I’ve had two Sportsters for a total of 7 years so far and they have been fantastic as far reliability goes. Now I have a chance to buy a 2004 Softail.

What i wanted to know is this, are the big Harleies as reliable as the Sportsters? Or should I expect high maintenance and break downs.

If you’re gonna answer by trashing HDs, I’d like to know why you hang around to read questions on Harlies if you hate them so much?. Perhaps you’ve had a girlfriend or a wife stolen by a Haley rider.

I was wondering in the reliability of a 2004 road king I am looking to purchase.
Looking to buy 04′ Road King with 17,000 highway miles well maintained.

a Bugatti Veyron: rock solid high turbo charged a** whoopin’ performance, sleek style, but very high maintenance and very costly

Mustang: high performance, but overly pricey, an all around favorite

pick up: can carry a heavy load, very multifaceted, preferred for big jobs, very tough.

Mack truck: road hog, moves for no one, specializes in really big jobs, takes up a lot of room, best not mess with it

Honda Accord: nothing too special here, just a good ol’ ride, widely preferred and reliable, not too stylish

Harley Davidson: the best ride around, loves to show and strut their stuff, lots of power that goes a long way, can be quite high maintenance though.

Hummer: built for power but doesn’t go a long way, not very economical, extremely tough and durable and very versatile

57 Chevy: a true classic, old school, admired and looked up too by many.

Volvo: not flashy but very well built, well taken care of and can take a lot of beating, doesn’t stick out, just long lasting.

Jeep: an all around fun ride, durable and rugged, can be unstable at times but still very well rounded and versatile.

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.

Thinking of buying a motorcycle. Which do you think is the better choice?
Dependability? Maintenance? Cost? etc.
Thanks for your input.