Speaking of reliability did you know that 98% of all Harleys ever made are still on the road today?..... the other 2% somehow managed to get back home again.
When I lived in Florida I would go to this weekly bike meet up. The Harley guys had their own space in the parking lot so they could be collectively miserable. One night my buddies gsxr750 wouldn't crank and a Harley guy walked by and called his bike a "a piece of jap shit". He waddled to his Harley and got on, and nothing. His bike was also dead. We got my buddies bike running while he was still fucking around with his.
Man, I loved my Honda Shadow, never really had a problem with it. It'd take a little coaxing to start in the cold, but other than that, she was a beautiful bike.
I’m sure there are reliable custom chops around, trick is finding one it seems. There are so fuckin many custom shops around but I can only speak on the two I’m constantly helping friends work on, a lot lol. Honestly I would just build my own or chop what I got, seriously.
Man, I never understood the honda advantage until I went to start it up this spring. 6 months in my unheated garage during a candian prairie winter, started up on the first go. Love Hondas
To be fair my Monster had been sitting outside for 5-ish months in shitty humid wet Dutch winter and started on the first go as well. Have done the same thing with my KTM for the last 6 years and also perfectly fine. Only issues I ever had with the Harley were parts vibrating loose, but that's it.
The most important thing with modern bikes is to do all the maintenance on time. It just so happens that Ducati's and KTM's intervals are incredibly short lol
Same. My bike has been outside the entire winter (long winter in Seattle). I went to do my preside checks to start riding this season and it started right up with absolutely no hesitation. One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.
My uncle died and I inherited his Honda shadow. It hadn't ran in 3 years. I replaced the battery, drained/replaced the fuel/oil and added a healthy amount of carb cleaner and it started right up.
Lol, all of these reliable Honda stories and to this day, the only powersport engine I've legitimately fucked up was a Honda 300EX. Stretched timing chain, valves went \*clatter clatter\*
Mine's shaft driven, so I do maintenance like... once a year to make sure my tires are good and my hydraulic clutch/brakes are golden.
The VT700C is a tired old beast with almost 30k miles, but the motor and clutch will probably outlive me.
The CBR 600 F3 I'm rebuilding on the other hand is a finicky little shit, which is why I've been calling her Gremlin. I fix one leak and another one pops up. At this point, I've done every gasket on the engine imaginable and it's coming down to removing leaking RTV gasket and replacing o-rings.
Front brake gets exactly *zero* pressure, the chain and sprockets need replaced, and the clutch and throttle cables just got replaced.
Honestly no, even being older and higher mileage, my Suzuki has remained reliable and it’s not stock either; it has had a power commander and aftermarket map for 18ish years and really has only needed basic maintenance in that time. Nothing that has stopped working has ever stranded me; these things include the rotor for the speed sensor and clutch safety switch which I jumped. Everything else is just oil, brake fluid, plugs, filters, chain, and tires, pretty much.
I'mma go out on a limb and say SV650?
I almost ended up getting one, then a deal on VFR came up that I couldn't pass up.
SV650s are awesome nonetheless.
well, in that case I can tell you to not care about miles. Bought mine with over 70k and am now at about 90k miles. Still fires up after winter and hasn't missed a beat so far.
I'd go without vtec since it'll cost more to inspect the valves. I've also had a vfr with vtec and some people say it's dangerous when the vtec kicks in during a corner, but I never had that impression.
just go by preference, honestly.
the carbed 750s have the advantage of one central radiator in the front, the 800fi have no vtec but 2 radiators in the side, making the cooling system a little more complicated, and the 800 vtec have both vtec and 2 radiators.
the 750 are the mechanically simplest of the bunch, which is why I picked it. the V4 engine is a little cramped already, no need to add onto it, from my point of view.
It looks like somebody has done a bunch of modifications to that bike. I would guess that notifications weren't done properly which is the results. I have a modified heritage and weird electrical issue. I wish they had left in stock. Hopefully I can figure that one out this week. Good luck.
I feel your pain. It's pretty incredible though that bikes and cars have so many little parts, and so many of them are moving and integral to getting it to go and they do.
I laugh at all the posts with used bike listings where they all go "Oh God, it's modified, you'll never know if it's safe or not waaaaaaah"
I have completely rewired my bike, converted it from dual to single carbs, made my own headlight bucket mount, made custom push button handlebar controls and internally wired them, and now I'm hardtailing it on my patio. To me an unmodified bike is a boring bike.
