Yesterday I ate a big ole meal. My stomach was hurting so bad! So I went and took the biggest, stinkiest shit ever! When I went to turn around to see what was so foul, I looked and it was 11 different turd nuggets, it seems to have spelled something, upon inspection it spelled Stan Wilhite! 😂
1984 FXRS , 164,000 runs like a scalded dog, looks a little ruff just like the owner. Has a little primary drip also like the owner. Getting old is interesting. Great Big Smile !!!
91 FXR, I bought her in 96. Still riding her 22 yrs later. When I bought it , SS Jugs, SS carb , cam were already done. I put a cheap set off Cycle Shack drag pipes. 84 Hp,,, 86lbs Tq. Also yeah, she is showing her age. But runs like a raped ape. Sleeper bike lol
I can't speak for all Harley riders but me personally, falling in love with a Harley only comes natural. Why????... because I LOVE American Muscle, big block Chevy's especially. Needless to say, I need that American Muscle to power my bike. There is nothing wrong with quiet, fuel efficient Hondas .....but there is nothing like a gas guzzlin', engine growlin, ' damn near jumping off the frame Harley Big Twin. At the end of the day, you ride what fits you. Much Respect✌🏾
Amari Drummer do some research of first Harley’s you’ll see the American history’. Now due to the financial issues with Harley they’ve been pushed to outsource the assembly/ production
I love all motorcycles and brands. I am definitely a Harley guy since I bought one but the other "metric" bikes are awesome too. Enjoy what you've got and ride the hell out of it. The wind is the same no matter what your on.
I am a biker and my preference is a Tricked out 03 HD 1200 sportster Xl and Biker code says never leave another brother on the side of the road, it doesn't say unless he is riding a Honda or Yamaha or anything else , I don't care what you ride I call you my brother in biker brotherhood because you ride. I've seen some really nice bikes of all makes and models now days most of all the cruisers are V-twins, I myself love the Evo and if I see you on the side of the road no matter what bike you're riding , and no matter how much you like the culture I ride for , or even if you don't agree with the bike I'm riding. Just know I will be real and I will stop to assist my Brother on two wheels it is a biker nation and that's biker code!!!
My first bike, 500 Honda twin. 20 minutes after buying it I screwed up and put it in a ditch. Several metric motorcycles passed me by. Finally a pick up stopped and the driver road Harleys and he helped me out.
My 95 fxd dyne super glide has done at least 156,000 Km before i gave her a rebuild with a mob of pricks that where gutter mechanics. I will never take my motor cycle to any garage that has affiliations with clubs. Unless their factory techs not back yarders.
Working on Harleys for the last 6 years the biggest problems I've seen is the owners, the not that mechanically skilled ones try to do stuff to fix em or upgrade em and end up messing em up in hopes of saving money
yup thats it. i was looking for someone who know this. the problems with reliability of harley and the reason why its bad. its cause there are many of them like he said in the vid but also many people that cant wrench are wrenching on them for decades now. your not gonna fix your japanese bikes but people always think harley is simple ill do it myself and then ruin bikes and make them unreliable and usually the next owner gets the breakdowns. but yeah thats life ;)
@@matooleyobrien2918 not rare at all. I've owned multiple Harleys and put over 100000 miles on all of them with just doing basic maintenance myself. The ones that fail are abused or not maintained.
Had an AMF sportster once with a lot of miles. Machine shop told me the cylinders were OK, no bore necessary, just a hone, and I was a bit surprised by that. If you don't rev them up too much the bottom ends seem to last too. I had the top end off just because I was curious and I did want to lap the valves to get all the compression I could. Put new rings in it, just because. Man that thing ran strong. It hammered.
It's really not even the parts themselves. It's the workmanship. Failing to properly torque bolts, not using loctite, not properly grounding your wires, not reprogramming your ignition timing when you alter the airflow... I don't know one problem I've seen with a factory stock Harley-Davidson, in some time. It's always the guys who want to do their own mod work, so they can feel "manly".
145,000 on my '95 Road King - runs like new - top end done at 75K - probably do another next year - kept the motor stock 'cept for a mild cam and pipes - it's the last bike I'll ever buy
lol.... Same thing I said with my 65 pan head.... Said the same with 99 Road King... Said the same with 00 fat boy.. Still have them all,, Still all running great.. Wife said one more and I sleep in the garage,,,, just ordered a new bed... lol..
I have an 85 electra glide with 180,000 miles, still running, and I have a 2015 roadglide that's awesome. No problems with the new one. The only problems I ever had with the old one were maintenance and trying to work on it myself.
I've always been a person that will ride with any person and anny bike. I believe rideing brings more people together than most things. God bless the open road and all those riding on it!!
Just traded my 2012 HD Ultra Limited with 107,084 miles on it...rode like a charm ...just had to get the 2018 Limited 115th Anniversary.... personally I don’t bash anyone with another brand....I just love to ride since my retirement....and I maintained the bike ...to me mine is the best
run manufacturer oil and filters,full synthetic is only truly better for track use and kn filters let more air through giving you better performance but also more dust inside the system
I was a warranty manager at a HD dealership for 6 years...the more electronics go on these bike and the more parts they have made in China the worse the reliability gets. Most of the issues were with the newer ignition and tuel injection...the ecms go out a lot.
I worked in Quality Control from a company on energy sector that makes compressors for refineries. About 1/3 of the parts that came from China. I had to reject because they were out of tolerance..
My personal mechanic is a guy that ran my local Harley dealership maintenance department for 20 years and he never shuts up about how Honda makes the best goddamn bikes out there
Read “The Honda Book of Management” by Setsuo Mito, 1990. Honda has a rather Darwinian management style where the best idea wins. Soichiro Honda raced Harleys in his youth. And drank. They really work at quality. As an example, Just In Time production means you stop the line when you make a bad part. You fix the problem that caused the bad part immediately, That is one less vehicle completed for the day. That is for a skip of just one cycle (takt or pipeline) time. Hint, they don’t make bad parts all that often.
My opinion it don't matter if you have a Honda a Harley Yamaha Kawasaki Suzuki any of them are capable in today's modern tolerances engine wise to go well over a hundred thousand miles if you do the maintenance if you don't do the maintenance any of them can be garbage I'm sorry for thinking that way but it's true some bikes are cheaper to maintain then other bikes prime example the Honda Magna V45 for the V65 because the carburetors are stuck in between the for cylinders and it is a major undertaking to pull all those carburetors out put them back in exactly the proper order where they came out so on and so forth I'm not willing to pay $1,000 every time you get a little piece of garbage in your fuel it goes through your fuel line and clouds one of your jets there's $1,000 bill no thank you that's where the fuel injection shines
camgere: The company I work for models itself after Honda's production strategy. Little secret: It doesn't work as well as it sounds. We are almost constantly on overtime, playing "catch up" because of its flaws. Take it from someone with years of experience on the inside...the Honda model is absolutely nothing to brag about. There's a reason you never hear anyone brag about it, who isn't salary, and thus immune to the constant overtime shifting, and other flaws.
You are probably right. 80% - 90% of quality efforts fail. Quality takes honesty, integrity and even artistry to work. Systems develop internal priorities of their own. If you use computers for order entry, the computer system becomes a higher priority than getting the customer’s order entered,. Employees and management can be equally greedy and lazy. Management additionally wields power. It is oh, so easy to scream “Just obey my orders and no backtalk” which eliminates any chance of success for a quality system. You do need to wield power and direct the activities of employees or chaos would reign. An artistic touch doesn’t seem so silly, does it? There is the eternal conflict between personal self interest and the self interest of the group task to be accomplished. Maybe a cutting machine needs to be overhauled and have regular maintenance. The manager’s schedule and budget don’t allow for this. So he just yells “Turn the crank and make the product!” Both the manager and employee feel the other is wrong and they know what is right. People get advanced by perception, but perception is not reality. Hiding problems is not the quality way, but it is the way to career advancement, Employees take delight in the failure of their fellow employees, who are competitors for advancement. Nothing destroys a company faster than this. Many managers say that loyalty is the highest quality in an employee. Not honesty and integrity. They want a Goodfella who will go along with the corruption as usual. You know your workplace and I know nothing of it. It is a terrible thing to be unhappy in one’s job.
Angel Bowfinger you're right. I used to work for a company that made car part's with that just in time bullshit. This came from the customer (insert car manufacturer here). That went right out the window. We would run off a months worth in a day or two. I know of other suppliers that did the same. The main reson. The £10,000 a minute fine if you stopped the production line.
Not for all but if you like or own a Honda good for you, ride it and enjoy. When you have to bash any other brand I'd immediately doubt your sincerity. Ride what you love no ones gonna dump their brand and buy a honda because you love yours. I've never had an issue with any of my HD's and not trying to convert anyone.
