this is my 2nd harley, so I really don't have much to compare them too. However....it does give me a starting point to work from.
So far so good for satisfaction from a stock bike.

 

When I got my FXST it was mostly stock (a lot more than my last one, anyhow) and I said I was just going to ride it "NO MODIFICATIONS!" I told my wife to remind me I wasn't going to make any modifications.

That lasted through most of the ride home.

It's a Harley, mods and customizing are part of the tradition.

 

During the '70s and '80s, I spent enough time on the side of the road fixing my bikes so I could limp home. Riding with crossed fingers is not especially fun (to me). Don't miss those days or those bikes. Doing anything to compromise the reliability of the newer bikes just raises the odds that I could re-experience those exciting times of trying to figure out what went wrong and how to jury-rig it enough to get home on. No thanks. The current bikes run fast enough for me, are comfortable enough for me, and are wonderfully reliable. That's what I was always trying to modify the old bikes to achieve! I now try to live by the saying- "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and am liking the results.

 

I started buying Harleys, because of the huge number of aftermarket parts and upgrades. I have had several metrics, but I wanted something I could make comfortable for me, not the masses.

 

Seems like in the 70/80 we were taking stuff off the bikes to make them really lean (there were those excpetions..those who added so much they looked like barges going down the road). You kept taking stuff off until the bike quit running and then you put the last part back on and ran the hell out of it.

There are definitely more accessories offered today from MoCo which allows for more mods to the bike. And there are definitely more aftermarket companies as well.

My accessory catalog (if you can call it that) for my 49 is 32 pages. That is for all 49 models. The accessory catalog for my 65 is a whopping 33 pages...for all models. I do not have one for my 84 (something I am still looking for).

Think the current accessory catalogs must be close to 1000 pages now.

My 65 is basically the stripped down version of when I bought it in October of 70. Have most of the extras I took off. My 49 is a work in progress (going on year 7) because trying to find correct parts at a fair price has been difficult. My 84 is stock except for a cam change and a top end at 68K. Original speedo crashed and I could not find an American mph/km replacement but I was able to find a correct one in km/mph so that is on there now.

Left the 'I must go fast' phase behind me and am more than happy to just get down the road at my own pace now. Think mods, if properly planned properly, do not lessen reliability. Think if you build a 127" Yamazaki eater from your stock motor you will shorten the life of the motor and related components.

I had a good time at Sturgis last year just walking around and looking at all the bikes and the mods that owners did to personalize their bikes. Not talking about gaudy that says the bike can only go in a straight lines for two blocks; referring to what many do here and have pics of their bikes as part if their sig/avatar.

Me, I prefer stock, but I have a definite appreciation for mild customs both in appearance and performance.

 

I bought a derby cover for a buddy of mines bike for his birthday. After giving it to him he said "thanks but take this **** back and just give me the money". He said he'd rather put gas in it then put something on it. To each is own i guess. Part of the allure of owning a Harley for me has always been all of the aftermarket parts that are available. I enjoy going to a rally and my bike being different from all the rest. Factory dose not work for me but I must admit as soon as you open up the factory motor that's when the problems begin. Either way, Harley's are awesome!

 

I don't think they're loud enough out of the factory (for various reasons) for most people. Seems like most people buy aftermarket mufflers that are not made by Harley. It's an area where Harley leaves money on the table. I would be trying harder to compete with Vance and Hines, etc., if I were Harley.

 

Guess I'm in the not satisfied category then. The Moco made a fine start, a finer start than any other motorcycle company in my opinion, but I've modded and plan more to get it the way I want it.

 

I've got more money in accessories and engine work than what I initially paid for the bike.
So I guess I answered the question.

 

My experience with my last 2 Kawa's supports your feeling that performance mods hurt reliability. On my first Harley , and the power of my stock Dyna is adequate for all real world riding scenarios- 96" Twinkie in a 670 pound bike, well, compare that to the same motor in a 800 pound bike . The handling though, Jeez . First started coming here last July just to find out why the bike would not hold a line in a high speed sweeper, and why it felt so sloppy in the twisties ( dealership no help at all, blank looks when asked why Harley hung the swing arm off the tranny on a rubber mount, and left the motor mount stabilizers off). Folk's knowledge here on the forum has really helped out in that department. Damn kids though have gotten me hooked on the blacked out look, hope to one day have the bike looking cool enough to garner an that's allright out of 'em.