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[09S/E roadglide]

Yesterday, my wife picked me up at the Harley dealership for the upteenth time after I left my 2007 FLHTCUSE2 for yet another attempt to fix the idle drop I keep experiencing.  This is the third time for this issue, but it has literally been in the shop no less than six times for other non-maintenance visits since I bought the bike a little over a year ago.  On the way home, she asked me why I put up with the frustration of owning a Harley.  "If you had a car that gave you this much trouble you sure wouldn't buy another one from the same manufacturer, would you?"  Then she asked the all important question many of us ask ourselves sometime, "Why don't you buy a Japanese bike?  You don't drive an American car anymore, so what's the difference?"  I tried to tell her why we Harley owners are so loyal, but it fell on deaf ears.  I just wonder how long it will take for Harley to succomb to the exodus from their product as the big 3 auto makers have experienced because of shoddy workmanship and fading customer loyalty?  I owned a 2001 Road King before I bought this bike and I loved it.  It never gave me the trouble that this $33,000 monster has given me.  I'm giving them one more chance to get this thing fixed before my factory warranty runs out and then if it's not, I may be riding something more reliable of the Asian origin. 

Really I think you should sell that $33k pile of crap and buy a jap bike. then remove your self from all the people who support that joke of a motorcycle. Because personally I'm Tired of the Bitchin. If your not happy you should listen to your wife, she knows best ! Besides you meet the nicest people on a Honda. Not grumpy bikers who love the MOCO.
 Have a nice Day, God bless.

[zn14]

I think you already have a solution in your original post.......you had a 2001 road king and loved it........go buy a 2001 or 2002 road king and have less power and less problems.................

[Wildrat]

You have a point there 09SE. I remember once upon a time when I had a jap bike, I did everything I could to make it look like a Hawg. It fooled a lot of HD riders but I knew what it was. I had it less than a year before I got my first Hawg and I will never go jap again. Besides that the mechanics that I had to deal with at Yamaha were some of the sorriest around, they are part of the reason why I work on my own bikes now. I'll give ya 15 for the bike, that's a little less than the dealer might give ya when you trade it in for your jap bike.

[planenut]

the grass might be greener in the other side,but in most cases it taste worse    and 2nd

you meet the Nice's people on a Honda,total bull sh**,some of the worse people I have met were on a Honda and some other types as well

its the other H name

the nicest people are riding Harley Davidsons    and the brotherhood is like no other

never met more people that help each other than Harley owners     ,

when I bought my 1st Harley and old man told me,you just didn't by a bike you bought a lifestyle and gained an extended family ,  so true words

to me besides the bike its is about the people and the places you go and see and again the people you met on them        

my .02c


Jon

[SBB]

Really I think you should sell that $33k pile of crap and buy a jap bike. then remove your self from all the people who support that joke of a motorcycle. Because personally I'm Tired of the Bitchin. If your not happy you should listen to your wife, she knows best ! Besides you meet the nicest people on a Honda. Not grumpy bikers who love the MOCO.
 Have a nice Day, God bless.

Hard to argue with the good advice above.


But as I grow older and wiser (ok, maybe just older) I have realized there are some people that own things just so they can complain about them.
Amazing HUH?
But it's true, you could give some an anvil and they would find something wrong with it.
It's just the way the world is, some people are not happy unless they are pissin and moaning about something.
But for me, I'm just living the dream!
And loving every minute of it!


SBB

[REGGAB]

Heck, I'd like to say every vehicle I own is American made.  They're all American brands:  Harley, Ford, and Dodge.  There's alot of Chinese parts on both Harleys.....thank God the cranks are american made  .  There is "Hecho in Mexico" written all over the Fords, and the Dodge........despite containing Clessie Cummins' finest engine.......went through final assembly in........Mexico.

I'll keep my Harleys......and their problems.  I know what they are and how to deal with them.  Swappin' brands is swappin' problems, and I'm too old and way too damn task saturated to learn how to deal with a new set of problems from some oriental POS without a soul.   

