02-23-2021, 05:20 AM
I have owned one Harley or another uninterrupted for 41 years, and have also owned other bikes for most of that time. I have been skeptical about Harley building an ADV bike. Why would anyone buy one if they can buy a KTM, or a BMW GS, or a new 4 cylinder Ducati Multistrada. or even a Triumph Tiger? Then I watched this Harley video and I am impressed with the potential, especially the higher spec version with the suspension that drops nearly 2 inches at a stop. Being 5'8' tall with a 30" inseam, this could be a game changer. The bike will hit the market with a wide range of accessory options--3 different luggage options out of the gate sounds great. We have to see what testers who are not the Harley CEO have to say about it, but I look forward to learning more. One caveat, I would never buy another first year Harley. My Road King is a first year for the TwinCam motor and it had issues. Some poor buyers of the early Milwaukee 8 engine bikes suffered serious fluid sumping issues, and early "TwinCooled" motors had problems. This new motor has really upped the technology, including but not limited to complex variable valve timing that does more than Honda's VVT system. Do all new motorcycles have serious issues initially? I don't think it is anywhere near as prevalent as with Harleys, though I could be wrong.