If It Ain't A Harley...

[Richard Simpson]

That American bloke is a bore...I just fell asleep reading his article about why I should buy a Harley 1200 because...I honestly can't remember why, but something to do with other bikes being made in countries that didn't rush to America's aid when something happened in America...perhaps a fat person got stuck in a revolving door...sorry I didn't get that far.

Next time I can't sleep I'll visit his website...it offers advice for motorcyclists, gun nuts and Christians: to summarise its probably something like get on your harley and go downtown and shoot some commies or gays

[AndyB]

Forgetting of course that the majority of parts are actually made in Taiwan... just assembled in Milwaukee

Yep… he goes on about Japanese dealers ripping you off and how BMW drivetrains are built in Japan.

I have owned a Harley. I bought a new 883 Sportster in 1989 and the sealed beam headlight blew so I called up the Harley dealer who had a replacement for £45. I showed the unit to a mate who worked in a body shop who said that it was the same unit that Layland used in the Mini. A quick visit to the local motor factor and I bought one for £4.95. All of the markings on the two units showed that they were made in the same factory… in Taiwan!

I think that was about the same time as I bought a brand new 883 Sportster (just before the belt drive came in) and the build quality was shocking. Lacquer peeling off the engine cases within 2k miles, rear tyre rubbing through the rear indicator cables, headlights blowing (Mini units used as replacements (thumbs) ), holes worn in the tailpipes going round corners (ok, that was my fault), rear tyre shot at 2k miles, drive chain shot at 4k miles, constant problem with a bad earth killing all power until I'd unbolted the left hand side panel and used an emery board on the battery terminal, brakes that didn't brake. The list was seemingly endless and when I complained I was told it was an 'entry level' Harley and I was expecting too much of it.

I got rid of it less than a year after buying it but was lucky because I traded it in against a GSXR750 the same age and the dealer was a fool who allowed me more than I'd paid for it as a new bike. Never again.

[herman]

To be fair I think you bought Harleys in the AMF era which was an all time low. You buy one for how it makes you feel as it appeals to the senses not necessarily the common one. I love them but dont actually feel the need to run one thank you. As for that guy he stands for everything that will kill America eventually.

[Dazzer]

I wonder how a harley would handle our winter and salted roads?

I've never seen one ever used in the wet.

Mike

Then you need to join me on a ride !

[sprintster]

I wonder how a harley would handle our winter and salted roads?

I've never seen one ever used in the wet.

Mike

Then you need to join me on a ride !

To be fair,there is someone who runs around here all year round on his Harley in an open face lid so obviously harder than me...but he still just looks like a posing tit!!!

[Dazzer]

I wonder how a harley would handle our winter and salted roads?

I've never seen one ever used in the wet.

Mike

Then you need to join me on a ride !

To be fair,there is someone who runs around here all year round on his Harley in an open face lid so obviously harder than me...but he still just looks like a posing tit!!!

Would that be the same type of Posing tit when you see a fully loaded up Adventure bike riding around the Dales on a weekend ?

I never have understood all this divide between bikers. Maybe it all started after the Mods and Rockers stopped kicking the sh1t out of each other every Bank Holiday.

The Harley riders think you lot are all coping Ewan McGregor.

The Advriders think that Harley Davidson Riders are coping Peter Fonda .

The cafe racers think sport bike riders think their all Valentino Rossi

Sportbike riders think Goldwing riders are all ...well Goldwing riders.


Why the big divide ?

My experience of Harley riders as changed.
Maybe back in the 80's and 90's many of them disliked Jap bike's to the point that at the Harley rallies they would come up with all sorts of crazy ways of destroying a few jap bike's while the crowed cheered them on.

On my visit to the States in 2012/13 things have changed. Many of the Harley riders we met also own other bike's like BMW , Ducati and all the Japanese makes.

We also found that even the Harley Davidson Dealers were more then help full in America.

One HD Dealer in Sierra Vista Arizona even offered me the use of their work shop to do the repairs I needed to do to our Tenere.
They even feed us and let me leave the bike in their workshop till my parts arrived from the UK. Then they invited us to their Sunday meet and BBQ all for free.

I cant see many bike dealers in the UK letting us into their work shop to work on our own bike.

So remember you will find Aholes on all types of bike's not just HD's.

