Harley in the running?

[Ventureless]

I must say that a Harley may be in the running for my next bike. I have had a couple older smaller ones in the past and was not a fan. Well my best friend upgraded from his 95 Electra Glide to a 2010. I rode it last week and was pleasantly surprised. It has the 96" motor with aftermarket pipes and the power commander. Still not as much power as the Venture (or at least seems that way), but it will get up and move. Also not as roomy as the Venture. But what it did have was a very light feeling compared to the Venture. If nothing else Harley has that down. When I picked it up off the stand, it felt like it was as light as my old Vstar 1100. Felt like a toy. And the same when riding it. Then you also have the fuel injection and ABS. Although the Harley seems smaller for a big guy like me, it may be a serious consideration unless Yamaha makes some changes in the next year or so.

[reddevilmedic]

one of my closest friends has a 09 SC road King..110 cu in. nice bike, but..one a trip to key west started hearing a rattling thru the exhaust...yep! cams!!!!! 4K repair!!!!! bike had 20,000 on it. he vowed to go with a S&S after the warranty expires. I also SMOKED him on my 83 Venture.....he was pretty surprised. I like all bikes, but I would be cautious with cam issues on a used bike. my 2 cents...im also a taller rider, that's why I went with Victory. the whhelbase on Harley was just too short between seat and tank. I would have had to spent the big bucks on forward controls.

[BoomerCPO]

Does it have a cassette deck and come with a 5 year warranty?

Boomer....who sez it really don't matter what ya ride as long as yer riding.

[Wade 2000]

I have a ridin the newer Harley's and would agree on the lighter handling plus fuel injection a sixth gear is very nice. If you haven't tried a Victory goto a demo day close to you. You will be impressed. For my money if I could afford new the Victory Cross Country Tourer would be first choice and a close second would be a Harley Roadglide Ultra. That is until Yamaha releases the new 160 hp Venture:stirthepot:

[djh3]

+1 on the Vic CC, I think my second choice would be the Vision. Dont know why the cam thing seems to be a constant problem with the HD's. I have heard that for years. Maybe because its a 60+ yr old engine design and they wont update the cooling or something.

[Wade 2000]

+1 on the Vic CC, I think my second choice would be the Vision. Dont know why the cam thing seems to be a constant problem with the HD's. I have heard that for years. Maybe because its a 60+ yr old engine design and they wont update the cooling or something.

 

This guy explains the cam issue very well. There are a series of vids 1-5 I suggest watching them all. It's an education. [ame]

[/ame]

[rickardracing]

one of my closest friends has a 09 SC road King..110 cu in. nice bike, but..one a trip to key west started hearing a rattling thru the exhaust...yep! cams!!!!! 4K repair!!!!! bike had 20,000 on it. he vowed to go with a S&S after the warranty expires. I also SMOKED him on my 83 Venture.....he was pretty surprised. I like all bikes, but I would be cautious with cam issues on a used bike. my 2 cents...im also a taller rider, that's why I went with Victory. the whhelbase on Harley was just too short between seat and tank. I would have had to spent the big bucks on forward controls.

 

 

My father in-law had cam issues on his Ultra Classic. Cost him about 3k to repair it. I believe that was at about the 50k mile mark. He says he would never buy another one. He has not had good luck with it al all. It's a shame, it is a nice bike.

[Ventureless]

Actually been doing a lot of reading about the Victorys over the last couple days. Told the wife that we may need to go to the Victory dealer soon to try a few out. I am still about a year or a little more from buying a new(er) bike. But I think the Victory will be in the running. Just can't find to much on teh reliability of them yet.

[djh3]

Check out the victory site. Look for "demo days" or something like that. The factory brings a hauler full of bikes out for folks to ride. Most dealers do it once or twice a year. Send your dealer an e-mail youd like to ride then they keep you informed.

Hey guy your in luck. Coleman Powersports in Woodbridge Va is having the demo ride May 11. Just looked it up on the Vic site. Man what a mothers day present

Edited April 30, 2013 by djh3

[Wade 2000]

Actually been doing a lot of reading about the Victorys over the last couple days. Told the wife that we may need to go to the Victory dealer soon to try a few out. I am still about a year or a little more from buying a new(er) bike. But I think the Victory will be in the running. Just can't find to much on teh reliability of them yet.

