My last three rides were an 05 Goldwing, 08 Ultra Classic, and my current ride - a 10 ultra limited. Since moving to the Harley touring bikes, I have been to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Acadia National Park, Key West, Sturgis, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Parks, Bear Lake on the Utah/Idaho border, the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Laconia, and all without incident. On May 25th I depart New Jersey to ride Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica,and then explore the southwest on the return trip. With the proper maintenance, I wouldn't think twice about long-distance riding on my Harley.

 

07 FLHTC here 70000 miles... few issues...inner primary seal, starter grind, fuel sending unit....I ride the crap out of it when i want it...While out riding....like somebody said... keep a tally of how many GW vs Touring HD's you see...You always see and remember the negatives and you always look for them to see what "COULD" go wrong....COULD is the key word... It's like any car, truck, vans suv bike trike scooter etc.......if you look for bad comments and issues you will find them....

Happy many miles to you....Worry about you back isues first....get comfortable and see how many trouble free miles YOU can get...Be safe

 

I have been from the Chesapeake Bay to San Francisco Bay and a lot of other trips in between. 21,000 miles at this point with no problems at all. (knock on wood)

Ride it and enjoy it. There is nothing like a Harley out on the open road.

 

Ya know what's funny about that train of thought? All the guys who think the Harleys that have problems are the ones with the modified engines, yet most of the guys posting those thoughts have never had a modified engine. What is up with that? If the engine is built right, it should last as long, or longer, if it isn't abused beyond its limits, just like a stocker will die if you don't maintain it and abuse it. Plus, many times, the modified engine has parts that well exceed the quality of those in the stock design, so before you say these things, know what you talk of and understand anything will break if it is not maintained and operated properly.

 

have an 04 with 67 thousand miles on it. Just gas oil and other routine maintaince other than my own personal upgrades. Went to gear drive cams out of preference. I ride the pi$$ out of it and it just keeps on going. my 10 RGC i traded at 40K miles, no issues, including a one month ride where i put 20K on it during the month (hoka hey) crashed it fixed it in one day and rode it another 10K before trading, no issues. My 12 CVO has held up well, other than normal new bike issues, steering head tighting, bad front tire due to how it was tied down on the HD truck, etc.

They are tough bikes, it seems the harder you ride em, they better they do. My 04, which i wont part with, is never washed, other than rain, but well maintained. She's a dirty bi+ch but tough.

 

ME

 

After owning 50 or 60 motorcycles & with a few hundred thousand miles under my belt, I don't think I'm talking about something I know nothing about - you don't have to have a modified engine to know what’s going on - The key to your post is "If the engine is built right" - there are lots of folks out there building engines for themselves and for customers that may not have all the knowledge they really need sometimes - doesn't matter if it's a motorcycle or a street rod - I do agree if it modified with proven technology and by a proven mechanic a then rode with respect and maintained as it should be then yes nothing wrong with modifying a engine - if that's your thing -
I built Custom Guns for 40 years - you should have seen some of the poor workmanship that I have seen on firearms - Just because someone hangs out a shingle that say Gunsmith - doesn't make him a Gunsmith.

 

This is a great point Frog. I've wondered many times about those that complain of troubles if it is due to modifications?

There is allot to be said about finding the balance of reliability and maximum performance. Speaking to your argument about modified engines lasting longer, consider some of the most highly modified and well built engines on the planet; top fuel dragsters. Would anyone argue about the quality of parts or the craftsmanship of the build? Probably not. However, nobody would ever consider them a build for longevity, they are intended for max performance for minimum time. So...the question in my mind is, how far can one buildup an HD motor beyond stock before they begin loosing longevity, reliability? I don't know myself, but it is something I think about allot when considering future plans for my bike.

Great thought provoking post Frog!

 

let's not kid ourselves here. I maintain my bike by the book, do not make mods AND
ride it normally. I have had many issue including 4 mayor issues that people her have complaint about ( fly by wire fretting issuse "limp mode" almost killed me in the highway, Front bearing failed at high speed , could have killed me, ragulator and starter) after $27 K. Common, lets be honest and not mislead people. When someone asks me about a Harley cause they are thinking about buying one , at least I do not BS them and I tell them it is the most fun bike you will ever have and that you will love most , but the reliability is poor. I am an aero-space electrical enginner, I have designed electronics for the space shuttle, Space station, and fighter jets. I know reliability and Harley's stinks.

I stil love my bike and would not trade for a reliable GW. But I belive that Harley
needs to improve in the reliability. I rather live with poor reliability than to own a non harley.
I give Harley on everything else a 100!

 

There used to be a rule of thumb out there, pre-twin-cam that once horsepower exceeded the cubic inch displacement, reliability started to suffer. Now, I don't know if that was actually true, but obviously in the case of top fuel dragsters mentioned it is definitely true. So, I am sure there is a point. Now, my bike is built to run well by a good builder, the HP does not exceed the displacement (real close though) and I do not run it like a top fuel dragster. So, I believe I will have the power when I want or need it, and the bike if driven respectfully and maintained will last a good, long time. At least that has been my experience of almost 40 years on these things.