All you knuckleheads that put down Harley's are jealous because you can't afford one. Best looking motorcycles bar none, period,and this is my second Harley and both have been very reliable.. I had Honda's they are good motorcycles, but Harley's have history, culture,nostalgia and sound magnificent. I have a brand new 2017 Road Glide Ultra with the works, and damn glad and proud of this machine. I like to go to the HD dealerships just to look at the new ones. Oh one more thing, look at all the Goldwings,they're all plastic,ugly.
Right. I love all my HDs and never had an issue. It’s funny how people feel the need to bash what their favorite company spent millions and years trying to emulate. HD still sells and it’s not because they break down a lot or all harley owners are stupid. Cut that S out and ride what you love. I will always ride HD as I have I’m happy for the other brand owners but I don’t want it for me.
Keith Royster you just have to get the latest clothes!!! Hardly makes more money off of sheeple who have to get the latest clothes from hardly. My plastic will never fall off from shaking!!!! Enjoy your bike until the new hardlys come in from India!
I am a harley tech and we had a vrod come in with 96.000 miles that has only ever had leaks due to gasket and oring falure...motor has run strong and the guy just changes the oil
I was a die hard crotch rocket guy for many years (I own two.) until I picked up my 2011 883 Superlow last month. I've been doing research and these bike are so easy to work on. I have plans on building up the motor later, but in the mean time I'm putting some serious miles on it.
Dustin Weist I haven't had a breakdown on a Harley. EVER, been riding them for over 50 years. Now my KZ1000 Police bike?? Broke down and had to use a Sportster to escort one Ohio winter. As with any bike, as long as a rider does not red line the HD, they won't hurt the engine.
Dustin Weist correct.but you can run a Honda naked bike hard without needing emediate maintenance. Does anyone realize the pototo potato sounds from hd is an engine imbalance? How awesome...not
The main thing with any transportation is maintenance and how well you care for it, if your going to skip maintenance or treat it like a race machine, not keep it clean and generally abuse it, don't be surprised when it falls to bits
Why does everyone sample every brand based on one example. “I know a guy that has a ______ and it has 5 million miles.” For every 5 good bikes there’s a bad one and that goes for every brand. Just love the bike you chose and ride it till the wheels fall off. I’ve had them all and loved each one for different reasons.
Yea there's always that one "I ride a real bike" guy. But the harley dealers are way nicer than any other bike dealers i've been to - still don't own a harley but thinking about it.
@@joshszydel8202 when I was selling motorcycles in 2017 there was a guy on a 2013 ultra classic with over 250k miles. All original. There was another 2004 with 430k that aside from the cam tensioner was also original
I just uploaded a video about my buddies 1994 Electra Glide Classic (looked just like this one) with 138,000 miles on it, still has perfect compression and has never been rebuilt!
Bet he`s ridden it up the "Yellow Brick Road" to "The Pearly Gates" too !!. Can`t be rebuilt at a HD dealer, `cos as soon as they get a new engine they have no one who knows how to fix the last one. Shovel, EVO, ??. They don`t know. They can`t fix a" Twinkie", Buell, or V-Rod either.Grab another comic book. Smoke another doob. Son`s of Anarchy will be on soon.
In the old days. Harley's leaked oil profusely. Also shook everything loose constantly . Plus they were temperamental to start. All that said... I LOVE MY. HARLEY
In the old days, harley didnt use a recirculating oil system. They used a total loss system that exited through a tube that dripped onto the chain for lubrication.
AMF get such a bad reputation by people who don't know what they're talkin about AMF put 10 million dollars into Harley-Davidson win a million dollars still a lot of money the only other company that wanted to buy Harley from the family with Bangor printer and Bangor punch it was famous for buying companies taking a tax write-off demolishing the building the banker puncher headboard Harley we would have Harley t-shirts and mugs and krapohl Up but no motorcycles Harley-Davidson like the American car manufacturers have disgruntled employees that would cover stuff up on the assembly line when you cry triple the number of bikes that you build even at the same rate of quality you will still have more defective bikes Harley dealers in the old days were enthusiastic who loved the brand and to bike if you had problems with your bike that was brand new they would try to fix it for you AMF had Little Italian design commuter bikes dirt bikes they had a more balanced range than the company has today but just like beautiful the dealer didn't want to touch the little bikes dirt bikes didn't want to sell them just wanted to sell Landyachtz Harley dealers aren't interested in selling anything that is not ridiculously expensive for what it is they have this attitude because of the customers they have had who has more money than God and throws money at them you go to the regular motorcycle dealers discussion happen I made more money at Sears selling Craftsman tools then a Salesman at Harley dealer makes I saw Craftsman tools because they were good quality and I believed in them I cannot say that about the new Harley
As long as chain tensioners are not overlooked and you check them every now and then, you should be fine. If you don’t check them, as time passes by the tensioner degrades to the point where it causes metal to metal contact and the debris clogs the oil pump. Doing so it can cause catastrophe problems to the engine. Or you can just get a sportster and not have these problems since they are gear driven cams. Regarding the conversion to gear drive on the Vtwins to eliminate the chain tensioners, true it can be a “fix” to the problem, but then you introduce another challenge. The crankshaft pinion runout cannot go over the exceeded limit otherwise the gear drive cannot work and can cause engine damage too. I’m not a hater, I own a Vtwin as well just keeping the ones that have Vtwins informed. Planning to check my tensioners when I hit 50K. Safe riding out there 👍🏽🏍
whatever bike i most recently watch you talk about and ride, i want to go out and get one!! I bet you have done more for motorcycles and the Lord than the next 100 people!! Thank you...
FYI:: those pegs are installed that way to help stop the bike from falling completely on it's side during slow riding maneuvers, like u turns and such... The hold the bike up higher making it easier pick up,,, etc..
OBS 7.3 PS with 340+k miles owner right here! starts right up drove it from central California to Las Vegas in the middle of summer with no problem. 100 degree in Cali, 114 in Vegas did not over heat.
Harleys are way over rated. Every owner I know has spent bundles keeping them going. My close friend’s 2003 Harley ultra needed rebuilding, to the cost of $8500, rebuilt factory engine, triple rebuild, frame a new swing arm rebuild. All at 85000 miles. This unit was well maintained. My Goldwings had 130000 miles and the most I spent was an alternator and tires. There is a guy that I met in Sturgis with a Goldwing 1500 that had 360000 miles.
If I was ever going to buy a Twin Cam it would be a 88 and I would put S&S gear drive cams. 88's don't seem to get so damn hot like the bigger TCs. Love my Evo's though and they still run strong.
I put over 100k on a 1967 FLH. I think any modern bike, regardless of brand, can do this with preventative and regular maintenance. I remember when a car was worn out at 80k, but now they go 200, 300 thousand miles. Take care of your bike and it will last.
When I think about the diverse range of bikes I've had over four decades of riding I wonder where most of them are now. Likely long since been recycled. The reason you see so many Harleys out there, and it's just as true down here in New Zealand, is because they're easy to keep going and don't get superceded in the same, wasteful 'built in obsolescence' way of other manufacturers. Enjoy what you ride. Ride safe.
I put 70,000 on my 2010 super glide custom all I ever did was change the oil and usually went way over the recommended 5000 miles other than that I had a wheel bearing go out and that was it. It was still running strong when I sold it. I wouldnt doubt it if its still out there somewhere?
I put a hydraulic chain tentioner in two different twin cams both with about 45K the shoe on the factory tentioner was pretty wore out. I learned that the bike will run with the shoe tentioner completely gone and laying in.the bottom of the cover as one bike had. I got a 72 FLH on its 2nd motor rebuild it was a Tampa PD bike and it runs great I had it 32 years. Make mine HD.
When your a millionaire you can take a harley to HD and let them work on it at $95+ an hour, but when your on disability with a 06' street glide with 100,000 miles on it and $1200 a month income that's not an option for me!
Thank you, that was awesome....my anniversary ‘03 Ultra has 61,500 on it. I thought it was great that you stressed the importance of good riding gear ....great job !
I fell in love with my Softail the minute I put it in 5th gear, overdrive. With Harleys there is a big gap in top gear and all vibes disappear and the long stroke engine does its thing. Unfortunately they still make mechanical noise that is exacerbated by the windscreen, so wear ear plugs.
There was that guy with a BMW K75 that put like 350,000 miles on it before he got hit and the bike totaled as well. Bikes will do miles, 85k is no big deal.
I am having trouble believing a million. Even given that theoretically the engine should have the crank turning on a film of oil so the only main bearing wear you see is at startup.... that's a long time. But sure - could happen, hell a bunch of those old Volvo red blocks hit a million, hell so many they made little badges you could request - so yeah, I'll go for that. Bikes last a long-ass time. It tickles me when people ask "I found X bike I really like but it has 20,000 miles on it (or 30,000 - some low number) is it worn out?" People are crazy.
