Good afternoon to all! First, I am trying to do my research and get the most information possible. Before I hear all the hate and slams, understand that I am considering jumping the fence for a HD.

I have owned 9 Goldwings (2 1100's, 2 1200's, 3 1500's, 2 1800's). I put just over 300,000 miles on one of them, over 11 years. It was my only mode of transportation and I used it for work and MUCH play. 1000 mile days were frequent and I have seen just about every nook and cranny of our great country.

Sadly, my latest was totaled last weekend when a 4 wheel driver rear-ended me at a red light. Once my body is pieced back together, I will be looking for a replacement. And, I have some questions for anyone who rides far and hard. If you have owned and ridden both (GL and HD), your answers would be very valuable.

The CVO Limited now comes with twin cool technology.

1. What kind of life can I expect to see out of this motor? If I am going to pull the trigger on a $39,000 bike I want to get at least 250,000 miles before needing rebuild.
2. What are the regular service requirements and cost of each?
3. Fatigue... Is the ride smooth enough for comfortable 14-16 hour days in the saddle?
4. Rear PAX... how is the ride for you? Both short haul and long haul. How is the wind envelope during rain at freeway speeds. On the Wing we stay pretty dry over 60 mph.
5. Would you have any hesitation to jump on the bike and ride from FL to CA on a 3-day weekend? Would you trust the bike to get you there and back without any breakdowns?

This is my due diligence. Please do not respond with hatred to either machine. I am looking for the positive and honest answers here. Your feedback is greatly appreciated! Many thanks and safe riding!

 

opinions, we all got 'em - I am short on GW saddletime ( I have a CT90 though) and do not have a 2014 FLHTK..but have had 6 other harley models and a computer keyboard;

the twin cool I think is a stop-gap, HD will have to go the further measures to meet emissions. the + side is that the current twin cools run cams that were considered 'performance' last year, and the twin cool allows higher compression.
I bet we see further advances incrementally over the next few years.

the CVO is more of a paint and "mandatory options" package...some of us prefer a more basic ride and add the bits we want ( although HD has been phasing out the basic models to push sales of higher margin variants).

ALL the touring series models share basic frame, suspension, drivetrain etc as of now 103" is std, 110 " is available-

we 'think" 100,000 miles + on a motor- most harleys are garage queens and 10 year old 3000 mile bikes are not uncommon.

the service schedule is published and similar to other motorcycles- prices vary. most riders do the easy ones
http://www.adventureharley.com/touri...nance-schedule

at my age etc I am more a 8~10 hour day rider. cushy ultra seat, air shocks tuned for floaty ride

my wife likes the ride, but I am more often solo.

no hesitation to jump and go


each brand has foibles..remember the GW1500's had carb problems early on.


my best advice to you is go with what you know- I have and have had a number of different brands. Harleys come at motorcycling and technology from their own direction, as does Honda and BMW etc. It's the one that makes your smile widest

mike

 

It's been years since I've been on a GW and when I was, it was a buddy who lent it to me. I did do a couple longer 500 mile trips.

1. I think most around here have no problems saying 100K + is easy. I think if you are most highway miles, you could go even longer. You also have the option to use a create motor to just replace it.

2. Most of the service intervals on the touring line is 5000 mile intervals.

3. I see no issues with those days if you ahve the right seat. I have the hammock seat and like it.

4. My wife can feel cramped after a while and not as many options to place the feet. I don't think you will find the wind protection / rain as nice as you do on the GW. that's why Harley sells pretty good rain suites.


5. No problem at all doing a trip like that. I have a Ultra Classic that is 11 months old and has 26K miles on it. The wife and I do like to ride!! I'm actually thinking about upgrading to the Limited CVO but will do it in August when the 15s come out.



Have you thought about a rental? Not sure if they rent the 2014 CVO or not but might be worth a try. talk to a salesman and see what options you have fora demo.

 

I do remember the carb issues of the 1500's very well. And the mapping issues with my 2002 GL1800. As everyone has ironed out their respective issues, some of the old jokes do need to die. That has been the main thing to keep me from making the leap. Actually, if I could afford both the decision would be easy to make. Maybe Mr. Leno has a spare in the stable he'll part with. Anyway, I am very familiar with wings and to me they feel like an overgrown sport bike. The rental suggestion is perfect. One good 3 day weekend should answer many questions. Again, thank you!

