2008 Harley-Davidson reviews

Very good stock ride. After some upgrades....Great Freakin'Ride! Smooth, fast with plenty of torque. I have a Softtail sitting in my garage and for anyone who knows, they are the most easy riding Harley ever made, this glide surpasses it. Con... The first get is just a bit to tall in the stock tranny for 500+ lbs of the line, Ok for 1 up but two could use a shorter gear. I have plans for that issue though Show less

I used to ride sport bikes when I was in my teens and twenties. Then when I hit 30 I saw the light and went into some Honda cruisers, and almost bought a Honda VTX 1300 before I bought this Nightster. I have to say it's an awesome bike. It does vibrate and it's not annoying on the vibration. It's just part of the rumble of the 1200 cc motor's tone. The ride is very quick of the line, plenty of low end torque. I have a stage 1 and remapping of the EFI and it runs far away from the Honda VTX 1300 which a buddy of mine owns. Now he wants a Harley. It's very low to the ground so it's not for riders over 5'10" tall. I used to believe a lot of what all these people say about Harleys and now I know it's all in the eye of the individual rider. But if you look at the top ten list of what we Americans do compared to the rest of tbe world, Harley motorcycles are mentioned in the list as some of the best built and best riding motorcycles in the world. I mean why do you think there are such things as Shadows, Vulcans, Boulevards, and others trying to do it like Harley but just not quite doing it. Well enough I say, but that's my experience. Try one for yourself. Show less

This is my 4th season on my Sportster, and it has been a very good ride. I road a 1200 Gold Wing for 17 years, so this was quite a change for me. To make the Sportster a better road machine, I replaced the seat with one from Mustage with a rider backrest. The rear shocks are progressive. I now have 47,000 mile on it with one small oil leak which was corrected. I am 76 years old, and I still love to hit the open road on my little piglet. Show less

I choose the Street Bob for its bobber/vintage look. The 96cu in motor has plenty of power especially combined with the fuel pak and V&H shortshot staggered pipes I had. Ergoes were perfect for my 5'9" frame. The brakes sucked to me but coming off a sportbike I could understand. This is great for cruising the town or taking 45 min.-1 hour distance rides but I had to get off and stretch after that with the stock seat and mid controls. I'm sure forward controls and an aftermarket seat would help a lot but I just didn't have the money to try it. It has an excellent fit and finish and no leaks or noises for the 3,300 miles I owned it. Flat black is SICK looking and my favorite color. The Street bob is an excellent choice for a Harley Cruiser. I would definitely buy it again but I would like to take longer trips with some cargo capabilities and some sounds so I can ride longer and farther before stops. It's a great bike though! Show less

I've now owned this bike for 3.5 years and have put over 25k on her. I've been on three long road trips, each in excess of 2k miles (two trips to Deals Gap, North Carolina and one trip to Cape Hatteras, starting in Central Florida) and numerous weekend trips around Central Florida. The bike has performed flawlessly. Most trips were 2up with a lot of highway miles. She has a little vibration at idle, which I like, but smooths out as soon as you start rolling. I've never had a problem with my radio and my wife says she can hear it well even at 75 mph. on the highway. By the way, my wife has actually fallen asleep on the back a couple of times. She has performed flawlessly for me thru cold, heat, rain and hard riding. The Brembo brakes are not ABS but perform well for me and, as a bonus, changing the pads is surprisingly easy. Speaking of maintenance, my brother has a 2008 Goldwing. My bike is much easier to work on than his. I bought a service manual and follow the recommended intervals and have never had a problem. She has never been into a shop for service as I do it all myself. The fit and finish is outstanding and has held up well over time. As with all twin cam scoots, she does run hot (thanks EPA) and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to cool her down. I finally installed a Stage 1 kit that seems to cool her off some. I will put on an Ultra Cool Oil Cooler this year though as she is still hot when stuck in traffic. Show less

This 105th Anniversary Wide Glide is my first Harley. I was raised on Ducati's, Moto Guzzi's, BMW's, and various metric sportbikes. I love all bikes as they all offer something different. I pulled the trigger on the '08 Wide Glide because I fell in love with the looks, but I was pleasantly surprised by the performance and comfort. I love the rubber mounted engine and the way it shakes at idle but is super smooth at speed. The handling is great for a cruiser and very light but sure. Make no mistake, this is not a sportbike and it does not pretend to be. The engine has gobs of torque though, and it feels well made and solid. In fact, the attention to detail and function on the Wide Glide are first class. The Wide Glide has been 100% reliable and trouble free on every ride. The riding position for me at least is way more comfortable the the Fat Boy. The Fat Boy felt cramped and it was a bit of a reach for the bars. The ride on the WG is not too bad either except over the worst bumps. The brakes are okay but given the parameters of the bike more than up to the task. Clutch feel is light but progressive, and pulling away from the lights is a snap. I now have a Ducati, Moto Guzzi and a Harley in my stable - one for every mood I'm in! The Wide Glide is great for those lazy rides where you're not in the mood for corner carving, just for having fun and chilling out. I plan to get some bags for it in the near future, I already have the quick detatch backrest and screen. I'll have this one for a long time. Show less

I bought a new 883 in 2008 and have not had the first regret. I rode a 1986 Honda Gold Wing 1200 for 17 years. I was at the age that I felt that I needed something a little lighter and more nimble. Besides, I wore the wing out and sold it for salvage. In three seasons, I have put 34,000 miles on it, and it is still a joy to ride. I really enjoy jumping on it and riding on three or four day trips. I am 75 years old and this should be my last motorcycle unless I wear it out too soon. Show less

I bought this bike and love it! When I bought it, it had 3,231 miles on it. In just a few days that I've had it, it's already at 3,396. I'm glad I got this one before someone else did. Show less

I am a proud new owner of a 3,700 mile used Street Bob I bought in Collierville, Indiana. I am riding the bike 50 miles a day to work and back plus pleasure riding. I am impressed that in over 700 miles of Memphis street riding over some of the worst roads in the civilized world, in temperatures from 36*f to 85*f, I have not found one leak, loose bolt or questionable item on the whole bike. I am averaging 44-47 mpg. on the street and 46-49 on the highway. The bike can lug around in 6th gear down to 35 mph. and cleanly accelerates with no bogging. The bike rides pretty well. The suspension is a little soft but only an issue on bad potholes and poorly built road seams. The handling is great for a 650 lb. bike and quality is as good as any Asian bikes. I got a great price and excellent support from the dealership and will be visiting often. Show less

I have ridden a Road King for seven years and wanted a lighter sportier bike without traditional sportster issues. The rubber mount helps with the vibes. It has 3 disc brakes, tach and midmount controls, not to mention the bigger tank. I had to switch out the seat for a Mustang. Also, I added a Supertrapp 2 into 1 to open up the top end. Now I ride it much more than the Roadking, that I use for 2 up and long rides. People comment it's not the traditional sports look but I think its one of the best looking sporties I have seen. Also, it will be a rare classic only made 1 year. Show less