You can Google it. Bike is retired in the Sturgis museum, it's pretty cool. lol ya so many people are like that, miles aren't a big deal specially when the other guys been taking care of it. Good owners often have receipts for everything they've ever had done. Usually it's just Cam work at 35k and then around 80k
Cool, yeah I googled it and sure enough a million mile Harley. I'm actually more impressed the guy rode it a million miles than the thing mechanically survived a million miles but either way - that's a lot of miles. Good machine.
Charlie I'll put it to you quick and simple my friend is VP one of the biggest motorcycle clubs on the East Coast they are NOT a outlaw Club.. they have been around since the thirties, any brand of motorcycle is allowed just has to be so many cc. Getting to the point through the thousands literally thousands and thousands of motorcycles in almost 90 years of existence and with meticulous record-keeping of what member on what bike breakdowns blowing engines exedra... no matter what decade how you slice and dice unfortunately Harley-Davidson holds the dishonor of being the motorcycle with the most breakdowns blown engines and repairs and least miles. Now this is based on records and data not opinion or favoritism. Now the old guys that are still around some in their 80s are living Testaments of the continual problems and colossal unreliability of Harley-Davidson compared to Japanese motorcycles. The facts are the facts and it's the same story with other clubs in the United States Canada all across Europe... no matter shovel knuckle pan Evo whatever... no matter pre Evo with engine fixes such as Machining and making oil flow better Harley-Davidson even the Newer ones are 100% absolutely nothing compared to the Japanese bikes their superior quality longevity and low maintenance... as a proud American a retired Union man this saddens my heart. So sad even Harleys of 2018 shifting between gears. Ka chunk Ka chunk... $30,000 + dollars half reliable high maintenance motorcycle. Just pitiful absolutely pitiful how piss-pot poor Harley actually is.
Ive got a 5 speed, 2001 Fatboy 88 CI with 43k miles. It sat for 7 years cause of a new edition to the family, but after an oil change, new tires, cam chain tensioner, new carburetor, and a fuel tank drain, it runs great. My only complaint is the lack of power that the 88 CI provides. Especially riding with others, as they will flat out leave you in the dust. Maybe I have been spoiled by my other bike which is 117 CI fuel injected Road Glide..but I really feel it lacks power.
Routine maintenance, quality oil, not riding like you're running from an ex wife, using OEM or high quality replacement parts...no reason you cant ride a Harley a good long time...oh and keep the chrome off of your motor
Sean, "Why would you put the pegs on backwards like that?" So that when you drop the bike at low speeds the peg is not going to collapse inward and be able to stop the bike from falling over too far to pick it up and it saves the crash bar from getting scraped up. It is a trick that Ride Like A Pro's Jerry Palladino shows on his training video. It is for practicing at slow speed and not having to worry about scratching up your crash bar. I bet the person who had that bike was older and got rid of it because it was now too heavy for them. Just a guess.
People bagging on you for defending Harley, saying whats the big deal, my blah blah blah did it...but they don’t see clueless knuckleheads trash talking their brand on the internet nearly as much. HD has a big target on their back for their success, not their failures.
Success????????? They've closed 3 Harley dealerships here on Long Island in the past 7 years! They're tanking as we speak. Fewer and fewer young people want anything to do with a bike that looks like it was yanked out of the 1950's! Just say NO to drugs!
You can easily find parts for any model or year, there's a competent mechanic on every corner, everything is easy to get to, no valve adjustments, indefinite service life on the drive belt... It's got to be the easiest bike to own.
Chaun tensioners sucked. Changed too many! That and defective compensators. I would say other than that reliability issues are from cheap after market mods and "backyard mechanics".
I have an 09 Screamin Eagle 18000 Miles on it and it keeps breaking down and I grew up in a Honda dealership back in the Midwest and we ride Harleys and Honda and honestly I'm going to start riding my aspencade more because the Harley just keeps breaking down I'd rather go to Sturgis on my Harley but I've been there on a Honda doesn't matter what your ride as long as you're on two wheels and your hair is blowing in the wind and that's a good life
This is an old post, but I had to comment on leaking Harleys. I own three Harleys, a 1992 Electra Glide Ultra Classic, 1991 Springer Softtail, and a 1978 Flh bobber. The only one that leaks is 1978, and it only leaks because of sumping. That's when the oil in the tank bypasses the check ball in the oil pump and drains into the crank case. Then oil leaks out the vent tube. Mine only has this problem if it sits for more than a couple of weeks or I don't change the oil every 3000 miles. The 78 flh doesn't actually have an oil filter. It's a screen mesh in the oil tank that is removed and cleaned and then reinstalled. And that can allow debris to get into the oil pump and not allow the check ball to fully seat.
a friend of mine rides his dyna for 160 K miles then he trades it for another brand new dyna and same thing during around 4 years. now that is a Rider.
I have a 2005 SE Electra Glide. 88ci bored out to 103ci. Flip the switch to the Cruise on, (you did.) Now just pull the set switch to the right and let it go. That should set it and it will turn the Cruise control indicator light from red to green. If its still not setting make sure nothing is touching the brakes. Mine had a small problem with the front brake handle not releasing completly, that was preventing the cruise control from setting, it thought i was engaging the front brake.
LOL. I have a Ducati and two Harleys in the garage. They're fine. It's all about how you look after them and how any previous owners looked after them.
WRONG! Next year will be 40 years on 2 wheels for me. In those 40 years, I've had 37 bikes - 4 of 'em Harleys. Guess which 4 were the WORST f-ing bikes EVER? You guessed it... the HARLEYS! (Coming in a hot second was 5 of my POS BMWs) As for the other 4 brands I've had close to ZERO problems! How/why is that? No cam chain tensioner problems, no cam bearing problems, no shifter shaft seal problems, no electrical problems, no radio problems, no key fob/no start problems, no ABS module problems, no leaks, and best of all - no parts literally falling off the bike! My current Goldwing has 227,000 miles on it with only tune-ups and oil changes! HOW BOW DA???????
My 08 Ultra Classic Touring 55,000 miles still running strong. Doesn’t use any oil between oil changes. Try and run a gallon of 100 octane jet fuel with a tank full of non ethanol gasoline fairly regularly , makes the motor purr as well as clean ! 👍
Ask GM about the "fallacy of reliability". They got crushed by Honda and Toyota in the 80's & 90's because their reliability was horrendous. Yes, all things break, especially mechanical parts made by men. But, a lack of reliability will hurt you in the end. Ask GM in 2008, and ask H-D now (although H-D's problems are more related to an aging customer base that isn't riding any longer). It does matter.
Todd Baham actually if you run maintenance on a GM Ford chryco as the Asian makers pushed the cars go just as far. As a mechanic I see just as many 150k+ American as well as Asian. I drive a 200k+ Pontiac 2004 model, also have 200k+ 94 Olds.
Yeah AMF nearly ruined the company but since the buy back they have been back on top with their reliability and quality. That is a problem all bike manufacturers are having HD are still 50-60% of all motorcycle sales so it's not like everyone is buying little metric bikes instead. Fewer people ride because wages are so low no one has the money to spend on extra things like motorcycles anymore.
I asked GM and they said the Japanese companies hit the ground running. They did not have to spend any money on technology because the government came hat in hand when it was time to rebuild Japan post WW2. GM went patriotic and gave them the keys to the kingdom. GM suffered helping to win the war. GM had their hands tied by regulation, building one kind of car for California and another for the rest of the country.
...an aging customer base and a younger motorcycling crowd that's not into overpriced, heavy, ill handling, low-powered bikes that look and perform as though they are frozen in the 1950's!
That bike is nice, just what I'm looking for, the exhaust system is way too quiet. The bags on the windshield are in the way, it does look like it's running and handling pretty good.
Having owned 3 HDs in my day, I can attest that they are essentially, 'parade bikes'...great for slow speeds, look good, sound good. As such, they are very 'agricultural' in that the tech is very basic and the performance envelope is likewise, very basic and rather limited. They're fun when used and appreciated in the aforementioned manner. That's their 'flavour', if that's your thing.
ricky kraus yeah but to have to be seen on that geek machine for that many miles 🤭😬....the emotional toll the embarrassment would have from riding a goldwing will put them right back even
Christopher Wilson Maybe cool in you own mind! Reality is Harley’s aren’t that cool. You can keep that crap thinking you are so called cool. Basically what I’m saying is everyone has a different perception of cool.
ricky kraus old shit is cool no matter what it is. Old bikes were cool then, they’re cool now. I have a 74 goldwing. That’s cool. I have a 1960 comet that’s cool.
a lot of bikes hit the salvage yard early due to lack of available parts from the manufacturer. Rebuilding an 88 Wing as a major pita, while parts for a HD where plentiful.