 

The new water cooled bikes are too new to give real mileage estimates. I did test ride the Ultra CVO 110 last weekend. It runs very cool and lots of power. As much as a GW, I don't know. It has been a good six years since I rode one. The current air cooled bikes are going about 160k miles, give or take before rebuild. For the most part they are not maintenance free miles. Although, a few guys do make it that far without really doing anything but scheduled maintenance. As stated above the maintenance interval is 5k miles. I think you will find the new bikes smoother out on the road than the GW. Different animal but I ride my bike between Pittsburgh Pa and Naples FL several times a year. I ride straight through and have never broke down. 1256 miles each way. I ride gas tank to gas tank. A lot of guys ride Harleys all over the country. I think you will find it is not as reliable as the GW.

 

I have owned 2 GL1800's and sold my last when I bought my 2014 CVO. I've wanted a Harley for years, but was waiting for some of the updates that came out in 2014. I'm going to answer your questions in the ordered you asked them:

1. I have no idea what the motor's life expectancy will be. My 110" motor runs noticeably cooler than the 2011 103" motor I have at work. I have to assume that will help with life expectancy. That said, I purchased a 7 year unlimited mileage warranty for a good price so I'm not too worried about it one way or the other.

2. Harley's require a 1000 mile service (which I personally find kinda ridiculous....I did it myself after buying the service manual). Maintenance is scheduled for 5,000 mile intervals.

3. I think my CVO is more comfortable than my GL1800 was. The CVO comes with a heated Hammock seat which is a bit taller than the standard Ultra Limited seat and is incredibly comfortable. It also comes with a backrest standard.

4. My wife didn't ride the Wing much but my kids like both. The Wing had more protection around the knees, but the CVO has pretty good coverage. My wife is only a hair over 5' so I block most of the wind for her. The Wing's rear seat may be a touch bigger than the CVO, but the 2014's are bigger than year's past.

5. I love ridding any chance I get, but I wouldn't jump on anything but a plane for a 3 day trip from FL. to CA. That said, if I was heading on a trip and I could choose between a new Goldwing or my CVO, I'd take the CVO. The 110" motor seems to have about the same power as the Honda's 1832cc 6-cylinder, and the 6 speed transmission keeps RPM's lower which is nice. The stereo and infotainment system on the CVO is heads and tails above the dated Honda system. I can hear my music loud and clear at any speed.

The CVO comes with a few things that you are probably used to on your Goldwings. The heated seats and grips are super nice, and the remote locking saddle bags and fork locks are the bees knees. All the bags have lights so you can see what you are looking for and all the controls are lighted as well. The Brembo brakes on the Harley have better feel than the Honda's, and slow speed maneuvering is a bit easier on the Harley (although I always thought the Goldwing was pretty good to).

In short, I was in the same boat as you. I really liked my Goldwings, but was ready for a change. I've only had my bike for 2 months and 2,000 miles, but I love it more every time I ride it. I haven't changed a single thing and I don't expect to. I spent more than I every imagined I could on a bike, but at this point I don't have any regrets.

 

The HD will be more fun to ride, much better looking, louder, hotter, and will vibrate more. It will be dependable. The new model 2014s are significantly improved.

But the wing is the undisputed touring champion and has been for years. I suspect you had better stay with the land yacht given your "1000" mile days. Me, I prefer to stop and take in the sites on trips, not just roll-up miles.

Renting a HD for a day is the ticket. That may help you decide.

 

Lowcountry Joe I can tell you have not rode the new CVO 110 Ultra. It really does not vibrate, not hot at all, and is extremely quiet. All you really hear from the motor is light lifter ticking.

 

Greetings FX4! Thank you for your experience with long distance rides. An occasional breakdown is something that can happen on or in just about any machine. IMO it boils down to proper maintenance. However, I just want to confirm the last sentence... "I think you will find it is not as reliable as the GW." Did you mean to say "not" as reliable? Thanks for the candid view!

 

DGreen1069, Thank you for the perspective of a former GL driver. Do you do much in the back roads (twisties)? I'm sure the torque out of the curves is more than sufficient on the 110. How does the banking and balance feel on those back roads compared to the 1800? I've got another month of healing to do, then I will look at a long demo ride or rental. Just looking for a similar experienced rider's view. Again, thank you for the great reply!