The lawyers are talking to my brother and I about "settlement" of our accident last summer, which means checks, which means new bikes for both of us (eventually, we still don't know when, or how much).
So...  my brother and I are shopping more seriously.
He's going to get a DCT Goldwing to replace his F6B.  Russellville Honda (Ark) has great deals on them (that's where he got his F6B, in an awesome custom bright orange).
Las Vegas BMW has an awesome deal on '19 Street Twins...  I haven't fully decided that's what I want but it's the current mind candy...

We're both retired, so we have more time than money.  Is there a cheaper alternative to 'fly and ride' (other than greyhound)??

Train?  Not as crappy as a bus - buy maybe way too expensive...

Hitchhiking ??

I agree with the guy from Virginia.   Cheap airfare would certainly be my choice and my recommendation.   If you have a flexible date and time of day you can often get extremely inexpensive tickets, especially if you can plan well in advance.    On occasion you can also find last minute cheap tickets to certain destinations but those are infrequent these days.   You'll probably be able to find a cheap airfare to Las Vegas.    I think Russellville is going to be a tougher destination.   Little Rock is the closest decent sized airport and it is still 80 miles away.  Maybe a bus for the last 80 miles out I-40.

The only other option I have used is to find a super low rate one-way rental car.   These tend to be available in certain seasons when the companies need cars shuttled from one area to another; usually from the north to the south in early winter and vice versa in the Spring.   You still need to pay for gas so a really cheap airfare may still be a better find.   

If it's a store I leave a deposit and take a cashiers check for the remainder, if it's a private sale cash. I have been doing fly and rides for decades and it has never been a problem.

Woah, flights aren't as expensive as I'd assumed...
Las V; $116
Little R;  $129
and these were on the first date I picked (a Wednesday), on google.com/flights

Im.not sure who he checked with but crating has never been an option. They have carriers set up for bikes. They roll them up and strap them down, done and dusted. Just sharing few ways that planned out for me. Good luck, congrats and keep us posted.

Quote from: Virginian on January 27, 2020, 09:18:35 PM

Also, check bike shipping services. When I bought the HD XR1200 I happened upon a "winter special" for $400 to my door. Clearly, that was an exception and worth the coin to me.

My bro checked bike shipping when he got his F6B in '17.   It was considerably more and he would still have to go there in person to pay and sign for the bike, and wait around for it to be crated (I think at an additional cost) and picked up.

It's never just the air travel. There are a lot of other costs that are often more in total than a cheap flight. Cheap flights are easy to find.

FWIW, I've shipped three bikes so far... one purchase, one sale, one ship-it-and-ride-it-home. In every case, it was $500-$600, and that includes two of those being shipped coast to coast. The overall scheme of things, $500 to get a bike to me / from me is trivial when factored against 1) my potential time lost unless I'm making it vacation time, 2) the aggravation because NO plan ever survives first contact with an enemy, and/or 3) the percentage points that shipping costs is compared to the overall purchase. I can spend $500 in air travel, hotels, gas, food, and advil, or I can stay home waiting out the cold and rain, without riding in potentially shit weather, etc.

It all just comes down to when, and if I've got other things going on.

Me? Right now? I'd have it shipped. Me? Three months from now? I'd fly and ride. Neither choice is a universally bad one.

I know these shipping folks are pretty good.  Harley Davidson uses them for single bike transfers dealer to dealer.  Me?  I have the time, so I fly and ride, but I don't buy bikes in Dec, Jan or Feb because snow up here. 


https://haulbikes.com




Spirit Air flies from Chicago O'Hare to Vegas on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for under $100 normally.

Woah, flights aren't as expensive as I'd assumed...
Las V; $116
Little R;  $129
and these were on the first date I picked (a Wednesday), on google.com/flights

I was just about to say that I wasn't sure about Little Rock.  But you can always get cheap flights to Vegas!

do you have access to Allegiant airlines? they are crazy cheap, my wife and flew from Rapid city to vegas for $80

You are all enablers
And I can't thank you enough

Quote from: HipGnosis on January 28, 2020, 09:37:11 AM

You are all enablers
And I can't thank you enough

ST.O - finding all the best crack deals for all the weakest of wills since...

    Thankfully, I don't need help with my crazies.  Y'all would have me with a garage full of bikes.  NTTIAWWT.

At one point, Liz and I each had two bikes, and I had two fix-n-flip projects in the garage. That's just too many (for me). I don't need multiple bikes... I think I'm just a serial seeker of the one best-for-me bike. Problem is... there's no such thing. 

Exactly!! so, then it changed to one for the dirt and one for the street. Then it changed to one for the dirt one for the twisties, and one for in between.

Oh, I forgot the wife's TLR200 so that makes 4. We have an agreement she doesn't count motorcycles and I don't count horses. It's all peace love and happiness after that...