Harley Davidson Electra Glide or Honda Goldwing ? which is the better to buy and what state in the US?

Question

intend to travle cost to cost . how much would to ship it to ieralnd

Answer 1

Having ridden both,... and owned both, I went back with a HD Heritage Softail for the same reasons Dani and some of the others did. The guy that wouldn't ride a Harley across the US is just a deluded fool. (there's always some wacko that trolls about Victory) -and cannot really answer the question.



That said, look, GW's are great bikes but the one I had started to feel like a space ship, and I could not feel myself riding a motorcycle; I felt like a passenger and the bike wanted to ride itself. The one and only Electra glide had a ride I'll never forget. That was a very spirited bike: (you don't choose an Electra Glide,... The E/G chooses you and says "hang on friend, here we go".

I went to the Softail because I just like a smaller bike and and firm ride. -and it cost less to maintain.



The best place to buy either bike in the U.S. would be a state that does not have a sales tax and is extremely motorcycle friendly.... Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon come to mind. Try to pay cash like I did and develop a friendship with someone at the dealer always helps...



On the shipping: Having some 25 years in trucking and been to many ship yards, If I were you I would try to find someone that routinely ships to Ireland, have them put your bike in a sealed container labeled "Household Goods" and DO NOT put it on the manifest. This will cost some to grease the palm of the furniture dealer to crate your bike up like a couch but it will be FAR FAR less than standard shipping rates. I guarantee it. Be at the other end when the container is opened and ejoy your bike in Ireland...



May the wind always be at your back.

Answer 2

I currently have 6 HONDA motorcycles and have owned over 40 HONDA'S. I have ridden hundreds of different makes and models over the past 40+ years. My first ride on a "big" bike was a Harley (probably why I am a Motorcycle nut today).



Which is better? Depends on what you want! If rock solid reliability, low maintenance, electric motor smoothness and astonishing power are what you look for, then the Gold Wing. If you are concerned about anything else, I guess the Harley? Having owned a Gold Wing and working as a M/C Tech for over 20 years, the nod MUST go to the Wing! Regardless of how "good" the Harley has become, they are still high maintenance bikes. I hear all the time from my friends who ride (and love) Harley's, how much they spend on maintenance! Always "changing" this, "adjusting" that or "tightening" something!



The thing that impresses most with the Gold Wing is the power! That may not be a concern for you, but for me, performance is why I ride a motorcycle and why I do not ride a Harley! At over 100 reliable and very frisky horses, the HONDA simply cannot be matched by a stock Harley. Say what you will, a 100 horse Harley engine is damned expensive and much less reliable. There is a big difference in an engine that may deliver 100 horsepower or more on a dynomometer for a few minutes and one that will run for hundreds of hours at 100% power (as the GL1800 has done as a prototype)! Air cooling is the big minus with the H-D and a major reason that the stock H-D is down on power as well.



On the other side of the fence, the Harley does deliver better fuel mileage and has that certain "feel" that some people like or prefer. The Harley also has more leg room than the Honda, this seems to be the common complaint of all tall riders, that the Honda lacks "leg room"! Do not get me wrong, a Harley fits the needs of a lot of riders. They just do not fit my personal needs, wants or desires from a bike! Remember, there are a huge number of people that buy a Harley simply as a status symbol or another garage or trailer queen. Most of these people have NEVER ridden anything else, so they have NO point of reference on what is or is not "good" or "bad" about ANY bike! Ride both machines and HONESTLY evaluate your needs and wants along with the pluses and minuses of each machine. You may find that neither one meets your needs!



In the end, you need to decide what fits YOUR needs and YOUR personality the best. Either unit will deliver reliable performance but ONLY within the design capabilities of the machine. In the end, you are going to have to pay for and ride the bike for many thousands of miles, so you do not want to make the wrong choice. For me, neither bike does it, I PREFER my 1982 HONDA CBX! The CBX delivers the nostalgia of the Harley AND the performance of the Gold Wing in a eye catching, comfortable and still very exotic package!



Shipping back to the UK? I would bet that $2000 -$3000 USD would do it. I would GOOGLE that question!



Good Luck! Hope you enjoy your visit to the USA.



P.S. Come ride the back roads of Arkansas! Some of the finest motorcycle roads in the world!

Answer 3

While I have never ridden the latest generations of either bike, I have had opportunities to ride some of the earlier generations of both bikes. From what I understand both are very good bikes today, but only the Gold wings have a reputation for lasting for well over 100,000 miles without any problems. Just about every older Harley has issues, many are probably due to poor maintenance and/or improper modification, but why get that type of headache when the competition already offers a better product. Both bikes are way to heavy to truly be sporty but the Wing has been the sportier of the two all-day comfort cruisers. The only knock I can think of for the Goldwing would be fuel economy, as I remember they burn more gallons per mile than many small cars although Harleys are not that a whole lot better and the current generation of touring bikes may have solved this as well.