You would LOVE the 88 TC with Andrews 21 torque cams, a darkside rear tire (which is 1" taller than stock and grippy as heck), will outpull a 96 and sound like it's just loafing thru the gears...(which it is). whilst leaving the stoplight crowd far back, to the onlookers (cops?), sounding like you're barely moving, and as a plus, my '05 is the last carburetted model. Best engine mods I've ever done...btw, those cams come on around 1400 revs...think about it....!
Thanks for the video. I love my 05 Ultra. It does a good job. Was thinking about a new Milwaukee 8 to help the sales for my local dealership but dang it I love my bike. besides I already have 4 Harleys. Keep up your good works.
This is good news. Surely with such a solid product, Harley will soon match the Indian Warranty of 1,000,000 miles. That million mile warranty will really help Harley stay competitive and sell more bikes.
I have 62,200 miles on my 2010 CVO ultra. It runs like brand new to this day. I love the bike and I'll never get rid of it. ALL BIKES HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS. You have to keep anything and everything maintained for it to last. I have one place that does my work. He's just the best out there in my opinion. SYNTHETIC FLUIDS ONLY...EVERY 3,000 MILES IF IT NEEDS IT OR NOT..
Every time I look at that cup and the first thing that comes to my mind is "Alms for the poor" from Disney's Robin Hood cartoon. Don't know why but it does.
81,000 miles on my 2002 Roadstar. 133,500 miles on my 1985 Vmax. Neither is anywhere near needing an overhaul. Well maintained. Most HDs with over 100,000 miles have been rebuilt at least once.
227,000 miles on my Goldwing with several other members of my Goldwing Riding Club with 300,000 and 400,000+ miles on theirs. One guy has over 500,000! Just think, it would take 10 Harleys to get to 500,000 the way they fall apart (like all my Harleys did) at 50,000!
had a 2006 VRSCR, had electrical problems with the fuel gage, had problems with the front brake, had problems with the brake lights. and that was just in an 8 month period. I'm a Kawasaki man now.
The only reason HD's last is because they have parts for just about any year. A Gold Wing will outlast any HD before an engine needs to be rebuilt by a wide margin.
The best estimate I've ever gotten is that a Goldwing engine "can last up to 250K". Which, itself, assumes it's properly cared for, and that's at absolute best case scenario, which almost no bike *actually being ridden* will experience. I've never heard the numbers for an Ultra Classic, but I'd be quite surprised if it's not at least that, for the same treatment. In the end, it's the guy on it, and the guy under it, that make the difference.
Yeah all cruisers hit around 250,000 if you do it all right, doesn't matter the brand. I've seen Goldwings, BMWs and HD hit or get close to that mark. HD gets a bad rep because of the AMF days and because it's hip to say it.
I own one of each. Other than fluid changes, I've had to change a fuel injector on the Goldwing in 143k miles. That's not a simple job. I've herd of Harleys going over 420k miles and one Goldwing with 525k miles. I actually prefer my Harley.
Heat is the enemy of your engine. The goldwing is a liquid cooled bike. Its not about Honda being better then Harley, liquid cooled bikes just last longer. An air cooled Honda or Harley will exceed reccomended temps throughout its life span, especially if you ride in traffic. A liquid cooled bike will never get too hot unless you have a part failure. Watch the documentary on the HD VRod. They left the bike running in death valley for hours on end. Even the Harley engineers admitted their air cooled engines would fail. Thats why a goldwing engine will last longer then a convential big twin HD. Now compare it to a VRod engine and youve got some competition.
The bad rep comes from the fact that harleys used to not be very reliable, the AMF days were dark... Also, old harleys leaked oil, by design. Folks saw oil under their bike, or had to add oil from time to time, and thought their bike was dripping or using oil... well, it was dripping oil, but its designed into the engine. New harleys are a world above the AMF days... not even the same company in my opinion
Yesterday I looked at an 86 Goldwing that had 130,000 miles on it and is still ridden regularly. Thats not the exception, that's just normal for a Honda. Im not sure what is so impressive about a Harley with 86k on it.
lol..had buddie with 83 goldwing...850 000 miles...never touched...bike runs like dream...i have put over 500,000 on two wings...give me a HONDA anyday...
@@southpawsgarage who has time to put 800,000 on a motorcycle? I have a Wing and a Dyna so I'm not bashing Wings but ~500,000 is the most I ever heard of.
@@stevek8829 MY FRIEND ED..GONE NOW...HAD OVER 850,000 ..I REPAINTED THE BIKE FEW YRS AGO...SON HAS IT NOW..STILL RUNS LIKE A DREAM...IVE HEARD OF ONE GUY WHO DID OVER A MILLION...
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Took a pic of my Harley, hung it on the wall and the next morning there was a couple drops of oil on the floor right beneath it.
Rofl
Stan Wilhite lmao 😂😂😂
I own three HD. They don't leak but I sure laughed at that. 😂
@@Aint_no_senators_son I feel the same man… I’ve never had one that leaks but i have seen some that leak.
Yesterday I ate a big ole meal. My stomach was hurting so bad! So I went and took the biggest, stinkiest shit ever! When I went to turn around to see what was so foul, I looked and it was 11 different turd nuggets, it seems to have spelled something, upon inspection it spelled Stan Wilhite! 😂
1984 FXRS , 164,000 runs like a scalded dog, looks a little ruff just like the owner. Has a little primary drip also like the owner. Getting old is interesting. Great Big Smile !!!
Hahahaha 😂👍
Primary drip just like the owner.... 😷
91 FXR, I bought her in 96. Still riding her 22 yrs later. When I bought it , SS Jugs, SS carb , cam were already done. I put a cheap set off Cycle Shack drag pipes. 84 Hp,,, 86lbs Tq. Also yeah, she is showing her age. But runs like a raped ape. Sleeper bike lol
@big leroy brown 1993 fxdwg here.
A rough look! You mean that personality it has???
I can't speak for all Harley riders but me personally, falling in love with a Harley only comes natural. Why????... because I LOVE American Muscle, big block Chevy's especially. Needless to say, I need that American Muscle to power my bike. There is nothing wrong with quiet, fuel efficient Hondas .....but there is nothing like a gas guzzlin', engine growlin, ' damn near jumping off the frame Harley Big Twin. At the end of the day, you ride what fits you. Much Respect✌🏾
Honda and Japanese bikes also offer exciting models, not cruisers for people aged 50+ with dad bods
Harleys aren't American made.. They're designed and partly assembled here but the parts are made over seas just like every other bike.
@@user-hs2hd7wp9g what the hell is a gold wing then? Lol.
@@user-hs2hd7wp9g what the hell are gold wings then? Lol
Amari Drummer do some research of first Harley’s you’ll see the American history’. Now due to the financial issues with Harley they’ve been pushed to outsource the assembly/ production
Lots of hate in the comments, calm down everybody. We're here because we all love bikes. You're allowed to disagree, but let's be adults here.
Some people cant help themselves. Maybe they feel inferior for not buying a Harley. They make up stories to make themselves feel better.
That's not hatred it's correction...
I did want a Harley Davidson when I was looking for my second bike, chose a Yamaha Stryker.
I love all motorcycles and brands. I am definitely a Harley guy since I bought one but the other "metric" bikes are awesome too. Enjoy what you've got and ride the hell out of it. The wind is the same no matter what your on.
I am a biker and my preference is a Tricked out 03 HD 1200 sportster Xl and Biker code says never leave another brother on the side of the road, it doesn't say unless he is riding a Honda or Yamaha or anything else , I don't care what you ride I call you my brother in biker brotherhood because you ride. I've seen some really nice bikes of all makes and models now days most of all the cruisers are V-twins, I myself love the Evo and if I see you on the side of the road no matter what bike you're riding , and no matter how much you like the culture I ride for , or even if you don't agree with the bike I'm riding. Just know I will be real and I will stop to assist my Brother on two wheels it is a biker nation and that's biker code!!!
Great code to live by! God Bless!
Srkcycles yes and thank you my brother I love your videos, I think they're awesome have a blessed day and ride
My first bike, 500 Honda twin. 20 minutes after buying it I screwed up and put it in a ditch. Several metric motorcycles passed me by. Finally a pick up stopped and the driver road Harleys and he helped me out.
My code to live by is to never leave a brother behind anless there on somthing like a crotch rocket or bikes from BMW or Suzokie
As of today my 89 FLHS has covered 116112 miles and still runs like a dream. Best bike I've had in my 57 years of riding.
My 95 fxd dyne super glide has done at least 156,000 Km before i gave her a rebuild with a mob of pricks that where gutter mechanics.
I will never take my motor cycle to any garage that has affiliations with clubs.
Unless their factory techs not back yarders.
