2001 Harley-Davidson reviews

I upgraded from a Sporster because I wanted to keep my teeth fillings intact, and wasn't disappointed. I chose the T-Sport because it best met my needs for a reliable commuter, sporty enough to be fun on twisty roads, and comfortable enough for long mountainous day rides or overnighters. If you can only keep one bike, and want a Harley, this is it! After 20 months and 21K troublefree miles, (only addition was a new seat) I'd acquired a used Road Glide and a Honda VFR. My wife no longer wanted to ride on the Dyna. I found myself using the other bikes except for commuting, and there are better (i.e. cheaper)commuters out there. But it was fun while it lasted, and held its resale value pretty well too. Show less

Have owned the bike for approximately 1 month now. I've owned 9 bikes since I got hooked at age 10. Last bike was a 1500 Vulcan preceeded by 1100 and 1200 Goldwings so I feel qualified to give a honest assessment of the machine. Power is adequate but could use more riding two up. Handling is better than expected, much quicker than the wings. Shorter wheel base and steeper rake. Not as much room for rider and passenger as expected. Currently have a backrest installed to support lower back. Have not taken a long trip yet so I cannot assertain the long run comfort. Will probably need to add a gel pad to the seat. Overall very happy with purchase. I'll give her 4 stars because nothing is perfect. Show less

I picked one of these up a few weeks ago......a Black '01 w/920 miles. Needless to say, after wanting a Harley Big Twin for more than 15 years-really-it is even better than I imagined. I've owned a Sporty ('76), a BSA 650 Lightening ('68), and several Japanese bikes, but this one is a real torque monster right out of the box. Acceleration, handling, balance, ride comfort-I couldn't be happier with my decision. And, I heartily recommend the Dyna Glide for anyone wanting to get into Big Twin performance.................Big Twin performance from the icon of American motorcycling-Harley Davidson. Do it. Show less

I can't say enough good things about my Night Train. This is my second H-D, after a couple of Honda's and Suzukis. The 88B engine with counter balancing gives the best of both worlds. The traditional torque and that perfect sound can only come from Harley. Now the power and rumble are vibration free. The engine is as smooth as any 2 cylinder bike I've ridden. The styling is sinister bad-ass. I have had people comment on the lack of chrome. You either like the all black soft tail look or you don't. Handling is respectable, given the 21 inch front wheel. The drag bars were a little uncomfortable after about an hour ride, but they've been replaced. Overall, the bike has been flawless in reliabilty and the fit and finish of all components is excellent. I think Harley's quality of manufacture is now second to none. My only complaint is that for this money, (I paid list plus freight) Harley would have supplied a decent width rear tire. Show less

Best cruiser I've ridden so far, and I've ridden many. Not a big cruiser guy, but this one with some screamin eagles pipes, fat tires and a big bore kit will really hold my attention. Handles much better than a Vulcan, and Magna. For looking cool and making noise, the Superglide is the bike, if you want the best performing bike, than buy a Ducati. I don't recommend Jap bikes. Show less

I bought a 2002 Road King Classic in June of 2002. I now have 3,740 miles on it and I love the bike and I think it is the best value in the Harley line up. Different styles appeal to different folks but for the money, the Road King came out on top. When I first started looking, I was considering the Fat Boy. When I started adding up what it was going to cost to add a windshield, passenger backrest (for my wife) saddle bags and lights, I realized that the Heritage Softail Classic was the same bike as the Fat boy with everything on it. Lace wheels instead of solid and a heftier looking front fender. I liked the look of the fender on the Heritage and without chromed wheels on the Fat Boy, I was leaning toward the Heritage Softail Classic. Once I settled on the Heritage, I realized that I was moving more towards the heavier more classic look and so I started looking at the Road King Classic. Only two drawbacks for the Road King: One, the bags don't come off. (Well they do, but man I'm talking about one butt ugly bike without em.) Two, no passenger backrest. So why did I get the Road King Classic? Once you add the Backrest and realize that you really wouldn't ever want to take the bags off, I found some pretty important features that are not on the Softails. All of the Touring models have vibration isolated Twin Cam 88 engines. The Softails have the Twin Cam 88b, which means they are balanced and run very smooth but they still have a tiny bit of vibration at highway speeds. The Road King has Adjustable Air Shock Suspension and is just a better smoother ride with no sacrifice of power. The bonus was that the Road King came with Electronic Cruise Control and even though I did not think I would use it, it is one great feature! When I am on rides longer than an hour I use it all of the time. Trust me, it does not even compare to the throttle lock on other models. Now, what's wrong with the Road King Classic. The handlebars are too far forward and the seat is just not comfortable enough. After a couple of hours on the bike, the combination of leaning forward to reach the handlebars and the contour of the seat is really uncomfortable. So now I will have to replace the handlebars with Chubby Road King II's and I will have to replace the seat with the new HD Sundowner Classic. I feel like Harley Davidson knows this and just want get into your pocket some more. It is irritating but I guess that is the price you pay. Overall, the ride is smooth, and the Twin Cam 88 runs great. All I have done to the bike is add Samson Rolled Oval pipes, a stage I download and Air intake, a passenger backrest, plus a couple of other cosmetic additions. (Head lamp rings x's 5, chrome covers on the passenger floorboards and a matching fender skirt).Once I get different Bars and a better seat, I will like riding it on longer rides. I hope this is helpful for anyone that is considering a Road King. Show less

I bought a 2002 ,pearl white RK/Classic. Needless to say I love it. Yeah, the handlebars are not designed for anyone over 6 feet tall, the seat is a pain in the a#* and the windshield distorts things. So what, every other big bike I have ever owned had the same problems, that's why we spend big bucks to personalize these things, to make them our own !!! I installed the stage 1 kit and some Vance and Hines slip on's. Plenty of power. sounds great. 0-60,,, not many machines can keep up. Over that??? hey it's physics. Two big pistons opposing each other? Not a pretty thing at high RPM. I didn't buy a crotch rocket. Slow down and enjoy the ride. I bought the best looking cruiser on the road. Looks great, sounds awesome, hauls butt and it's a Harley, not some wannabe oriental cruiser. Complaints,,, A fork lock that locks fine, dosen't unlock unless you smack it with the fat end of a screwdriver. Dealer could care less, won't change it so I keep smacking it. Blue pipes,,, oh well, it's a Harley. I love it I love riding it. I love being seen on it. I love just looking at the damn thing in my garage. I couldn't be happier. Show less

Great bike......The only problem I have seen is that at times my radio goes Hay Wire. ie: rear volume goes to max., stations changes by themsleves. Must be a problem in wireing. Have checked all switches and they are good.. Please respnd if you have seen this problem also in the 02 Ultra. Show less

I have owned 8 jap bikes before finally breaking down and buying a Harley. I can't believe I waited so long. The Sportster looks good, sounds good, and runs good. Yes, it vibrates, and yes you will probably want to change the seat, and yes the tank could hold an extra gallon of gas. Small complaints considering the overall performance right off the showroom floor. I am very satisfied with my bike and will probably never buy another jap bike. I also have never delt with nicer people than Harley Davidson motor corp. The customer is number one at H.D. Show less

I swore I would never pay $20,000 for a motorcycle. I drove a 2001 Suzuki Intruder 1500 for a little over a year. It went to hell in a handbasket. The tires wore quickly, the forks started falling apart. In general, it was nowhere near the quality of my bagger. I looked at Goldwings, but ther wer more expensive and I didn't like the look. I don't want to have to take the body off to play with the engine. Believe me, you will never buy another bike after this one. Spend the money and enjoy the ride. Show less