Help me decide before I lose my mind......

[snide]

New member here looking for some honest feedback and I don't think I could have found a better place to get it. Its been 5 years since I sold my 1400 intruder after my son was born and its long overdue that I get back in the saddle. I'm ready to buy but I'm torn between the 2004 Volusia or the 2004 LC1500. In my mind and going by looks and feel I think that I would be happier with the 1500 but I'm having a hard time justifying the 3k difference in price even though I'm used to riding the 1400. Hoping to make the decision easier I took the wife out to see them today and she preferred the 1500 by a landslide and her second choice was the V Star 1100 Yamaha. My question is this. If you were starting over would you buy buy the Volusia and use the extra money to trick it out a bit or would you go with the larger 1500 ? Riding will be mostly cruising around town with the wife and kids with minimal road trips. I never thought I'd see the day when the wife says buy the expensive one and I'm not sure if thats the wise choice. Please help with this decision.... The wife will kill me if I go with the Volusia and regret it in 6 months....

Thanks in advance

[Uncle Bob]

Both great bikes, I ride a Volusia and love it but the LC is one fine bike with extras that'll cost you more than the 3k dif in prices to upgrade the Vol. For the extra 3k you get obviously 700 extra CCs, alloy wheels with tubless tires, 30% more power, 60% more torque, lower RPM's at any given speed, twin disk brakes up front ( only 1 on the Vol ), disk brake in back ( drum on the Vol ). You and your passengers will love the wider and thicker seats on the LC.

Downsides are the heftier price, heavier bike and that actually riding both ( as I've done ) you won't see that big a difference between the two.

I would also check out the SE version, ususally for less than what it would cost to equip your bike with shield/bags/backrest/aux lights you can get it that way with OEM quality parts and all covered under warraty.

As for the Yammie, it's a good bike with tons of aftermarket stuff available but being the best selling bike in it's class you'll lose a little in the individuality of your bike and the performance and comfort is about equal to the Vol. Actually on the V-Star I'm uncomfortable because it's a smaller bike and I don't like my knees sticking up above the tank.

Personaly I'm sticking with the Vol for now, maybe when they come out with a fuel injected LC I'll join the 21st century.

[GNHebb]

Remember, size counts....