Harley Davidson Reviews

My son purchased a 2026 HD Sportster S three weeks ago, but when he purchased it, had the dealership customize it. We opted to take the bike home, as they suggested, while they ordered the parts since we were told it was going to take approximately 2 weeks for them to come in.

He "ordered" the bike with Crash Bars, Saddlemen seat upgrade with Pillion seat in one, passenger pegs in black, and a mid-control kit for his comfort. We have been getting the run around and NOW he is being told that the Mid-Control kit is nowhere to be found, and he is not able to get the bike he ordered. I want to know WHY did *** NOT make sure BEFORE he gave them $10k cash, and financed another $15k on this thing when it was NOT WHAT HE ORDERED??? I want ANSWERS.

I have been a loyal HD customer since 2012 and reassured him when he was deciding on a bike brand that HD would ALWAYS take care of him. Now, i am seeing that I was WRONG. I need either someone to tell me how to get the bike my son paid for, or you can buy the bike back from him for every cent he paid, and he can go to Indian instead.

I NEED SOMEONE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT, IMMEDIATELY. I will no longer trust HD to sell me another bike ever unless they fix this issue for my son.

I bought a brand new Road Glide 117. At 647 miles, I brought it in for a leak and abnormal engine noise.

The leak was fixed, and I was told the engine noise was normal. I rode it some more to 1,000 miles and performed its first service. I then installed an aftermarket cam and tuner on the bike. I made it not even 100 miles, and one of the intake valves on the front cylinder broke off and locked up the engine.

*** won't fix it because I have a tuner installed on the bike.

However, they won't explain to me how that directly affects and causes a valve to break off and destroy the front cylinder of the engine. So I called corporate and asked to speak to a manager in the warranty department, and I keep getting the runaround and have never been put in contact with a manager.

harley davidson

5-22-2025

to: harley davidson motorcycles,

i have been a motorcycle enthusiast and rider since I was very young. I acquired my first motorcycle at the age of 12. I have owned and ridden seven different motorcycles in my years of riding. I have owned dirt bikes, street bikes, and one enduro. In 2022, I made the decision to purchase my first harley davidson. I was extremely excited; I purchased a 2022 road king standard, and from the first ride, I was in love. This is without question the most comfortable bike I had ever owned. I was instantly reassured that I had made the right decision in acquiring what I hoped would be a motorcycle I could use to travel and put some real miles on. The motorcycle itself has proved to be dependable, and I am happy to say that I have put over 35,000 miles on the motorcycle since purchasing it.

i have enjoyed the unexpected benefit and camaraderie that is part of harley davidson ownership and culture. I continue to ride and continue to add on to the motorcycle I previously only dreamed of owning. In an effort to protect the factory warranty of my prized possession, I utilized the local harley davidson dealership for all my service needs. I move around a lot for work, so even though I am capable of performing a lot of my own maintenance, most of the tools remain packed away awaiting my next move. The local harley davidson dealership, red rock harley davidson, is filled with friendly people. They have a kind and caring staff that welcomes you from the moment you walk in, and I enjoy my trips to the dealership. The maintenance staff there has maintained my motorcycle, and the warranty was protected as an added benefit of using my local dealership to perform any service or upgrades I desired.

