sgfrye wrote:
Ok, im asking this here because the broad motorcycle knowledge of roadstar clinic members. anyone have any harley ultra classic experience. Im in love with my roadie and wouldnt give it up for anything, my dilema is after a few years of riding her own bike my wife has decided she had rather ride on the back of mine than her own. she rode my roadie many times and loved the way it handled. last fall she bought a 2012 roadstar silverado s with the hardbags etc. and we still have her vstar 650 that we were planning on selling. my bike is setup for me, with risers, pipes, progressive suspension, ed seat. her roadie is stock except for ed seat. she has lost her riding edge based on dropping her roadstar twice and she just doesn't ride enough to keep her skills up to par now, im my opinion. so here we are with 2 bikes now we don't need. i had thought of setting her roadie up to be more 2 up friendly with trunk, rear seat, maybe front fairing, then again i thought about selling her 2 bikes and getting a good used (dare i say it) harley ultra classic. would be nice to have a different ride once in a while. i have a friend that loves his. i found a 2007 ultra classic with 25k miles on it about an hour from my home and may go look at it this weekend. ive read alot of reviews on the 2007 models and can't find anything really bad, only several mentioned some 5th gear whine? i know there is some harley experience here so just looking as always for input.
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1st of all,if at all possible get an 09 or newer HD ,i rec that because in 09 HD made quite a few upgrades 1 of which was the new design frame that handles a heck of a lot better then older HDs do,got larger rear tire in 09 too.

As for the 5th gear noise,from what i read on the HDfroum some HD's with 6speed box had more noise in 5th gear then others did which they/HD had supposedly corrected a wile back.

But 5th gear on the 09 FLHTCU 96" i rode with 10k miles on it didnt make hardly any more noise then 4th or 5th gear did which were also pretty quiet.

Scott

I tell you what. jump on the Harley forums for touring bikes and just take a day or 2 looking at the some of the issues. EVERYTIME I even consider buying a Harley, that forum changes my mind completely.

Jclax01 wrote:
I tell you what. jump on the Harley forums for touring bikes and just take a day or 2 looking at the some of the issues. EVERYTIME I even consider buying a Harley, that forum changes my mind completely.

i know,, its hard to pass up the reliability of a yamaha....,, may end up selling the vstar 650 and really modifying gina's roadie for a tourer.. i'll keep yall updated

Victory Cross Country Tour.

Jclax01 wrote:
I tell you what. jump on the Harley forums for touring bikes and just take a day or 2 looking at the some of the issues. EVERYTIME I even consider buying a Harley, that forum changes my mind completely.
===============

Thats true,plenty of issues with HD's ,BUT THEY ARE STILL A MUCH BETTER BIKE THEN THEY WERE YRS BACK.

But your making it seem like the R* is trouble free which by design truely has its own set of issue too !

What you dont take into acct here is there are likely 2x-3x or more HD's sold & on the road for every yami R* sold or on the road so statistically the amount of issues you can have with the HD has to go up due to the fact there are 2-3x more of them produced and sold in the 1st place.

I have owned an 06 R* for the past 6+ yrs along with cruising here in RSC most of the time on a daily basis so i know the common issues many of the R* have from older to newer models but i have to admit in past 25k miles only thing that went bad on my 06 R* was the starter replay,craped out at 5k miles and had to fix bad carb puke at 5k miles too.

But below i will list just a few of the true issues more then a just a few R*'s experience.

* VERY WEAK CHARGING SYSTEM,21amp on early R*'s & 28amps on newer R*

* STATORS & RECTIFIERS BURN OUT

* VERY WEAK SUSPENSION,ESP REAR SHOCK & SPRING THATS GARBAGE

* CARB PUKE WHICH IN A FEW CASES RESULTED IN A TORCHED R*,VERY DANGEROUS & NO RECALL.

& EARLIER R*'S HAD TRANS RECALL FOR DEFECT THAT WOULD LOCKUP THE TRANS/REAR WHEEL WHEN AT CRUISE
SPEED,VERY DANGEROUS.

* DRIVE PULLEY NUT COMES LOOSE DUE TO POOR LOCK DESIGN FOR NUT ,THAT HAS RESULTED IN A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO REPLACE TRASHED OUTPUT SHAFT ,BEARING/SEAL ETC NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY ISSUE THAT ALSO CAUSES ESP WHEN CRUISING 70-80MPH!/NO RECALL THERE EITHER.