[Richard Simpson]

Forgetting of course that the majority of parts are actually made in Taiwan... just assembled in Milwaukee

]

I think that was about the same time as I bought a brand new 883 Sportster (just before the belt drive came in) and the build quality was shocking. Lacquer peeling off the engine cases within 2k miles, rear tyre rubbing through the rear indicator cables, headlights blowing (Mini units used as replacements (thumbs) ), holes worn in the tailpipes going round corners (ok, that was my fault), rear tyre shot at 2k miles, drive chain shot at 4k miles, constant problem with a bad earth killing all power until I'd unbolted the left hand side panel and used an emery board on the battery terminal, brakes that didn't brake. The list was seemingly endless and when I complained I was told it was an 'entry level' Harley and I was expecting too much of it.

I got rid of it less than a year after buying it but was lucky because I traded it in against a GSXR750 the same age and the dealer was a fool who allowed me more than I'd paid for it as a new bike. Never again.

There's a similar approach to be found on a wide range of American automotive products.

the core of the thing dates back to the 1950s, and is basically sound, there's some electronic add-ons to allow it to continue into the 21st century of variable quality and then there's some incredibly shoddy clips and brackets holding it all together.

A former neighbour of mine imported Corvettes, which were like this, Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks are like this, Harleys are like this and I'm told that even Cessna light aircraft are like this.

Harley is the luckiest motorcycle manufacturer alive: nearly wiped out by the Brits in the 50s and 60s, and the Japanese in the 70s and 80s. On each occasion saved by a supposedly 'non-interventionist' American Government.

should a similar situation arise in the future, I wonder if they will get away with it again?

[Dazzer]

Forgetting of course that the majority of parts are actually made in Taiwan... just assembled in Milwaukee

]

I think that was about the same time as I bought a brand new 883 Sportster (just before the belt drive came in) and the build quality was shocking. Lacquer peeling off the engine cases within 2k miles, rear tyre rubbing through the rear indicator cables, headlights blowing (Mini units used as replacements (thumbs) ), holes worn in the tailpipes going round corners (ok, that was my fault), rear tyre shot at 2k miles, drive chain shot at 4k miles, constant problem with a bad earth killing all power until I'd unbolted the left hand side panel and used an emery board on the battery terminal, brakes that didn't brake. The list was seemingly endless and when I complained I was told it was an 'entry level' Harley and I was expecting too much of it.

I got rid of it less than a year after buying it but was lucky because I traded it in against a GSXR750 the same age and the dealer was a fool who allowed me more than I'd paid for it as a new bike. Never again.

There's a similar approach to be found on a wide range of American automotive products.

the core of the thing dates back to the 1950s, and is basically sound, there's some electronic add-ons to allow it to continue into the 21st century of variable quality and then there's some incredibly shoddy clips and brackets holding it all together.

A former neighbour of mine imported Corvettes, which were like this, Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks are like this, Harleys are like this and I'm told that even Cessna light aircraft are like this.

Harley is the luckiest motorcycle manufacturer alive: nearly wiped out by the Brits in the 50s and 60s, and the Japanese in the 70s and 80s. On each occasion saved by a supposedly 'non-interventionist' American Government.

should a similar situation arise in the future, I wonder if they will get away with it again?

The difference is that the Americans are patriotic therefor you see far more Harley Davidsons on the road than any other make. Unlike here in the UK where you see more foreign bike's than you do British.

. If you have ever owned a old British bike then you will know that the build quality of them was not exactly top quality !


Thankfully Triumph have turned things around and their sales are increasing.

[devon john]

marmite love um or hat um !!!

i love harleys and ride and camp all the year they are as reliable as any other bike out there and hold there value better than most.

i have regularly don over 1000mls in the day and been able to walk after!!!

as i sead MARMITE

john

[Tourider]

DSCF1544.JPG (38.02 KiB) Viewed 1007 times

Forgetting of course that the majority of parts are actually made in Taiwan... just assembled in Milwaukee

It's the same with anything automotive, parts are sourced and vehicles manufactured globally. There are very few British made parts on a Triumph, most Hondas in Europe are assembled in Hungary. Big twins are not assembled in Milwaukee but York, Pennsylvania and here's how they look after 80,000 miles.