Owner Survey Harley-Davidson 74 And 80
OWNER SURVEY HARLEY-DAVIDSON 74 and 80
How Do You Evaluate a State of Mind?
This is a Harley survey. So forget rationality. Forget acceleration times, weight, stopping distance, cornering clearance, vibration level, horse-power and all the other conventional means of comparing motorcycles. They don’t apply. Using those criteria to judge a Harley would be missing the point-like judging a painting by whether it matches your wall paper.
Appraising a Harley-Davidson requires a different approach, one based on a gutlevel reaction to the presence of the machine, the massive styling, the thundering exhaust note and, of course, the overall Harley image. As one rider told us. “Its a state of mind."
We can't measure a state of mind or put a value on it. but we can ask Harley riders what they think about their machines and whether the Harley image has substance.
Eighty-six Harley-Davidson owners answered our questions, 81 with 1200-cc 74s and five with 1340cc 80s (We didn't ask for survey forms on the 80s. but when they came in. we decided to use them anyway because they are so similar to the 74s).
The models include five FLH (ElectraGlide) and FXS (Low Rider) 80s, eight FXS 74s, three Fat Bobs. 38 FLH and FEHS 74s, 25 FXE and FXEB Super Glides, two police models, a 1964 panhead (Current models are shovelheads.), six unspecified model 74s and three knuckleheads dating from 1932, 1939 and 1940. Seventy seven percent were bought new.
Even the older Harleys see regular use. but despite the Harley’s reputation as a long-distance machine, touring isn't the most popular use. Pleasure riding (76 percent) comes first, then touring (66 percent), with commuting and transportation close
behind (65 percent). In comparison. 76 percent of the BMWs and 90 percent of the Honda GL 1000s are used for touring. Two of the Harleys are drag raced and one is used in parades with the Shriners.
Whatever the use, Harleys add up the miles at an average rate. The new bikes average 14.000 miles on the odo, with individual figures as high as 141,000 miles. The used bikes have covered an average of 16.500 miles, so overall, the Harleys average 14.600 miles, close to the GL1Ö00, but way behind the BMWs (21.000 miles). Almost 1.200.000 miles have been covered by the bikes in this survey.
Some riders cover up to 36.000 miles per year, but the average is about 8500 miles per year, higher than some of the bikes we’ve surveyed, but lower than others. Fuel economy figures are excellent for such a large bike, ranging from 27 to 65 mpg. w ith> an average of 45 mpg. a figure comparable to the smaller and lighter R75 and R80 BMWs.
If you think Harley riders ride hard, think again. According to our survey replies. Harley riders have the gentlest riding style we’ve seen, even gentler than the Honda GL1000 riders. Exactly half the Harley owners have an average riding style and 16 percent ride gentler than average. Thirty two percent ride moderately hard and only 2 percent ride very hard. According to one rider, “Riding comes natural, but don’t venture into the supernatural (fast twisty-turnies).” Another said, “You cannot ride this bike to your limits, you must ride it to its limits.”
The Harley-Davidson owners replying to our survey do less of their own mechanical work than the owners of any of the other bikes surveyed except the G L 1000. Thirty percent always do their own work. 39 percent usually take care of repairs themselves, 26 percent sometimes do and 5 percent never work on their machines.
The owners are split on the subject of ease of maintenance. Half the ow ners say the Harley is very easy to work on and tell us, “ . . .it can be kept running w ith baling wire and a Crescent wrench.” Nine percent of the owners (the highest number so far on our surveys) hold the opposing viewpoint and call the maintenance difficult. “If you’re not a wrench, don't buy a Harley.” one told us. The remaining 41 percent say maintaining a Harley is of average difficulty.
For other than routine maintenance, one owner told us, “ . . .a pat on the tank occasionally will keep it running for a long time.” Twenty one percent of the owners would agree, telling us their bikes have needed no repairs. On the remaining bikes, brakes (12 percent) led the list of repairs, followed by the starter (9 percent), miscellaneous switches (8 percent) and valve problems (7 percent). Five percent each had to fix the alternator, the voltage regulator or repair cracks in the gas tank and 3 percent each needed reboring, complete overhauls or speedometer or carburetor repairs.
Maintenance problems on the Harleys (“ . . . even a Sherman Tank has limitations.”) include chain adjustment and brakes ( 1976 78 models) with 6 percent each, electrical problems (5 percent) and vibration and difficulty in setting the ignition timing or changing tires (3 percent each).
The most common hints are the usual ones to change the oil often and. “ . . . show it some TEC and it will never let you down.” Recommendations for w hich oil to use include Harley-Davidson oil, any oil except Harley oil. mixed with STP. Castrol 70w in summer and 50 in winter and Kendall Nitro 70. The owners also recommend turning off' the chain oiler, using a spray chain lube and checking the chain for stretch every 1000 miles, frequently checking the engine mount bolts for tightness and using three cylinder base gaskets to allow it to use regular gasoline without pinging.
