Three Harleys among the first five test bikes!
With the Milwaukee-Eight, the Twin Cam and the Sportster engine, three different engine concepts from Milwaukee are among the top five on the top list of the leading German motorcycle magazine.
Over 50.000 kilometers, the rider team of the magazine “Motorrad” has had the Softail Heritage in its grasp and announced its gratifying result in its issue 22 (dated 9.10.2020).
In the current list of endurance testers with different riders, who were on the road all year round under different conditions, 3 Harley-Davidson are in the top 5!
In addition to the new marathon king Heritage Classic 114, the list includes the Road King, which has even led the endurance test ranking for five years since 2008, and the Sportster 1200 Custom Limited Edition A, which passed its 2018 endurance test with flying colors.
When a bike is moved by professional motorcycle journalists for about two years, gentle handling is a foreign word.
In the hard daily test routine, it is necessary to brave rain, snow and ice, to transport other riders on different routes day in, day out, and to endure merciless measurements of all vital functions more than once.
Since 1950, the strict field test of the German trade journal “Motorrad” has been testing the reliability and durability of machines in this way – since 1991 over a distance of a full 50.000 kilometers.
In October 2020, another Harley-Davidson – the Heritage Classic 114 – ended its existence as the marathon lady of the Stuttgart editors.
And what happened? “Nothing,” the testers stated.
After the test distance, the performance was similar to that of the new machine, power and torque even increased slightly, the thirst for oil was close to zero, the engine ran completely healthy and the general condition of the frame and chassis was more than good.
Even the components of the Milwaukee-Eight 114, which was completely dismantled, showed themselves from their best side. “Almost 100 percent”, the magazine’s technical specialists judged, the V2 can be easily reassembled and driven on.
“It run and runs and runs and runs!”
In the past, the VW Käfer was the godfather of unconditional reliability, says “Motorrad”. Transferred into the here and now, the duration tested Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114 takes over the Käfer heritage. The problems that occurred were, for example, the rust deposit on the exhaust and the tail light bulb was doubled.
“Unbreakable, reliable, a long-running car.” This Harley model is rightly the new “reliability champion” in the eternal list of the best.
Text: Hein Herz
Photos: Alessandro/ Harley-Davidson
See the full test at MOTORRAD ONLINE (german)
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