Is Harley Davidson the worst motorcycle????

[debron]

. . . no, it's the second worst (in reliability,) according to Consumer Reports. The worst?? BMW. The best?? Yamaha. Kawasaki is second best, Honda, third.

For sub-categories, touring bikes require the most repairs, presumably because they have so much more "stuff" on them to break! Read the article here:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2 ... y-can.aspx

[96desertXII]

Had no issues with any of my Harley's, all 7 of them, 4 were bought new. They are a VERY comfortable machine to ride long distance on, more comfy than my XII or GW. I have never owned anything but a touring bike, even when it wasn't cool. Would I buy another one......yup, but not a new one, I REALLY want a 98 Ultra, last year of the EVO engine.

[Bob in Tucson]

So 96desertXll, you are riding a Xll why?

[Tat2demon]

Ive ridden my dads '09 Ultraglide a few times. Nice riding bike but no way I would pay 22k for one.

[Tat2demon]

Have to say Im quite surprised to see BMW as the worst. As someone that has never ridden one or knows anyone that does, I have always believed BMW meant quality.

[debron]

Have to say Im quite surprised to see BMW as the worst. . . . I have always believed BMW meant quality.

Now that I have your attention, the good news is that major big-ticket repair items (engine, transmission) are few for all makes. Most of the repairs are for electrical and accessories and were fixed for $200 or less. BMW might mean quality in certain areas, but the BMW motorcycle repair record (in the CR study) were 1 in 3. 1 in 4 for Harley's, and 1 in 10 for Yammis. All-in-all, they are all fairly reliable these days, as far as not letting you down on the highway.

[96desertXII]

So 96desertXll, you are riding a Xll why?

Someone offered me a stupid price for my 89 Tour Glide, so I sold it. I traded an old pistol that I had for the XII, so in reality I paid $575.00 for it. Its a nice bike, fast, maneuverable, and trouble free for the most part. Its a typical import touring bike from it's era, the riding position is more upright, rather than the "lazyboy recliner" position that the Harley is known for. I have owned over 30 motorcycles over the years consisting of almost all brands out there. I have no brand loyalties, I was just voicing my opinion....out of all the touring bikes that I'VE owned, Kawasaki, Honda, Norton, and Moto-Guzzi. The HD was the most comfortable for me and my riding style at distances of over 500 miles a day.

I will eventually get another Ultra, not because its a Harley, because its the most comfortable to me and the most easily maintained. Eventually there will be no more parts available for the XII, and it will never attain cult status as some of the older imports have. So know one is going to make re-pop parts for it to keep them going, and unless you have your own machine shop, the XII's will fade into.....well extinction. The HD Evo drivetrain will NEVER go extinct, the aftermarket is crammed full of manufactures and parts. So in essence I can ride one forever and always be able to repair it, where ever it breaks down. JMHO

[voyager55]

These type of reports are like arguing what oil is the best. Ask 100 people, get 100 different answers. They hold no real meaning.

[kjsett]

These type of reports are like arguing what oil is the best. Ask 100 people, get 100 different answers. They hold no real meaning.

But all are interesting to hear and consider, and discuss in a friendly manner.
I personally have only ridden one Harley and it was needing some TLC at the time (my son had just bought it and he let me ride it part of the way home). One quirk I had never seen before was the right hand (throttle side) turn switch to turn right and left hand switch to turn left.
Reminds me of some European cars I have test driven that had the turn signal stalk on the right hand side of the steering wheel.
When my '03 XII finally is no longer viable as a road bike, I will consider 1st the newest Voyager, but keep my eyes open.
Enjoy!

[debron]

These type of reports are like arguing what oil is the best. Ask 100 people, get 100 different answers. They hold no real meaning.

Ummmmmmm. . . . . . . . . . . Consumer's Report has been doing this kind of stuff for what, about 80 years now? I think they have a pretty good handle on statistical analysis. Keep in mind this is not an in-depth study on best/worst for performance, handling, ride comfort, quality of components, etc. but simply a statistically significant review of repair rates.

Looking at the flip-side, even with BMW you have a slightly better than a 2/3 chance of getting a bike that has no repair issues whatsoever, and with Harley you have about a 3 out of 4 chance of having no repair issues.
The title "Is Harley Davidson the worst motorcycle????" is just a tongue-in-cheek headline attention grabber!

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

...................The title "Is Harley Davidson the worst motorcycle????" is just a tongue-in-cheek headline attention grabber!

And grab it did!
Of all the Harley's I've ridden both of them were nice (one a bagger and the other a rat). Should I ever win a lottery big I'll have one or two Harley's in a big steel building along with many, many, many other bikes/trikes and such. I wouldn't say no if it was given to me either, but I still love my Voyager XII.
Always will.

[96desertXII]

...................The title "Is Harley Davidson the worst motorcycle????" is just a tongue-in-cheek headline attention grabber!

And grab it did!
Of all the Harley's I've ridden both of them were nice (one a bagger and the other a rat). Should I ever win a lottery big I'll have one or two Harley's in a big steel building along with many, many, many other bikes/trikes and such. I wouldn't say no if it was given to me either, but I still love my Voyager XII.
Always will.

I'm with ya there!! A 1,000 sq' house and a 20,000 sq' garage/shop for the toys!

[96desertXII]

These type of reports are like arguing what oil is the best. Ask 100 people, get 100 different answers. They hold no real meaning.

Oh and Valvoline...

[RichLee]

I love my 06 HD Sportster. But the parts and maintenace is too expensive!
So no more HD (High Dollar) bikes for me!

[96desertXII]

I love my 06 HD Sportster. But the parts and maintenace is too expensive!
So no more HD (High Dollar) bikes for me!

?? You actually let the HD dealer do the work? That's why you buy older stuff, pre FI HD's are easy to work on, like a chevy small block.

[glich54]

Have to say Im quite surprised to see BMW as the worst. As someone that has never ridden one or knows anyone that does, I have always believed BMW meant quality.

I have always believed BMW meant "Bring More Wallet"

Actually after riding a BMW 1200GS on a trip last summer I really want one, even if they have some issues. But can't yet bring myself to fork out the extra bucks for the name... (maybe a yamaha Super Tenere instead???)

[joerod777]

I've owned Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki (KZ-1100 and 2003 Voyager XII). All were excellent reliable bikes. I've never owned a Harley but have ridden most models. For my tall height I find the Ultra and the Road King very comfortable for long trips. The riding position as mentioned earlier is excellent for big guys. I find the Harleys more comfortable than my 2003 VXII but I'm not going to pay $25K for an Ultra when I bought my Voyager for $6K six years ago. Bottomline: Find a bike you like and ride it!

[Lucasind]

....I was just reading on page 15 of this month's issue of CYCLE WORLD about the (take a breath) HD FLHTKSE CVO LIMITED, coming in at$38,999.00 WOW ! 89 horses, and the heads are liquid cooled.!

[96desertXII]

....I was just reading on page 15 of this month's issue of CYCLE WORLD about the (take a breath) HD FLHTKSE CVO LIMITED, coming in at$38,999.00 WOW ! 89 horses, and the heads are liquid cooled.!

Actually I think that the cooling is only around the exhaust valve, but they are kinda pricey. I road a SE Ultra a few years ago at Street Vibrations. It was pretty nice, but not at the price they wanted for it.

[lockwoodjohn]

I guess it really does not matter what you ride and what you like, As long as you enjoy it.

JUST THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DO NOT CARE FOR MOTORCYCLES!!!

I FEEL SO SORRY FOR THEM!!!!