Working on Harleys for the last 6 years the biggest problems I've seen is the owners, the not that mechanically skilled ones try to do stuff to fix em or upgrade em and end up messing em up in hopes of saving money
yup thats it. i was looking for someone who know this. the problems with reliability of harley and the reason why its bad. its cause there are many of them like he said in the vid but also many people that cant wrench are wrenching on them for decades now. your not gonna fix your japanese bikes but people always think harley is simple ill do it myself and then ruin bikes and make them unreliable and usually the next owner gets the breakdowns. but yeah thats life ;)
Same with car, truck and big rig owners. Trying to save money by doing repairs or upgrades by themselves.
My `91 Electra Glide has 120K miles, never been apart and runs great.
Mitch Culb you have a RARE Harley..should be in the Smithsonian
@@matooleyobrien2918 not rare at all. I've owned multiple Harleys and put over 100000 miles on all of them with just doing basic maintenance myself. The ones that fail are abused or not maintained.
153,000 on an ‘04 Road King still runs good
My 08 has 166,000. Never been opened up.
One word..EVO
Had an AMF sportster once with a lot of miles. Machine shop told me the cylinders were OK, no bore necessary, just a hone, and I was a bit surprised by that. If you don't rev them up too much the bottom ends seem to last too. I had the top end off just because I was curious and I did want to lap the valves to get all the compression I could. Put new rings in it, just because. Man that thing ran strong. It hammered.
My 08 Nightster runs like a top
Most problems I see with Harleys is when owners start personalizing the bike.
The wrong after market parts can kill your bike.
It's really not even the parts themselves. It's the workmanship. Failing to properly torque bolts, not using loctite, not properly grounding your wires, not reprogramming your ignition timing when you alter the airflow...
I don't know one problem I've seen with a factory stock Harley-Davidson, in some time. It's always the guys who want to do their own mod work, so they can feel "manly".
Like a cup holder?
99% of the time when working on harleys you're fixing someone elses mistake.
grimbles Exactly
Especially cup holders.
52stevedo Yup cup holders with your initials like a ding dong .
Got 102,000 on my 2009 Ultra and going strong!
Bruce Kuhn RARE EXAMPLE
What is your recipe?
How many repairs?
145,000 on my '95 Road King - runs like new - top end done at 75K - probably do another next year - kept the motor stock 'cept for a mild cam and pipes - it's the last bike I'll ever buy
lol....
Same thing I said with my 65 pan head.... Said the same with 99 Road King... Said the same with 00 fat boy..
Still have them all,, Still all running great..
Wife said one more and I sleep in the garage,,,, just ordered a new bed... lol..
I had a '83 tour glide (shovelhead)with over 175000 miles and NEVER had any problems with it until someone rear ended me!
Not even leaking oil? Makes me want that 83 ironhead I nearly bought and didn't and then lost a ton of money and never could
I have an 85 electra glide with 180,000 miles, still running, and I have a 2015 roadglide that's awesome. No problems with the new one. The only problems I ever had with the old one were maintenance and trying to work on it myself.
I've always been a person that will ride with any person and anny bike. I believe rideing brings more people together than most things. God bless the open road and all those riding on it!!
I love my Harley Davidson Heritage Softail classic. And yes it's also an 88cu twin cam.
Just traded my 2012 HD Ultra Limited with 107,084 miles on it...rode like a charm ...just had to get the 2018 Limited 115th Anniversary....
personally I don’t bash anyone with another brand....I just love to ride since my retirement....and I maintained the bike ...to me mine is the best
Very well said. I just purchased a 2012 Ultra limited, super happy..
crappy oil crappy gas crappy bike. good gas good oil good maintenance good bike. Plus ride it more often keep the cobwebs out.
Never put regular in a bike. Especially a Harley. Premium 91 or higher octane only. Your bike is worth the extra pennies.
Simple, but the best bike advice on the tube.
Some bikes are fine with regular.
Louder for the folks in the back!!
run manufacturer oil and filters,full synthetic is only truly better for track use and kn filters let more air through giving you better performance but also more dust inside the system
I was a warranty manager at a HD dealership for 6 years...the more electronics go on these bike and the more parts they have made in China the worse the reliability gets. Most of the issues were with the newer ignition and tuel injection...the ecms go out a lot.
I worked in Quality Control from a company on energy sector that makes compressors for refineries. About 1/3 of the parts that came from China. I had to reject because they were out of tolerance..
When you, my friend, said ‘that’ about the American flag, you just grew up in my eye....by a lot. U da man.
Agreed!
My personal mechanic is a guy that ran my local Harley dealership maintenance department for 20 years and he never shuts up about how Honda makes the best goddamn bikes out there
Read “The Honda Book of Management” by Setsuo Mito, 1990. Honda has a rather Darwinian management style where the best idea wins. Soichiro Honda raced Harleys in his youth. And drank. They really work at quality. As an example, Just In Time production means you stop the line when you make a bad part. You fix the problem that caused the bad part immediately, That is one less vehicle completed for the day. That is for a skip of just one cycle (takt or pipeline) time. Hint, they don’t make bad parts all that often.
My opinion it don't matter if you have a Honda a Harley Yamaha Kawasaki Suzuki any of them are capable in today's modern tolerances engine wise to go well over a hundred thousand miles if you do the maintenance if you don't do the maintenance any of them can be garbage I'm sorry for thinking that way but it's true some bikes are cheaper to maintain then other bikes prime example the Honda Magna V45 for the V65 because the carburetors are stuck in between the for cylinders and it is a major undertaking to pull all those carburetors out put them back in exactly the proper order where they came out so on and so forth I'm not willing to pay $1,000 every time you get a little piece of garbage in your fuel it goes through your fuel line and clouds one of your jets there's $1,000 bill no thank you that's where the fuel injection shines
camgere: The company I work for models itself after Honda's production strategy. Little secret: It doesn't work as well as it sounds. We are almost constantly on overtime, playing "catch up" because of its flaws.
Take it from someone with years of experience on the inside...the Honda model is absolutely nothing to brag about. There's a reason you never hear anyone brag about it, who isn't salary, and thus immune to the constant overtime shifting, and other flaws.
You are probably right. 80% - 90% of quality efforts fail. Quality takes honesty, integrity and even artistry to work. Systems develop internal priorities of their own. If you use computers for order entry, the computer system becomes a higher priority than getting the customer’s order entered,. Employees and management can be equally greedy and lazy. Management additionally wields power. It is oh, so easy to scream “Just obey my orders and no backtalk” which eliminates any chance of success for a quality system. You do need to wield power and direct the activities of employees or chaos would reign. An artistic touch doesn’t seem so silly, does it? There is the eternal conflict between personal self interest and the self interest of the group task to be accomplished. Maybe a cutting machine needs to be overhauled and have regular maintenance. The manager’s schedule and budget don’t allow for this. So he just yells “Turn the crank and make the product!” Both the manager and employee feel the other is wrong and they know what is right. People get advanced by perception, but perception is not reality. Hiding problems is not the quality way, but it is the way to career advancement, Employees take delight in the failure of their fellow employees, who are competitors for advancement. Nothing destroys a company faster than this. Many managers say that loyalty is the highest quality in an employee. Not honesty and integrity. They want a Goodfella who will go along with the corruption as usual. You know your workplace and I know nothing of it. It is a terrible thing to be unhappy in one’s job.
Angel Bowfinger you're right. I used to work for a company that made car part's with that just in time bullshit. This came from the customer (insert car manufacturer here). That went right out the window. We would run off a months worth in a day or two. I know of other suppliers that did the same. The main reson. The £10,000 a minute fine if you stopped the production line.
Not for all but if you like or own a Honda good for you, ride it and enjoy. When you have to bash any other brand I'd immediately doubt your sincerity. Ride what you love no ones gonna dump their brand and buy a honda because you love yours. I've never had an issue with any of my HD's and not trying to convert anyone.
All you knuckleheads that put down Harley's are jealous because you can't afford one. Best looking motorcycles bar none, period,and this is my second Harley and both have been very reliable.. I had Honda's they are good motorcycles, but Harley's have history, culture,nostalgia and sound magnificent. I have a brand new 2017 Road Glide Ultra with the works, and damn glad and proud of this machine. I like to go to the HD dealerships just to look at the new ones. Oh one more thing, look at all the Goldwings,they're all plastic,ugly.
Right. I love all my HDs and never had an issue. It’s funny how people feel the need to bash what their favorite company spent millions and years trying to emulate. HD still sells and it’s not because they break down a lot or all harley owners are stupid. Cut that S out and ride what you love. I will always ride HD as I have I’m happy for the other brand owners but I don’t want it for me.
Gloves came off we this person had to put down every other brand.
Keith Royster my bike looks better, rides better, and has a real engine that doesn't shake the living hell out of you like a 1930s lawnmower!
Keith Royster you just have to get the latest clothes!!! Hardly makes more money off of sheeple who have to get the latest clothes from hardly. My plastic will never fall off from shaking!!!! Enjoy your bike until the new hardlys come in from India!
