I’ve sold my motorcycle some time ago, and I figured that at some point, I still wanted to write a long-term review about it. So here it is.
The gearbox
In my first blog about it, I praised the bike, and I stand by everything I wrote, but a few years have passed, and things happen. One in particular was a gearbox failure. As you can imagine, it was expensive to repair, but the job was well done, so I quickly got over it. What I find more interesting to discuss is the likely reason why the gearbox failed, which involves both my riding style and engineering.
I love low-end torque. Nothing wrong with high revving engines with a linear response, but there’s just something extremely playful with those that deliver power almost instantly and non-linearly. That’s one of the reasons I got a Harley in the first place. The problem with that is that the whole transmission must be designed to take it, or you have to adapt your riding style. I couldn’t know, I didn’t have any feedback before it happened, and that’s normal, so it’s a good thing to know in advance: as I understand it, the 2018+ Softail models have been upgraded in almost every aspect but a few, including the gearbox, which apparently doesn’t take the torque of the M8 that well. My advice: be gentle below 2500 RPMs.
The upgrades
Since this was a daily, I made it really good to ride with. The seat was changed to something more comfortable, I added a windshield, I had saddlebags, a “sissy bar” although it was really just a small passenger backseat. With that and the comfy seat, I think my girlfriend was even more comfortable than me. I got an Onyx bag that I could attach at the rear, allowing me to bring quite a lot of stuff along. I even brought my astronomy gear to remote observation sites a few times ! I had the heated grips, and even floorboards installed. Note that this required an expensive custom job, because the Low Rider was not designed for this. In the end, the result was awesome, and I went to many places with it, always with a smile.
Heat and the engine
That one, I did not expect. As I said, this bike was a daily, and here, in France, many cities have adopted laws to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h (20 mph) in many areas. Personally, I think it’s a good thing, and I like taking my time anyway. But some of you may already see where this is going. I may not have a problem with low speeds, but an air-cooled engine does. During the fifth year, oil started to leak. Not much, from the front cylinder, and I initially thought it was a faulty head gasket, but I was surprised by the fact it was the front cylinder, since it’s usually the rear one which gets less cooled and heats more. It turned out to be more, much more severe: the cylinder got twisted. One more expensive job on the bike, which would eventually be the last.
Conclusion
Well, I sold the bike. But I have to say, if I could have kept it, I would have. I sold it because I had other priorities and requirements that meant I needed a car, and having both vehicles and the rest was too expensive. I also had a minor left hand injury which made shifting painful after a couple hours. Despite believing in materialism, I don’t get too attached to stuff, so I don’t miss the bike. I keep it as a fond memory of a beautiful object, with its flaws, and all the trips and experiences I’ve had with it. HD tells you that, when you ride such a bike, you get freedom. I’ve never found that to be true. The road is dangerous, full of rules, and more and more people who don’t care about them. You have to be mindful at all times. But that’s precisely what made it great for me. It forces you to focus on what you’re doing now. It’s outdoor meditation with wind and scenery. You completely forget about everything else, as if you got away from your regular life. What I felt on my Softail was not freedom, it was escape, and it was awesome.
