Is it just me or does it seem that ever since the Twin Cam 88B motor Harley has had it's share of mechcanical problems with all their new bikes. I mean ever since the 88B all you see are posts of overheating, compensator problems, clutch problems now the new dressers puking up their guts and the list goes on..... I know you only hear of the problems and the whiners and most times if it is running great no one posts that. I know they have really changed the motors and the bikes since then and there are always bugs to work out, but it sure looks like Harley has a bad case of cockroaches.........

 

Um, Ironhead sporty's, pan's, shovels and evo's all had their fair share of problems, this is nothing new.

 

The road to progress is not always a smooth one. I think in the overall scheme of things they are making great strides! I really would not want to own any other motorcycle made.I love my two Harleys. If you look at all of the major automobile manufacturers wether it be Made in the USA or otherwise the road to progress has not always been smooth for them either.

 

havent heard issues with the evo sporties motor wise...seem bullet proof to me. i had an 88" and other than the cam chain tensioners (which i replaced only as a precaution and not breakage), had no issues whatsoever with it or the tranny. i have a 96" ultra now w/6 speed and tbw. knock on wood, at over 17000 miles, no issues as of yet. but back to your statement...thinking hd needs the bt's need to be a bit more like the sporties for reliability.....just a thought

 

Yep, it's just you

 

Never had a Shovelhead I'm guessing?

 

I haven't seen a drip pan or piece of cardboard under a new bike in the showroom since the 60's.

 

Lol, I was thinking the same thing!

As mentioned, I don't think there's a single inherent problem with the Sportsters. Probably the single best engine in the history of the Moco.

 

 

There are those who say the Evo is the best motor the Co has ever had. I have had my fair share of Evos, Twinkies, Shovels, and a Pan, 2 Sportys, & Flattie. I am on my 19th Harley ('07 RKC) so I feel qualified to comment here. Each generation had its different problems. Shovels, Pans, & Flatties leaked & everything broke on them. They were woefully unreliable right off the showroom floor, (I remember my days as an assembler at Harley of New York City; brand new bikes coming in with 2 miles on them & blown motors) but those who have them now have had everything rebuilt on them with modern stuff, so if you have a shovel or pan now it is prolly reliable. They were hard to start. But they were easy to fix. You could set the timing with a business card. Ironhead Sporties had kickstand tabs break, trap doors in trannies would break & take out the cases. My Evos would weep (not leak) everyplace 2 pieces of metal came together in the motor; even leaked out of the case bolt threads & alternator plug. And, they would kick back on the starter when they were hot, busting the drive. You know the famous "5th gear whine" in the 6 speed trannies? My '90 FXSTC had the same whine in 4th! There were cases of sabotage in the AMF days; techs would find a wrench in the tranny or foreign metal parts in the motor. Heard of one tech who disassembled the tranny on a brand new AMF Harley that wouldn't shift outta 1st & found the words "Ha ha; no second gear" written inside the tranny case. Twinkies have had cam bearings, cam tensioners, voltage regulators, etc go out on new bikes. They are much more reliable now, but almost impossible to diagnose & repair on the road. I can remember opening up the tranny on my '72 Triumph Tiger on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village back in the day, draining the fluid in a Famous Ray's paper cup, fixing the issue, pouring the fluid back in, & riding home. Try that with a TC!

But, I think that the reason it seems like there are more problems is because the TC years are the only ones most of us have had internet, so it only seems that way. Same with all the bad news you hear; there has always been crime; just that you hear of it more now. The internet has made the world a very small place.

If you think Sporties don't have issues, try visiting the Sporty forum. I think the unit construction of the Sporty motor is what makes them somewhat stronger, but they still have their issues. I think the best thing that the CO has done with engine construction of Big Twins is to make the engine/tranny interface 1 piece. Bolting the tranny directly to the motor makes for a stronger union than when the pieces are separate, connected only by a piece of aluminum of the inner primary.