FLH Canuck nailed it, but how 'bout a 20,500 mile trek cross country by Retired Jake?
http://www.hdtimeline.com/road_trips_touring/16598-48_states_leg_2_a-2.html
The deal is smiles per mile, not just the longevity of the great HD machine!
High Mileage Harley's
- Thread starter Mavagrand
- Start date
FLH Canuck nailed it, but how 'bout a 20,500 mile trek cross country by Retired Jake?
http://www.hdtimeline.com/road_trips_touring/16598-48_states_leg_2_a-2.html
The deal is smiles per mile, not just the longevity of the great HD machine!
HD has nothing to prove. Metric riders (not all) always have and always will discredit HD either because they can't obtain one or they just can't admit they will always have to compare themselfs to HD. There is a reason every other MC maker out there says "its better than a HD" or has a chip on their ego's. They just can't believe it's not all about cheapness and mileage. For those, don't waste any space in your mind on them because they don't and can't understand. Thats is why there are metric bikes....for metric riders. Let these types have em because they are the right type of riders for em. We really don't want em on a HD. It is good to be king and to be compared to for decades. :s
RetiredJake
Junior Member
08 Ultra, 21,000 total, 4700 into current tour. Issues, the front wheel speed sensor for the abs failed, warranty issue, I can live with that.
Jim B.
Junior Member
My 05 Goldwing is probably going to last forever because I now do nearly all my riding on my 09 Road Glide. I thought that the Goldwing would be the only touring bike I would ever buy but the Harley history and "rumble" kept calling to me. One thing I really like about my Harley is how it can be endlessly modified. If I don't like something on the Harley, I can change it. A lot of superficial things can be added to the Wing (GPS, beverage cups, ipod holders, etc.) but good luck modifying the engine, transmission, exhaust system, etc. I hope both bikes last forever. But if push comes to shove, then the money for repairs will go to the Harley.
Caper
Active Member
Next time they tell ya they're bullet proof....shoot one and see:s. I've got 140,000 miles on a '90 Heritage with the original bottom end, did a hi performance top end at 90,000 and bottom end specs were well within service limits so I left it alone,ask em how many 60's and 70's metrics are still on the road ,there's still a lot of HD's around here of that vintage.
catapultdude
Member
I ride an 05 RK and ive got just a little over 83000 miles on it and the bike still runs good. i havent done anything changing the cam tennsioners. If i decide to keep it i will need to put new shocks on it as the ride is getting a little rough and then do some motor work on it. right now im trying to sell it but havent gotten any takers as im guessing the high milage is scaring them a little. im asking $8,000.00 for it. If i dont sell it, will probably try and do a trade for a new 09 ultra. Any way the bike has not given me any trouble what so ever. i keep the oil changed pretty regular
vaibhavcoder
Member
You see life of the bike is completely depends on how you take care of it as if you have a new bike and you are not taking care of it then it will not work,so I think taking care of the bike is more imp then to discuss how old is your bike.
Noddy
Noddy
Jean-Pierre
Member
I read on Freeway magazine in France N° 211 july 2009, than a guy named Dave ZIEN, have a Harley with 1 000 000 miles - a FXRT 1991.
A layer, named Michael Mupy, help this guy a the end to ride from Winconsin to Florida and return for the last 2000 miles.
At the arrival Harley offered a new HR Road Glide 2009 to Zien.
The old one was keep by Harley for the museum in Sturgis.
Up to you to ride more
The news didn't speak about the engine...is it the same??!!!
A layer, named Michael Mupy, help this guy a the end to ride from Winconsin to Florida and return for the last 2000 miles.
At the arrival Harley offered a new HR Road Glide 2009 to Zien.
The old one was keep by Harley for the museum in Sturgis.
Up to you to ride more
The news didn't speak about the engine...is it the same??!!!
billnapabill
Active Member
Getting the most miles from your machine shouldn't be the only criteria for selecting one make of motorcycle over another. If they want to talk about cornering, dragging their knees or stuff like that, you should listen, but.......
A lot depends on what your going to do with the bike, tour, cruz bars, or what? If your going to ride your motorcycle across country and want to have the most comphy ride for you and possibly your passenger. Then you have to look at Harley and here's the reasons why:
Dealers, Harley has the most dealers and if your on the road, your bike gets first attention.
Parts, There's a whole lot of Harleys out there with a lot of common parts, if your metric breaks they usually have to order parts from some other country.
Modifications, Harley has a whole cataloge of aftermarket stuff you can put on your bike to change the looks, the sound, the riding position or aternative positions, and options such as crusie control, heated grips, seats, and more. The true metric touring bikes, like the Gold Wing, don't have a lot of add on options, in fact the biggest aftermaket parts provider for Gold Wing is JC Whitney, go ahead, search for "Gold Wing Parts" on the internet.....betcha JC Whitney comes up #1 or near it!
Cost.........did I say cost? Well compare the cost of a loaded Gold Wing to the cost of a Harley Ultra, then do yourself a favor and compare the price of a used Gold Wing to a used Ultra.
Last thing to consider is milage, the Harley will probobly not get as many miles as the Gold Wing but then the Harley isn't water cooled and it isn't as technically evolved but if you maintain it well, change the oil frequently and service the wear parts as soon as you see a problem, you will have many, many miles of trouble free enjoyment.
Finally, check this forum out, how many differences are there, one did this one guy did that. That's what make a Harley special, there are faster bike, there are better engineered bikes, but if your going to average 80 miles an hour and ride the long rode, THERE ISN"T ANYTHING BETTER THAN A HARLEY.
Oh, and if your gonna Cruz Bars......you'll get many, many more "seat warmers" on a Harley than a metric too, but then, you musta known that..