Harley/Stelvio trade

[Rich A]

I just saw a ad for someone in northern NM looking to trade a Road King for a Stelvio. Thought I'd pass the link along:

http://santafe.craigslist.org/mcy/5254022293.html

Rich A

[Lannis]

Might be more cross-over than you think between the two .... We have folks here who sure are fans of the Road King ....

[normzone]

Not a Harley guy myself, and I lack the depth of experience you lads have, but a coworker has a retired cop model 2003 Road King, and it's only the second Harley I've ever met that makes me go " I'd own one of those "...

[Lannis]

Not a Harley guy myself, and I lack the depth of experience you lads have, but a coworker has a retired cop model 2003 Road King, and it's only the second Harley I've ever met that makes me go " I'd own one of those "...

I'll bet the Harley doesn't need to have its tappets replaced ... hmmm .....

Lannis

[Kev m]

I'll bet the Harley doesn't need to have its tappets replaced ... hmmm .....

Lannis

Only just... If it was an 06 or earlier TC88 instead of an 07+ TC96 then it would have needed a similarly expensive upgrade for a blown design. About $1600 in parts for a new oil pump, timing chains, hydraulic tensioners, camshafts, adjustable pushrods and new tubes (so the old ones can be cut away and the job done without removing the rocker boxes).

[Nic in Western NYS]

Not a big Harley fan but the Road King is gorgeous.  Can you set one up with rider pegs instead of floorboards?

[Kev m]

Not a big Harley fan but the Road King is gorgeous.  Can you set one up with rider pegs instead of floorboards?

I don't recall ever having seen it done or any readily available off the shelf parts.

FWIW, you MIGHT be surprised how nice the boards are.

They do allow for a lot of different foot/leg positions, so they greatly add to comfort.

And to be realistic, they likely aren't taking any real world cornering away even if they are what scrapes first.

But I'm sure it could be done with enough commitment.

[Tobit]

Road Kings and Road Glides are gorgeous motorcycles.  Seeing and hearing one triggers a month-long case of lust.

Last Friday, driving to Nashville for a conference an RG passed me at 80+ with a nice rumble.  Got me thinking about it again.  I'd pass on the chaps, straight leg pegs and WWII German helmet though.

Tobit

[radguzzi]

We bought an Electra Glide new in 2013, Sue Ellen really digs the comfort and I have long admired the big engine...
I have left the exhaust completly stock and it still makes a satisfying sound to me, I do not like loud cans.

Funny too, as we have the HD and Guzzis in the same garage.  I just sold the '09 Stelvio and will replace it with a newwer model, 2013 or 14...  or maybe an R1200 RT... 

radzo___

[LowRyter]

I think the RK is pretty nice no frilld touring bike.  I like the Cal 14 quite a bit better. 

I did run across a fellow with one that told me the oil pump failed at 20k miles and the motor company gave him $1000 "good will" to against a $4k repair bill.  The guy was a professional welder and criticized the bike's workmanship. 

Best I can tell, the old Evo was probably their most reliable engine but I am told the company no longer provides full support for it which sounds crazy.  Perhaps the aftermarket takes care of it?

[Kev m]

Low,

What have you heard about reduced support for the EVO?

Did they drop the EVO BT from their factory remanufacture program?

I mean, if that's the case up till recently they would still accept an EVO BT back to the factory to perform a complete teardown and rebuild. That was pretty amazing considering the newest one was what at least a decade and a half old.

You got me to look:

http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/owners/engines.html

Looks like they STILL SELL complete EVO CRATE ENGINES, but don't have the rebuild or long block program for them.

Meh, I bet S&S still sells their complete EVO engine replacements (and they were probably all better built/upgraded) anyway.

[Charles in Lake Charles]

Some local dealers won't work on evo harleys.

[LowRyter]

Low,

What have you heard about reduced support for the EVO?

Did they drop the EVO BT from their factory remanufacture program?

I mean, if that's the case up till recently they would still accept an EVO BT back to the factory to perform a complete teardown and rebuild. That was pretty amazing considering the newest one was what at least a decade and a half old.

You got me to look:

http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/owners/engines.html

Looks like they STILL SELL complete EVO CRATE ENGINES, but don't have the rebuild or long block program for them.

Meh, I bet S&S still sells their complete EVO engine replacements (and they were probably all better built/upgraded) anyway.

Guys with the bikes & one mechanic I know tell me that (some of?) the dealers don't service EVOs anymore.

At least one rider told me he asked for a primary gasket for his '91 Sportster and the dealer told him "good luck". 

I must say it's hard for me to believe but I've heard it from several riders.  Perhaps it's just the local dealers?

[LowRyter]

Some local dealers won't work on evo harleys.

OK,  same thing I heard.  They must've built millions of them.  I don't get it.

[Kev m]

That's weird.

Not surprising sadly, but weird.

I mean the same thing happened to the Ironheads and Shovelheads about a decade ago give or take.

But still.

[arveno]

Only just... If it was an 06 or earlier TC88 instead of an 07+ TC96 then it would have needed a similarly expensive upgrade for a blown design. About $1600 in parts for a new oil pump, timing chains, hydraulic tensioners, camshafts, adjustable pushrods and new tubes (so the old ones can be cut away and the job done without removing the rocker boxes).

