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Harley reliability

 
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mrsevendog
Big Brick Rider


Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Posts: 65

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:26 am    Post subject: Harley reliability Reply with quote

According to available data 97% of all Harleys built since 1985 are still on the road the other 3% made it home.
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owrstrich
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 29 Oct 2006
Posts: 2566
Location: CheezConsin

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laughing

so my buddy in gilroy ca... where klinker delivered the bug eye brick... has been a harley guy for decades and an indian guy before that...

yes he is an old geezer... plus in the highest of tax brackets...

anyway... he wanted to ride the bug eye brick around the parking lot the same day klinker dropped it off... this is a guy you dont want to say no to...

after the 1st lap around the motel 6 he says something like thats quite a machine... then after the next lap he says something like that really has good brakes... than after about 10 laps he is like i got to get me one...

well we return to gilroy about 6 weeks later and he says he bought a brand new road king... this is after about 10 years of not riding and he still has a old bagger tore down in a garage not far away...

anyway i told him we were going for a ride down the coast and he should come along... he said he couldnt because his brand new harley was in the shop... it seems that he rode it from livermore to gilroy and ended putting about 500 miles on it before he decided to upgrade to all things chrome and such...

this is may 07... it had been at the dealer for 4 weeks waiting on all things chrome plus all available accessories i assume... 4 weeks... he said he paid over 20 for it... he said he would have 6k in add ons when he got it back...

well now... we return to gilroy in september 07... invite him for a ride... he said his bike was at the dealer getting the high performance air box and exhaust up grade... he said he had the bike out of the shop for about a month and put about 1000 miles on it but he wanted more power so he is going with this new upgrade...

he he he... so im guessing he would be in the percentile that made it home then back to the dealer then made it home then back to the dealer then made it home then back to the dealer then made it home then back to the dealer but eventually will not make it home in the end...

crazy aint it...

owrstrich
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Geoff
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 551
Location: Illinois

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't know if you guys are aware, but a Harley Sportster finished third in the 2007 Iron Butt rally. On the other hand, a number of BMWs dropped out due to catastrophic rear drive failure like this one.


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2000 R1100RT
2008 H-D Electra Glide Ultra Classic
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owrstrich
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 29 Oct 2006
Posts: 2566
Location: CheezConsin

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

alton brown would be roasting a weenie on that fd...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich
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mnb
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Posts: 660
Location: San Jose, CA

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got the best of both worlds. A K1100LT and a Road King. Most people don't get the appeal of the old style cruisers. It's a different kind of riding. Like driving a Porsche or a Cadillac. Both are nice, neither can do it all.
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Geoff
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 551
Location: Illinois

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mnb wrote:
I've got the best of both worlds. A K1100LT and a Road King. Most people don't get the appeal of the old style cruisers. It's a different kind of riding. Like driving a Porsche or a Cadillac. Both are nice, neither can do it all.


I ride HD and BMW for pretty much the same reasons. Both are reliable bikes.
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Last edited by Geoff on Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:57 pm; edited 1 time in total
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WVMSFKRS
Mad Brick Rider


Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 122
Location: Fairmont, WV

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have an Ultra and a RS, different bikes for different ridding. Also have the URAL, for really different ridding. I will say that most HD riders don't put 20,000+ miles a year on their bikes. That's why I bought a BMW, because of it's reliability. It's used and I have had problems with it, maybe the reason it was traded in. All machines have problems, some just sooner than others. The important thing is ridding. All shapes and sizes.
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Off the grid
Chaotic Good


Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 3414
Location: At the local taco truck waiting for Jo.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't get the whole chrome thing.

/shrug

I don't get the whole Harley thing, although the VMax and Night train are pretty cool.

My second bike is going to either be a 650 enduro or a Triumph speed triple.
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Last edited by Off the grid on Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Geoff
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 551
Location: Illinois

PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Off the grid wrote:
I don't get the whole chrome thing.

/shrug


There's many aspects to owning motorcycles. Harley owners like to personalize their bikes to make them stand out in the crowd. Harley offers a 500-page parts and accessories catalog to help them out. Tons of parts are available from the aftermarket, too. A Harley dealer once told me the average owners spends $1K on accessories within the first month of ownership. The most common items are pipes, high flow air cleaner, software re-map, windshield and saddle bags.
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mnb
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Posts: 660
Location: San Jose, CA

PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't buy any of those and my bike came with a windshield and hard bags.

I did buy a color matched trunk for way too much money, some highway pegs, a windshield bag (sunglasses, registration papers, etc) and I think that's about it.

At some point I'm going to change the bars to reach back more, but the replacement cables and lines make that a bit pricey, so I guess I'll have to find a job first. That and I think I'll upgrade the suspension on the K1100LT first and maybe toss a Remus pipe on it unless you folks can recommend something better...
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WVMSFKRS
Mad Brick Rider


Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 122
Location: Fairmont, WV

PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The RS I bought has an after-market shock, bar backs and a Corbin seat. Harley owners aren't the only riders who personalize their bikes.
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IBA#42211
MSF Rider Coach
Riders Edge Instructor
'09 K1200LT
'07 K1200GT Traded
'96 K1100 RS SE *SOLD*
'05 HD Ultra 82,000+ miles
'04 URAL *SOLD*
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Off the grid
Chaotic Good


Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 3414
Location: At the local taco truck waiting for Jo.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah I think I dumped at least 4k in mine in the past 18 months.

But like I keep telling the wife, it's stuff I don't have to purchase again. (I hope)
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