I am a harley tech and we had a vrod come in with 96.000 miles that has only ever had leaks due to gasket and oring falure...motor has run strong and the guy just changes the oil
I was a die hard crotch rocket guy for many years (I own two.) until I picked up my 2011 883 Superlow last month. I've been doing research and these bike are so easy to work on. I have plans on building up the motor later, but in the mean time I'm putting some serious miles on it.
Most times Harley's break down because some people try to run them like sports bikes and that hurts the engine.
Dustin Weist
I haven't had a breakdown on a Harley. EVER, been riding them for over 50 years. Now my KZ1000 Police bike?? Broke down and had to use a Sportster to escort one Ohio winter. As with any bike, as
long as a rider does not red line the HD, they won't hurt the engine.
Dustin Weist Nope...mine sees rev limiter all the time. 06 still solid.
Dustin Weist correct.but you can run a Honda naked bike hard without needing emediate maintenance. Does anyone realize the pototo potato sounds from hd is an engine imbalance? How awesome...not
I ride my rocker like I just stole it and its dependable as hell.
Modern HD's have rev limiters no more red lining.
The main thing with any transportation is maintenance and how well you care for it, if your going to skip maintenance or treat it like a race machine, not keep it clean and generally abuse it, don't be surprised when it falls to bits
Love your channel for the Bible verses and the informative videos!
Thanks, God Bless
My '02 Sportster 1200 custom has 40k on it with out any issues. The biggest key is to service them. Thanks for the videos and God bless.
Why does everyone sample every brand based on one example. “I know a guy that has a ______ and it has 5 million miles.” For every 5 good bikes there’s a bad one and that goes for every brand. Just love the bike you chose and ride it till the wheels fall off. I’ve had them all and loved each one for different reasons.
Harleys are cool. But I cant stand the Harley culture.
Even the dealerships turn me off.
I agree, I love mine, just won't buy in the culture.
Soyboy...
Find a shop specializing In American made motorcycles. The only "culture" will be you...
Yea there's always that one "I ride a real bike" guy. But the harley dealers are way nicer than any other bike dealers i've been to - still don't own a harley but thinking about it.
@@dennisschell5543 -Peace to you too, my brotha!
Props for having a QUIET HARLEY!
03 wing 112,000 miles. My buddy has an 02 wing with 516,000 miles.
As in gold wing?
@@dustinogle9522 correct
@@joshszydel8202 when I was selling motorcycles in 2017 there was a guy on a 2013 ultra classic with over 250k miles. All original. There was another 2004 with 430k that aside from the cam tensioner was also original
I just uploaded a video about my buddies 1994 Electra Glide Classic (looked just like this one) with 138,000 miles on it, still has perfect compression and has never been rebuilt!
Bet he`s ridden it up the "Yellow Brick Road" to "The Pearly Gates" too !!. Can`t be rebuilt at a HD dealer, `cos as soon as they get a new engine they have no one who knows how to fix the last one. Shovel, EVO, ??. They don`t know. They can`t fix a" Twinkie", Buell, or V-Rod either.Grab another comic book. Smoke another doob. Son`s of Anarchy will be on soon.
EXTREMELY hard to believe! Especially with a motor that's dynamically unbalanced and trying to shake itself apart!
@@seanoleary1979 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 That's what I was thinking lol
Well considering my experience with Harleys I very much doubt that one went that far with no rebuild or that the compression could still be 'perfect'.
Yeaaaaaaaaah, OK! I gotta' bridge over in Brooklyn that I can sell you REAL CHEAP!!! ....half-wit!
There's a Roger McGough poem , "sweat is the smell of life and far sweeter the scent of life than the stench of death". So yeah, wear your gear.
Unless that death is being grilled over mesquite or hickory, then it's pretty sweet!😎 (sorry man, couldn't resist!)
it's the relative simplicity of the Harley Engine...My New 2019 FXDR is a keeper...I'm riding it into he Apocalypse
As a motorcycle mechanic let me tell you that the FXDR has no simple engine.
I got my FXDR recently and I love it
I am not a Christian but it's so edifying to hear the proverbs! I had forgotten that verse, gonna rewind.
you do realize that religion is bullshit? more people have died in the name of religion than anything else combined.
@@menotyou7762 you do realize that I am talking about PERSONAL edification not group conflict . . . Smh
In the old days.
Harley's leaked oil profusely.
Also shook everything loose constantly .
Plus they were temperamental to start.
All that said...
I LOVE MY. HARLEY
I still think the Street Glide and Road King from like 2015 were amazing machines. The comfort level on those in the wind was something else
In the old days, harley didnt use a recirculating oil system. They used a total loss system that exited through a tube that dripped onto the chain for lubrication.
AMF get such a bad reputation by people who don't know what they're talkin about AMF put 10 million dollars into Harley-Davidson win a million dollars still a lot of money the only other company that wanted to buy Harley from the family with Bangor printer and Bangor punch it was famous for buying companies taking a tax write-off demolishing the building the banker puncher headboard Harley we would have Harley t-shirts and mugs and krapohl Up but no motorcycles Harley-Davidson like the American car manufacturers have disgruntled employees that would cover stuff up on the assembly line when you cry triple the number of bikes that you build even at the same rate of quality you will still have more defective bikes Harley dealers in the old days were enthusiastic who loved the brand and to bike if you had problems with your bike that was brand new they would try to fix it for you AMF had Little Italian design commuter bikes dirt bikes they had a more balanced range than the company has today but just like beautiful the dealer didn't want to touch the little bikes dirt bikes didn't want to sell them just wanted to sell Landyachtz Harley dealers aren't interested in selling anything that is not ridiculously expensive for what it is they have this attitude because of the customers they have had who has more money than God and throws money at them you go to the regular motorcycle dealers discussion happen I made more money at Sears selling Craftsman tools then a Salesman at Harley dealer makes I saw Craftsman tools because they were good quality and I believed in them I cannot say that about the new Harley
Amen to that brother, my 1974 74” was always breaking down but I loved it for some reason. I guess it taught me how to work on one.LOL
As long as chain tensioners are not overlooked and you check them every now and then, you should be fine. If you don’t check them, as time passes by the tensioner degrades to the point where it causes metal to metal contact and the debris clogs the oil pump. Doing so it can cause catastrophe problems to the engine. Or you can just get a sportster and not have these problems since they are gear driven cams. Regarding the conversion to gear drive on the Vtwins to eliminate the chain tensioners, true it can be a “fix” to the problem, but then you introduce another challenge. The crankshaft pinion runout cannot go over the exceeded limit otherwise the gear drive cannot work and can cause engine damage too. I’m not a hater, I own a Vtwin as well just keeping the ones that have Vtwins informed. Planning to check my tensioners when I hit 50K. Safe riding out there 👍🏽🏍
112,000 mi on my 2003 Electra glide. Never cracked open. All miles I have put on. Miles of smiles.
Love the comment you don’t put 100k miles on your car by just changing oil except in the 7.3! 😂👍🏼 rocking a 7.3 myself with 251!
whatever bike i most recently watch you talk about and ride, i want to go out and get one!! I bet you have done more for motorcycles and the Lord than the next 100 people!! Thank you...
FYI:: those pegs are installed that way to help stop the bike from falling completely on it's side during slow riding maneuvers, like u turns and such...
The hold the bike up higher making it easier pick up,,, etc..
Lol. Yeah.
If you remember the AMF era, you would know where the rep came from. It took a lot of work to keep an AMF bike on the ride and running good.
I had a 82 FLHS shovelhead which was fun to ride and sounded great.
OBS 7.3 PS with 340+k miles owner right here! starts right up drove it from central California to Las Vegas in the middle of summer with no problem. 100 degree in Cali, 114 in Vegas did not over heat.
Harleys are way over rated. Every owner I know has spent bundles keeping them going. My close friend’s 2003 Harley ultra needed rebuilding, to the cost of $8500, rebuilt factory engine, triple rebuild, frame a new swing arm rebuild. All at 85000 miles. This unit was well maintained.
My Goldwings had 130000 miles and the most I spent was an alternator and tires.
There is a guy that I met in Sturgis with a Goldwing 1500 that had 360000 miles.
I thought the bad rep came from AMF
Correct
If I was ever going to buy a Twin Cam it would be a 88 and I would put S&S gear drive cams. 88's don't seem to get so damn hot like the bigger TCs. Love my Evo's though and they still run strong.
I have a 2011 dyna fxdc 96ci twin cam, 85600k within 4yrs, replaced cam tensioner's and stator, thats it and still riding
I put over 100k on a 1967 FLH. I think any modern bike, regardless of brand, can do this with preventative and regular maintenance. I remember when a car was worn out at 80k, but now they go 200, 300 thousand miles. Take care of your bike and it will last.
