"Scout" wrote
As bad as the Harleys are, .....
grin
I still have a 1990 FLHTC I bought new. It'd been 92,000 miles when it
cracked a valve guide in 110 deg heat in NV but it went on to LA then back
to VA where the Dealer replaced the heads under warranty. Next year the
stator died in Four Corners but since I could turn the headlight off I rode
it to Flagstaff, where it was fixed that morning, and when I got back to VA
the dealer replaced both engine cases - including all the lower end
bearings - free, under warranty. It now has about 200,000 miles on it. I
replaced the belt and sprockets at 135,000, rear tyres every 12,000, fronts
half as often, and changed oil and filters and used a gallon of gas every 40
miles.Valve adjustments? $400/10,000mi on rice but never needed on H-Ds.

By contrast a buddy bought a new RZ-350 just like mine but never got to ride
it cuz it seized and the dealer kept it over a year waiting for pistons. Had
plenty of oversizes but no stockers and Yamahahaha said no rebore - had to
fix it right no matter how long that took!! He sold it 'as is' and took a
bath. Tell him how wunnerful your ricer is but watch out, he mastered in
both rifle and pistol.

Similarly, my new R1100RT BM ran like crap so I blew $700 (IIRC) on a major
service that didn't help. Wrench said it needed a minor adjustment (0=0 for
y'all BMrs) but it'd void my warranty. Happened to about 1 in 10 bike but
BMW NA's position was that I had the finest bike in the world and should be
happy even if it didn't run. Ditto the chrome coming off my R1100C and the
goofy wear that ruins $125+ front tyres every 4-5000 miles and ... and ....

Did I mention that I can still get parts for most any H-D and Brit, even
'new' Amal carbs, but not brake parts for an original CB750 Honda ... or
that many BMW dealers don't work on "vintage" (R100) BMWs from " back in the
80s" anymore?

That's why my 1990 H-D still has a home while others have come and gone. It
shares a garage with my Oilfield and wife's bikes: a 112 HP Kaw 600, a '79
Bunnyville, a 1200 Sporty, a BSA 250 that Dick Mann built for 'Smiley'
Cameron and he gave her, and a mid-60s F3 bike (Yammy 125 in Van Tech). She
rarely lets me ride them cuz I totaled her new Triumph 1200 last year. I had
to sell my 1200 Kaw and ST-2 Duc cuz I my neck can't hack the position since
that crash (No! Not old age! I'm in denial). Lost $1000s on each of them but
my old hog is till worth the same $$$ I paid for it back in '89. Remind me
to ride it down to the boat Saturday ....

BTW the reason older H-Ds leaked was that their Automatic Chain Oilers were
maladjusted but y'all knowed that right?