Thank you for that info. I;ll probably go with the gun metal blue. It is sweet!! I think I can deal with the carb. I know I won't be riding in winter.
Two trains of thought working here regarding Carb vs EFI...advantages:
EFI - Upside: It is the wave of the future, virtually maintenance free, virtually no warm up, consistant A/F mixture over entire RPM range. Limited aftermarket support, some "supplement" HD factory specs / EPA certified standards, but only a few are certified to do so legally, and enforcement of smog and sound emissions mandated testing is coming.
Downside: expensive to work on and tune to get sorted if A/F changes are needed such as Stage I mods. Complexity, requires high pressure fuel pump, fuel lines and relative black art of 2D & 3D mapping is "daunting" due to all the sensors and electronics used to support it and all must be in working order or dead bike, a low or dead battery also means the "end of the party...if far from home"
Carb - Upside: Old school, less complexity, does not require electrical power, easier to "tune" and less expensive over the life of the bike. Plenty of aftermarket support, and things haven't changed much over a long, long time.
Downside: does require periodic maintenance or cleaning, as neoprene parts "groove" and deteriorate over shorter period of time over the life of the bike. May be harder to get parts for later on...but for now easy to obtain parts, deterioration is gradual and may go undetected until too late.
Which do I prefer - being "new" to the HD brotherhood, I opted for carb model, being a little "old school", opportunity, convenience, easiest to work on and be "one" with, and because it was the first one that pushed all the right buttons for me...decent out of the box performance, easiest to sort out Stage 1 mods, least amount of complexity. :s
Don't get me wrong, I love technology...the fact that it has electric start, breakerless ignition, oil wetted clutch, belt drive, rubber engine mounts and dual disc brakes...along with 85% of my old 93 Katana's sporting prowness, only with a more relaxed ride that I can share 2-up comfortably, there was little not to like. But as Dr. D said the choice is yours and I can only compliment you on your choice HD is #1