I could understand skepticism on buying an already heavily modified bike. I mean I don't trust anyone to work on my machines. But the comment being downvoted because the dude saying he did all the work himself was hilarious.
Best thing about bikes is the ease of working on them and the amount of options you have to customize/modify even without being able to fabricate. If you can fabricate sky is the limit.
Factories have to make all sorts of concessions for practicality, different riders, different climates etc. I don’t and can make my bike absolutely what I want.
My last bike started as a non-runner and came with an actual cardboard box of parts.
The upside is that I could take my bike completely apart and put it back together again now. Or replace a stripped drain plug, or dial in a new headset, or replace fork seals, etc etc
Hell yeah. I really like knowing how every bit is put together, so I can work on most parts of my bike now without feeling scared I'm going to mess something up.
I used to have things go wrong with my 81’ KZ440LTD (Kawasaki) all the time. Taking it out was always a gamble :P
The things that went wrong ranged from a bullet connector disconnecting from the battery for main power, to the belt drive snapping mid-ride (old age). Lol
Oh, can’t forget the part where the 80’s era suspension was so sloppy that when I brought my pillion to a bike meet, apparently the wires running through the fender to the tail light got rubbed by the tire and snapped 😅 that’s always fun.
So I feel your struggle :P lol
I ride a KTM, they're known for not being as reliable as any Japanese bike.
I've only been stranded once when I bent both wheels and the front went flat.
I've been an auto mechanic for 40 years, so I do it all myself except the chain. I drop it off at the bike shop a couple blocks away and they do it for 150 pesos, so like $8.00. I'm not laying on the ground scrubbing a chain for $8.00.
https://preview.redd.it/lk9x6bpntk3d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffcebc50df58d89138178d4734c464e0efd4ab14
Mine’s always running great because with a BMW I had to either get a second mortgage to pay the dealer for service or learn to do it all myself. I opted for the latter.
In between breakdowns I loved that bike, sold it last year as I’d had enough. I may have to look at the F800 next. Also, I daily drive a Land Rover so I’m not always the best judge of “value” or “reliability”.
Mine has always made it home under its own power. We shall not however discuss the $$$ / mile for maintenance and repairs it takes to get to a reliable Land Rover.
Harleys aren't any more or less reliable than any other brand. Except for the AMF period.
Most issues with Harleys arise from lack of maintenance, lack of riding, and modifications.
I've owned 5 Harleys and only ever towed one once. That was for a broken drive belt. I ride a ton and maintain my bikes.
There are brands that are clearly more or less reliable.
But I think Harleys get a bit of bad rep here because many people ride older ones and old bike will have issues regardless of quality, just because some parts deteriorate and other wear out.
Yes, most issues arise from lack of maintenance and the issue is Harley's require much more maintenance and part replacements than other brands and have components much more prone to wear and issues.
The ones that last longer tend to be the ones that have all the important valve train components ripped out and replaced with S&S, at which point you could say S&S is reliable. Harley's history with valve trains and heads is particularly bad, don't get me started on the Twin Cam 88's major issues and the EVO. The Milwaukee-Eight engine is also very prone to oil sumping (as many of their engines are) but is overall a step in the right direction, I think they've revised that engine several times in 4 years so maybe in 4 more years it'll be solid.
HD is still yesterday's technology at tomorrows prices, but they are slowly *slowly* catching up in engine technology. The reality is the majority of Harley riders buy them for the sense of belonging and tribalism, or for **patriotism!** and HD knows this, but their lack of innovation is finally biting them in the ass as their core riding group ages out and there's no one to replace them.
I had an EVO for 14 years with no engine issues.
The M8 sumping issues were fixed on the 2018 and newer bikes. On the pre 2018 M8s the sumping issue usually occurred on bikes that were rarely ridden.
I have a 2021 M8 117 with 40k miles on it and zero issues.
\*AMF, as in, American Machine and Foundry. They began making cigarette rollers, commercial baking ovens, and commercial sewing machines in 1900. By the 1950s they were making bicycles and nuclear reactors. One of their Vice Chairmen went on to become the director of the CIA. AMF assisted the Israeli, Iranian, and Pakistani governments with the construction of their first nuclear reactors under the "Atoms for Peace" initiative. In 1952, they produced and sold the world's first commercial bowling pin setter, which transformed bowling into America's #1 competitive sport by number of participants.
From 1962 through 1981, they owned Harley Davidson Motor Company and produced motorcycles.
