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Is This For Real??

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  • Jo
    Jo
    6 years ago
    As part of my process of back-grounding Harley's before I part with my hard earned cash, I stumbled across this article. Scared myself silly reading this blog by James Russell Publishing; titled "Before You Buy A Harley Davidson Motorcycle - Engine Defects - You Need To Read This Article!" http://www.jamesrussellpublishing.biz/beforeyoubuyharley.html It relates to Twin 88 Harley's.
    Talk about doom and gloom and utterly negative. I stopped reading after Point 42. As a prospective first time buyer the burning question is.... how much is true? Is it a case of a guy ranting due to bad experiences, or someone genuinely concerned with inherent design faults?
  • Jayman6
    Jayman6
    6 years ago
    Ahhh the James Russell article. I wondered if that was still around. He goes off chops about the cam chain tensioners on twinkies and massively rates the sporty evo engine. His info is out of date, as previously mentioned, the cam chain tensioner thing got sorted. Don’t let yourself get swayed by that article Jo. I remember reading that before I got my bike, none of these probs ever happened.
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    6 years ago
    Aye Jo,
    remember in the day Fredflintstone era, 16 years old, when I got my purple A10 BSA 650 with a squeeze horn, I did think does that sqeeze horn really work? 
    Bought  A10, from bloody cousin, I rebuilt the bloody thing, cranky barstead, (Now- they had an oil pump problem, too..... Speaking outta school here!) and going well with sqeeze horn operating beautifully, and then  he wanted to buy back.  What do you do... I am a softie, so sold back, after hard work, and great sqeeze horn.
    So the morale of the story is you just never know if ya sqeeze horn is upta scratch or not, aye. 
    Anything is only as good as you make it, unless it is total fuckup to strart with, I do not think Harley Davidsons Twin Cam comes into that cat.
    Go for it mate, cheap as now.
  • Jo
    Jo
    6 years ago
    Please correct me if I'm wrong (and I often am!) but ........ from what I've read Harley didn't fix the cam chain problem in the 1999-2006 model range. It was addressed onwards from the 2007 models. And according to that Russell article it only seems to postpone the problem, not completely fix it. But that's a separate issue.

    And it's the 1999-2006 Road King/Electra Glide range I'm particularly interested in, given my budget and what I've seen on offer to date. :) Over the past 6 months I've looked closely at 5 bikes that have captured my interest. 3 RD's and 2 EG's. All around 40-50,000 k's; 2003-2006 year range. All had various levels of service documentation. But not one had any info on addressing/checking the cam chain tensioner. Only one was a private sale, middle aged guy selling due to 'family' pressure. When asked about the cam chain he professed wasn't aware there was a problem! Gotta wonder about the people servicing the bike!

    But cam chain issues aside, what about all the other issues raised in Russell's article? Are they no more than scare mongering, or normal wear and tear? Admittedly much of what is mentioned should be covered in regular servicing and checks. But looking over the service copies I've kept from the bikes I've test ridden, not one has been serviced at regular 8,000k intervals. It's all very hodge podged.

    I'm beginning to think that a good quality, cared for 2nd hand HD doesn't exist.
  • Hoodeng
    Hoodeng
    6 years ago
    I have been in this business long enough now to have heard ,doom ,gloom, litigation rights ,personal injury due to stupidity being rewarded ,think of something that tells you you are an idiot if you buy something , it has all been said before .Who in their right mind buys a Harley after reading that?????. Mind you ,if you employ them to wave their magic wand over your bike you will be in nirvana.

    There are production changes that are carried out in the quest for economy versus durability ,if you feel Harley is in the business of a single minded vision re; ripping of prospective buyers with their planned obsolescence and built in guaranteed failures  , easy , don't buy it !

    When Harley built the 1903 with the tomato can carburetor, that did leak and on occasion make a warm to hot flame type substance issue from parts that should not have flame near them ,i'm sure they were onto something ,re; the theft from buyers, and obsolescence of product foremost in their minds. That they have honed their skills on that with every year of manufacture to the point now you should go into a dealership ,pay for the bike ,then not take it home because it will surely fail ,means 100% success in their business model.

    So, why did i buy a Harley ? was it a chick magnet ?did it make my dick bigger? did it give me the right to flaunt traffic rules? did it allow me not to wash for weeks? did i want to be a professional victim? did i want my friends to think i was some kind of cool  dude?

    Sadly, no, when i am by myself in the middle of nowhere ticking along ,i feel good.

