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bummed out

I have been riding and fixing motorcycles since 1975 i have done a few complete restorations and done a fair bit of work for others to try and keep their bikes going each different bike i have had time with has had its own issues
the largest problem i have come across is lack of correct regular maintenance
Having only been involved with harley davidson motorcycles for about 6 years now and currently have 3 and have found them to be as reliable if not more so than anything i have had in the past
the one that gives me the most trouble is the one that has had the most alterd by a previous owner who got some stuff wrong
i would have another hd any day

Brian
 
I am new to harley myself, I formally owned an 83 honda goldwing Aspencade GL (and I loved it)...all the bells and whistles...Issues I had with the "top of the line touring bike" Rear brake rotor warped, heat generated caused rear end fire...no injuries and very real damage, but costly to fix as it required new brake pads, rotor, brake line and tire. Fortunately bags, paint and fender not harmed. (The Honda Mechanic could opnly scratch his head and blame "gremlins" for the fire). Off warranty the front wheel rim developed a micro bead flaw where the tire seal did hold causing a very slow leak (mag rims) Electronic intercom system quit...had to replace plug in connector receiver, headlight issues, charging issues tho never lost my stator. I expect over the next few years I will have common issues with my new ride that occur after you ride and put miles on. The point is, name a bike maker, search the net and you will find a forum like this with psuedo Gliders giving the best fix-it and maintenance techniques for those bikes, you will have posters asking questions over issues that should "never arise" on these bikes as well. There is no perfect motorized vehicle out there, even rolls royce owners have a forum (Rolls-Royce and Bentley). Buy the bike of your dreams, love it, care for it and most of all enjoy it. Many happy miles to you, bcortani
 
I recently bought an Ultra Classic and love it. You can read bad reports about anything you buy. If you let that bother you, you'll never be happy with anything man made. I say take good care of it, enjoy riding it, and let the bike speak for it's self. Every vehicle I've owned has given me trouble of some kind but for the most part if I take care of them, they take care of me.
 
No major problems with my Ultra. Would I buy another? The only thing that I am hesitant about is the pricing. Obviously they arn't cheap. But there is no other feeling like being on a Harley. Try going to Sturgis on brand X. Talk about being in the minority.
 
scott johnston said:
thanks. I like my ride, don't get me wrong and i love riding it. I just want to ride and not have worries. I am not disappointed about buying my HD RK.
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I think SJ just got freeked out a little. You have to look at the big picture. This site has over 30,000.00 members and a large part of the site is to discuss issues with our motorcycles. I think this could give the wrong impression to a new HD owner. If we all posted every day about how our biked ran greate, it would not searve a purpose. Even as you have started this thread, there will be 50 posts of ownwes with 50K miles and no problem posting to answer your call. Even if you have problems, you will NEVER find a better group of people to help you out. Most of my posts are in the entertainment section and I would like to keep it that way, so far so good.
 
I would keep in mind that this web site is mostly for people to get answers for their broken rides.

I have owned honda, Harley, polaris, ford, chevy, and kawasaki. there is one thing they all have in common...... they break.

my dad told me when I was very young " if you want to play, you have to pay."
 
Even though you read a lot of problems on the Harley forums, there are thousands and thousands of Harley owners that just ride them. Like most car owners they don't have the interest to learn about the bike, or if they are getting good service from the dealer. I have almost always owned two cars/trucks at a time, and have NEVER visited a car/truck owner forum. I just don't care, they are for getting me places, I don't get much pleasure out of driving them. I get as much enjoyment out of maintaining, repairing (when necessary), and learning about my Harleys as I do riding them. Right behind riding, I like to help others figure out a problem they may have, or offer advice on accessories. I bet you could find a forum about Lexus problems. :s
 
Bottom line is we all bought HD for the same reason to ride, are we going to have some problems sure are we going to work thru them, you bet, We have the best group of guys and gals here with a great data bank, if we cant get er done we might as well start walking, JMO:s
 
I've owned and ridden many metric bikes including 4 GoldWings over the years. Never had very many problems with any of them. I like to do as much of my own servicing as I can and have to ask: "Ever tried changing the air filter on an 1800 Wing?" It'll take you at least 45 minutes taking the bike apart just to get down to where the air filter is located! As for other brands being trouble free...remember all those cracked frames on the Hondas? I love everything about my Ultra and would buy another one in a New York minute. But why would I....you can easily rebuild a Harley when the time comes due the readily availability of parts, etc. Try doing that with a 10 year old Japanese bike.
 
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