Guys like me that have been riding for 50+ years get very tired of this kind of attitude. I have probably ridden more types and brands of motorcycles than you have years riding.
Sucks when someone calls out your favorite brand for what it truly is. Harley's are fine bikes but so are many others. When a Harley is running right, it's a really nice machine. The problem isn't the bike itself as much as it's Moco. "hardheaded" seems to be conveying this in his post if you read it carefully. My buddies I have had these same talks more than once over the years so "hardheaded isn't alone.
No one spending the ransom that HD demands should have the overall problems they have and the problems are well known and documented.
Ini cam bearings: A well known weakness back in the EVO days and still being used today! Had Moco switched to the Torrington for a few bucks each, the issue would have dissapeared but that would mean a couple bucks off their thousands per bike. Inexcusable.
TC88's: Original cam tensioner system was and is probably one of the worst engineering designs to come down the pipeline and they continued using it for six years!!! This is the new millenium and this is what HD gives us for our thousands of dollars.
The newer hydraulic design is just a bandaid. You still have to open the cam chest at some point to inspect and they continued using it for 10 years!!! Something I will never have to do on my Road Star.
And the list could go on. Known problems tha Moco refuses to address and it's all for their bottom line and shareholders. At least the US auto industry woke up.
S&S and all the other aftermarket companies love Moco. Why wouldn't they? This cottage industry is making millions because of it.
As far as "enjoy your new Yamaha" goes, I am not a bike snob. Have owned several trouble free Yamahas and loved every one of them. I always have several bikes on hand to ride at any time including my Road King. My current Yamaha rides are a '09 Road Star with 8K on the clock that I just picked up and '08 Royal Star Venture I got with 5K on the clock, now 103K on it. Of all the bikes I have ever owned, the RS Venture is the finest riding bike I ever strapped a leg over. There is no other bike produced that I will consider for 2 up riding. Yeah, it's that nice. And I have ridden lots of bikes. I still had to change the oil, tires and batteries over the years though. Even had a flat rear tire one year. Can you believe it? (Still have to call Yamaha about that problem). $6,000.00 for a 5k mile bike with 7 years and 98K miles on the sweetest trouble free touring bike I ever experienced. Kind of justifies why Yamaha has been number one in consumer satisfaction and reliability.
Stop directing your attitude toward fellow riders and direct it towards Moco where it should belong. So, go ahead, tell people like "hardheaded", a hard core Harley guy, to stop complaining and go buy a Yamaha. You know maybe he will and he won't be sorry , but Harley will be. I know a lot of former Harley guys who have moved on because of their neglect.
You aren't going to change many minds
I worked at the engine plant machining tranny cases
Tolerances were like 4-7 thousands off and were sent to the line
Harley Tolerances aren't like BMW or Ducati but we do use good aluminum and steel. Very heavy duty
Heat treated twice the steel that is
But I wouldn't buy one to be honest if I didn't get the 20% off. They are a bit over priced IMO. But try doing an oil change on a Ducati plus they use cam belts not chains. Break a cruise control switch on a BMW and you are shelling out 1k. Seriously. I myself think Triumph is a happy medium but it's just a personal preference. 80 more hp and same torque as a Big Twin. A twin is a twin. It is what it is
Some love them some hate them. I prefer a triple or an in line 6. But every year they go up in price. You can get a BMW bagger with the same options for about 5k cheaper. But don't get me wrong
My Street Glide is a blast and handles well for a 800 lb beast
Ride what you want with a big smile!!!
ha, this is our group at the top of Pikes Peak last year. 16 Harleys at the top, number of BMW's, Ducati's and Metrics at the top, zero. Number of Harley riders in this group who switched from metric and will never go back; Six, coming off of Goldwings, FJR's, ST, and BMW 1600's. Just saying...
I've already put in my $.02 but would like to add something.My current ride is my first Harley. Been riding 40 years and owned a bunch of Hondas and Yamahas. I used to be one of those jap bike guys that poked fun at Harley for their outdated technology and reliability issues. No more. Of all the bikes I've owned my Harley is the only one that hasn't let me down. All the others stranded me at some point, including a brand new Goldwing that got stuck in 4th gear (recall issue) and caused me to miss a club ride and a Vmax with a bad water pump. Come to think of it if my Harley broke down with a recall issue my dealer would see to it I made that club ride on one of their bikes. The Honda dealer? Not so much. Yeah, Harleys aren't perfect but I love 'em. Most fun I ever had on two wheels. And yeah, people throw off on Harley dealers (stealers) and the Moco but I wouldn't trade my Harley dealer for any Honda dealer I've ever done business with. Say what you will about Harley but I don't think any company knows it's customers better than they do.
3 front motor mounts
voltage regulator
exhaust y pipe and associated pieces
radio replaced
antenna replaced
both rocker gaskets
intake gasket
breather assembly
engine temp sensor
fairing mounts
and probably a dozen other things i cant recall. i dont know how much of that can be attributed to the **** poor dealership service center and the previous owner, but my faith in the product is pretty low based on this experience
05-04-2017, 12:19 PM
Agreed