When I think about the diverse range of bikes I've had over four decades of riding I wonder where most of them are now. Likely long since been recycled. The reason you see so many Harleys out there, and it's just as true down here in New Zealand, is because they're easy to keep going and don't get superceded in the same, wasteful 'built in obsolescence' way of other manufacturers. Enjoy what you ride. Ride safe.
I put 70,000 on my 2010 super glide custom all I ever did was change the oil and usually went way over the recommended 5000 miles other than that I had a wheel bearing go out and that was it. It was still running strong when I sold it. I wouldnt doubt it if its still out there somewhere?
I put a hydraulic chain tentioner in two different twin cams both with about 45K the shoe on the factory tentioner was pretty wore out. I learned that the bike will run with the shoe tentioner completely gone and laying in.the bottom of the cover as one bike had. I got a 72 FLH on its 2nd motor rebuild it was a Tampa PD bike and it runs great I had it 32 years. Make mine HD.
When your a millionaire you can take a harley to HD and let them work on it at $95+ an hour, but when your on disability with a 06' street glide with 100,000 miles on it and $1200 a month income that's not an option for me!
Thank you, that was awesome....my anniversary ‘03 Ultra has 61,500 on it. I thought it was great that you stressed the importance of good riding gear ....great job !
I fell in love with my Softail the minute I put it in 5th gear, overdrive. With Harleys there is a big gap in top gear and all vibes disappear and the long stroke engine does its thing. Unfortunately they still make mechanical noise that is exacerbated by the windscreen, so wear ear plugs.
There was that guy with a BMW K75 that put like 350,000 miles on it before he got hit and the bike totaled as well. Bikes will do miles, 85k is no big deal.
There is a guy who pushed two Harley's over 1 million miles each. Taken care of they can run nearly forever.
I am having trouble believing a million. Even given that theoretically the engine should have the crank turning on a film of oil so the only main bearing wear you see is at startup.... that's a long time. But sure - could happen, hell a bunch of those old Volvo red blocks hit a million, hell so many they made little badges you could request - so yeah, I'll go for that. Bikes last a long-ass time. It tickles me when people ask "I found X bike I really like but it has 20,000 miles on it (or 30,000 - some low number) is it worn out?" People are crazy.
You can Google it. Bike is retired in the Sturgis museum, it's pretty cool. lol ya so many people are like that, miles aren't a big deal specially when the other guys been taking care of it. Good owners often have receipts for everything they've ever had done. Usually it's just Cam work at 35k and then around 80k
Cool, yeah I googled it and sure enough a million mile Harley. I'm actually more impressed the guy rode it a million miles than the thing mechanically survived a million miles but either way - that's a lot of miles. Good machine.
Charlie I'll put it to you quick and simple my friend is VP one of the biggest motorcycle clubs on the East Coast they are NOT a outlaw Club.. they have been around since the thirties, any brand of motorcycle is allowed just has to be so many cc. Getting to the point through the thousands literally thousands and thousands of motorcycles in almost 90 years of existence and with meticulous record-keeping of what member on what bike breakdowns blowing engines exedra... no matter what decade how you slice and dice unfortunately Harley-Davidson holds the dishonor of being the motorcycle with the most breakdowns blown engines and repairs and least miles. Now this is based on records and data not opinion or favoritism. Now the old guys that are still around some in their 80s are living Testaments of the continual problems and colossal unreliability of Harley-Davidson compared to Japanese motorcycles. The facts are the facts and it's the same story with other clubs in the United States Canada all across Europe... no matter shovel knuckle pan Evo whatever... no matter pre Evo with engine fixes such as Machining and making oil flow better Harley-Davidson even the Newer ones are 100% absolutely nothing compared to the Japanese bikes their superior quality longevity and low maintenance... as a proud American a retired Union man this saddens my heart. So sad even Harleys of 2018 shifting between gears. Ka chunk Ka chunk... $30,000 + dollars half reliable high maintenance motorcycle. Just pitiful absolutely pitiful how piss-pot poor Harley actually is.
Ive got a 5 speed, 2001 Fatboy 88 CI with 43k miles. It sat for 7 years cause of a new edition to the family, but after an oil change, new tires, cam chain tensioner, new carburetor, and a fuel tank drain, it runs great. My only complaint is the lack of power that the 88 CI provides. Especially riding with others, as they will flat out leave you in the dust. Maybe I have been spoiled by my other bike which is 117 CI fuel injected Road Glide..but I really feel it lacks power.
I know someone who has 170000 miles and his Harley and it's still running.
Routine maintenance, quality oil, not riding like you're running from an ex wife, using OEM or high quality replacement parts...no reason you cant ride a Harley a good long time...oh and keep the chrome off of your motor
Sean, "Why would you put the pegs on backwards like that?" So that when you drop the bike at low speeds the peg is not going to collapse inward and be able to stop the bike from falling over too far to pick it up and it saves the crash bar from getting scraped up. It is a trick that Ride Like A Pro's Jerry Palladino shows on his training video. It is for practicing at slow speed and not having to worry about scratching up your crash bar. I bet the person who had that bike was older and got rid of it because it was now too heavy for them. Just a guess.
People bagging on you for defending Harley, saying whats the big deal, my blah blah blah did it...but they don’t see clueless knuckleheads trash talking their brand on the internet nearly as much. HD has a big target on their back for their success, not their failures.
Success????????? They've closed 3 Harley dealerships here on Long Island in the past 7 years! They're tanking as we speak. Fewer and fewer young people want anything to do with a bike that looks like it was yanked out of the 1950's! Just say NO to drugs!
You can easily find parts for any model or year, there's a competent mechanic on every corner, everything is easy to get to, no valve adjustments, indefinite service life on the drive belt... It's got to be the easiest bike to own.
Chaun tensioners sucked. Changed too many! That and defective compensators. I would say other than that reliability issues are from cheap after market mods and "backyard mechanics".
I have an 09 Screamin Eagle 18000 Miles on it and it keeps breaking down and I grew up in a Honda dealership back in the Midwest and we ride Harleys and Honda and honestly I'm going to start riding my aspencade more because the Harley just keeps breaking down I'd rather go to Sturgis on my Harley but I've been there on a Honda doesn't matter what your ride as long as you're on two wheels and your hair is blowing in the wind and that's a good life
If you're driving a Ducati you're probably not to worried about money!!
Paul. You don’t Drive bikes. You Ride them!
Ducati's look nasty. I don't mean in a good way yuk
This is an old post, but I had to comment on leaking Harleys.
I own three Harleys, a 1992 Electra Glide Ultra Classic, 1991 Springer Softtail, and a 1978 Flh bobber.
The only one that leaks is 1978, and it only leaks because of sumping.
That's when the oil in the tank bypasses the check ball in the oil pump and drains into the crank case.
Then oil leaks out the vent tube.
Mine only has this problem if it sits for more than a couple of weeks or I don't change the oil every 3000 miles.
The 78 flh doesn't actually have an oil filter.
It's a screen mesh in the oil tank that is removed and cleaned and then reinstalled.
And that can allow debris to get into the oil pump and not allow the check ball to fully seat.
Finding myself wanting an old evo mid 90s Harley
a friend of mine rides his dyna for 160 K miles then he trades it for another brand new dyna and same thing during around 4 years. now that is a Rider.
I like what u said about the flag. 🇺🇸
I have a 2005 SE Electra Glide. 88ci bored out to 103ci. Flip the switch to the Cruise on, (you did.) Now just pull the set switch to the right and let it go. That should set it and it will turn the Cruise control indicator light from red to green. If its still not setting make sure nothing is touching the brakes. Mine had a small problem with the front brake handle not releasing completly, that was preventing the cruise control from setting, it thought i was engaging the front brake.
LOL. I have a Ducati and two Harleys in the garage. They're fine. It's all about how you look after them and how any previous owners looked after them.
WRONG! Next year will be 40 years on 2 wheels for me. In those 40 years, I've had 37 bikes - 4 of 'em Harleys. Guess which 4 were the WORST f-ing bikes EVER? You guessed it... the HARLEYS! (Coming in a hot second was 5 of my POS BMWs) As for the other 4 brands I've had close to ZERO problems! How/why is that? No cam chain tensioner problems, no cam bearing problems, no shifter shaft seal problems, no electrical problems, no radio problems, no key fob/no start problems, no ABS module problems, no leaks, and best of all - no parts literally falling off the bike! My current Goldwing has 227,000 miles on it with only tune-ups and oil changes! HOW BOW DA???????
40 years of riding 37 bikes and only 4 of which were Harleys, I say do the calculation? Why would you have to buy 33 other bikes??? Lol !!!
My 08 Ultra Classic Touring 55,000 miles still running strong. Doesn’t use any oil between oil changes. Try and run a gallon of 100 octane jet fuel with a tank full of non ethanol gasoline fairly regularly , makes the motor purr as well as clean ! 👍
You got a subscriber when you started reading Proverbs.
