I would have to agree on the dealer opinion. I hit a deer last fall and it made a mess of my Ultra like you have never seen or smelled...Rolled into Lewiston HD @ 4:30 pm and the Service Mgr. himself spent 2 1/2 hrs pressure washing my bike and checking it out for me.When I asked how much he said Nothing, consider it a gift from Harley Davidson.


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I read this forum with thoughts that I had made a wrong life decision about whatmotorcycle I bought andif I can live withmyself. I second guessmy own actions and thoughtsbecause of what others say here -- NOT!

People, a motorcycle is just aform of trasportation and to own one, any brand, does not make you better or worse thanthose without or those with differentbrands.

Get over the ego obsession that your decisons, your life, or even your world is better than someone elses because you ride, own, or are paying on any 2 wheeled mode of transportation, much less one that needsflocks of followers toadvanceits doctrine. I mean really, why don't we fight over what brand of toothpastewe use. It is basically the same thing. And,if you answer me with more doctrine, you will prove my point.

 

Have owned both, prefer the HD Ultra. You will find that as a GW ages it becomes harder to find someone that will take it in for service and major repairs will be impossible. Honda dealers, at least the one's I dealt with would not touch a bike over 15 years old. Too much liability on the breaking of body parts and on some 20 year old models you are looking at "Used" parts to make repairs.

Yes, I had anolder model of the GW but, they all get old sooner or later and you will find that in the 10-15 year old range any HD dealer can and will fix your bike and there are many more repair shops that can accomodate your HD than a GW. You can if you have to breakdown a Harley rim and fix or replace a tire yourself, no such luck with a GW. You can get a replacement bolt at Home Depot if you need to.

As for the general comfort, I found the the GW lacked driver adjustments. Even the new one I tried in 2007. With the flat engineand lower fairing design there's not much room around the knees for me. Plus, if you want to strech your legs on highway pegs you need to go out away from your brake and shift levers. You will need to move your feet up off the pegs and back around into the fairing to get to those levers. On and HD you can putpegs on your crash guards and still only be a few inches from the top of your brake pedal, itmakes a big difference when you need to move on it fast. If you have old knees they don't move as fast or bend as the best angles anymore. You can adjust the Harley to virually almost any position as far as leg comfort and with the additonal options of handlebars you can fit almost anybody.

My wife hated the GW. She sat up so high she could actually look over the top of my head. She found the fact of being up so high on a stiff right or left turnveryunnerving because she was dropping into the corner at a very steep angle. I could actually look eye to eye with someone driving an f-150, I found that particually uncomfortable. The 2007 I test rode wasn't much lower to the ground. If you have short legs you are standing on your toes, I'm 6'1 and found that I needed to strech at times.

The GW although powerful is not a miser on gasoline. You will burn fuel. At a constant 65-70 my GW got 36-38, my HDpushed the 48-50 range. That could mean 40 miles more between gas stations, a big difference on a long run. Its not a picnic to change the oil and forget about the air filter.

If your a new bikeevery two yearguy, then buy the GW.You'll never change a tire and forget about big maintenance. If you tend to have an affair with your rides then get an HD.

Plus a GW is just not a pretty motorcycle from a traditionalist point of view. No matter what you do to them they really don't come off well customized, plus when you see one at a stoplightall lit up and that fake chrome plastic crap all overthe bike you arewaiting for at least 10 clowns to jump out of the tourpakand run around it while calliope music plays in the background.At the same stoplightif you look over at the reflection in the store front window and your not ridinga Harley your just squating in the street.

You didn't really think I wasn't going to throw a little HD humor into this did you.

 

I'm sure you meant that post for ALL, and not in response to mine....If not you are way off base, I made no comparisons whatsoever, and merely relayed my experience last fall.
But seeing as you opened the subject , I am certain I would have been treated differently had I rode into a Honda shop an hour before closing with that mess, and certainly would have been charged.( I owned an 05 Wing so I have some basis in my opinion)

Mark

 

Hi
UC looks much better than GW

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Here my 2 cents................

My stats: Im 6-3 and 375, wife is 5-10, 165. I have an 07 Ultra Classic. I added Tall Boy Seat, sheepskin cover and this winter I added Lengend Air Suspension. Game OVER! Yes it is that much better. If you buy the UC and I know u will, spend the bucks on Legend Air Suspension right off the bat, yes it is exspensive but the shocks on the UC just are not decent enough to carry both you/wife and any amount of stuff in the side bags or trunk.

I'll never own another without Legend on it unless HD comes out with it themselves.

mps

 

I would have to agree.......

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I have rode both, they are both fine machines. It is all a matter of personal taste. jmo

 

I also own the UC and have friends that ride the wing. Both are nice rides witha unique feel to each. One thing not mentioned is that the wing does not have a good place to place the highway pegs. With all the body cladding, the highway pegs get stuck WAY out there and loose some of the long term comfort. Also, I prefer the floorboards on the UC to the foot pegs on the wing for the rider and passenger.

Just my .02

 

Blue, welcome to the forum, stick around and get to know the place. If you own a H-D it's a good place to learn a lot about your motorcycle.

I see you own a Valkyrie along with a few other bikes. They all have their own personalities, I kept my Valky when I bought the HD cause I like 'em both for different reasons.

Like I said, welcome to the forum.