I'm 65 and thinking of getting back in the saddle after nearly 40 years. Back in the late 60s, I rode solo all over North America for over one year, non-stop, never knowing where I would be each night. It was the adventure of a lifetime. With the kids all grown and having children of their own, I'm thinking of getting a bike again.
I went to a local HD dealer with the idea (after doing some online browsing) of possibly buying a softail - probably a Fat Boy or Softail Deluxe although I have since learned that the latter is really best suited for shorter riders. I'm 6'. I was surprised to learn that I would have to pay for and keep any original parts that I replaced with optional parts. According to the salesman, I would have to pay for and keep a couple thousand dollars worth of parts that I had no use for and didn't want. Apparently, that's HD's policy but I don't like it. (But that's not the issue for me.)
Anyway, with that in mind, I realized that the CVO Softail had everything I wanted and more (I don't want a windshield but that's no problem) so I could avoid the problem mentioned above if I bought the CVO Softail although it's pricey!
I had read some discussions online about problems with the HD twin-cam engines so, before making a decision, I decided to so some more checking. That's when I came across this article which is pretty disturbing.
I see that I am not allowed to post a link because I'm new here so please do a Google search for (cut & paste)
"Before you buy a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle - engine defects - you need to read this article!"
Some of you (maybe most) have probably seen it. It's long! My HD salesman has seen it but, of course he denies what the article says and I can't blame him for that. (I see there is a similar article below this one when doing a Google search. I'm going to read that after I post this.)
I've always done all my own work on every vehicle and machine I own and I will until I simply can't anymore. I'm healthy so that will probably be many more years. That and the fact that I was an engineer makes how something is designed and built important to me. That article was a eye-opener, to put it mildly. If only 1/10th of what the author says is true, I will have serious reservations about buying a Harley - and believe me, I want to buy a Harley!
I did a little browsing on the author's website to see any signs that would tell me about his credibility. I did find some stuff that gives him less credibility in my book. For example, he calls the NRA a bunch of thieves and says nobody should join the NRA because he didn't receive his magazines when he joined! :19: Being an Endowment Life Member of the NRA, I knew what he was saying wasn't true. However, he goes into pretty fine detail about what he says are very serious issues with HD twin cam engines. I would like to find out what people here know about this.
I definitely don't want to start a food fight and I hope I don't get emotional replies without facts. I know how HD owners are loyal to their brand and I was one myself so I know how it is. What I would like is for some facts and opinions minus the loyalty stuff. I want to know what, if anything, there is to his claims of very serious issues with the HD twin-cam engines from those who know and, hopefully, have owned a twin cam for a long time before I spend a bundle on a new HD.
So what's the real story?
I went to a local HD dealer with the idea (after doing some online browsing) of possibly buying a softail - probably a Fat Boy or Softail Deluxe although I have since learned that the latter is really best suited for shorter riders. I'm 6'. I was surprised to learn that I would have to pay for and keep any original parts that I replaced with optional parts. According to the salesman, I would have to pay for and keep a couple thousand dollars worth of parts that I had no use for and didn't want. Apparently, that's HD's policy but I don't like it. (But that's not the issue for me.)
Anyway, with that in mind, I realized that the CVO Softail had everything I wanted and more (I don't want a windshield but that's no problem) so I could avoid the problem mentioned above if I bought the CVO Softail although it's pricey!
I had read some discussions online about problems with the HD twin-cam engines so, before making a decision, I decided to so some more checking. That's when I came across this article which is pretty disturbing.
I see that I am not allowed to post a link because I'm new here so please do a Google search for (cut & paste)
"Before you buy a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle - engine defects - you need to read this article!"
Some of you (maybe most) have probably seen it. It's long! My HD salesman has seen it but, of course he denies what the article says and I can't blame him for that. (I see there is a similar article below this one when doing a Google search. I'm going to read that after I post this.)
I've always done all my own work on every vehicle and machine I own and I will until I simply can't anymore. I'm healthy so that will probably be many more years. That and the fact that I was an engineer makes how something is designed and built important to me. That article was a eye-opener, to put it mildly. If only 1/10th of what the author says is true, I will have serious reservations about buying a Harley - and believe me, I want to buy a Harley!
I did a little browsing on the author's website to see any signs that would tell me about his credibility. I did find some stuff that gives him less credibility in my book. For example, he calls the NRA a bunch of thieves and says nobody should join the NRA because he didn't receive his magazines when he joined! :19: Being an Endowment Life Member of the NRA, I knew what he was saying wasn't true. However, he goes into pretty fine detail about what he says are very serious issues with HD twin cam engines. I would like to find out what people here know about this.
I definitely don't want to start a food fight and I hope I don't get emotional replies without facts. I know how HD owners are loyal to their brand and I was one myself so I know how it is. What I would like is for some facts and opinions minus the loyalty stuff. I want to know what, if anything, there is to his claims of very serious issues with the HD twin-cam engines from those who know and, hopefully, have owned a twin cam for a long time before I spend a bundle on a new HD.
So what's the real story?