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Sorry, but there have been several problems with the Evos. My '88 is of the case-breathing variety, and if it sits for awhile (like during an Ohio winter) I get to clean up a puddle of oil from under the bike. Also, the factory oil pumps are crap. It is very common for an Evo to have dangerously low oil pressure at idle, simply because the stock pump is inadequate. In regards to Twin Cams, I know of only one serious "problem." On the early engines, the cam bearings were shit. The factory knew that the bearings sucked, but they put them in anyway. This occured throughout the entire 1999 model year and into the early 2000 model year. I've been told by several dealers and custom shops that if I hear what sounds like marbles being shaken inside a tin can coming from my 2000 Softail, pull over immediately and have it towed to the nearest repair facility for an engine rebuild. Did Harley Davidson recall those bikes? No. Will they upgrade to the new style bearings for free? Nope. But they'll sure take your cash after those bearings go south and you're staring at thousands of dollars to rebuild your engine. In contrast, Ford recalled thousands of 1999 Cobras simply because the exhaust was too restrictive and it wasn't making the horsepower that they advertised. There was no dangerous or expensive gremlin waiting to rear its ugly head, it just wasn't right, so they fixed them for free. Shame on Harley for not doing the same. I used to be just like you, in love with Harleys. I still like the bikes, but the shabbiness of the company overshadows the heritage and style of the bike. And in regard to your "apples and Oranges" comment about the VTX and the V-Rod, do you know why harley built the V-Rod? To try to get back some of the sales that were being lost to metric cruisers. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Lastly, I bought my bike right off the showroom floor from Hall's HD in Chico, CA, and I didn't get a video. All I got was an attitude and a cut-rate T-shirt.
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