| Author | Message | ||
     Maru |
Anybody been hearing of orange peel paint issues and noisey engines. Mechanically loud? | ||
| 2tracksam |
Looked a brand new out of crate Road Glide Ultra this past weekend. Lots of orange peel on the front fender. Bike was silver with blue stripes, really surprised me. There was also a Road King that has been sitting there for months with a burgundy metal flake and there was a run in the rear fender, subtle unless the light hit the flake. | ||
| Ithaca280 |
Yes, I have a very large Harley dealer on my route, the techs and sales people both are complaining of poor paint and build quality. | ||
| Maru |
It seems that some effort is being made to cut costs and the quality is beginning to suffer. A good friend was all set to trade one of his bikes for an brand new 2011 big twin and after he test rode the new one he decided to keep what he had. He said the engine had a great deal of mechanical noise, enough so he chose not to buy it. | ||
| Maru |
Yes, I have been hearing complaints of paint issues, orange peel, runs, small dents and a lack of willingness to address these kind of things if the owner complains after the sale. I have also been hearing that some of the engines have been unusually mechanically noisy. Bad enough that a friend of mine was all set to buy and changed his mind after a test ride. | ||
| Glitch |
a lack of willingness to address these kind of things if the owner complains after the sale. So H-D dealerships are treating H-D customers the way most treated Buell customers? Sounds like they're well on the road to recovery :P | ||
| Bikemakr |
'It seems that some effort is being made to cut costs and the quality is beginning to suffer.' Flashback to the AMF days... | ||
| Greatnorthrider |
I just got this from another forum I haunt. This is directly from a guy on the line in York. “I'm still working at Harley-Davidson in York, PA, building mediocre overpriced motorcycles. Probably be there for another couple of months before I get laid off. (yeah, a little bitter!) As soon as that happens, I'm movin...” “Alot of people are making a big deal about the new "plant" in India. It really just a re-assembly operation to save tariffs on the bikes. There has been the same type of operation in Brazil for years. What really sucks is that everything that was made in York is now outsourced. 1000 jobs down the drain, including mine. Chrome, machining, pressing, etc. All I hope is that it comes back and bites them in the ass. They've given up control of so many products and processes, its inevitable. Its starting already and we cheer and clap everytime the line goes down because we've run out of something. sorry, enough bitterness for now!” “Alot of the chrome parts are coming from Lincoln Nebraska and some from Canada. I think that will change in a year or so. If you look at the Screamin Eagle chrome parts at the dealer, it all comes from Taiwan. Do the math! Not sure where the machined parts are coming from but the fork brackets look like crap so I can only imagine.” Yes, he sounds a little bitter, but that doesn't change the fact that HD sound like they are really screwing up. Sad to see the downfall of the brand! | ||
| Phwx2 |
Maybe Buell will be able to buy his name back from the bankruptcy court once this goes to its ultimate conclusion. | ||
| Fast2win |
Went thru a Harley dealer today just to check out the rumers of poor build quality paint issue's etc. And from what I've seen their quality is stiil there. Not happy how Buell got hosed, but they do build High quality bikes, and compaered to others they still look like the best fit and finish details etc. | ||
| Bcmike |
Harleys might look the best but did you ride a new model? I took out a 2010 Dyna Superglide Custom, an absolutely gorgeous cruiser. Not a flaw visually but as for power, suspension and brakes it was pathetic. It seemed to me these important features were compromised in favor of styling. What made this obvious to me was a comparison to the Triumph Thunderbird 1600 I test rode afterward. Same money, far better on the road. | ||
| Saxon59 |
Bcmike,I read an article in CycleWorld(I think)comparing the Triumph Thunderbird to the H-D Wide Glide w/96c.i. The T-Bird had more torque just above idle than the H-D had at it's peak!It also had more power,better handling and better brakes.The only thing they liked better about the Wide Glide was the styling. | ||
| Ulyranger |
"The only thing they liked better about the Wide Glide was the styling" That is EXACTLY what corporate H-D has pinned their future on.......good luck with that. | ||
| Sprintst |
I personally think ditching Buell will be the end of Harley. Now I just bought a Buell last week, but I'm the target market - high income, 45 y/o white male I have no interest in any models Harley makes. The Night Rod is nice looking, but I want handling and braking. Buell had me interested in Harley for the 1st time in my life, and then Harley pulled the plug. Their customer base is aging and will die. I talked a friend into a Buell a couple months ago, he helped talk me into one, and he just bought a 2nd Buell. Neither of us would ever buy a Harley. Stopped at a couple dealers lately helping my friend find a Buell, and I was very impressed with the look, fit and finish on the Harleys. (Message edited by sprintst on January 12, 2011) | ||
| Oysterman |
Sprintst... My thoughts exactly!!! I've always been on yamahas & kawis. NEVER had any interest in a Harley. In fact my friends & I used to make fun of them. Now I'm approaching my late 30's and finding that I'm not as flexible as I used to be, but more important I'm not so concerned about having the latest greatest fastest motorcycle out there. So I sold my R1 and bought a Buell. I now have 5 of them!! Point is, I finally set foot in a Harley dealer & looked around, but only because of buell. I wonder how many customers Harley earned because of buell, and how many future customers they've now lost?? I can now admit that within the next 10 yrs or so I'll be ready for a cruiser. Will it be a Harley?? Nope, not now.... It'll probably be a Star or a Vulcan.... | ||