* SENDING UNIT FOR FUEL GAUGE CRAPS OUT.

* SOME GUYS STATE THE ORIGINAL ELEC F-PUMPS ARE CRAP & GO PUMPLESS BUT I HAD NO ISSUES AT ALL WITH STOCK F-PUMP,INSULATING THE FUEL SYSTEM FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT FIXED THE CARB PUKE.

* REAR FRAME/LOWER SWINGARM CRACKS

* MORE THEN A FEW HAVE POSTED HERE HAVING THE FT CAMS AND OR LIFTERS GOING BAD ,SOME EVEN HAD A 2ND FAIL!

* EARLIER R* HAD WEAK OIL PUMP DRIVE SHAFT THAT WOULD BREAK CAUSING MOTOR TO LOOSE ALL OIL PRESSURE

* STOCK CLUTCH SPRING IS WEAK RESULTING IN EARLY CLUTCH SLIPPAGE ISSUES.

The truth is they both (HD & R* ) have issues that can be serious but if i had to place a bet for long term reliability i would think the R* would go more miles/yrs without expensive repair or break down then your avg HD.

Scott

Aw, nuts. The older ones are worse?

I had my heart set on a 97 Electra Glide. $6700.

scottw wrote:
Jclax01 wrote:
I tell you what. jump on the Harley forums for touring bikes and just take a day or 2 looking at the some of the issues. EVERYTIME I even consider buying a Harley, that forum changes my mind completely.
===============

Thats true,plenty of issues with HD's ,BUT THEY ARE STILL A MUCH BETTER BIKE THEN THEY WERE YRS BACK.

But your making it seem like the R* is trouble free which by design truely has its own set of issue too !

What you dont take into acct here is there are likely 2x-3x or more HD's sold & on the road for every yami R* sold or on the road so statistically the amount of issues you can have with the HD has to go up due to the fact there are 2-3x more of them produced and sold in the 1st place.

I have owned an 06 R* for the past 6+ yrs along with cruising here in RSC most of the time on a daily basis so i know the common issues many of the R* have from older to newer models but i have to admit in past 25k miles only thing that went bad on my 06 R* was the starter replay,craped out at 5k miles and had to fix bad carb puke at 5k miles too.

But below i will list just a few of the true issues more then a just a few R*'s experience.

* VERY WEAK CHARGING SYSTEM,21amp on early R*'s & 28amps on newer R*

* STATORS & RECTIFIERS BURN OUT

* VERY WEAK SUSPENSION,ESP REAR SHOCK & SPRING THATS GARBAGE

* CARB PUKE WHICH IN A FEW CASES RESULTED IN A TORCHED R*,VERY DANGEROUS & NO RECALL.

& EARLIER R*'S HAD TRANS RECALL FOR DEFECT THAT WOULD LOCKUP THE TRANS/REAR WHEEL WHEN AT CRUISE
SPEED,VERY DANGEROUS.

* DRIVE PULLEY NUT COMES LOOSE DUE TO POOR LOCK DESIGN FOR NUT ,THAT HAS RESULTED IN A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO REPLACE TRASHED OUTPUT SHAFT ,BEARING/SEAL ETC NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY ISSUE THAT ALSO CAUSES ESP WHEN CRUISING 70-80MPH!/NO RECALL THERE EITHER.

* SENDING UNIT FOR FUEL GAUGE CRAPS OUT.

* SOME GUYS STATE THE ORIGINAL ELEC F-PUMPS ARE CRAP & GO PUMPLESS BUT I HAD NO ISSUES AT ALL WITH STOCK F-PUMP,INSULATING THE FUEL SYSTEM FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT FIXED THE CARB PUKE.

* REAR FRAME/LOWER SWINGARM CRACKS

* MORE THEN A FEW HAVE POSTED HERE HAVING THE FT CAMS AND OR LIFTERS GOING BAD ,SOME EVEN HAD A 2ND FAIL!

* EARLIER R* HAD WEAK OIL PUMP DRIVE SHAFT THAT WOULD BREAK CAUSING MOTOR TO LOOSE ALL OIL PRESSURE

* STOCK CLUTCH SPRING IS WEAK RESULTING IN EARLY CLUTCH SLIPPAGE ISSUES.

The truth is they both (HD & R* ) have issues that can be serious but if i had to place a bet for long term reliability i would think the R* would go more miles/yrs without expensive repair or break down then your avg HD.

