This isn't a troll, I do own 2 Sportsters, and after 23,000 miles between the bikes, I've had nothing break or fall off. I always do the maintance on both which includes checking all fastners per service manual.

When I bought my first HD, a good buddy of mine asked why did you buy a Harley? They vibrate, leak oil, parts fall off of them. I asked if any thing has fallen off his V-Star? He said right after he bought it, he's going down the road and hears a noise, looks back and his kick stand fell off.

So it can happen to anyone, and not just Harleys.

 

I've had things loosen up, but I've never had anything actually fall off my Ultra or my sporty. When I was active in my local ABATE chapter, there were two guys with shovelheads that were always loosing parts. Both bikes were not well maintained and were abused.

 

Do I count?
Lost a passenger peg once.

 

My wife lost the backrest pad on her Sporty this summer. Lady pulled up beside her at a stoplight about a mile later and told her that something had fallen off. I went up and down that road 5 times and couldn't find the stupid thing.

 

On my old sporty, the ignition would loosen up every ride ( even with locktite), my Driver front peg would come loose after about 500 miles ( so it had to be tighened back up a few times to sturgis). I never lost anything but knew what always needed to be checked. My rear turn signal alomst was all the way off arriving in sturgis.

 

Had a 99' Sportster 1200 XLH, and had numb tingling vibrations, little covers came off but, I understood what I was riding and what to expect. Now Loctite blue is my 2nd best riding buddy.

 

Today I lost two little screws that holds my lid on my saddle bag. But the list is very small and I have alot of miles on my harleys.

 

I've never lost anything (touch wood) but...

Last summer while following a RK I saw something shinny fall off, bounce, then kick up about 10' in the air coming down right at my head. Was his heal shifter... the bike had less than 200 miles on it.

 

On my brand new Ultra, two days new, the air cleaner cover started knockin on my right leg shortly after the big screw fell off and went bouncing down the road. I thought I saw a bright flash or two on the road a few miles back... now I know why. I held my leg tight up against the cover and pulled it into a local old school hardware shop and got a replacement.

 

I just lost one of the screws that holds down my aircraft-style fuel cap. Turns out they were all loose to some degree.