Harley isnt the only brand of bike to leak oil. Ive seen plenty of other bikes piss oil long much earlier than expected
Ask GM about the "fallacy of reliability". They got crushed by Honda and Toyota in the 80's & 90's because their reliability was horrendous. Yes, all things break, especially mechanical parts made by men. But, a lack of reliability will hurt you in the end. Ask GM in 2008, and ask H-D now (although H-D's problems are more related to an aging customer base that isn't riding any longer). It does matter.
Todd Baham actually if you run maintenance on a GM Ford chryco as the Asian makers pushed the cars go just as far. As a mechanic I see just as many 150k+ American as well as Asian. I drive a 200k+ Pontiac 2004 model, also have 200k+ 94 Olds.
Yeah AMF nearly ruined the company but since the buy back they have been back on top with their reliability and quality. That is a problem all bike manufacturers are having HD are still 50-60% of all motorcycle sales so it's not like everyone is buying little metric bikes instead. Fewer people ride because wages are so low no one has the money to spend on extra things like motorcycles anymore.
Todd Baham not to mention HD stock prices dropping like old people. 😂
I asked GM and they said the Japanese companies hit the ground running. They did not have to spend any money on technology because the government came hat in hand when it was time to rebuild Japan post WW2. GM went patriotic and gave them the keys to the kingdom. GM suffered helping to win the war. GM had their hands tied by regulation, building one kind of car for California and another for the rest of the country.
...an aging customer base and a younger motorcycling crowd that's not into overpriced, heavy, ill handling, low-powered bikes that look and perform as though they are frozen in the 1950's!
That bike is nice, just what I'm looking for, the exhaust system is way too quiet. The bags on the windshield are in the way, it does look like it's running and handling pretty good.
Having owned 3 HDs in my day, I can attest that they are essentially, 'parade bikes'...great for slow speeds, look good, sound good. As such, they are very 'agricultural' in that the tech is very basic and the performance envelope is likewise, very basic and rather limited. They're fun when used and appreciated in the aforementioned manner. That's their 'flavour', if that's your thing.
A sportster with forward controls, ape hangers and a mustang seat is a fun ride.
I love your appreciation of all motorcycles
As of now, my 2012 FLHTK has 88k miles on the 103 motor. I love it! Currently I’m riding approximately 8-10k miles a year.
I know a guy with a 2003 Honda Gold Wing with 515,000 miles. You can keep the Harley.
ricky kraus yeah but to have to be seen on that geek machine for that many miles 🤭😬....the emotional toll the embarrassment would have from riding a goldwing will put them right back even
ford blue true! Lol it’s not my first choice either but you can’t deny the longevity and reliability of Honda.
I do like your name though. Lol
ricky kraus gotta 57 Harley with over 300k. Still starts first kick. At least I look cool and not like an astronaut in training hahah
Christopher Wilson Maybe cool in you own mind! Reality is Harley’s aren’t that cool. You can keep that crap thinking you are so called cool. Basically what I’m saying is everyone has a different perception of cool.
ricky kraus old shit is cool no matter what it is. Old bikes were cool then, they’re cool now. I have a 74 goldwing. That’s cool. I have a 1960 comet that’s cool.
a lot of bikes hit the salvage yard early due to lack of available parts from the manufacturer. Rebuilding an 88 Wing as a major pita, while parts for a HD where plentiful.
Wait. That was a Harley flag? I thought it was just a pair of dirty underwear on a stick.
hujimix your underwear or your thong?
You would LOVE the 88 TC with Andrews 21 torque cams, a darkside rear tire (which is 1" taller than stock and grippy as heck), will outpull a 96 and sound like it's just loafing thru the gears...(which it is). whilst leaving the stoplight crowd far back, to the onlookers (cops?), sounding like you're barely moving, and as a plus, my '05 is the last carburetted model.
Best engine mods I've ever done...btw, those cams come on around 1400 revs...think about it....!
Thanks for the video.
I love my 05 Ultra. It does a good job. Was thinking about a new Milwaukee 8 to help the sales for my local dealership but dang it I love my bike. besides I already have 4 Harleys. Keep up your good works.
This is good news.
Surely with such a solid product, Harley will soon match the Indian Warranty of 1,000,000 miles.
That million mile warranty will really help Harley stay competitive and sell more bikes.
Have a 2003 Kawasaki nomad has 276,000 miles and still running strong!!!!
Thats nuts! Take care of your bike and it will take care of you
I have 62,200 miles on my 2010 CVO ultra. It runs like brand new to this day. I love the bike and I'll never get rid of it. ALL BIKES HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS. You have to keep anything and everything maintained for it to last. I have one place that does my work. He's just the best out there in my opinion. SYNTHETIC FLUIDS ONLY...EVERY 3,000 MILES IF IT NEEDS IT OR NOT..
A harley makes 120k miles and that is an achievement, a honda bike does 250k and is just expected
Just my own experience but we couldn’t find dealer support parts etc for an older Yamaha. No issues with the Harley’s we now own.
Test Ride Indian Chieftain 2019 and compare it head 2 head with HD SG. This will be the video of 2019
Every time I look at that cup and the first thing that comes to my mind is "Alms for the poor" from Disney's Robin Hood cartoon. Don't know why but it does.
81,000 miles on my 2002 Roadstar. 133,500 miles on my 1985 Vmax. Neither is anywhere near needing an overhaul. Well maintained. Most HDs with over 100,000 miles have been rebuilt at least once.
227,000 miles on my Goldwing with several other members of my Goldwing Riding Club with 300,000 and 400,000+ miles on theirs. One guy has over 500,000! Just think, it would take 10 Harleys to get to 500,000 the way they fall apart (like all my Harleys did) at 50,000!
had a 2006 VRSCR, had electrical problems with the fuel gage, had problems with the front brake, had problems with the brake lights. and that was just in an 8 month period. I'm a Kawasaki man now.
The only reason HD's last is because they have parts for just about any year. A Gold Wing will outlast any HD before an engine needs to be rebuilt by a wide margin.
Man thats a claim.....lots of harleys hit triple digits.......
The best estimate I've ever gotten is that a Goldwing engine "can last up to 250K". Which, itself, assumes it's properly cared for, and that's at absolute best case scenario, which almost no bike *actually being ridden* will experience.
I've never heard the numbers for an Ultra Classic, but I'd be quite surprised if it's not at least that, for the same treatment.
In the end, it's the guy on it, and the guy under it, that make the difference.
Yeah all cruisers hit around 250,000 if you do it all right, doesn't matter the brand. I've seen Goldwings, BMWs and HD hit or get close to that mark. HD gets a bad rep because of the AMF days and because it's hip to say it.
I own one of each. Other than fluid changes, I've had to change a fuel injector on the Goldwing in 143k miles. That's not a simple job. I've herd of Harleys going over 420k miles and one Goldwing with 525k miles. I actually prefer my Harley.
Heat is the enemy of your engine. The goldwing is a liquid cooled bike. Its not about Honda being better then Harley, liquid cooled bikes just last longer. An air cooled Honda or Harley will exceed reccomended temps throughout its life span, especially if you ride in traffic.
A liquid cooled bike will never get too hot unless you have a part failure.
Watch the documentary on the HD VRod. They left the bike running in death valley for hours on end. Even the Harley engineers admitted their air cooled engines would fail.
Thats why a goldwing engine will last longer then a convential big twin HD.
Now compare it to a VRod engine and youve got some competition.
For a good ride back and forth to work and a 100 mile weekend ride the 1200 evo sportster is hard to beat.
The bad rep comes from the fact that harleys used to not be very reliable, the AMF days were dark...
Also, old harleys leaked oil, by design. Folks saw oil under their bike, or had to add oil from time to time, and thought their bike was dripping or using oil... well, it was dripping oil, but its designed into the engine.
New harleys are a world above the AMF days... not even the same company in my opinion
"You think you got a 100,000 miles just changing oul?"
*Stares in Honda*
Yesterday I looked at an 86 Goldwing that had 130,000 miles on it and is still ridden regularly. Thats not the exception, that's just normal for a Honda. Im not sure what is so impressive about a Harley with 86k on it.
Year for year the Harley goes farther per year.
@@danjones9007 exactly. 10 years older. Harley will have more miles in 10 years
lol..had buddie with 83 goldwing...850 000 miles...never touched...bike runs like dream...i have put over 500,000 on two wings...give me a HONDA anyday...
@@southpawsgarage who has time to put 800,000 on a motorcycle? I have a Wing and a Dyna so I'm not bashing Wings but ~500,000 is the most I ever heard of.
@@stevek8829 MY FRIEND ED..GONE NOW...HAD OVER 850,000 ..I REPAINTED THE BIKE FEW YRS AGO...SON HAS IT NOW..STILL RUNS LIKE A DREAM...IVE HEARD OF ONE GUY WHO DID OVER A MILLION...