| Ekunyvan |
"I can now admit that within the next 10 yrs or so I'll be ready for a cruiser. Will it be a Harley?? Nope, not now.... It'll probably be a Star or a Vulcan...." When I buy a cruiser (another 10 yrs or more since I'm 31) It'll be a Victory. Still American made, way better specs AND STYLING than HD and if Polaris' quality in snowmobiles & atv's is any indication then they're quality bikes too. | ||
| Saxon59 |
I find it interesting that you "young" guys say you will buy a cruiser when you get older.I road various bikes when I was younger(what ever I could afford)I then bought my first Harley when I was about 22 yrs.old. I road Harleys for about 18 yrs.When I bought my Buell in '97,I found that I could ride farther on it than on my '92 Heritage Softtail(I have a lower back problem)I sold the Harley and will stay off cruisers. | ||
| Saxon59 |
BTW I'm 51 yrs. old now. | ||
| Bcmike |
That's a very good point Saxon. My current Uly and previous Cyclone are both more comfortable and easier to ride than any of the four Harleys I once owned. (more fun too!) I'm 57 and can't see any cruisers in my future. | ||
| 2tracksam |
It took me two sets of bars (ended up with Heritage Softail bars), one Mustang saddle, shift and brake extenders, cruise, and satellite radio to make my Road King as comfortable on a 500 mile day as my Uly did when it came from East Troy. Maybe HD figured out that the chrome tax revenues were too low - hmmmm. | ||
| Mog |
OK.....That is IT! Everybody on this page graduates from Business School with a Masters Degree. Especially the Uly, Buells directly threatened the idea of the cruiser as sanctified by HD as the long ride. comfort machine. I knew it on the 500 mile trip to the first Daytona running the 1125R in 2008. The Uly out sped, handled, milaged and comfort classed the bigger bikes. Those who swapped and rode it said it time after time. Most HOGs are not happy that Buell is no longer there at HD but the HOG folks are CONTENT with the final play of the hand. Their world is still intact. Apathy, dear folks, is akin to the slow kiss of death. For every Uly sold HD FELT they had lost a "Glide" type sale (between 7 & 10 grand a pop). Their business instinct, unsustainable. Stuck in the box thinking. Once again, you folks have nailed it  } | ||
| Triumphguy |
The dealers and them alone were responsible for me payin cash for a Speedtriple instead of an XB. I will NEVER step foot in another HD dealership. | ||
| Rbbiggs |
""The dealers and them alone were responsible for me payin cash for a Speedtriple instead of an XB. I will NEVER step foot in another HD dealership."" So why are you on the Buell forums? Just to bash HD ? | ||
| Patches |
"So why are you on the Buell forums? Just to bash HD ?"............. "Once again, you folks have nailed it"  | ||
| 03fatboy |
I have an 03 Fatboy, I thought was relatively comfortable to ride in a distance. Now I have an 1125r, and find it no worse in the distances than the Fatboy is. I am 40 bought the 25r last year and have not touched the HD since. Need to sell that lump. | ||
| Fan66ford |
I hear you 03fatboy! I bought an XB9 and my Bad Boy just sits now! I'm 48 and thought the Springer was the greatest thing... | ||
| Jak49 |
I bought my first Buell (2004 Firebolt XB12R) and my wideglide collected dust. I am now on my third Buell (2008 1125R) and I ain't looking back. Got rid of the ships anchor and have no desire to own another piece of outdated Milwaukee lead!  | ||
| Phwx2 |
Rode my first HD summer 1983 at fort L wood Mo in basic training. It was a TI's bike and someone had to ride it back from the range after the TI rode the ambulance back. I hadn't ridden many street bikes and thought it didn't handle as well as I'd thought a street bike should. So when I bought my first street bike it was a 1963 Bonni 650. Wire actuated drum breaks. Still at better ride than the 82 sportser. Then in 04, I sold the Bonni and now the XB9s is it. I want to try an 1125r - I'll probably get hooked. I'm 46 - I don't see HD in my future any more than I see a 1972 Caddy in my future. Basically, they are the same - over priced, over weight, chromed junk. Buell was an AAR Cuda - a thing of Beauty. | ||
| Sprintst |
well I'm 47, out of shape and fat. Love my 1125R Oh, and the buddy I mentioned? Just bought a 3rd Buell (Message edited by sprintst on July 03, 2011) | ||
| Madduck |
I traded in an 04 heritage softtail and an xr sporster on an 2011 Road Glide. It is without a doubt the finest Harely I have ever owned. Build and paint are better than ever. The 1125R make quite a companion to the big FLTRX. The dealer has had next to no complaints on any of the models other than it is hard to get some colcor combinations. Maybe one reason HD is rolling out the 2012 models this week to dealers. | ||
| Davec629 |
I wonder if Buell could line up a deal with Victory? | ||
| Fan66ford |
Davec629, Interesting comment. I have been wondering that myself. Erik might be appreciated there... | ||
| Stwings |
Check out this guys rant! http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html | ||
| Sparky |
Ha Ha, funny article but it must've been written in the '90s because the indignant wannabe three tooth hill scoggin that wrote it proves his ignorance by not bothering to find out how to spell "Erik" Buell and that Erik's latest bikes don't use H-D engines anymore and are, indeed, competing against the Japanese, Italians and Germans in, for now, AMA Superbike. |
