have a moderate amount of rake. Oh and don’t forget the Pro-One prostreet bikes are also selling internationally too.
well…I bought mine because I wanted something different and American Chopper, Biker Build Off and all the rest got me off the couch and inspired me to get another bike (I bought my first Harley in 1972, been riding since 1968+/-) . After an exhaustive search, I picked BDM, partly the simple chopper look (plus S&S/Baker, etc.) and partly the factory backing. I still love the look (same as the new one!) but disapointed in the 2 quirks mentioned in several posts (front forks and electrical). Not really bothered by LH drive. While I also had a new top end under warranty, I am afraid to go on any runs past my local area due to the electrical quirk, and have been going back and forth on buying another Harley for reliability. In the beginning, the bike was towed in several times, but never really fixed (Eddie Trotta was the dealer, but too busy on TV, etc.). Don’t get me wrong, I rode back in the day where you didn’t go anywhere without a toolkit, oil, links, etc. and stopped every 100 miles to tighten up everything from the vibration, but I am not an electrical whiz, so this has me and my mechanic baffled and I am way outta warranty, so more money to fix my $10k current value used bike with 1500 miles that cost over $23 new. That said, I wish BDM well and hope they finally fixed all the issues, once that is done, they can work on upgrading some design points. I doubt anyone will get this far in reading, lol. Also, someone mentioned Crown so I went to their web site, several models look like BigDogs to me. I don’t have the answer, and I still love the look of my Big Dog, just tired of seeing it in the garage. If anyone has the answer to the electrical issue or why it just cuts out while riding, please email me at lfgi@aol.com. They did replace some of the electrical breakers under the seat ages ago, but that didn’t fix it. To be fair, I had a bad horse accident and didn’t ride it for a year or more, hence the really low miles.
For a 20K+ bike, you should expect none of those problems and if you have them: good service. Can you replace the breakers temporarely with fuses to determine the circuit that’s bad? Sometimes breakers are hard to diagnose because once they cool down or you turn off the ignition, the breaker goes back on. Once a fuse burns out, they stay out until replaced. Because the way some modern bikes are wired nowdays with the lightes tied into the ignition circuit, it makes things harder to diagnose.
Lyle, thanks, I am saving up suggestions for my next trip to the mechanic. I agree, and I think BDM should give us some assistance, since it seems like they have run into this before, judging by various posts here and elsewhere. I believe we replaced the breaker under the seat a long time ago, but it still has the issue, also, I think I saw somewhere that it is cured by a re-wire, just think that is a bit extreme…I hope!
All I hear is people talking about how they rode their BD 1200 miles or how what they LIKE about their BD..Lets talk about how this company is doing in the industry or how long they will last in this industry with as slow as the industry is actually going.
Conrad
Conrad- go hit the books. Shouldn’t you be studying or something?
What point are you trying to make, Conrad? Are you just trying to get reliable information about how they’re doing or do you have something you want to say?
I went to a dealer here in the Northeast this week end and they had 2009 K-9’s on the floor for $21,900.00. I don’t understand how Sheldon thinks this bike will help. I guess people should keep an eye out for the price to drop on this bike if they want one. (it will in about 6 months) Dealers have K-9’S on thier floors that they can’t get rid of. If anyone recalls, the Chopper didn’t do so well once the K-9 came out for about the same price. They did nothing by releasing this bike at 21k. It still competes with the K-9. Dealers have had their K-9’s on the floor for so long, they are trying to break even just to get rid of them.
It probably costs Big Dog 10 to 12 thousand to build this bike, then they sell it to the dealer with a large mark-up. The dealer will put on their mark-up on it and try to sell it for 21k. I would expect Big Dog to discount this bike approx. 3 to 4 grand once they don’t sell. The dealer will then take some of their margin out to get rid of it and it will probably be selling in October or November for around 16k. If you buy that bike right now, you would take such a large hit on resale, you would have to buy it a lot cheaper that 21k. It’s the same bike as the 2005 Chopper without the drop starter slam clutch from Baker. Those bikes are worth about 9k. They sold for about 30k with paint.
They would have been better off building a bike with new ideas, instead of the same old, same old.
2004 BDM Chopper,
I have no affiliation with Big Dog motorcycles but I have worked on some of them and they are like all the others for the most part and suffer similar production chopper issues. You could have a cracked coil, a bad ignition switch or pickup module, loose ground, etc. And I have gotten breakers that were bad right out of the box… But if you really like the bike, I would give this suggestion :
have it re-wired by a professional, because you can’t replace the bike with another one for the money and if you have no mechanical issues it will be worth the cost.
It isn’t fair, but it is likely the best thing if you want to keep the bike… poking around wiring that already has problems is pointless. A qualified electrical mechanic will have testing equipment (volt/ohm meters, etc.) to check your coil(s), ignition module, voltage regulator, relays… and the manufactures of these components usually have available online the proper testing procedures to check them out and how to verify compatability with other components.
Good luck
Just Sayin’
I would like to hear more relevant information, not information on how people like/dislike their BD.. That is not what this is supposed to be about, it is supposed to be about how BD has a 21k chopper in a market that the chopper has fizzled out in. Also, a market that EVERYTHING has fizzled out in for now.
