Are Harley Davidson motorcycles reliable or unreliable?
It may seem like a dumb question to many of you, but I’ve heard greatly mixed reviews on HD bikes. Some people say they leak oil non-stop and always have trouble. Others claim that an HD will last forever as long as you take the time to conduct basic maintenance. So what is the truth about Harley Davidson? I’m looking for honest answers from people that have owned them. I’m not looking for some two word review without the experience to back up what you say - That especially goes for you, Bart S. In fact, don’t even answer this question, Bart.
If your bike is great, tell me. If it’s had its problems, tell me. I want the truth, HD owners.
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Dave, your question isn’t dumb at all. I’ve owned 26 bikes in 43 years of riding. The last 5 have all been Harley’s. In the old days, Harley’s had problems ith poor gasket material and they leaked. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. And there was a period in the 70’s when AMF built bikes that were poor in quality. But, none of the newer bikes have those problems. I built one custom, restored a shovel head, and then bought an electra glide, then a dyna wideglide and my current peace officers edition Ultra glide. None of these leaked a drop of oil. I have never had a serious problem with one of them. My wife and I just completed a 10 day riding vacation, covered just under 3000 miles and the only problem I encountered was a a broken switch for the front intercom, that I fixed while having lunch. Last year, on our main riding vacation, same bike, same number of miles, and not one single problem. I ride in a 500 member club and we ride a LOT every year. I wouldn’t own the bike if I did not have complete faith in it. Not to run down other big bikes, like I said, I have owned 26 of them. I would gladly climb on one of the big honda’s, Kawasaki’s, BMW’s that I have owned or even the big suzuki and ride cross country. But for me, I prefer the Harley. On my current bike, the only changes I have made so far were to add performance slip on mufflers, a new stage 1 intake, an oil cooler and a race tuner. This gained me 30 more HP and increased the torque by 29Ft Lbs too. I intend to add true duel exhausts soon as well. Later, I may add the big bore kit, but don’t really need it. I cruise at 80, with the stereo playing, the cruise control set and enjoy the air ride suspension while getting 45 MPG (up to 52 at 70 MPH) Oh, and of course I have added some personal customized stuff just to make it mine. I’ll be at sturgis next month with it as well.
In the end, it is a question of what you want. A Harley does idle rougher than a Honda, but the sound of that 96ci motor running out is hard to beat. No, it’s not a crotch rocket (although I’ve owned a couple of those as well) but then, I don’t want it to be one. at 6′3" and 300lbs (ex cop, ex weight lifter who has had his share of injuries) I like my comfort, and a bike that reflects who I am. I want to be able to climb on and ride without my back hurting from being cramped forward over a tank, I want to stretch my legs out and relax mile after mile. I also like the way I’m treated if I need to get something from the dealership. Although I do most of my own maintenance and repairs, every once in a while I need something done at Harley, like adjusting the steering head bearings. Whenever I go in, They treat me very well. No, I don’t buy all my stuff from the dealership, unless it is a warranty item or issue. Everything else, I buy online from dennis kirk or J&P cycle etc, or a local shop.
Anyway, I hope this helps answer your question.
ride safe