Great story. Glad to know you are doing well and riding a HD. Have fun on the way to SD and enjoy the ride.

 

Maybe you don't speak nicely to your Harley. My Road King has over 50,000 miles and I've only replaced battery and throttle cable. My Honda Shadow has 34,000 miles and I've replaced starter, stator, voltage regulator, fan and throttle cables. Not to mention the plastic turn signals and other plastic that I replaced for cosmetic reasons. I think my Harley is pretty dependable.

 

Most Harley's that have problems are owned by people who take a "If it ain't broke" approach. They do the minimum to maintain their HD, and then wonder why it won't start when they are miles away from anywhere. A Harley is not a Metric Appliance. It's a blend of tried and true mechanics with modern electronics and fuel delivery. That takes maintenance to enjoy dependability. Neglect anything, and it will eventually quit.

 

Nice write up! very well said....

 

The quality and reliability is greatly improved from what it was 30 years ago...

 

Good Choice on the King!
I had 2 myself as my past bikes
Good Luck and ride safe!

 

The Wing is a great bike but you're correct it's also a bit appliance like. The other thing is they're essentially unchanged since the GL1800 came out in 2000. But since that time the Road King has steadily improved with better brakes, frame, wheels and tires, 6-speed, and more power. Congratulations on your new ride.

 

I stopped by the Honda dealer to look at the new F6B Goldwing the other day. Ive always liked the Valkaryes and thought this thing was like that. Im sure that big 1800 cc engine will run flawlessly for 300,000 km,just like the one in my CR-V,but the whole package just reminded me of a giant scooter. OTH,I just got off my Heritage after a great 100 km commute home from work,and let me tell ya,I just love that thing! Theres just no way any Honda,no matter how reliable,would ever make me feel the way I do about Harleys. I do love my CR-V,its the second one Ive had,and respect Honda for their quality,but they just dont have that something that makes me excited about a motorcycle.

 

IRode to Sturgis last year with one of my buddies. I was on my 08 Street Glide and he was riding his Honda VTX 1800. All the way back all he talked about was purchasing a HD. Next thing I know he had bought a 2013 Gold Wing. He said he had gotten a deal on it that was too good to pass up. After having it a couple of days he told me his wife mentioned the fact that he didn't seem too excited about the bike. His reply, "I'm not".
Now to each his own but personally I would never buy a toy that doesn't excite me. Life is wayyyy too short for that crap. I owned two Honda's ( VTX 1300 & 1800 ) and loved both of them before I got my SG but I can honestly say, the day I left the dealership on my SG I said to myself that as long as I can afford a HD that I would ALWAYS be riding HD.

 

I agree; past HD quality and reliability kept me from buying one in the past, but current quality and reliability changed my mind. Just got back from a 2500 mile trip with 5 HD's and not one mechanical problem...

Dave