New guy from Erie, PA.
#22
03-07-2012, 07:59 PM
hi from freezing England
first up , I'm not a big black line fan , its those poxy bars that kill it for me , Ive heard Harley have discontinued it now because sales were crap ,
i don't mind the soft tails in general , and i think the new slim is a nice looking bike , your not paying too much for it to start with and its a bit of a blank canvas for future mods ,
but going back to your questions ,
modern Harley's are pretty good , they have a nice tried and tested motor , they do not ring the nuts out of em , so with a drop of fresh oil when they need it will last a very long time ,
the tranny is also good , a bit clunky , but almost bullet proof ,
you dont have to tune these bikes either , it costs a lot for next to nothing in return , just put some slip on mufflers on to get the sound and leave it at that
the electrics on these bikes suffer most , not overly bad , but problems with the ecu system or the security system seem to be common , usually easy to fix though , a pinched wire or a relay of some sort sticking , but a pain none the less ,
most of the big twins are the same package , in a different frame or with a few cosmetic changes ,
pick the one you like , if it fits buy it ,
if it doesn't fit , change a few bits , and then buy it .... thats more or less what Harley do , it works for them and us ....
book a few test rides , see what you like , then see if you can afford it ....thats the rub
first up , I'm not a big black line fan , its those poxy bars that kill it for me , Ive heard Harley have discontinued it now because sales were crap ,
i don't mind the soft tails in general , and i think the new slim is a nice looking bike , your not paying too much for it to start with and its a bit of a blank canvas for future mods ,
but going back to your questions ,
modern Harley's are pretty good , they have a nice tried and tested motor , they do not ring the nuts out of em , so with a drop of fresh oil when they need it will last a very long time ,
the tranny is also good , a bit clunky , but almost bullet proof ,
you dont have to tune these bikes either , it costs a lot for next to nothing in return , just put some slip on mufflers on to get the sound and leave it at that
the electrics on these bikes suffer most , not overly bad , but problems with the ecu system or the security system seem to be common , usually easy to fix though , a pinched wire or a relay of some sort sticking , but a pain none the less ,
most of the big twins are the same package , in a different frame or with a few cosmetic changes ,
pick the one you like , if it fits buy it ,
if it doesn't fit , change a few bits , and then buy it .... thats more or less what Harley do , it works for them and us ....
book a few test rides , see what you like , then see if you can afford it ....thats the rub
Last edited by MADDOG187; 03-07-2012 at 08:12 PM.
#25
05-02-2012, 09:48 AM
Extreme HDF Member
#28
05-03-2012, 05:56 AM
Grand HDF Member
Hey Dumpsterdom --- Welcome aboard from just a few hours out route 6! That was sorta my hesitation in getting my 1st Harley too. Are they reliable? I started riding 7 years ago at age 50. Bought my 1st Harley (an 09 EG Classic) a few years ago, and asked myself, "what took ya so long?!!!!" It was great! If that's the bike you want, get it, and just keep up with the oil changes etc, every 5000 miles, and you'll be fine.