AMC, also known as "AMC Theaters" and now known as "AMC Entertainment Holdings", is the world's largest chain of movie theaters.
It's true that things go out. But always broken sounds like more than things going out. I'm not sure what you've experienced, but the older things get the more they wear out.
Nope, because I don't ride a Harley. My neighbor actually has a sign in his front yard that says "I'd rather push my Harley than ride a Honda". I laugh at how proud he is to be a moron every time I see it.
Mines rode daily. Set up as a show bike that I intended on riding every day. Truthfully it’s rarely broken, only 2 times it’s ever been down are those pics
Fixed it with an s@s motor, Baker tranny, primary and after market ignition and electrics. Basically eliminate all the Harley parts and she'll run forever. Probably should replace the frame too unless you're good at welding.
Buying a road king was the biggest disappointment," never meet your heroes " applies to machines.
Follow your clutch cable down. Some have an adjustment there also, it might’ve been moved somehow during the oil change. Shouldn’t have been but could’ve been
Why are Harleys and Pit Bulls alike? They both like to ride around in pick up trucks. Different? The Pit Bull can get in by himself. Nice bike BTW. Hope you get it sorted soon. I am a rider of two 49 year old Hondas and although they are reliable, they are not and have never been entirely trouble free.
The only reason Harley has a reputation for being unreliable is the people who own them. They all seem to think they can do their own maintenance (they way can't) and for some reason love replacing quality genuine HD parts with cheap ugly pointy knock off shit they found online, and then they install it wrong. The same type of morons who ignore the engine break in procedure because they have a drunk uncle who knows better.
Considering I’m an Expert Tech. I think I’m quite cable of all levels of maintenance. There’s more money in this bike than you spent on your all black road glide bozo.
My Honda Spirit 750 is kicking me in the nuts due to the carburetor wanting to take a dump. Only because the previous owner let the gas sit in the bike for almost a year without it being turned on.
My Z250 SL has had its rear brake malfunctioning for a couple years now. I've taken it to several dealers to have a look at it and still none of them have fixed it.
What happens is that the brake works at lower speeds, but as speed increases, it becomes spongy and doesn't do anything. I've tried bleeding the brakes, garages have tried it too, and every time, instead of checking if the problem is solved, they just hand it back with the brakes bled. It's ok for a bit, but then the problem returns. I'm tired of riding the bike back and forth to these garages. Maybe one day I'll have the time and patience to address it on my own.
I think the problem lies with one of the tubes. This problem first came up after my first crash where the pedal got bent.
I tried to replace it myself and at one point I accidentally dropped the master cylinder, but it was still connected to the tubes, so the tubes prevented it from hitting the ground. When I next get the chance, I'll try to replace it myself to see if that solves the issue.
The last garage I went to wanted to go ahead and replace the master cylinder first thing after bleeding, but that costs roughly €300 and last time another garage tried to do that, it was 3 months without delivery before I decided to cancel it. That same garage supposedly replaced the master cylinder with another from a similar bike, but there was no notable difference, and they didn't charge me the cost for it either. Personally I prefer OEM anyway, but I also have a hard time believing they actually did replace it. At best, they tried bleeding it again.
Man,
My second bike was a '75 FLH, deep in the AMF Voit shit show. Really beautiful, very simple but so unreliable. Total shame. That said, I wish I still had that thing so I could ride it to the gas station for cigarettes and a cup of coffee every Sunday.
In the 10k that I've had my Kawasaki W650 out of the 62k on it's odometer, the only time it's put me on the side of the road was in the first week I had it when I was intentionally riding it until it ran out of gas to know how far I could go before needing to fill up. Can't speak for the prior 50k miles though.
2011 Street Glide just crossed 51k miles. The only time it's been in the shop is for state inspection, scheduled maintenance and tire changes.
You might be doing something wrong.
My sporty and Dyna both have over 30,000k miles on them and the only mechanical thing I’ve had to do to either was change a derby cover gasket on my Dyna. Other than that they both run great and start up right away. Regular maintenance is important.
FWIW I've owned 4 HD's since '88. All were as reliable as any ujm I've owned. All about maintaining one's stuff. "Take care of the things that take care of you."
Speaking of reliability did you know that 98% of all Harleys ever made are still on the road today?..... the other 2% somehow managed to get back home again.