    Cheers.
  • mickle
    mickle
    6 years ago
    I know many HD riders and out of that group maybe only 1 that I can think of doesn't maintain and service their bikes, so in saying that
    their are shit loads of pre loved and maintained HDs out their, maybe you don't know what your looking at.
  • steelo
    steelo
    6 years ago
    Please Jo... I read that article many years ago. I raised it on the forum and had my fears quieted then by members and also at my local Harley Mechanic. I still have my 2003 soft tail Deuce going strong at 105k (up from 17k then). Prob get the tensioner looked at next service.
    As far as no second hand well maintained bikes. That couldn't be further from the truth.
    You've probably come to the wrong place if you want your fears confirmed beyond all doubt.
    If at all still worried, get a Honda.
  • Jo
    Jo
    6 years ago
    I certainly don't want my fears confirmed! I want them reassured. :)
    And I currently have a Honda, with 133,000k's on it. Lol.
  • JFE
    JFE
    6 years ago
    Like a secondhand car, if the owner can’t get it serviced as per recommended intervals (and as plenty of riders do, change the engine oil at 1/2 that), keep looking. 
    The right one will pop up eventually with the right paperwork.
  • chriso
    chriso
    6 years ago
    Jo, I think your overthinking it, the twin cams are a very reliable bike.
    I bought my softy with 59 thou on it going like a dream, put 75 thou hard ks on my fatbob stage 4 hassle free. Bought my roadking with 63 thou on it then rode to Alice springs and back from Canberra .
    Every mate I know rides one and not one of em has ever gone on the back of a ute on a run.
    Don’t listen to the doom and gloomers, they are everywhere with everything.
    Me and all my mates have had nothing but good experiences and we always on the road.
    You want a harley matey, go buy one. If it’s a late model twinky, you won’t have a worry.
  • STEAMER
    STEAMER
    6 years ago
    Quoting chriso on 12 Aug 2018 06:56 AM

    Jo, I think your overthinking it, the twin cams are a very reliable bike.

    I bought my softy with 59 thou on it going like a dream, put 75 thou hard ks on my fatbob stage 4 hassle free. Bought my roadking with 63 thou on it then rode to Alice springs and back from Canberra .
    Every mate I know rides one and not one of em has ever gone on the back of a ute on a run.
    Don’t listen to the doom and gloomers, they are everywhere with everything.
    Me and all my mates have had nothing but good experiences and we always on the road.
    You want a harley matey, go buy one. If it’s a late model twinky, you won’t have a worry.

    + 1 , on what Chriso & Mickle have said. I have a 2011 FXST, now has  over 50,000km of trouble free riding.  Ridden around Oz in 2015 towing trailer Uneventful apart from a puncture at Katherine NT.
  • Jo
    Jo
    6 years ago

    Y'know Chriso I think you're right.

    I'm getting so caught up in what 'might' happen, as well as frustrated with the lack of service history on the bikes I've looked at, that it's stopped being fun. Need to step back, take a breath and just go slow. If it takes months, then it takes months. :)

  • Sparra
    Sparra
    6 years ago
    A lot of Harley people service there own bikes so service history might be hard to come by in the written form. 
  • Jayman6
    Jayman6
    6 years ago
    I would even go so far as suggesting that the owner-serviced bikes are in many cases probably serviced more fastidiously than dealer serviced bikes Jo. 
    The dealer services can often be rush jobs or apprentice jobs or a combo of both. 

  • chriso
    chriso
    6 years ago
    Yep spot on fellas.
    I’ve always serviced mine every 4000 ks as opposed to the recommended 8000 by harley.. have a lot of mates do the same

  • R2D2
    R2D2
    6 years ago
    Another Twin Cam recall , how many is that now ? 
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    6 years ago
    Me too, (every 4-5000klm) regarding servicing my own bike. Also write down exactly what was done and what the mileage and date was at the time. Even note the mileage when fitting new tyres, wheel bearing failure ect etc just for my own interest.
  • JFE
    JFE
    6 years ago
    Quoting R2D2 on 12 Aug 2018 09:08 AM

    Another Twin Cam recall , how many is that now ? 

    Bit less than M8?
  • JFE
    JFE
    6 years ago
    Quoting chriso on 12 Aug 2018 09:06 AM

    Yep spot on fellas.

    I’ve always serviced mine every 4000 ks as opposed to the recommended 8000 by harley.. have a lot of mates do the same

    +1 and keep receipts etc.
  • brucefxdl
    brucefxdl
    6 years ago
    Quoting Far Canal on 12 Aug 2018 09:12 AMedited: 12 Aug 2018 09:13 AM

    Me too, (every 4-5000klm) regarding servicing my own bike. Also write down exactly what was done and what the mileage and date was at the time. Even note the mileage when fitting new tyres, wheel bearing failure ect etc just for my own interest.

    same here fc.
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