I purchase aftermarket parts for my road king. I have been building on it since I purchased it, as many riders do, making the bike my own and making changes that suited my riding style and tastes. To date, I believe I have spent close to $10,000 in upgrades on my motorcycle in three years. I am slowing down but still have plans to add more in the future. I unfortunately do not believe I will be able to add harley davidson screaming eagle parts. The warranty that I treasure will likely be invalidated by this decision, but I wish to add only the best parts to my motorcycle, and it is my desire to add parts that improve my motorcycle's performance and reliability. Last February, I purchased the screaming eagle street cannon mufflers for my road king. Initially, they sounded wonderful, and I was happy with my decision. This year, I continued the add-on and upgraded to stage 2 on my motorcycle, and I noticed a rattling sound coming from my exhaust. I did not think much of it at the time. Then, I returned to my local shop to have some additional work performed, and they informed me that my street cannon mufflers were badly damaged and required replacement. I have only owned these for 1 year, so I looked up warranty information online. I take excellent care of my motorcycle and had done nothing to damage these parts. The problem with the street cannons is the interior welds are broken, the baffles are broken, and the rattling sound I hear is metal bouncing against metal inside the muffler. When I contacted harley davidson, I was informed my warranty on the exhaust system had expired in April, so I missed the deadline by one month. The screaming eagle parts are marketed as the best of harley davidson. These parts are sold as the best upgrades you can purchase for your motorcycle and are recommended by engineers at harley davidson for harley davidson motorcycles to get the best possible performance and maintain the factory warranty. I am extremely disappointed in the performance of the street cannon mufflers. I did additional research and found that others have experienced similar failures with this exact item. Harley davidson is not required to honor the warranty for this part, and I have been told that by multiple people. I am now concerned that harley davidson does not produce quality parts and additionally does not care for their riders and customers. I understand I missed the deadline, but after spending so much money at my local shop on parts, upgrades, and services, I feel I should be treated better. Harley davidson should have replaced the faulty equipment or at least offered me a discount of some kind to assist in the replacement of the damaged mufflers to offset the cost of replacing mufflers that are only 1 year old. I have made decisions associated with the failure of harley davidson and my extreme disappointment. I have left a negative review online regarding these defective parts. I have shared my story online in my 4 harley davidson groups and with a club that I occasionally ride with. I will not be purchasing another new harley davidson from a dealership.

this is my only remedy, to protect others from purchasing the same defective parts. finally, I had hoped harley davidson would offer some remedy of their own for this situation. since they will not, I will not be utilizing harley davidson dealerships in the future. I will be performing more research on parts before I purchase, and it is unlikely I will be purchasing any additional upgrades through harley davidson. This may cost me my warranty, but my efforts to protect that warranty have been in vain, and I do not believe harley davidson would honor the warranty in the event something happens. I wanted to share this experience with you to help you understand my extreme level of disappointment. I am not even sure what possible remedy there is to resolve this anymore. Originally, I just wanted my motorcycle fixed under warranty. Today, I purchased new exhaust online, and I will be installing the system this weekend at home. My problem will be resolved, so only my disappointment will remain. I hope you will take this letter to heart. Harley davidson is one of the most iconic brands in American history. The name represents a lot more than a motorcycle, and selling defective parts to loyal customers is not a good way to maintain customer loyalty. I personally feel like a piece of my dream has been destroyed. I waited for years to purchase a new harley davidson just to go through this experience. The mufflers are really just the last straw; I feel like I have been taken advantage of since the first day I purchased this motorcycle over a handful of things that have happened. This is not at all what I expected from harley davidson. If you wish to reach out to me, you are welcome to; I will provide my contact information below.

sincerely,

kyle peltier

the beav

las vegas, nevada

e-mail beagleboys10@***.com

This is a letter I sent to the Harley executive team. Till now, no response. The company is falling apart.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
3700 W. Juneau Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53208
United States

To the Executive Team at Harley-Davidson,

I am writing to you as a loyal and passionate Harley-Davidson owner, but also as a deeply disappointed customer. I never expected to be in the position of having to write this letter, especially considering the pride and reputation your brand has long held in the motorcycle world.

My motorcycle has only 36,000 kilometers on it, and yet, shockingly, the engine has seized completely. Upon inspection, I was informed that the back of both pistons had disintegrated—an outcome that is both unacceptable and alarming, especially for a vehicle with such relatively low mileage and a brand associated with durability and quality engineering.

