2002 Harley-Davidson reviews

After many years of owning Japanese bikes, I finally got my first Harley. Great choice for a first bike, one of the nicest sporsters I have ever seen. Tons of chrome, drag bars, forward controls, etc. Added some drag pipes and carb rejetting, a small sissy bar and now all the guys with their big Japanese cruisers are a bit jealous. Only problem with this bike is at speeds over 65 vibration can be a bit of a problem, but thats why the speed limit is 65 right? With 2 people on board bike is a bit small, so I'm looking at one of the Dyna models now to move up to. I want a bigger bike, but I will still keep my little Sportster, as there is no better around-town bike for the money. Show less

Starting up and pulling away on my sportie never fails to but a big grin a my face. My 1st bike ever was a 2002 Honda Shadow 600 VLX. A great beginner bike, but I got tired of watching other bikes blow me away when the light turned green. That all changed when a year later, I bought a 2002 sportster with 1500 miles on it. I love it when the light turns green now! The look, sound and feel of a sportie is simply classic. Paid the "Harley Tax" and replaced the aweful buckhorn handlebars with the Roadster style handle bars. Also got a Mustang 2-up touring seat and a few other goodies. The sportie is not for everybody. It's a physically demanding bike to ride, especially without a windscreen, which I removed. You have to muscle the bike into turns, but with practice you can really lean it into curves at speeds I wouldn't dream of attempting with the Honda Shadow. You'll end up with six pack abs from the wind buffeting and popeye forearms from pulling in the clutch and front break levers. The front break is powerful, but you really have to crush the lever in to get the right stopping power. I really love the power and feel of the sportie, it's like a 60's muscle car. Not the most comfortable, but it's a blast rolling that throttle on curving country roads. I've done 300+ miles of back road riding in a day and I must say I'm pretty beat up at the end of it. But I'll do another 300+ the following day because..........you'll just have to get one to understand! Sporties rule! Show less

Now my '02 FLHT has 21,000 miles on it. It's still as sweet as day one; even sweeter. Since I bought it I've upgraded the Breather and the Muffs to Screaming Eagle Performance. I hate the Muffs. They "work" fine but there are many Honda's and Suzuki's with a better sound than my Harley has. I have the little oil "seep" between the Engine and the Transmission but I just wipe it off during wash jobs. I added a passenger and rider back rest and now the wife and I can go all day with no lower back problems or with the wife feeling she's falling off. If you haven't noticed, the rear seat slopes towards the rear of the bike giving a passenger the feeling they're sliding off! (Harley marketing to get you to buy a backrest) Anyway, other than some loose engine mounts and a set of tires, nothing has broken or failed on this bike up to 21,000. Ride on! Show less

I spent the last two years on a 1200 Custom Sporty bought new, a great bike but I regret now not buying the Fatboy then! I test rode one at the time but didn't want to spend the money so didn't buy it. I now have a 2002 Pearl White Fatboy and am totally satisfied; the suspension was a driving force as the Sporty isn't up to 2-up work over England's awful roads. What I wasn't ready for is how the bike feels so planted in bends, so sure-footed and also even with the extra weight, feels so well balanced, I can make even tighter feet-up u-turns than the sporty! I tooled around Arizona and Nevada on a Heritage last year and that was nice, although they say they are identical to the Fatboy, I feel there is a difference, especially at very low speed maneuvering, the Fatboy is just such a confident ride. I would just recommend this bike so highly and incidentally, reliability-wise, they rock, nothing, NOTHING came loose or failed on either bike to date, which is more than I can say for a couple of HD's I previously owned, they were SO unreliable and I still have the bills to remind me and any unbelievers! So treat yourself to a twin-cam and enjoy it if you can. PS- On the first outing a woman shot nearly a roll of film of it, so perhaps having one of the best bikes on the planet and their scarcity over here pays off, well it was a nice compliment by her anyway. Show less

I have owned both a Road King and An Ultra Classic. I bought the R/K and rode it for 2000 miles before putting in the 95 kit and loved it, Traded it for an Ultra Classic rode it for 27000 miles dropped in a 95 kit with 211 cam I am now installing true dual headers at this time also. YES do install the 95 kit with 2 up you will really need the power. If you have the money I would suggest the Screaming Eagle heads too. Show less

I bought my 2002 new and have ridden it for 20,000 miles. Last summer I rode it across the country and had no mechanical problems at all. The only complaint that I have with the bike is that it gets very hot in the summer. In regards to power I wished it had 15-20% more HP. Since my bike is stock, my next step is to install a stage one-kit air cleaner kit to boost the power by 5hp. This is my 7th bike and the second Harley and it has become my favorite bike. Show less

I've owned my XLH for 6 months now. Bought it used with 3100 miles. I love commuting on it I ride about 250 miles a week. The bike runs perfect with no problems except the occasional exhaust cough. Most mechanics tell me its normal because Harley leans out the carbs to pass federal EPA standards. Go with your feelings and get one! Price or the Style! On The Bike that rescued Harley Davidson in 1957 from The Brits and Japanese! Show less

Yes heavy is the word, and you most definitely have to learn how to handle the king at low speeds, but the weight helps in giving it that smooth ride, it just loves to cruise at interstate speeds for hours on end. This is really a sweet riding machine, the "King of the Road" a great pleasure and joy to ride. I'm one Happy HD owner with this one. God Bless and Ride Forever! Show less

Well, I never thought I would be writing this review. I used to swear that I would not own a Harley. I had a Suzuki sport bike. Only catch: I had to drive 370 miles to pick it up. No sweat ! It was worth it. I have not had it very long but I love the looks of the bike better than just about all the other Harley bikes. Love the chrome against the black on the engine. Love the sound. I did get a 2yr warranty on the bike too so I will see if any of the famous Harley problems spring up on this bike. So far it's great, different attitude and people do look when they hear the bike coming. Like my buddy who own a Harley told me, it's a brotherhood. I will write a follow up review when I put more miles on it. I'm happy to have joined the brotherhood! Show less

Waited to write this review until after my trip to Milwaulkee Wi. 4000 miles in 9 days, a pretty good test. It does have a pretty heavy front end, not uncomfortable though, especially be careful when the road is wet. Have heard the seat is not very friendly, it just needs to be broke in. Also a padded backrest for the seat bar is a must. After the trip and during I never had soreness, butt or back. I also have 16" apes installed which turn you into a sail in the wind. Overall the bike ran beautifully, no problems whatsoever. Styling is grade "A". A very unique look for those who like retro production bikes. Show less