Harley reliability.

**thehollowmen** · 3rd February 2006, 09:07

Pre-evo, when the manufacturing was outsourced was abosolute crap.

Post evo manufacturing has higher tollerances than most of the jap bikes. I'm a jap bike owner and lover, but on seeing an 88B engine and the video tour of the plant where they're made ... wow. They're measuring down to microns in some cases.

That's like a grandfather clock. Looks a little bit honkey but with such perfect tollerances that everything runs like a work of art.

**sennandy** · 3rd February 2006, 11:36

I forone have ridden a Harley(oh and did all you harley riders know that Davidson was Scottish) just a little bit of useless info. I rode a harley wide glide from Las Vegas - Hoover Dam and back loved it because the road was straight.

I also note that someone said that Harleys are as reliable as Suzuki, usually when we talk of reliability we use the phrase Honda somewhere, never heard of Suzuki being used in this sence before, Honda is know for being reliable No2 Yam, No 3 between Kwaka and Suzi and all the rest dont sell as many bikes as the top 4 so dont usually get rated(info from www.motorcyclenews.co.uk).

I have had 3 Kwaka's, 3yams, a triumph and 2 Ducatis, and themostunreliable believe it or not was 2 of the kwakas, the most reliable was the Yams(except for the car I hit head on, the bike didnt like that). 1st Duc the regulator went, then the brake hydrolics, 2nd duc the rear hub sheared, but the handling is superb like nothing else, so worth the hassle.

We will all know of problems with all bikes, but still love them, I will know doubt one day buy a Harley when I cannot or can'tbe bothered with slinging my leg over and sitting in the featus position but until then I will enjoy.

**dangerous** · 3rd February 2006, 15:47

Originally Posted by buellbabe

Rashika you are a bad girl... he he he

And just how 'bad' is she?

Originally Posted by Troll

strange I had a guzzi once, most unreliable piece of junk I have ever owned

And what was it and how many miles were on it???

Originally Posted by 98tls

good looking bike i reckon,hows it go through somewhere like the hundalees,
the only guzzi i ever rode through there was a 1100 sport found it nice and torquey,

Loves the hill work bit harder to push than the 1100i sport but more comfortable by a long shot just taks a bit of getting used to aint like no jappa.
Whos sport did you ride?

**98tls** · 3rd February 2006, 16:52

i worked in a bike shop in dunedin for a while,the guy was guzzi mad,i was going away up to nelson for a weekend and the owner said take this so away i went,totally different bike than the TLS but i enjoyed it,i am originally from just up past parnassus so know the road up to kaikoura pretty well so gave it a good thrash through the hundalees and it did better than i thought it would.i will never sell the TL,have and am spending alot of money on it and just love the thing but i need something else to pack up me and the missus and gear and bugger off on,shes been a real trooper and done lots of miles on the back of it but its just not a two people bike,not sure what would fit the bill but a guzzi does appeal.

**Edbear** · 3rd February 2006, 18:47

Always liked the look of Harleys, but think they are too highly priced for what you get. Would like a new 1200 Sportster though. My old Suzuki just starts and runs and goes like a cut cat any time I want. Nothing's broke down on it and all I've done since buying it is replace the battery and rear tyre and adjust the chain. Boring, maybe, but riding, as opposed to fixing, is the fun bit isn't it?

**Troll** · 4th February 2006, 07:25

Originally Posted by sennandy

did all you harley riders know that Davidson was scottish.

yes and the last new motor designed for indian was designed by some guy Franklin who was Irish

**Pixie** · 4th February 2006, 11:10

Saw a guy pushing a Harley on the NW motorway towards the western springs exit last week

**Rashika** · 4th February 2006, 11:21

Originally Posted by Pixie

Saw a guy pushing a Harley on the NW motorway towards the western springs exit last week

geez wouldn't laugh too hard mate, could be you one day when you run outa fuel.

**Troll** · 4th February 2006, 19:47

Originally Posted by dangerous

And what was it and how many miles were on it???

82 california with 30,000 miles

my 86 glide has over 100,000 miles and is 100% reliable

**Timber020** · 4th February 2006, 20:49

Harleys ought to be reliable, as someone mentioned its not like they put out a new motor every couple of years, and the engines that they do put out are hugely understressed for their size. Low revs and low power output generally equates to a long life for any engine but alot of the reliability would come from the servicing and how they are kept and ridden.
Generally Harleys are brought new by older guys who have alot of money in the bank, use them to cruise on when they have free time. They generally dont get thrashed (although the engine is made so even when thrashing them they are only doing about 6,000rpm), raced, wheelied, stoppied, jumped or ridden on crap roads in crap weather or get parked outside. Heck if these kinda guys brought RGV's brand new there reliability rate would have skyrocketed.
I know some guys ride them hard and fast and treat them badly, but this isnt the majority of owners.

**Swoop** · 6th February 2006, 13:16

Originally Posted by Timber020

Low revs and low power output generally equates to a long life for any engine but alot of the reliability would come from the servicing and how they are kept and ridden.

I believe this is true of most motors. High km's cages attest to this. Heaps of distance can be attained so long as particular attention is given to changing the oil.
2c worth.

**skidz** · 8th February 2006, 10:33

It's all like going out and bying a washing machine, you either get a good one or a bad one. Any mass produced product is going to have its bad ones.

**scumdog** · 15th February 2006, 08:00

Originally Posted by Swoop

I believe this is true of most motors. High km's cages attest to this. Heaps of distance can be attained so long as particular attention is given to changing the oil.
2c worth.

Too true, my 'toy' cage (F100 pickup) has over 100,000 miles and over 30 years of use on it, (as an ex-USA engine I don't know how many it had before I got it) and while it is starting to fume a little it runs real strong still.
It's been drag-raced - a lot earlier in the piece - and had all manner of bad shit happen to it but I change the oil and filter regularly (always both, don't believe in just the oil but filter every second change crap) and always let it warm up before giving it the big boot.

Low cruising revs and regular oil/filter changes is the go.

**Rashika** · 15th February 2006, 08:43

Originally Posted by scumdog

Too true, my 'toy' cage (F100 pickup) has over 100,000 miles and over 30 years of use on it, (as an ex-USA engine I don't know how many it had before I got it) and while it is starting to fume a little.....

ahhhh i guess THAT explains the blue smoke as you took off from Dangerous's pad the other day huh?

:spudbooge