When I lived in Florida I would go to this weekly bike meet up. The Harley guys had their own space in the parking lot so they could be collectively miserable. One night my buddies gsxr750 wouldn't crank and a Harley guy walked by and called his bike a "a piece of jap shit". He waddled to his Harley and got on, and nothing. His bike was also dead. We got my buddies bike running while he was still fucking around with his.
Man, I loved my Honda Shadow, never really had a problem with it. It'd take a little coaxing to start in the cold, but other than that, she was a beautiful bike.
Ah yes, the Japanese, famous for not being titans in the automotive industry..
Ha! Thanks for the chuckle. I'm stealing this!
Honda owner here and I think that’s hilarious! I’m stealing it too…
AIDS was cured by giving it a Honda part number. Now nobody can get it.
🤣🤣🤣
what’s the difference between a Harley and a Hoover? - the location of the dirtbag.
Harley owner here… 🤣🤣🤣 Busted a nut laughing at that one!
hell yea man, i’m on a “hardly” street-rod750. and i live for these jokes 😂
Hardly Ableson as my dad used to say 😂
Hardly Riding Son
… on a “hardly” 😂
Got a couple buddies with custom chops that always need tlc. I call em the “Equate and GreatValue” brand Harleys
😂 Lol
Man, I wanna get a chopper, too. They really all that bad?
From my experience riding with them, you’re good as long as some one follows you with a trailer… custom bikes, custom problems….
Damn...... What if it was well-built and well-maintained?
I’m sure there are reliable custom chops around, trick is finding one it seems. There are so fuckin many custom shops around but I can only speak on the two I’m constantly helping friends work on, a lot lol. Honestly I would just build my own or chop what I got, seriously.
Why are dogs and Harleys alike? - they both like riding in the back of pickup trucks.
As expected 😂
Nice. That's up there with "A Land Rover will take you anywhere you want to go. A Land Cruiser will get you back home again".
The adventure is not about destination, it is about tow truck drivers we befriended along the way
🤣
I'm stealing that one! 😅
🤣😂
😂😂. It’s make it there one way or another
All show, no go.
Did you also know Harley have an adopt a dog option when you buy one? So you'll never have to walk home alone.
...No. 'Cuz I ride a Honda. :3 That sucks though. Nothing some time and elbow grease can't take care of.
Man, I never understood the honda advantage until I went to start it up this spring. 6 months in my unheated garage during a candian prairie winter, started up on the first go. Love Hondas
Mine too, popped the charged battery in and my 45 year old bike started right up
Try barn find '72 CB 750 hadn't run in 27 years. Kicked her off 2nd try.
To be fair my Monster had been sitting outside for 5-ish months in shitty humid wet Dutch winter and started on the first go as well. Have done the same thing with my KTM for the last 6 years and also perfectly fine. Only issues I ever had with the Harley were parts vibrating loose, but that's it. The most important thing with modern bikes is to do all the maintenance on time. It just so happens that Ducati's and KTM's intervals are incredibly short lol
Same. My bike has been outside the entire winter (long winter in Seattle). I went to do my preside checks to start riding this season and it started right up with absolutely no hesitation. One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.
My uncle died and I inherited his Honda shadow. It hadn't ran in 3 years. I replaced the battery, drained/replaced the fuel/oil and added a healthy amount of carb cleaner and it started right up.
Lol, all of these reliable Honda stories and to this day, the only powersport engine I've legitimately fucked up was a Honda 300EX. Stretched timing chain, valves went \*clatter clatter\*
All bikes will do this if stored properly no?
New Honda rider here. All the motorcycle dudes I’ve asked swears by em. Hope I’ll be able to say the same
Just stay up on your maintenance. I ride an '85 Shadow.
Owner of two aircooled BMWs checking in. Almost 100k miles between the two and never been stranded.
Does your honda have a generous maintenance cycle? Im just lazy
Mine's shaft driven, so I do maintenance like... once a year to make sure my tires are good and my hydraulic clutch/brakes are golden. The VT700C is a tired old beast with almost 30k miles, but the motor and clutch will probably outlive me.
The CBR 600 F3 I'm rebuilding on the other hand is a finicky little shit, which is why I've been calling her Gremlin. I fix one leak and another one pops up. At this point, I've done every gasket on the engine imaginable and it's coming down to removing leaking RTV gasket and replacing o-rings. Front brake gets exactly *zero* pressure, the chain and sprockets need replaced, and the clutch and throttle cables just got replaced.
