A lot of serious bike riders have coined Harley Davidson motorcycles “unreliable”. This is for several reasons. There is one side of the debate that despite it numerous faults, has a loyal cult following for the brand. Then there is another side that is completely against the iconic bike brand. There are only two sides of the spectrum it seems, no one that we speak to seems to fall into the middle.
Just like other brands of motorcycles, Harley Davidson has problems. This is true for any vehicle, be it a bike, a car, an all-terrain vehicle, whatever. Any mechanical part is bound to malfunction at some point or another. This article is not to take a stand on either side of this long running debate, we are simply here to state the facts from an unbiased perspective. Even though there are so many people who are firmly against the Harley Davidson motorcycle brand, there are so many more people who are in love with it. Suffice to say, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s not only in America that these classic bikes are adored and revered. All over the world Harley owners rejoice as the bike brand continues strong, pumping out its products with its famous lettered logo splayed across the side for the eager adrenaline hungry two-wheel junkie to enjoy. Some of these men and women spend enormous sums of money to customize their motorcycles, installing additions on them to fit their desired comfort level, style, and speed. They do this knowing that they might have more malfunctions on these parts, deciding that it is worth it. As with any bike though, if you maintain and treat it well, you should not find yourself at the shop too often. You’re going to want to invest in its care. Just like someone contracting some power washing for their house, they are investing in its upkeep. And it will pay off for them, just like it will pay off for you and your bike. You may be shop bound more often with a Harley even if you do practice regular upkeep on your bike, but it will be a lot less than if you didn’t. While this bike has an extremely sought-after reputation, there are some problems that occur frequently we thought you should be aware of.
Insurance
A Harley Davidson motorcycle is one of the most expensive bikes to maintain, so it makes sense that they would also be one of the most expensive to insure. Bike thieves target Harleys so much that they have a higher theft rate than all other motorcycles. The individual parts are also awfully expensive, so when you put the two of those things together, you get extremely high insurance premiums.
Cost
Harley Davidson is one of the costliest brands of bike to own. They are much higher in monthly payments, and the total price of buying one is high as well. The Harley name and reputation brings with it the price tag that is associated with it. It is one of the most cultured icons in American history, and so it is going to have a heft cost to it. Along with their motorcycles there are so many different objects and pieces of clothing that carry their famous logo. They have helmets, jackets, custom t shirts, and much, much more. No one is going to associate this brand with bargains or being cheap in any way at all. If you’re looking around and your plan is to buy a Harley, then you will notice this apparent fact. The tags with those numbers on them will jump right out at you. It is very well known that if you are looking to purchase a Harley that it is going to set you back a little bit. The brand loyalty is just too high to overlook, it would be odd if they didn’t capitalize on this, taking advantage of the fact that people willingly pay a higher amount for these products they make. The clothing that their name is put on as well, drives the price tag higher. Motorcycle helmets and jackets, things of this nature will do it as well.
Recalls
There have been so many recalls on this bike that it is almost pushing the ridiculous. There are so many past issues with these bikes that it rises well above the issues and recalls of other brands. There are numerous different issues and recalls with these powerful machines, and it seems that they are going to just keep coming, as they have reports of malfunctions every year. The bike has been affected by the front and the back end respectively. Everything from the head to the taillights have been affected by these recalls and callbacks. On one of these, the saddlebags were even falling off and increasing crash risks while the rider was on the road or highway. To the people that are not all wrapped up in the Harley culture because they are “better” for some reason that no one can clearly point, these things are almost laughable they are so apparent. But to the lovers of these powerful machines, none of that matters. Not the constant issues nor the recalls, as this machine is American and iconic in every way and that is all that matters. So they say. Most of the people that swear by and ride Harleys is because they ARE American, even though they have numerous faulty happenings.
Oil Leaks
Unfortunately, this is just something that you’re going to have to deal with if you want to own a Harley. It is just something that you are going to have to overlook. There isn’t any room to get a wrench around the area where you need to on the drain plugs to tighten them to the point that the leaking stops. Most people just use Teflon tape to wrap it and hold off the leaking for as long as possible. Most likely, you will need to buy a cheap, plastic piece to shove under the filter during an oil change, or it will get very messy. Most people that have a Harley have a saying that their bike is just “Leaving a mark on its territory.”
The “Bad Boy” image
Its well known and widespread that Harley Davidson bikes are associated, and heavily so, with the bad boy image. Biker culture is entrenched with these types. The outlaw bikers, the criminal bikers, people of this nature that bring the stereotype of tattooed, intimidating bearded men to mind. If motorcycles had some, you could bet that these guys would have tinted windows. This is sometimes cherished and embraced by the people that buy the bike, or they buy it because of this. More people overlook this fact when they purchase this iconic legend, and do not take it into consideration or consider themselves even remotely close to a bad boy, criminal biker. Nor do they want to be seen in that light or in that fashion. Don’t worry, you’re not going to purchase a Harley and immediately have the need for a bail bondsman, but you might want to watch the groups you hang around if you want to become a part of this cycle culture. Be careful that you don’t end up with the wrong crowd.
Oh wait, there’s more! But not from us.
There are many other reasons why owning a Harley Davidson is going to be more complicated, costly, and headache inducing over time, but instead of going over every single one, we just decided to tackle a few. Is it true that there are plenty of other variables that you should consider before getting one of these beautiful monsters? Sure. If you do decide that you want a Harley, just make sure you do the research on the specific bike that you plan on buying, and go over all the little details, absorbing as much knowledge as you can so that you aren’t hit with any surprises. If you do that, you should be fine.