I can understand both sides of this debate.
My FLHXSE was my first Harley, and I didn't really know what to expect. From the beginning, it made all kinds of ticking, clanking, and banging noises. Stock, it backfired, stalled, burned a ton of oil, had gas fumes that nearly choked me, and needed 2 compensators in 17k miles. All of the dealerships in the area I went to said "That's normal." I really had no way of knowing any better.
Now I have a '13 Ultra, and can't believe what a difference there is. It's mechanically quiet, it runs just fine with stock fueling (still hot, of course), it's more comfortable, doesn't burn oil, and has run without a hiccup so far.
I can't believe the two bikes came from the same company and share almost all major components. The Mothership makes a decent product, but I have personally experienced the lack of consistency in HD's bikes. And I still have to say, I am very disappointed by most of the dealerships' service and integrity.
Dan