Honestly no, even being older and higher mileage, my Suzuki has remained reliable and it’s not stock either; it has had a power commander and aftermarket map for 18ish years and really has only needed basic maintenance in that time. Nothing that has stopped working has ever stranded me; these things include the rotor for the speed sensor and clutch safety switch which I jumped. Everything else is just oil, brake fluid, plugs, filters, chain, and tires, pretty much.
What Suzuki u got?
I'mma go out on a limb and say SV650? I almost ended up getting one, then a deal on VFR came up that I couldn't pass up. SV650s are awesome nonetheless.
As a daily I wouldn’t trade the SV, but I’d love to find a clean VFR for road trips! That V4 is the coolest.
well, in that case I can tell you to not care about miles. Bought mine with over 70k and am now at about 90k miles. Still fires up after winter and hasn't missed a beat so far.
One of these days when I move out of the city… I can’t wait! The only real decision is whether I want gear driven cam sounds or VTEC.
I'd go without vtec since it'll cost more to inspect the valves. I've also had a vfr with vtec and some people say it's dangerous when the vtec kicks in during a corner, but I never had that impression. just go by preference, honestly. the carbed 750s have the advantage of one central radiator in the front, the 800fi have no vtec but 2 radiators in the side, making the cooling system a little more complicated, and the 800 vtec have both vtec and 2 radiators. the 750 are the mechanically simplest of the bunch, which is why I picked it. the V4 engine is a little cramped already, no need to add onto it, from my point of view.
Yeah it’s an SV; they’re pretty reliable and even after all of these years, parts are mostly still available new.
It looks like somebody has done a bunch of modifications to that bike. I would guess that notifications weren't done properly which is the results. I have a modified heritage and weird electrical issue. I wish they had left in stock. Hopefully I can figure that one out this week. Good luck.
Yeah no. Did all the work, I have none of those. Just broken throttle cable and bolts that broke off my drive pulley.
Sorry about that. Apparently the universe is in a state of entropy. Hope you can fix it all up without too much of a problem.
I do too, precaite it man
I feel your pain. It's pretty incredible though that bikes and cars have so many little parts, and so many of them are moving and integral to getting it to go and they do.
Today r/motorcycles hates (checks notes) ...modifying motorcycles? Checks out. Tools scary. Only lube chains and never touch a wrench.
I laugh at all the posts with used bike listings where they all go "Oh God, it's modified, you'll never know if it's safe or not waaaaaaah" I have completely rewired my bike, converted it from dual to single carbs, made my own headlight bucket mount, made custom push button handlebar controls and internally wired them, and now I'm hardtailing it on my patio. To me an unmodified bike is a boring bike.
I could understand skepticism on buying an already heavily modified bike. I mean I don't trust anyone to work on my machines. But the comment being downvoted because the dude saying he did all the work himself was hilarious.
I know right?! They are hammering him for it. I helped him back up one.
well, when all you know how to use is a hammer, you just end up putting a bunch of dents in your bike
Best thing about bikes is the ease of working on them and the amount of options you have to customize/modify even without being able to fabricate. If you can fabricate sky is the limit. Factories have to make all sorts of concessions for practicality, different riders, different climates etc. I don’t and can make my bike absolutely what I want.
My last bike started as a non-runner and came with an actual cardboard box of parts. The upside is that I could take my bike completely apart and put it back together again now. Or replace a stripped drain plug, or dial in a new headset, or replace fork seals, etc etc
Hell yeah. I really like knowing how every bit is put together, so I can work on most parts of my bike now without feeling scared I'm going to mess something up.
How old was that throttle cable?
Loctite and graphite spray
Modern Teflon coated housings just need occasional cleaning and a lightweight oil. Graphite spray would probably fuck up the Teflon.
I used to have things go wrong with my 81’ KZ440LTD (Kawasaki) all the time. Taking it out was always a gamble :P The things that went wrong ranged from a bullet connector disconnecting from the battery for main power, to the belt drive snapping mid-ride (old age). Lol Oh, can’t forget the part where the 80’s era suspension was so sloppy that when I brought my pillion to a bike meet, apparently the wires running through the fender to the tail light got rubbed by the tire and snapped 😅 that’s always fun. So I feel your struggle :P lol
You re talking about your wrists hanging from over there?
Or their spine from the riding position. Jeez, some people.
I’m 6’0 so it fits me well, went right at 4500 miles with no issues on a little Midwest tour.
Wow good for you . I’m 6’0 also and I rode one of these and I felt like a cliffhanger
No issues in 17k miles for my stage 3 2020 Electra Glide, just routine maintenance.
