burningmoney
Member
No complaints really.
Wish they'd use better seats and pipes on them.
Wish they'd use better seats and pipes on them.
Harley Quality
- Thread starter glider.
- Start date
Bought my 2010 Ultra last year put 13,000 miles on it. I have done a few upgrades but no major work yet. I have owned metric bikes before but they do not compare to the ride of the Ultra. The first bike my wife has been on that she dozes off on. Other than a few loose bolts I am impressed.
ChopperDoc
Active Member
First, I would never have anything other than a Harley. That being said, I don't know that I will ever buy another new one. I would like to move up to the wider tire and like the Street Glide looks, but the more I work on the newer bikes, the more I am inclined to just keep the ones I have running. The quality is just not what it used to be. I have had at least one Harley in my garage for over fifty years and seen as many short-cuts as I have innovations. Again, I'm Harley to the core - Just wish the quality would keep pace with the price. Just my opinion.......
I think the quality has gone down. My EVO has 86,000 miles on it. Never Rebuilt, just serviced every 5,000. Tires and brake pads when needed. Been to the dealer once for a turn signal relay warranty issue. Other than that no ones wrench but mine has touched it. Still has the original belt although think might change that at 100,000 whether needs it or not. No more Twin Cams for me. Had a 04 Heritage and a 09 Street Glide and had lots of problems with both that have never seen on the EVO Dyna
lakeforktx
Active Member
I wish they were made in Japan, and had more plastic chrome, and stamped looking gas tanks, and Japannes paint quaity, and they are to loud and seem to shake a lot....I cant wait till the new FLHVTX comes out........:bigsmiley12:
J
Jack Klarich
Guest
Upper shock cover cracked in half, dealer has to order 1, pretty thin material compared to older models and not cheap @ 26.00 for one
jrpdash9
Member
Been working on my 91 883. 18k on it. Just got it last fall ,the previous owner did not know what maintance was.
Just changed the original set of tires ( they where horrible) working on changing rear wheel bearings ( trying to get the races out)
With that said I have very happy with the original quality of the bike. I can go out at 15 degrees (Fahrenheit) pull the choke and hit the button and it always starts the first time. I have been very impressed with the bike and will buying another one
Just changed the original set of tires ( they where horrible) working on changing rear wheel bearings ( trying to get the races out)
With that said I have very happy with the original quality of the bike. I can go out at 15 degrees (Fahrenheit) pull the choke and hit the button and it always starts the first time. I have been very impressed with the bike and will buying another one
Taildraggerdave
Active Member
I've had 3 HD motorcycles and they have all been pretty much trouble free.
Take care,
Dave
Take care,
Dave
Jean-Pierre
Member
Mine is from 1998 and in good condition, but I saw some new (4 ou 5 years old only) become rusty 
cedarbrook63
Junior Member
My bike is a 2008 model Sportster which has always been stored in my garage (apart from a week in the Alps two years ago but the weather was nice for the most part). I've washed it regularly and always dried it with an Airforce Blaster afterwards. It gets the Pledge treatment to shine it up which a lot of the guys on this site like. I've ridden it in the rain a few times - in England, if you don't, you might as well not have a bike because it rains a lot here - you can set out in sunshine but easily be caught soon after in a shower. Whenever it's been wet, once I get home, I dry it. I spray it with ACF50 to keep it protected in the autumn and winter.
I don't know what more really I can do to protect it, apart from, as I said, never risking it getting rained on.
Last weekend, I was giving it a clean up after a pleasant ride out when I noticed a bit of paint lifting from the edge of the rear fender - I took the saddlebags and detachable rack off and found that a lot of the paint was lifting to display rust underneath.
I have a Suzuki Bandit which I use as my grunt bike for commuting - that poor beast spends all year round in the elements - parked outside with a cover over it. It gets ACF50 too and an occasional clean up. No rust - apart from a bit on the aftermarket Givi bag frame. It's older than my Harley.
I love the Sportster's character and handling and it's a lovely looking bike IMO. But why, oh why, does such an iconic American quality brand seem to be so poorly finished?
Am I being unfair, are Harleys not meant to get wet? I know the climate in much of the USA is a lot sunnier or drier than here in England so perhaps I have a bike which is not suited to our climate; or I may have a bike which is "unlucky" and was just poorly finished/painted.
I went on to find a great deal of paint lifting off the front fender too and peeling off the underside of the frame.
I do not understand how cars can exist outdoors in all sorts of weather without rusting for a very long time but not these beautiful and expensive bikes which seem to be very water soluble.
A bit disappointing in terms of Harley Quality I must say.
The photos show the rear fender after I've cleaned some of the rust off. I am going to paint them with Hammerite to cover the exposed areas and will remove the fenders and have them cleaned up and re-sprayed at the end of the season.
I don't know what more really I can do to protect it, apart from, as I said, never risking it getting rained on.
Last weekend, I was giving it a clean up after a pleasant ride out when I noticed a bit of paint lifting from the edge of the rear fender - I took the saddlebags and detachable rack off and found that a lot of the paint was lifting to display rust underneath.
I have a Suzuki Bandit which I use as my grunt bike for commuting - that poor beast spends all year round in the elements - parked outside with a cover over it. It gets ACF50 too and an occasional clean up. No rust - apart from a bit on the aftermarket Givi bag frame. It's older than my Harley.
I love the Sportster's character and handling and it's a lovely looking bike IMO. But why, oh why, does such an iconic American quality brand seem to be so poorly finished?
Am I being unfair, are Harleys not meant to get wet? I know the climate in much of the USA is a lot sunnier or drier than here in England so perhaps I have a bike which is not suited to our climate; or I may have a bike which is "unlucky" and was just poorly finished/painted.
I went on to find a great deal of paint lifting off the front fender too and peeling off the underside of the frame.
I do not understand how cars can exist outdoors in all sorts of weather without rusting for a very long time but not these beautiful and expensive bikes which seem to be very water soluble.
A bit disappointing in terms of Harley Quality I must say.
The photos show the rear fender after I've cleaned some of the rust off. I am going to paint them with Hammerite to cover the exposed areas and will remove the fenders and have them cleaned up and re-sprayed at the end of the season.