[guppytrash]

When I met my wife she was driving a 1984 Toyota Corolla with a 140k on it and I had a Toyota pickup.  Both were fantastic vehicles.  The truck did have some front brake rotor issues in the first six months but the dealer was outstanding in the repair. 
Very little mechanical problems with either.  That being said there was not anything on them...no electric windows, seats, seat heat, cruise, etc...
you could not carry on a conversation in the Corolla at speeds above 30mph because it was so loud, the truck body was so paper thin you did not dare lean against it or it would have left a dent, and the rear bumper was made out of crushed beer cans so don't even think about hooking a trailer to the bumper.  Have you ever seen an late 90's early 2000 Toyota truck with a straight bumper?
These were great vehicles and I would own a Toyota in a heartbeat, but I don't.  I drive a Chevy and the wife has a GMC both have been just as reliable.  These too are great vehicles but have some annoying features
My point:  Buy what you want...they are all equally flawed, just depends on what pushes your buttons.
I had a Honda Shadow Ace that leaked oil out of the shaft drive.  I bought it new in 95 had it in to be fixed 3 times it still leaked when I sold it.
I got tired of "Is that a Harley?"  Great bike not perfect.
I will bet you can find a few Infinity owners who will tell you their car has not been perfect.

[harleyteam]

thank heavens when I met my wife,, she was riding her own Harley.  she now owns 3.

I also have 3.  only because when I see one I REALLY like,  she tells me to go get it.

if she ever suggested I buy a (japenease-kawasakadusi).   I'd get a new wife.

[porthole]

But it's true, you could give some an anvil and they would find something wrong with it.

You're right about that Chip, mine is too heavy and makes a funny sound when I hit it.

[wreckman 42]

I will always ride Harleys. My younger brother bought a new Yamaha v-something. He has had nothing but problems. It has been in the shop so much that they are keeping it all winter. He is not sure he even wants it back. I have owned a lot of Harleys and never had any major problems. Even the old Sportster (1st after AMF years) I had ran well and never gave me any problems. I love the look and sound not to mention the people Harley is all about. The metric bikes will never capture that no matter how many look-a-likes they can sell. Why did they try to copy the V-style engine that Makes a Harley. They should have stayed with the in-line.

[2018_FLTRXSE]

I'm a die-hard american car/truck/bike kinda guy...

True... my 07 Silverado was built in Canada... its still North America...

I did ride a Yamahopper Kenny Roberts RZ350 (That was fun) and a Suzuki GSXR750 (Broke kid with a need for speed and no brains) but I also rode my old 79 Shovelhead... and no matter how I beat on that, I never crashed it, broke it or anything else... it had to have been the by far most reliable piece of farm equipment I ever rode!

Nothing I owned was as near indestructible as the shovel... I miss that bike!

[iski]

Most of these problems could be attributed to poor shifting patterns, maybe?

[REGGAB]

Most of these problems could be attributed to poor shifting patterns, maybe?

By Jove, I think you've got it.  The shifting patterns of the 48RE automatic transmission in my CTD powered Dodge ton truck caused the injector pump to start leaking.   

I want to meet that guy down in Florida and thank him for clearing this up for me.   

[amigo Jorge]

I have owned 9 Harleys since 2000 when I started riding......and I am so happy and not only for the bikes (very reliable) but for the amigos that I have met!!!

[iski]

By Jove, I think you've got it.  The shifting patterns of the 48RE automatic transmission in my CTD powered Dodge ton truck caused the injector pump to start leaking.   

I want to meet that guy down in Florida and thank him for clearing this up for me.   

Explains that pesky convertible top problem we had on the the wife's BMW a couple of years ago, too, Henry.  She was not shifting properly (?), so it would not open or close even after BMW 2 dealerships worked on it & worked on it & worked on it...........

May also explain the stock market crash & the economic meltdown as well as the heartbreak of psoriasis.