Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903, and since then, the Milwaukee-based company has built some of the world’s most iconic motorcycles. That said, it has also had its fair share of challenges.
Over the years, Harley-Davidson has made poor choices, there have been issues related to build quality, and they’ve lacked an understanding of the market.
We’ve listed 10 Harleys that underperformed in some way, leading to them getting smoked by metric cruisers.
Harley-Davidson Street 500
While the Harley-Davidson Street lineup was a great starting point for new riders, they ultimately ended up disappointing fans of the brand.
Both the Street 500 and 750 models offered subpar build quality and materials, but the 500, in particular, was severely underpowered compared to the competition. Die-hard Harley enthusiasts may choose one over the Honda Rebel 500, but you’re better off with the Honda if you want build quality and performance.
Harley-Davidson V-Rod
In 2001, Harley-Davidson launched the V-Rod in an attempt to reach a new market. Built in collaboration with Porsche and with around 120 hp from its 1130cc V-twin engine, it was one of the first power cruisers of the modern era.
The V-Rod was off to a great start, but sales soon took a nosedive as the bike’s design and engine were too polarizing. It didn’t help that the ground clearance was too low, and the bike scraped in even the laziest of curves.
Harley-Davidson Twin Cam 88 Models
All the models fitted with Harley-Davidson’s Twin Cam 88 engine suffered from severe issues. There were attempts to rectify it, but the engines remained problematic. Its biggest problem was cam chain tensioner failure, which could lead to catastrophic engine failure.
That said, there is a way to fix the problem permanently, but it’s not cheap. Still, it may be worth it if you already own the bike or can get a cheap one. Essentially, you’ll have to buy and install a kit that converts the engine from cam chain to cam gear drive.
AMF-Era Harley-Davidson Sportster
In 1969, AMF took the reins at Harley-Davidson, and they remained in charge until 1981, when 13 investors led by Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson bought it. While AMF kept the bikemaker alive, that period is also the brand’s worst in terms of build quality, design, and power.
The Harley-Davidson Sportster from the late 1970s to the early 1980s commonly appears on lists of the worst motorcycles ever made — and with good reason. It was unreliable, vibrated, and handled like a bag of hammers… in fact, we can’t think of any redeeming features. No wonder Japanese bikes became so popular.
Harley-Davidson XR1200
In 2008, Harley-Davidson introduced the XR1200, a bike that was heavily inspired by the iconic, flat-track-dominating XR750. At least that’s what they said. What could’ve been the greatest Sportster ever turned out to be a dud with questionable design.
Granted, it did handle better than any other Harley-Davidson, but compared to Japanese and European naked bikes, it was underpowered and offered sluggish handling. There just wasn’t a market for the XR1200, as it didn’t appeal to traditional Harley enthusiasts, nor to those who enjoyed sporty bikes.
Harley-Davidson Rocker & Rocker C
The 2000s saw the introduction of TV shows such as American Chopper, Motorcycle Mania, and Biker Build-Off. Harley-Davidson decided to capitalize on that by selling a factory custom-style bike.
That resulted in the 2008 Rocker and its chrome-laden twin, the Rocker C. While they certainly grabbed attention, the riding position was downright uncomfortable. By 2011, Harley decided to pull the plug on it. In comparison, the Honda Fury, another “factory custom,” was introduced around the same time and is still on the market today.
Harley-Davidson 2003 Anniversary Models
Harley-Davidson celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003, but many of the bikes built that year left owners with a sour taste.
Owners of 2003 model year Harleys with the special anniversary paint job have complained about paint peeling or fading. This was also the time when the Twin Cam engine failures really started to show up, and even electrical gremlins reared their ugly head.
Harley-Davidson Livewire
We’ll give Harley-Davidson some credit for actually being innovative and making an electric bike. Unfortunately, its short range means it’s not the ideal bike for long rides, and it’s not exactly a great urban commuter either.
Harley-Davidson knows better than anyone that the unique “potato-potato” sound of their bikes is one of the selling points. In fact, they tried to trademark it in the 1990s. The Livewire’s electric whine won’t help sell any bikes, nor will its $30,000 price tag. Plenty of metric sports bikes offer way better value for money.
Harley-Davidson XLCR
Another Sportster that could’ve been great, but ultimately flopped a fish out of water. With front twin-disc brakes, raised suspension, and a small fairing, the XLCR looked great on paper. Unfortunately, the finished bike looked horrible, and since blind people usually don’t buy motorcycles, very few were sold.
Its looks wasn’t the only problem, as it used the antiquated and underpowered Ironhead engine mated to a four-speed transmission, and it was overweight. Unsurprisingly, the XLCR couldn’t compete with the lightweight, high-performance Japanese and Italian bikes.
Buell Blast
That’s right, we’re putting a Buell on a list of Harleys, but there’s a reason for that. Harley-Davidson bought a majority stake and took control of Buell in 1998, and two years later, they released the Buell Blast to attract beginner riders and groom them to become future Harley enthusiasts.
The plan could’ve worked, if not for the fact that the Blast was poorly built, didn’t look good, and used a heavily vibrating single-cylinder engine rather than one of H-D’s V-twins. If anything, Harley-Davidson’s reputation for building solid, premium bikes took a hit.