 

I tried one out on a demo ride with a friend and he traded his BMW for a CCT. If I didn't have a major construction project going I'd have bought it on the spot. I love my Venture but the CCT is advanced in every way that yamaha and HD should be. Feature for feature I think it's the benchmark for touring at this point.

[XV1100SE]

One thing the HD and Victory don't have... is VentureRiders.org !

[BradT]

One thing the HD and Victory don't have... is VentureRiders.org !

 

VR wont go away to soon, at the rate Don is wearing his RSV out we going to be here a while.

 

 

BRad

[Guest tx2sturgis]

This guy explains the cam issue very well. There are a series of vids 1-5 I suggest watching them all. It's an education.

 

 

Thanks for posting this series of videos.

 

I can personally vouch for a lot of the info presented. Belts, cam chain tensioners, oil pump 'wet sumping', stators, gaskets, fuel injection issues. Seat quality. Cruise control failing. Cheap chinese parts that break. Swingarms that crack. Heat management issues. Valve noises. Shocks that fail..ok, we got that one on the Royal Stars too.

 

He never even mentioned the Harley 'death wobble'...I know of people who have actually died from this one. It's one reason the newer FL's have a beefed up and improved frame and swingarm, and one more motor mount. HD wasnt happy that some of its riders were dying just from leaning into a curve, developing a high speed wobble, and crashing. Imagine that. I spent over $800 fixing the wobble on mine.

 

I have posted a boatload of articles on this forum, discussing the overall HD experience...but you know...when a person WANTS one so bad...they will BUY one. No matter what other people tell them. Even I bought one. Make that, THREE.

 

I'm done with that nonsense. Yeah. My HD is retired for a reason.

 

Actually a bunch of reasons.

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2013 by tx2sturgis

[Wrench]

A friend bought a new Ultra Classic in '07, and it's a very sweet bike, it just doesn't fit me nearly as well as my '99 Venture, just seems like "something's missing". I looked at/rode a pristine '84 Electra-Glide before I bought my '04 Venture back in '06, same thing. That pretty much scratched my Harley itch. The friend with the '07 said his felt "mushy" to him, so he bought a "bracket" that bolts up under the engine, then ties to the suspension with a heim joint. It stiffens the rear end up so you don't get that squirming. I've seen them in Baggers, but can't think of the name of them, gone brain-dead. Once upon a time I was an active member on the Volusia Owners League forum. It now seems like most everybody has gone the HD route there, mostly RK's and TG's. It's kinda funny to sit around at a rally and hear some of 'em say how much they miss the ride of their old Volusias, a 7k bike vs a 20k bike. I guess I'm just getting old, but I like to be comfortable.

[djh3]

Actually seating position and comfort (both driver and rider) is what brought me to the RSV. WE have a couple friends that have E-glides. While we still had the 900 Vulcan we sat on the HD. It felt almost as cramped as the 900. We sat on a Voyager and it was better. We rode the Victory and noticed right away that we didnt have the helmet banging going on if you stopped quickly or something like that. Also the wife wasnt right up against my back. Then when we rode the RSV she commented about how much more space she had. Then when we took our trip last fall she really liked she had room to "adjust" and strech a bit.

[Ventureless]

Check out the victory site. Look for "demo days" or something like that. The factory brings a hauler full of bikes out for folks to ride. Most dealers do it once or twice a year. Send your dealer an e-mail youd like to ride then they keep you informed.

Hey guy your in luck. Coleman Powersports in Woodbridge Va is having the demo ride May 11. Just looked it up on the Vic site. Man what a mothers day present

 

Already saw that and plan on going thanks. I am still a year or so from buying something new or newer so plenty of time to test and plan. I love the RSV for the room since I am so tall. I am pretty sure any Harley would be out for me when it comes down to it. It is a nice bike, but teh room is just not there for me. I will know as soon as I even sit on the Victory whether it is for me. My only concern is the seat height on the Victory and the knee angle. When I compare the knee angle with the RSV, it is a lot less. Not sure how that will affect the comfort for me, but I guess we will see.