Might be coming back .... Ultra ?
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Hurdle Mills NC
Might be coming back .... Ultra ?
Hey guys n gals ! I havent been on this forum in some time. Hope everyone is doing well.
Let me get to it .. first I want to say I like ALL bikes and dont bash. Anything listed here is what my experience(s) is / are.
I have an itch for an Ultra.
A little history. Started street riding in 2006. Rode in the dirt as a kid. First owned a 06 Sporty 883, 2007 Vstar 1300, 2008 VTX 1800T. In the shed now I have a 12 Goldwing L3 and a 02 VTX 1800S. Over the course of the last ten years Ive logged probably 300k miles or more. All my previous bikes had at least 60k (some more) when sold or traded. The Wing has a little less than 82k and the current VTX was bought about 2 years ago with 16k and now has 37k. So ... the point of all this is ... I ride.
The reason I post this morning is to ask two questions ..
The first, which dealer in a 4 hour radius of Raleigh / Durham is selling at the best prices ? I asked this same question when I bought the Goldwing and saved myself 4500 bucks by going Chattanooga to purchase. Same with the 08 VTX 1800T. Basically made the deal over the phone providing pics, rode the old bike out to Chattanooga and came back with the new one. Nice way to get acquainted with the new bike too !!
The second .... Im worried about the Harleys reliability. One of the things I do remember about the Sporty was that during the approximate two years of ownership a few things did go wrong. One particular issue was the speedo sensor was bad and the bike wouldn't start because of that leaving me stranded. Once a good distance from the house. It took Harley mechanics a few months to figure that out. I was talking to a guy at Smokin Harleys demo rides this weekend who told me he was doing alot of touring. His Electra Glide kept breaking down so he sold it and went to a Polaris.
Can the peeps riding the Ultra provide some insight related to reliability, dealer problem determination and maintenance cost ? Please note that the Wing isnt cheap to maintain !!
The last thing that kind of gets my panties in a twist is ... again, Im not bashing. I dont know why Harley doesnt equip its bigger bikes with a "big" engine. 103 ci / 1684 cc is pretty crappy for a bike like the Ultra. It wouldn't be fair to compare the Wing with the Ultra because its a different animal. But the stock VTX 1800 can / would/ does eat the stock Ultra. There is a 191 lb difference in weight. All the more reason to beef up that 103. Occasionally I want to get up and go .... takes a little time for the Ultra.
This will be an extra cost for me. Id need to do at least a stage 2. Will I find a 110 ci Ultra stock from the factory ? .. might just be a better idea to buy the CVO. Ill continue to demo ride and rent one for and extended test drive. I rented one while out in Arizona on business. ...kind of got the juices flowing for one. Another problem is .... I need some more room in the shed if I decide not to trade !
Your feedback is invited !
Best Regards
Chris
Let me get to it .. first I want to say I like ALL bikes and dont bash. Anything listed here is what my experience(s) is / are.
I have an itch for an Ultra.
A little history. Started street riding in 2006. Rode in the dirt as a kid. First owned a 06 Sporty 883, 2007 Vstar 1300, 2008 VTX 1800T. In the shed now I have a 12 Goldwing L3 and a 02 VTX 1800S. Over the course of the last ten years Ive logged probably 300k miles or more. All my previous bikes had at least 60k (some more) when sold or traded. The Wing has a little less than 82k and the current VTX was bought about 2 years ago with 16k and now has 37k. So ... the point of all this is ... I ride.
The reason I post this morning is to ask two questions ..
The first, which dealer in a 4 hour radius of Raleigh / Durham is selling at the best prices ? I asked this same question when I bought the Goldwing and saved myself 4500 bucks by going Chattanooga to purchase. Same with the 08 VTX 1800T. Basically made the deal over the phone providing pics, rode the old bike out to Chattanooga and came back with the new one. Nice way to get acquainted with the new bike too !!
The second .... Im worried about the Harleys reliability. One of the things I do remember about the Sporty was that during the approximate two years of ownership a few things did go wrong. One particular issue was the speedo sensor was bad and the bike wouldn't start because of that leaving me stranded. Once a good distance from the house. It took Harley mechanics a few months to figure that out. I was talking to a guy at Smokin Harleys demo rides this weekend who told me he was doing alot of touring. His Electra Glide kept breaking down so he sold it and went to a Polaris.
Can the peeps riding the Ultra provide some insight related to reliability, dealer problem determination and maintenance cost ? Please note that the Wing isnt cheap to maintain !!
The last thing that kind of gets my panties in a twist is ... again, Im not bashing. I dont know why Harley doesnt equip its bigger bikes with a "big" engine. 103 ci / 1684 cc is pretty crappy for a bike like the Ultra. It wouldn't be fair to compare the Wing with the Ultra because its a different animal. But the stock VTX 1800 can / would/ does eat the stock Ultra. There is a 191 lb difference in weight. All the more reason to beef up that 103. Occasionally I want to get up and go .... takes a little time for the Ultra.
This will be an extra cost for me. Id need to do at least a stage 2. Will I find a 110 ci Ultra stock from the factory ? .. might just be a better idea to buy the CVO. Ill continue to demo ride and rent one for and extended test drive. I rented one while out in Arizona on business. ...kind of got the juices flowing for one. Another problem is .... I need some more room in the shed if I decide not to trade !
Your feedback is invited !
Best Regards
Chris
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 615
From: San Antonio, Texas
I enjoy my 2014 Ultra Limited. I am not "ricky racer" though, it gets me to 65-70 soon enough and I am very rarely in need to go faster quicker, if someone passes me regardless of vehicle, I wave and continue to enjoy the ride.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 510
Likes: 83
From: SW Virginia
I ride all different brands as well and spend a lot of time an an adventure bike. I came back to Harley last year after about ten years.
I try not to get caught up in the intrinsic value crap but honestly it kind of really is all about that. Don't expect a Harley to perform like your Goldwing...it won't. It will have a different ride, feel, and emotion. If you can ride a bike just because you like it, well then it might be you would enjoy a Harley. I dig my Heritage.
I white water kayak but I also canoe. A kayak does just about everything better than a canoe. But there is some simple pleasure that comes from paddling a canoe through white water. I think of bikes the same way. Some are just fun to ride.
I try not to get caught up in the intrinsic value crap but honestly it kind of really is all about that. Don't expect a Harley to perform like your Goldwing...it won't. It will have a different ride, feel, and emotion. If you can ride a bike just because you like it, well then it might be you would enjoy a Harley. I dig my Heritage.
I white water kayak but I also canoe. A kayak does just about everything better than a canoe. But there is some simple pleasure that comes from paddling a canoe through white water. I think of bikes the same way. Some are just fun to ride.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,555
Likes: 119
From: Brockport, NY
I don't bash either. All bikes have had their share of problems and recalls. Get out, demo an Ultra, get back on here and tell the rest of us what you think of it.
Admire and Love my Ultra since '09,
Thorey
Admire and Love my Ultra since '09,
Thorey
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,143
Likes: 402
From: Hurdle Mills NC
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