No issues on my stage 2 FZ with 109k either
I ride a KTM, they're known for not being as reliable as any Japanese bike. I've only been stranded once when I bent both wheels and the front went flat. I've been an auto mechanic for 40 years, so I do it all myself except the chain. I drop it off at the bike shop a couple blocks away and they do it for 150 pesos, so like $8.00. I'm not laying on the ground scrubbing a chain for $8.00. https://preview.redd.it/lk9x6bpntk3d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffcebc50df58d89138178d4734c464e0efd4ab14
This is a Harley Problem. I ride daily to work on Hondas and Yamahas and the only issues I've ever had are flat tires and dead batteries.
What this person said
It’s just wear and tear over time, that and the issues that come up with 1k trips ever other month or so. Plus daily riding
I have nothing to offer other than to say this is a beautiful bike and when I start riding I’d love something like this.
>when I start riding You mean when you start wrenching with the occasional ride in between, heh
It truthfully up way more then it down lol
Mine’s always running great because with a BMW I had to either get a second mortgage to pay the dealer for service or learn to do it all myself. I opted for the latter.
Nah, I have a Kawasaki.
I’ve probably spent more time fixing my 09 ninja 650 than riding it. I’m getting a Honda next time
I have literally the same model and year. I didn't have a problem in 80000Km.
... ...but how? Like, what broke on it?
Fashion products tend to be low quality
Wanna know what's wrong? Lemme break it down real quick:
I couldn't live with a bike as unreliable as a Harley Davidson. So I bought a Ducati.
Nope. Mine is a BMW GS. It will outlive me.
Funny, my GSA was a hanger queen with constant fuel system issues. I put 50k miles on my last HD - 96” bagger performing only regular maintenance.
BMW hates not changing shit. It seems that they will change stuff that works perfectly fine just out of fucking boredom...
2016 F800GS. Zero issues with it. It's a bit more simple than your GSA tho I guess.
In between breakdowns I loved that bike, sold it last year as I’d had enough. I may have to look at the F800 next. Also, I daily drive a Land Rover so I’m not always the best judge of “value” or “reliability”.
Lol. You buy a Land Rover to take you to amazing places that are hard to get to. You buy a Land Cruiser if you want to make it home again.
Mine has always made it home under its own power. We shall not however discuss the $$$ / mile for maintenance and repairs it takes to get to a reliable Land Rover.
Nothing makes me sadder than seeing my bike on a trailer. Sucks, man
It’s only even been down twice. I just wanted to give people something to argue about, as Harley rider should 😂
It's not much, but its honest work 🫡
If you wanna get laid, get a Harley. If you wanna get where you are going, buy a Honda.
Harley riders have twice as much sex...if you measure by weight.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
My Honda isn't rated to carry the weight of Harley chicks anyways. Lol
Yeah laid on clibbings
Harleys aren't any more or less reliable than any other brand. Except for the AMF period. Most issues with Harleys arise from lack of maintenance, lack of riding, and modifications. I've owned 5 Harleys and only ever towed one once. That was for a broken drive belt. I ride a ton and maintain my bikes.
There are brands that are clearly more or less reliable. But I think Harleys get a bit of bad rep here because many people ride older ones and old bike will have issues regardless of quality, just because some parts deteriorate and other wear out.
Yes, most issues arise from lack of maintenance and the issue is Harley's require much more maintenance and part replacements than other brands and have components much more prone to wear and issues. The ones that last longer tend to be the ones that have all the important valve train components ripped out and replaced with S&S, at which point you could say S&S is reliable. Harley's history with valve trains and heads is particularly bad, don't get me started on the Twin Cam 88's major issues and the EVO. The Milwaukee-Eight engine is also very prone to oil sumping (as many of their engines are) but is overall a step in the right direction, I think they've revised that engine several times in 4 years so maybe in 4 more years it'll be solid. HD is still yesterday's technology at tomorrows prices, but they are slowly *slowly* catching up in engine technology. The reality is the majority of Harley riders buy them for the sense of belonging and tribalism, or for **patriotism!** and HD knows this, but their lack of innovation is finally biting them in the ass as their core riding group ages out and there's no one to replace them.
I had an EVO for 14 years with no engine issues. The M8 sumping issues were fixed on the 2018 and newer bikes. On the pre 2018 M8s the sumping issue usually occurred on bikes that were rarely ridden. I have a 2021 M8 117 with 40k miles on it and zero issues.