Scott

This is definitely the truth scott weather the people on this forum want to admit it or not. I agree with you that the newer generation harleys are much better designed than the older ones and definitly out handle the roadstars with better shocks and ground clearence!

I test rode a 2015 road glide special the other day and I will be damed I was working extremely hard to make those floor boards scrape and couldn't do it. I drag my floor boards and crash bar all over town because the ground clearance absolutely sucks on my roadstar and thats a stock harley vs a roadstar with upgraded springs, fork oil, and a roadwing. The road glide speacial also had plenty of power and great wind protection too.... I ALMOST bought it lol maybe in a coule years when I can pay 15K cash for a low mileage used one vs 25K for a brand new one!

I had an 05 Ultra Classic and an 05 Roadglide. I liked how the Roadglide hanled better than the Ultra. They are both great bikes. I'm sure by now you've read that the Harleys take more maintainance then other bikes. One of the most expensive bikes out there. There are a ton of Harley's out there. I have a friend who bought a beautiful anniversary 03 Ultra Classic for 8200.

Several people mentioned the Venture - it is basically indestructtable and will run circles around the Ultra. They are a bit harder to handle in town as they are top heavy. I've owned two of these. If you look - you can find some great prices on the Venture..

If you can gett past the looks - the Victory Vision is a great bike. Have never met an owner who regretted it.

I just picked up a 2011 Kawasaki Voyager. As I rode it the 170 miles home- I forot how much nicer these touring bikes are on the road than the Road Star. Wow - what a ride!!! The Voyager runs a bit hot like the Harleys. This is my second one. A lot of guys run engine ice in them whch helps to cool it down. The heat from the engine doesn't bother me here in Iowa. It might if I lived down south.

With that said - I am thankful for all the choices we have today. In your shopping don't look past the other touring bikes. The Harley will be a great ride - especially if you keep a second bike for scooting around. Good luck!

Godlover wrote:
I had an 05 Ultra Classic and an 05 Roadglide. I liked how the Roadglide hanled better than the Ultra. They are both great bikes. I'm sure by now you've read that the Harleys take more maintainance then other bikes. One of the most expensive bikes out there. There are a ton of Harley's out there. I have a friend who bought a beautiful anniversary 03 Ultra Classic for 8200.

Several people mentioned the Venture - it is basically indestructtable and will run circles around the Ultra. They are a bit harder to handle in town as they are top heavy. I've owned two of these. If you look - you can find some great prices on the Venture..

If you can gett past the looks - the Victory Vision is a great bike. Have never met an owner who regretted it.

I just picked up a 2011 Kawasaki Voyager. As I rode it the 170 miles home- I forot how much nicer these touring bikes are on the road than the Road Star. Wow - what a ride!!! The Voyager runs a bit hot like the Harleys. This is my second one. A lot of guys run engine ice in them whch helps to cool it down. The heat from the engine doesn't bother me here in Iowa. It might if I lived down south.

With that said - I am thankful for all the choices we have today. In your shopping don't look past the other touring bikes. The Harley will be a great ride - especially if you keep a second bike for scooting around. Good luck!

well said, i would consider a kawie voyager if a good used one showed up

I had a 2006 Road Silverado and rode it nearly 40,000 miles. I had most of the usual issues, steering head bearings, clutch spring, etc. It was a great bike. About 4 years ago I purchased a 2007 Ultra Classic from friend and have ridden it 23,000 miles. It had a minor fuel issue related to a sensor and went stranded me, but other than that it has been trouble free. I have 50,000 miles on it and plan to ride it to death. I find the Ultra very comfortable for long distance rides. I can easily go 180 miles non stop and then need fuel. The "death wobble" that others are talking about I believe is related to worn tires and misaligned rear wheels. I personally have had my Ultra to over 100 and never experienced any wobble. My Roady on the other hand wobbled on decal when the front tire began getting worn. I like my 07 Ultra so much I purchased a 2014 Ultra Limited and without hesitation say it is the best touring bike I have ever ridden. It is head and shoulders above the 07, both are good the 14 is just much better. Brakes, Frame, seating, space and all the other upgrades make it worth going to a 14 or newer. The Infotinment system is amazing. I can push the Harley harder without touching down. The Roady got ground on both sides pretty fast. I had upgraded the suspension and it still hit much earlier than the Harley.
Not sure I am helping, it really comes down to what you like and can afford. Personally the cruise control for long trips is worth the investment. If you have specific questions let me know. I have owned, ridden, and wrenched on both.