From what the owners tell us. parts availability is less of a problem with Harley-Davidson than with any of the bikes we've surveyed. Fifty six percent say parts are always available. 37 percent find them mostly available and 7 percent sometimes have trouble finding parts. The Harley is the only bike we've surveyed for which no riders always have trouble getting parts, and one rider (in Norway), reports being able to get the correct wheel bearings at his local tractor shop. Despite this, 10 percent of the Harleys have been idle while waiting for parts, a figure bettered by the BMWs (6 percent), but well ahead of the GL 1000s (15 percent). The average wait was 18 days.
Are Harleys reliable? Depends on who you ask. A mechanic told us, “One guy came in on a 20 year old machine complaining about a rough idle, some engine noise and an oil leak he noticed while stopped at a stop sign. It had a broken rod. the rough edges of which were bludgeoned smooth, the bottom of the crankcases were broken out in pieces, the rear cylinder bottom was broken and the piston was still in the cylinder with half of the rod attached. This thing was still running! A little rough and noisy, like he said.”
Unfortunately, every Harley isn't so determined to keep running. Twenty-two percent of the Harleys in this survey have broken down or stranded their owners. This is the highest figure we’ve encountered. almost double the previous high, the Honda G F 1000s, of which 12 percent had stranded their owners. The most common breakdown reasons are the transmission, clutch cable, ignition wiring and contact points and the alternator.
Are Harley-Davidson dealers very good or very poor? Both, according to the owners. Harley dealers tied with Yamaha 750 and BMW dealers with 38 percent rated very good. On the minus side, 10 percent of the dealers were rated very poor, a new record in that category. Twenty percent got good ratings and 18 percent fair.
For bikes with such a high load capacity, the Harleys in our survey carry few accessories. Fairings and windshields are mounted on 27 percent (compared w ith 92 percent of the GL 1000s). 22 percent have saddlebags, 19 percent have tour packs or trunks. 17 percent have sissybars, 16 percent have highway pegs. 15 percent have auxiliary lights and 14 percent have back-> rests. Rounding out the list of reasonably common accessories are luggage racks and radios (7 percent each), driving lights, center stands and floorboards (5 pereent each), and crashbars, tool pouches and extra instruments (3 percent each).
Many riders told us how much they love or hate these products, but didn’t identify them by brand name. The Radio Caddy, praised by two riders, is the only product mentioned by more than one rider.
On the list of best features, touring ability or ride comfort is first (42 percent), followed by torque (26 percent), styling (“People are always looking.”) at 22 percent, sound (16 percent), fuel economy and being an unusual bike (14 percent each), load capacity (“Will haul a ton.”) and reliability (12 pereent each) and the low seat ( 10 percent).
Harley owners also like the weight and solid feel (9 percent), the high resale value, ease of maintenance and parts availability (8 percent each), the stability and the handling (6 percent each) and the solid construction. 5 gal. tank, horsepower and the smoothness (5 percent each).
For 31 percent of the ow ners, bad vibes are a worst feature, and some of the ow ners also disliked the brakes (10 percent), the noise (9 percent), the chain drive (8 percent), the ground clearance (“You can almost scrape bottom while going straight.”) and the weight (6 percent each).
Six percent of the ow ners list the seat as a worst feature and comments range from “If I ever have to torture prisoners into divulging secrets. 1 will strap them on the back seat." to “ . . . gives wife an orgasm shortly before her butt goes numb.” Handling, performance, lack of a centerstand, the shifting and the need for premium gasoline each bother 5 percent of the ow ners.
If they had their druthers. 17 pereent of the ow ners w'ould have a shaft or belt drive. 14 percent would have better brakes. 10 percent would get rid of the vibrations, 6 percent would change the seat, and 5 percent each would change the shocks, add an oil cooler, change the exhaust pipes or lower the compression ratio to use regular gasoline.
And now the $6400 question—would you buy another Harley-Davidson? Only 78 percent said yes, a figure -10 percent lower than the next lowest (Kawasaki at 88 percent). Those who say no to another Harley call it outdated, an antique and not competitive with the latest from Japan. The Harley fans reply with comments such as. “It ain’t fast, but it sure is regular.” “Fastest thing in the quarter mile—draggin’ a plow” and “It’s not the boulevardier that my conservatively chopped Sportster is. or the road racer my RD 400 is. or even (blasphemy) the great long distance runner my XS750 is. but it makes me feel good and forget all my troubles when I’m riding it and you can’t ask for anything more.
Harley-Davidson
Survey
