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I am not new to BMW. I started riding them in 2002 and have owned 5 of them. NO motorcycle ever made is totally free of any issues. Im sure I'll hear "I had a buddy who had one and......." Never said BMWs never ever had any issues. Like the saying goes, if it has wheels or ***** it will give you problems eventually. In MY experience, I've never had a BMW recall and never had any issues what so ever with the ones I've owned. I can't say that about the Harleys Ive owned. Simple as that. For those that want to stay with Harley and continue to ride out the problems and recalls that continue with the new bikes, God bless ya, go for it. In my world reliability is king. I have not experienced that reliability in the past few years with my Harley's To each his own. Oh and one more thing, as for gathering around a bike as mentioned. The first thing I noticed as BMW rallies 15 years ago is no other riders really care about fancy paint or chrome or giant front wheels etc, the only thing they seemed to notice was your odometer. It's ALL about riding.
Last edited by Gunnysgt; Oct 26, 2018 at 02:50 PM.
Yea rode a bmw, Not for me sits tall, not reliable, not good looking, People are like sheep, They think because of the name, and expense they must be good, Not.
$11,995 OTD, not all the bells and whistles of the 20K+ BMW, but it has ABS, Traction control, heated grips, adjustable on the fly windscreen, EFI, shaft drive and it is so quiet I had to put a Delkevic slip on on it just so I could hear the exhaust note so I knew when to shift.
Added a GPS cradle so the ZUMO from the 13 Limited can go on it, also got a set of bar risers and a Corbin seat.
A much nicer sport tourer than my ZZR1200 was
Last edited by Neggy ZRXOA 5248; Oct 26, 2018 at 04:39 PM.
Well, if I was to jump ship it would be to one of the big four, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki or Kawasaki. No exotic stuff for me, BMW's, MotoGuzzi's, Aprilla's etc.
Funny, I'm looking to add two more bikes to my stable. A Concours 14 for my daily ride to and from work and a Honda Africa Twin to do the Trans America Trail and to go round trip to Prudhoe Bay on.
I can have both of these for the price of one new RGU. I'm keeping my present RGU though. It's been a dream.... I will always have a Harley regardless.
Me I like Harley's so I got one. Mine is a joy and has been free of any show stopper issues (need to cure the right leg roasting design feature) other than routine maintenance.
I also like Goldwings so I got one. Its an 05 model that is a real nice ride and preferred by the Mrs. I think it has a few issues (for one the switches are trash) but runs on routine maintenance. Really like the reverse and wish HD had them.
I like BMW's and had an older one. My short legs are an issue. Tested an R1200RT and it was just amazing.
I have had some old school Nortons. Talk about issues (starting with electrics by Lucas the prince of darkness) but they had their own mystique.
Another one of the things keeping me with the HD is the shear number of dealers and independents. I don't think I have had a negative experience with an HD dealer or an independent and my first new Harley was a 77 FXE. But the good Lord does look after me.
Last edited by miner999r; Oct 26, 2018 at 10:47 PM.
Me I like Harley's so I got one. Mine is a joy and has been free of any show stopper issues (need to cure the right leg roasting design feature) other than routine maintenance.
I also like Goldwings so I got one. Its an 05 model that is a real nice ride and preferred by the Mrs. I think it has a few issues (for one the switches are trash) but runs on routine maintenance. Really like the reverse and wish HD had them.
I like BMW's and had an older one. My short legs are an issue. Tested an R1200RT and it was just amazing.
I have had some old school Nortons. Talk about issues (starting with electrics by Lucas the prince of darkness) but they had their own mystique.
Another one of the things keeping me with the HD is the shear number of dealers and independents. I don't think I have had a negative experience with an HD dealer or an independent and my first new Harley was a 77 FXE. But the good Lord does look after me.
I am down with you on the R1200RT. I also rode one and will have one sooner or later. Not necessarily replacing what I have, but I can't stop looking at the for sale ads. Yes, not pretty and sound like a sewing machine but I do like em.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