What makes this situation even more frustrating is the lack of accountability and support I've received. I've spoken to several representatives at Harley-Davidson, and not only has no one provided a satisfactory explanation, but it seems as though no one truly knows what to say. The response has been vague at best, and no meaningful action has been taken to address what is clearly a catastrophic mechanical failure.

I did not expect this kind of experience when I chose Harley-Davidson. I chose your brand because of its legacy, its commitment to quality, and its community of riders who trust in the machines they ride. This situation has shattered much of that trust.

I respectfully urge the executive team to take this matter seriously. A premature engine failure of this magnitude raises serious concerns—not only about the reliability of the product but also about Harley-Davidson's willingness to stand behind it. I ask that this issue be escalated and reviewed with the seriousness it deserves. At the very least, I expect a thorough investigation and a commitment to finding a resolution that acknowledges the gravity of what has occurred.

I am still hopeful that Harley-Davidson will do the right thing and stand by its customer and its name.

Sincerely,
David Holden
image0.png image1.jpeg image2.jpeg
image3.jpeg
Sent from my iPhone

Mr. Trent Willet, I want to bring to your attention about a recent visit to your service department.

I called on July 23 for a repair I needed on my 2016 ulra limited. The water pump had went out on it. the next appointment that was available was august 1st. I dropped the motorcycle on aug.

1st and ask the person at the service desk what the cost would be he told me 969.00 if i paid in cash, I asked if I could pay with a check the answer was yes. I drop the bike off on aug 1st it was repaired, Service department called me said it was ready I asked the total, he informed me to avoid a 3% fee with a credit card I could pay in cash, again can I pay with a check the answer was yes.

I show up to get the bike on Tuesday about 9:20 I walk up to the service door closed, locked. See the sign bikes only, Really? I walk around and find 4 people standing around the service counter chatting.

I walk up wait patiently while one employee eats his brkfast at the counter, and the Nate holds a conversation with Krystal and Josh is on the phone. After brfast is over and Krystal walks off I thought maybe Nate would turn his attention to me standing at the counter, cause josh was still on the phone. Nope turns looks at me walks to his office. Finally Josh gets off the phone looks at me and asked have you been helped, No the meeting was over everyone left.

Josh started to get my bill ready asked how I was going to pay I said Im going to write a check, He says oh we dont accept checks. WHAT, he turns and asked Nate if they accept checks, I said you have before, Nate says no then asked if my bank was in Ky, I live in Ky but my bank is in Illinois. Then we cant accept a check. I said thats Fxxking BS I was told 3 times a check would be fine.

Im upset now thats just crap and Nate confronts me tells me to get my bike and go. HA HA HA I here to get my Bike. He exits to get my bike and pulls it around to my truck. I pay with a credit card and walk all the way around to get my bike as Nate brings it around I walk up he gets off my bike turns and walks off no acknowledgement to me at all, no explanation on why out of state checking accounts are not accepted.

Nothing. Now you might be thinking this guy is nuts. Well may be but lets backup about 6 months ago you guys worked on my bike for a BCM that went bad. I had it at a local shop Big Petes.

He ordered the part thru your dealership after 3 weeks I started calling other shops to see who had one, I drove to Bowling green to get the part Big Petes installs it but has to bring it to 4 Rivers to pair it with the Bike and program it. Finally get my bike back after a couple days I notice my Brake lights were not working right. I trouble shoot to the BCM. I call 4 Rivers to see if they can check the programing see if that's the problem.

Sure enough that's it the programed it for a Street Glide I have an Ultra Limited. They proceed to bill me, I said wait this was on you guys, back and forth Never got an explanation but I got charged 1/2 labor and a free t-shirt. Really?

With what happen at these two incidents at your service department I dont see How I can further be a customer at 4 Rivers Harley Davidson. You may or may not care too much, But When a customer has a bad experience 200 - 300 people here about it.

I travel all over the country been to lots of dealerships, This has been the worst experience Ive Had. Feel free to call me with any other question.