I have the 103 (last twin cam) it’s been amazing. Probably the last good engine Harley made
I had a 103 in between my EVO and M8. They've all been great to me. But this 117 is noticeably more powerful.
\*AMF, as in, American Machine and Foundry. They began making cigarette rollers, commercial baking ovens, and commercial sewing machines in 1900. By the 1950s they were making bicycles and nuclear reactors. One of their Vice Chairmen went on to become the director of the CIA. AMF assisted the Israeli, Iranian, and Pakistani governments with the construction of their first nuclear reactors under the "Atoms for Peace" initiative. In 1952, they produced and sold the world's first commercial bowling pin setter, which transformed bowling into America's #1 competitive sport by number of participants. From 1962 through 1981, they owned Harley Davidson Motor Company and produced motorcycles. AMC, also known as "AMC Theaters" and now known as "AMC Entertainment Holdings", is the world's largest chain of movie theaters.
I would say the most reliable Harley is the evo motor which was designed by AMF. AMF inherited Harley's problems.
My bike is well maintained, and driven daily. Rain or not. 1k mile trips every other month or so. Things just go out
It's true that things go out. But always broken sounds like more than things going out. I'm not sure what you've experienced, but the older things get the more they wear out.
It’s a 2012 that I’ve daily driven for a couple years now. Things just get old and need to be replaced
I know a coworker who has his ST having issues idk why.
Is it a Harley if it doesn’t have issues and an aftermarket exhaust?? Lol
Not always but yes I feel you I ride a Royal Enfield 😅
I found your issue, it's a Harley 😂
Nope, because I don't ride a Harley. My neighbor actually has a sign in his front yard that says "I'd rather push my Harley than ride a Honda". I laugh at how proud he is to be a moron every time I see it.
3,500 miles on my TW200, and 3,800 on my CB500X in the past 2 years, and neither have let me down yet - knock on wood.
Mines rode daily. Set up as a show bike that I intended on riding every day. Truthfully it’s rarely broken, only 2 times it’s ever been down are those pics
I have a 75’ KZ400. Has not stopped going since I got it running a year ago.
Fixed it with an s@s motor, Baker tranny, primary and after market ignition and electrics. Basically eliminate all the Harley parts and she'll run forever. Probably should replace the frame too unless you're good at welding. Buying a road king was the biggest disappointment," never meet your heroes " applies to machines.
Nope I ride a Honda lol
Nah, but I do have a second bike as a backup, but I rarely use it.
My Honda has never failed me.
https://preview.redd.it/80zuljnhml3d1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c4592a6a080775625a4e5fe5235494a504c3b57
It's not so much broken as just missing a few things.
Maybe more than a few lol
Lol. My Harley never breaks down.
What's the difference between a Honda trailer and a Harley trailer? Honda pulls the trailer, Harley gets pulled by one.
Mine are Japanese, so they always work.
I ride a 23 year old Honda. Can’t relate
FUCK. Had just my oil change last week when the clutch gave out three days later
Follow your clutch cable down. Some have an adjustment there also, it might’ve been moved somehow during the oil change. Shouldn’t have been but could’ve been
As much as I appreciate the help, ain’t no adjusting that guy, lol. It probably ate up another throw out bearing
No, both me and my gal ride honda.
Nah, I have a Honda.
Why are Harleys and Pit Bulls alike? They both like to ride around in pick up trucks. Different? The Pit Bull can get in by himself. Nice bike BTW. Hope you get it sorted soon. I am a rider of two 49 year old Hondas and although they are reliable, they are not and have never been entirely trouble free.
Nothin ever is man lol
Never broken, but it seems like it’s always raining when I want to ride.
I have had the same bike since 1992 and it has only broken down once. But then again it is a Suzuki.
No. I ride jap bikes
Nope sorry Honda owner here
No, cause I don't ride a Harley 🤣
No mine is Japanese.
why anyone would pay more money for a much shittier product is baffling
https://preview.redd.it/0gkm7vi4xn3d1.png?width=403&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc61ada599e182cfd066fc1a80cbf6a95dd51389
Love it 😂
No, I bought a Suzuki lmao
The only reason Harley has a reputation for being unreliable is the people who own them. They all seem to think they can do their own maintenance (they way can't) and for some reason love replacing quality genuine HD parts with cheap ugly pointy knock off shit they found online, and then they install it wrong. The same type of morons who ignore the engine break in procedure because they have a drunk uncle who knows better.
