was:

Are Harley's all that great a bike to own / maintain now that they are so popular with RUBs? (Rich Urban Bikers)

Well, I did a little research, and here is what i found:


"I wouldn't say they are unreliable, you just have to keep chasing the darn things around with a set of wrenches. I couldn't keep bolts in the license plate. I even "Loc-tite" ed the damn things in and still managed to have one come out. I did have a problem with the oil return, but that was only because a previous owner had the inner primary cover welded back together after it broke (somehow?) and it wouldn't hold a vacuum. And I couldn't keep exhaust flange gaskets in it. Other than that, it wasn't a bad bike. "

"My sister has a Dyna and the rear fender has a crack in it where the seat bolts on. It just keeps spreading. I told her to take it down and have it drilled and welded. I don't know what other problems she's had, but she does a ritualistic walk around before and after each ride. Just an occupational hazard when it comes to H-D, ya gotta have a set of wrenches handy (and a wallet full of money to start with)."

"The vibes were so bad at 70 MPH that I went through 8 tail lights in just a few months. Oh, and according to the Service Mgr. "all Sporsters blow their rocker box gaskets and leak oil." Mine did it twice. A friend of mine had his replaced three times! "


"I traded the Sportster in on a 1999 Ford Escort! " LOL



I didn't go sneak around on a Harley message board for these. These comments were made from people that own both japanese and harleys.

 

My favorite is the "If you have to ask you won’t understand" shirt.

you know what? I don't friggin understand! How can image outweigh cost and reliability? Perhaps I am unAmerican, or perhaps I use my brain. Maybe when I am an old fart it will make sense.

But by then I'll have my Honda VTX, or whatever incarnation there is at the time.

 

well i wont say that they arent cool to ride occationally. I would never buy one personally, because the cost does not out weigh the performance. Im not going to pay 20Gs for a bike that doesnt move vs 8Gs for a bike that can kick its own ***.

I have a shirt that has the harley logo on it and inside the logo it says: "If they made an airplane, would you fly in it?"

The answer by the way from my father and his RUBs was no of course not. So i still dont get it. BUt ill take a VTX 13 or 1800 before Id ever buy a Harley. Unless it was classic Panhead or something that I can make boku bucks on if i sold it.

 

I've ridden one. I'ts a "nice" bike. But the Harley riders who ride with me on ocassion, can not turn, stop, or accelerate as well as my bike. Add to that the MSRP that is 10 thousand dollars less than what they can be bought in my area, and you have a under performing machine, that loses almost 40% of its value based on MSRP the minute you buy it. Maybe the real value is maintained at re-sale, but something about $27,000 for a $17,000 bike means I will not be buying one anytime soon. I'd look into an Indian myself. They seem to be very well made.

These cruiser bikes are nice for taking on longer, more leasurely rides. Maybe I'll have to get one of these in addition to, but never in replacement of a Japanese standard or sport style bike.

 

FYI. Indian is now owned by Harley. So you are just buying a rebadged Harley. Unless the stock holders bought them out, but i havent heard that happen yet. And if they do , Im afraid that Indian could fall the way of Ultra or something like that. Ultra are just component bikes. Buch of RUBs getting together and saying we can build a bike with this part, that part and that part then reselling it.

 

Hmmm, nothing about this on their web site...

 

why would they post that on the website? It was a very quiet acquacision form my understanding. The only people who should know are the stock holders, if there are any.

 

modern Indian motorcycles were made of aftermarket harley parts - thats what i was told, and what i saw when i went into the indian dealer last year.

 

so its still tchnically a harley.

 

i guess. the dealer told me the name was recently sold to whomever has been assembling these aftermarket part machines. I guess its a good move on harley's part.

The family holding the rights to Indian were holding out so something like this wouldnt happen, but money rules all eventually, it seems.

 

The guy I met in RR NM. Said these were made to much higher quality standards than Harley and made more power.

 

that frame looks an awful lot like the Harley Dyna frame to me...

Sarcastily: nice swing arm...

 

I have never understood the 'Harley Principal' i.e take a 45 Deg Vtwin and put it in a spine frame and then remove the rear shocks. Then for main course tune the engine so that it makes less than 50 Hp/Litre and put the torque band around the same point as secondary vibration creaps in. To garnish add forks with neither compression or rebound damping rake the front geometery to get maximum length and then reduce ground clearance to zero. For dessert, fit front discs that have no effect on speed reduction and exhausts to set car alarms off, just in case no one is noticing you going so slowly.
Over-priced nostalgia bullshit-fest for the criminaly insane, Marlon Brando wannabe. Perhaps when they pop up in WSB they will get my vote. Until then the only 'Hog' i want is the one with a side of egg.

 

Nice disertation
The english have such a comand of their language