1600 usd ???? nooooo 

S&S cam gear kit will take care of it , no need to replace oil  pump .been there done that myself , easy peasy.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-S-Cycle-509G-Gear-Drive-Camshaft-Cam-Kit-Harley-Davidson-99-06-509-330-0017-/361243194345?hash=item541bc5b3e9&vxp=mtr

[Rough Edge racing]

Guys with the bikes & one mechanic I know tell me that (some of?) the dealers don't service EVOs anymore.

At least one rider told me he asked for a primary gasket for his '91 Sportster and the dealer told him "good luck". 

I must say it's hard for me to believe but I've heard it from several riders.  Perhaps it's just the local dealers?

 Typical Harley negative BS. And if the dealer really said that, he just lost another customer....The Harley aftermarket is huge, like a Chevy V8 ,you can buy any part in various degrees of quality...

[cognosticator]

In May of this year I bought a 2003 Heritage Classic  TC88.  Later I have found out that the cam tensioner is known to explode causing an expensive repair.  I looked at mine and it looks great with the bike only at 23,000 miles but it will cost around $700 to put a hydraulic tensioner on it.

[JeffOlson]

Here's a bike I was considering trading in my Norge on (before it became "deceased," and before my wife urged me to get a car instead):



I really like the new Road Kings, and they sound tremendous stock.

[Kev m]

1600 usd ???? nooooo 

S&S cam gear kit will take care of it , no need to replace oil  pump .been there done that myself , easy peasy.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-S-Cycle-509G-Gear-Drive-Camshaft-Cam-Kit-Harley-Davidson-99-06-509-330-0017-/361243194345?hash=item541bc5b3e9&vxp=mtr

True, that's an option.

I was simply quoting for the OEM system with the new pump etc. (maybe that's with labor too).

[LowRyter]

Typical Harley negative BS. And if the dealer really said that, he just lost another customer....The Harley aftermarket is huge, like a Chevy V8 ,you can buy any part in various degrees of quality...

yeah, I know.  With so many bikes and so many after market parts, it makes no sense to turn down the business and piss off Harley loyalists.  I really don't get it but that's what they tell me.

[cwiseman]

We get quite a bit of H-D business, many Harley dealers cut off service on bike 10+ years old. I'll also agree the EVO was one of their best engines, throw some Edelbrock heads and a good cam in them and WOW what a motor. My old 86 FLH has those parts and a 88 big bore kit. It's nasty mean and will eat much larger engines for lunch. Keep a stock stoke so the bastard will rev. Also it handles like crap and therefore hasn't been ride much in the last 5 years.

[jumpmaster]

I'll bet the Harley doesn't need to have its tappets replaced ... hmmm .....

Lannis

Actually, I had a tappet replaced under warranty last fall on my barely broken-in Harley last fall!

[Chuck in Indiana]

Guys with the bikes & one mechanic I know tell me that (some of?) the dealers don't service EVOs anymore.

At least one rider told me he asked for a primary gasket for his '91 Sportster and the dealer told him "good luck". 

I must say it's hard for me to believe but I've heard it from several riders.  Perhaps it's just the local dealers?

Nothing new, really. Harley Bob rode out with me to the 04 Guzzi nats in S.D. He was on a 92 softtail, and the voltage regulator lost it's magic smoke. Pulled into a Harley dealer, and they said they didn't work on bikes over 10 years old. (!!) Lost a complete day calling around to find one and install it.  So much for the motor companies legendary service network.

[charlie b]

Well, this all burst my bubble.  Here I stupidly thought HD would work on any HD of any year.  Wow.

No wonder there are so many independent HD shops out there.

[rocker59]

The dealerships don't work on old bikes, but there are plenty of independent shops that do.  And the aftermarket support is huge. 

There is a great independent HD shop two blocks from the local big box Harley superstore here.

You ride into the dealer on an old bike for service, and they'll send you down the street to the independent shop.

[Kev m]

Nothing new, really. Harley Bob rode out with me to the 04 Guzzi nats in S.D. He was on a 92 softtail, and the voltage regulator lost it's magic smoke. Pulled into a Harley dealer, and they said they didn't work on bikes over 10 years old. (!!) Lost a complete day calling around to find one and install it.  So much for the motor companies legendary service network.

That does suck. Still not for nothing, that's not a 10 y/o bike, that's a 23 y/o bike.

It IS approaching antique status.

[Chuck in Indiana]

That does suck. Still not for nothing, that's not a 10 y/o bike, that's a 23 y/o bike.

It IS approaching antique status.

It was a 12 year old bike when this happened. Get your head in the game, son..
And...
Not even having a voltage regulator in stock?

[Kev m]

It was a 12 year old bike when this happened. Get your head in the game, son..
And...
Not even having a voltage regulator in stock?

Oh yeah, missed that "04 Nats" - then that was just a fluke. Because in that same time frame I've seen plenty of EVOs still serviced at dealers.

Now the not having the regulator in stock sadly doesn't surprise me. But that's become the norm for a lot of dealerships (not just Harley). They don't keep (and pay) on inventory that they can get in a few days notice.

Sucks... but it's life.

[leafman60]

I'll bet the Harley doesn't need to have its tappets replaced ... hmmm .....

Lannis

Touche'!!!!

I was waiting for an enlightened person to offer such a comment!


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