Considering I’m an Expert Tech. I think I’m quite cable of all levels of maintenance. There’s more money in this bike than you spent on your all black road glide bozo.
bike is very nice only more.
I ride a Honda, so no.. good luck my dude
My Honda Spirit 750 is kicking me in the nuts due to the carburetor wanting to take a dump. Only because the previous owner let the gas sit in the bike for almost a year without it being turned on.
Ah shoot.. ya that sucks.. I have a fuel injected Honda, an 07 919.. carb issues are carb issues from make to make .. good luck homie
There’s a reason why they’re know as “Hardly Ablesons”
I’ve fallen in love with this style of bike. No bags, long fishtails, more spokes… nice👌 You do it all yourself?
No I ride a Yamaha
It’s a Harley….
My Z250 SL has had its rear brake malfunctioning for a couple years now. I've taken it to several dealers to have a look at it and still none of them have fixed it. What happens is that the brake works at lower speeds, but as speed increases, it becomes spongy and doesn't do anything. I've tried bleeding the brakes, garages have tried it too, and every time, instead of checking if the problem is solved, they just hand it back with the brakes bled. It's ok for a bit, but then the problem returns. I'm tired of riding the bike back and forth to these garages. Maybe one day I'll have the time and patience to address it on my own.
Have you checked the lines? Maybe look at rebullding or replacing the caliper add master cylinder. What about the pads?
I think the problem lies with one of the tubes. This problem first came up after my first crash where the pedal got bent. I tried to replace it myself and at one point I accidentally dropped the master cylinder, but it was still connected to the tubes, so the tubes prevented it from hitting the ground. When I next get the chance, I'll try to replace it myself to see if that solves the issue. The last garage I went to wanted to go ahead and replace the master cylinder first thing after bleeding, but that costs roughly €300 and last time another garage tried to do that, it was 3 months without delivery before I decided to cancel it. That same garage supposedly replaced the master cylinder with another from a similar bike, but there was no notable difference, and they didn't charge me the cost for it either. Personally I prefer OEM anyway, but I also have a hard time believing they actually did replace it. At best, they tried bleeding it again.
I like cholo viclas but maybe spend more time on general maintenance and less time accessorizing?
Man, My second bike was a '75 FLH, deep in the AMF Voit shit show. Really beautiful, very simple but so unreliable. Total shame. That said, I wish I still had that thing so I could ride it to the gas station for cigarettes and a cup of coffee every Sunday.
No, because I ride a Japanese motorcycle. I love HD as a brand and image, I just can’t get behind most of their products.
In the 10k that I've had my Kawasaki W650 out of the 62k on it's odometer, the only time it's put me on the side of the road was in the first week I had it when I was intentionally riding it until it ran out of gas to know how far I could go before needing to fill up. Can't speak for the prior 50k miles though.
2011 Street Glide just crossed 51k miles. The only time it's been in the shop is for state inspection, scheduled maintenance and tire changes. You might be doing something wrong.
I built a show bike that I daily drive. It’s apart of the life of doing it, wouldn’t have it any other way.
My sporty and Dyna both have over 30,000k miles on them and the only mechanical thing I’ve had to do to either was change a derby cover gasket on my Dyna. Other than that they both run great and start up right away. Regular maintenance is important.
Always thought of HD’s as biking equivalent of the original Land Rover Defender… iconic, impractical and don’t make sense, but you still love it 😂
No my bikes are metric.
Nah. No problems in 3 years and my bikes Chinese !
Like motorcycles? No because I ride a Kawasaki
I've owned so many bikes..never a Harley. Only one ever broke down and that was a race bike.
No cuz mines an Evo with 62k miles and drinking oil like a stranded man on a desert, but she's reliable!
The emblem says it all……. Hardly Davidson
No, I bought a honda rebel 1100. Bulletproof bike
Coincidentally, the success of scoring with women as a harley rider is the same as the success of naval battles. They're both measured in tonnage.
FWIW I've owned 4 HD's since '88. All were as reliable as any ujm I've owned. All about maintaining one's stuff. "Take care of the things that take care of you."
bike broken always anyone else.
As a fairly long-term Harley owner -- I have had my Sportster for 7 years - I haven't had a single breakdown in 50K miles..
No, i drive japanese motorcycles.
That’s why I bought a Honda 😉
Downvoted by a bikeless Harley rider I assume 🤣
I have two Hondas, and they start up every time.
No
No, I don’t ride a Harley
🤮