Harley Question?

Question

Is it true that Harley's are so hard to maintain becuase they vibrate so much when you ride them that a lot of nuts and bolts come loose? I am thinking of buying a Bike and I Love, Love, Love the Harley's but unfortunatly I don't have enough time to maintain a High Maintanience bike (I'm already restoring my Truck)

Answer 1

I have good news for you!!! You are thinking about the Harleys of old. I own a 2001 FXDL Lowrider which I now have put 24,000 miles on and have not turned a screw on it yet! Also there is not a drop of oil on my garage floor. It has never left me on the side of the road and never failed to crank except for one time when I let the battery run down and that was my fault for leaving the ignition in the accessory position all night. This is pretty much the same story I hear from all Harley riders on late model bikes. When AMF owned Harley, quality was the pitts! They were the worst thing on two wheels and AMF didn't really care. They were just about to let the bike name go the way of the Indian and other bikes of yesteryear. When the employees of HD were allowed to buy out the company in the very early eighties, that all changed. These people had a sense of pride in a product that they manufactured at a company that they owned. Year after year the bike line improved and now, over 25 years later, they have a product that is as good as any on the market. Mine has the 88 cubic inch twin cam engine which is rubber mounted and the vibration is not bad at all. A friend of mine just purchased a 2007 Night Train last week and brought it from Slidell, La. in the back of his pickup. I went over with another friend to help him offload it at his home. He tossed me the keys and said "crank her up." I was shocked.....absolutely NO vibration! Harley has added counter balance shafts to their new 96 cubic inch power plant. As a die hard Harley fan, I don't know if I like it that way. As a practical minded gear head, you gotta love it. It was smooth as glass and with the new 6 speed tranny, he was told to expect 56 miles from a 3 dollar gallon of gas. That sure beats my 48 with my 5 speed! To make a long story short, get the Harley. If that is what your heart desires, you will not be satisfied with anything else. All the breakdowns and bad quality problems are nothing but distant memories from over 25 years ago. A bad reputation is a hard thing to overcome,but Harley Davidson Motorcycles couldn't have done a better job in turning a fine name around and creating a product anyone would be proud to own. I know I have been extremely pleased with mine and when the day comes in the distant future when it is time to put the old Beast out to pasture, the new Beast is gonna have Harley Davidson stamped on the side of it!!

Answer 2

Nah - that is an urban legend spawned by the disreputable older models. In the old days (prior to the 1984 Evo engine), the fit and finish on the HD bikes and engines was so poor (due to poor manufacturing processes) that the bikes would vibrate themselves apart. Of course, riding a bike at the time meant you had to love to wrench.. whether it was a Harley, BMW, Indian, Triumph, Norton, Ducati, etc. Then the Japanese bikes came along with tighter quality control and revolutionized the industry.

Harley retooled the factory in the 1980s, and they quality improved immensely. They are still higher maintenance than Japanese models, but the level of maintenance is manageable through your dealer. It isn't likely to leave you stranded on the side of the road.

If that is your passion, you should get one. I suggest that you get a cheaper bike and learn to ride first if you are just beginning.

Answer 3

Old harleys require a lot of attention, but the newer ones are reliable as anything else out there. You subject the bike to more vibration from the road surface than it does to itself. Buy a new Harley, you get 2 years unlimited mileage warranty, and can purchase more years if you want. Just maintain it, and you won't have to settle for a riceburner. Once you ride a Harley, you' ll never consider anything else.

Answer 4

On my '06 HD there is only one part that vibrates loose. It's my fault. I have a non-stock air filter under the factory cover. The single mounting bolt is the only support, and I keep forgetting to put some Loctite on it. It was NOT designed like that, as I said it's MY fault.

Maintenance is just that, maintaining. It must be done to everything, or it will degrade.

Answer 5

Not at all. That's an old out of date stereo-type. Many Harleys today have rubber mounted engines, which greatly reduce the vibrations. Mine isn't rubber mounted and I haven't had to do any more to maintain than any rice grinder owners I know.

Answer 6

I'm not a big Harley fan, but have friends with them, and no, they don't really seem to have to work on them any more than any other bike, nor do I see them tightening something every 200 miles like I know they had to before the Evo and rubber mounted engines, etc.

Answer 7

Hey Barb. At one time, Harley's were just as you described. But, as with all vehicles, they have improved greatly. Time was when Harley's did require a lot of bolt tightening, and they leaked oil when ever they were parked due to the "total loss" lubrication system. Now, however, the Harley's from the 1980s, on, use the new and excellently engineered "Evolution Engine". It's the same basic V-twin design, but is just as sound and dependable as any modern engine out there. It is truly a 100,000 plus mile engine. Drive it all summer - park it all winter - start it up and go next summer. Congrats. It's an American icon, and you can be proud to own one.

Answer 8

like anything else if you keep up with it not that much. do you mean newer or older. Newer ones have the advantage of technology. Older ones depend 20 or 30 years old. everyone that is accually ridden any kind can be shook loose. older ones do vibrate more solid mount compared to rubber mount

Answer 9

If you expect a Harley to be as reliable as a Japanese bike, the engine to sound as tight as a Japanese bike, if you compare it to a Japanese bike, no a Harley does not live up to that.

But a Harley is a harley and in the last decade, they have improved immensely, especially in the reliability and vibration department. A Harley offers a unique look, unique ride and is in a world of it's own. If that's what you' re looking for, then go for it.

Since it is a custom bike with lots of chrome, expect to spend a lot of time cleaning and polishing it

Answer 10

You will work on a Harley almost as much as you ride it. To most Harley owners... it is a labor of love. Not that ALL Harleys require constant maintence... but the ones I have owned did. I bought a Yamaha V-Max and now I get to enjoy riding without having to carry a mountain of tools with me everywhere I go. My Yamaha is 12 years old now and will out run most any Harley I come across. Harleys are great bikes, they last a long time and there is nothing like the experience of riding a Harley. Not even other bikes can compare to riding a Harley. just be prepared to work on it all the time.