Conrad
Conrad- don’t you mean, the market that everything has fizzled out of except for Desperado and JNC’s?
Michael Murphey,
Just to set the record straight I will reprint a comment I made earlier on another rant on Cyrils blog….
FYI:
(1) Conrad has absolutely no ownership position here (Desperado Motorcycles or Jeff Nicklus Customs) so it is not his “bustling bike business”
(2) Conrad is my Son and works here during his off time from college.
(3) In reference to your comment about the “Bustling bike business” …. actually we (Desperado Motorcycles ) are doing better, from a business stand point, than we have at anytime in the last two years. We have started rehiring laid off employees (6 to date) and orders have more than tripled in the last two months. No, it isn’t as good as it was once but I would venture to say none of the other big guys are doing any hiring currently.
(4) Conrad’s opinions or statement of fact(s) are strictly his opinion(s) and his comments are not necessarily the opinion of either myself personally or the corporate position of any my company’s.
(5) Conrad does build about 10 bikes a year on his own for friends and people who request his bikes.
FYI: This statement also applies to your “fizzled out” comment.
Just a bit of information to bring the record straight.
Over & Out,
Jeff
Thanks Dave. I do like the bike and for $8-$10k resale, I might as well keep it and fix some of the issues. Now, as requested, relevant comments about the $21k Chopper and the industry (keep in mind I am not in the industry) … well…we are all suffering, perhaps BigDog should ask Obama for a stimulus package/bail out or maybe the “Chopper Industry” as a whole should ask? I think the price point is relevant in the market for people that still have the ability to buy or finance a bike as opposed to the few that can afford a West Coast or OCC custom. Not sure how many are left, period, so even if it is a good price, it may not matter. Toys are always the first to go or get postponed. I didn’t check the BDM web site, but it is a good base chopper from which to customize, however, $17.5 would have been better p[rice from which to start out as the base chopper model and then add on from there (again, my opinion). I also agree with the comment about wait a while and you can get a K-9 or a Chopper for much less. I bought my 2004 in 2005. It was a display model with zero miles and was marked down to roll out for the 2006 models that were coming. Bottom line, it is no different than any other industry, gotta move the merchandise to keep the lights on!
I had a 2006 bdm. I loved it. No problems. Found a better bike. Good luck bdm.
I am on my second BD with a 2006 K9 which I have been trying to sell for awhile now. I love riding the bike but have had a few problems which BD backed up. However it is still a drag to get the bike serviced, towed etc. Especially since my local dealer is out of business.
I agree that this bike has probably killed the resale market. But what can you do? BD has to introduce new products and in this economy they have to produce lower cost bikes. I am not sure how sales will perform with this model….I would be worried more about the $35K+ bagger they introduced last year. How in world can that compete with the HD baggers?? Especially with the customizing available for bikes like the road and street glides. Thats the direction I am going.
Compared to a HD, the K9 feels and handles like a sportscar. Great control and power. And a blast to ride. Having said that, I am ready to go back to HD for the comfort, reliability and long distance riding. I find the K9 tough to ride distances but around town its a monster!
I wish BD much luck.
Bob S – exactly! and I am also looking at going back to HD for distance, comfort and reliable, but I will probobly keep my Chopper for around town crusing, if I can get it to be a little more reliable. If so, I will probably do some work to it…I always wanted to get rid of the two in one pipes and actually wanted a springer front end, just not sure it will take one. I too wish BigDog and all the other builders well, it is tough for anyone selling non-essential goods.
I have seen a couple of K9s with the springer front end and they look awesome. Not sure how the Chopper would look considering the shorter wheelbase. Would be fun to switch it up though. When you make significant upgrades like that its like getting a new bike.
Ride safe!
I am looking at getting an 06 K9… The bike has 9300 miles on it as well.. I would like to hear some REAL pro’s and con’s please… OR should I run due to what I have read on here and the forks at 10k???? None of these posts I have found have years associated with them really??!!! Thanks for your time and help!!!!
You bozo’s that are putting negative comments on here about the bike are clueless about the business world and how to save a company—Sheldon is doing exactly what is needed help bring the company back to where it should be–What’s wrong with it–111 inch, who offers that standard? Or, may be the six speed tranny? who offers that standard?
Get a clue–You probably riding a suzuki anyway—Possers!
It looks good and I am sure it will have the same great standards Big Dog has always had—
Nice Job!!!!
I’ve been dreaming about a K9 for a few years, but with a 30K+ price tag, dreaming is all that I’ve been getting done and likely to get done. I think it’s dang cool for BD to come out with a lower priced great-looking chopper that could sell a few units to guys like me. So it looks like older models, BFD. They looked great then and this still looks great to me. I might be able to get a new BD now.
I have A 07 K9 and love it, I have had HD for the last 30 years and was looking for a change, I have had a couple of problems with it like the Clutch cable braking in Sturgis 2 weeks ago, and now I am being told that I have a clutch hub nut coming off, But I love riding this bike, But I bigdog will not help with repairs, 5k and 2 1/2 years. I was looking at the bagger, but not a bigdog.