Answer 4

I havent ridden a goldwing, but I have ridden both the Electra Glide and the Victory Vision. I would not trust the HD to go coast to coast. The 03 and 04 harleys I had were great bikes, but I would not trust them to cross the country reliably. It is a good thing HD has a HUGE Dealer network, you generally need them. I am a Victory guy who used to ride harleys, I have a Kingpin and eventually will move up to the Cross Country. If you are serious about putting serious miles on a reliable motorcycle, check out the Victory Vision. It is cheaper and in my opinion a much better bike. For a relatively unbiased opinion, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB1gtpKS2Wc. Although it is made by the victory owners group, the rider is a lifetime goldwinger and he compares all three of the bikes. Give it a look before you make your decision.

Answer 5

Honda Electra

Answer 6

I spent one season with my '06 Roadking. During that time it suffered overheating/surging/backfiring issues, loose stearing head bearings, and a transmission that hated going into neutral. There was also a crack developing in the paint near the rear tail light and rust was starting to show on the white paint. In all honesty, it was the worst motorcycle I have ever owned.



On the other hand, my Sportsters and my Buell have were nearly flawless.



The bad experience with the Roadking has made it hard for me to totally trust Harley touring bikes reliability.



As far as the ride? It was fairly slow and it's handling was what you would expect for a bike that heavy. It scraped floor boards in tight corners and you need to plan ahead when you want to stop. It was about a 6 out of 10 in the fun department.



It was one of the best looking machines out there though. If it wasn't my only bike, I would consider having another one. With the prices of used HD products dropping like a rock, that is more likely than not.



As far as the GW, I never rode one, but the magazines all seem to like them.

Answer 7

I have ridin both bikes and their both very nice but Im a Harley owner all my life. As for the cost of them the Electra Glide is over priced. I own a Road King, its a very nice touring bike, I also have older Harley's with over 150.000 miles on them without any major repairs. Its all about the maintenance, the Honda is lighter and cost less, Some people don't like Harley as they ride sport bikes, I would like to see them ride for long trips and not have to shake their hands due to all their body weight on them. My Road King is now 2 years old and it has 40.000 on it, so this means I ride it allot. As for shipping overseas I have no idea.

Answer 8

been building and riding all my life,Harley and Honda. Both are great machines,I like the Honda except it sits up to high for my taste. The H.D. has a lower center of gravity. The wng makes up for it with a reverse mode to help back up to park. This works by spinning the starter motor bakwards. It will also over time burn out the starter. Both are flawless highway machines,really comes down to what you yourself like or dont like about them.

Answer 9

Isn't there a Harley Davidson dealer in Dublin? Or are you planning on buying in the US, traveling across the US and then shipping it back to Ireland when you are done?

Answer 10

As a lover of Honda & I have had 9 or so over the past 32 years - but now Harley owner and lover of H.D. bikes all I can say is ride both and make up your own mind. There are far too many big ego trippers who type before they think on this site.

Answer 11

I can only speak for USA dealers, but test ride both bikes and get the one that YOU like best. They are both great. Goldwing is the only bike Honda will allow test rides on.

Good luck and ride safe.

Answer 12

IMHO both can well accessorized about the same for touring, but will have very different feel.

You should arrange to test ride both.

Honda = smooth and powerful, well integrated..

Harley (almost any v-twin really) = a look, sound, feel that is maybe more concerned with image.

Remember we are talking water vs air cooling here if that counts for you.



What! no love for BMW?

Answer 13

Apparently, you are getting strong opinions about HD's from people who have never actually ridden one... and you are getting positive opinions about GW's from people who have also never ridden one.



First, let me start by saying that either one will fill your requirement. But, here's my experience.



My first touring bike was an '86 Kawasaki Voyager XII which had close to 160000 clicks when I sold it, so I can humbly state that my opinion of touring bikes comes from actual experience...



Anyway, when it came time to replace the Kwacker, I road-tested a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic and a Honda Gold Wing back-to-back. Here's what I found: the Honda is nearly perfect. Legroom is cramped for my 34-inch inseam (surprising on such a large bike !), but otherwise the design and execution are flawless. It is remarkably easy to ride even at low speeds, feet-up u-turns are a piece of cake. It is smooth and deceptively fast. The luggage is well-designed and roomy (don't get the cd-changer, it uses-up too much luggage space). As I said, nearly perfect. Trouble is, it may be too perfect. The thing simply does not feel like a motorcycle. It's more like driving an Accord that leans into corners. Not involving. Not exciting. Boring.



The Harley, on the other hand, was a revelation. I only tried it because I read that the then-new models (this was in 2007) had very light controls. I have ostheo-arthritis so light controls are important to me. At low speeds it is somewhat ponderous, but at anything faster than a walking pace it lightens up remarkably. It's not a bicycle, but close. The controls manage to feel solid and massive yet light and effortless. And that motor ! it's hard to desribe; it manages to always make its presence felt, yet it is never intrusive. It's like riding a great big beast whose heart beat you can always feel, strong and reassuring. If you are sensitive to this sort of thing, then there is no other choice.



Needless to say, I got the HD. Despite what the uninformed naysayers will tell you, reliability is a non-issue. Mine now has 32000 on the odo and has been flawless. More importantly, it still lulls me into taking the long way home...

Answer 14

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Answer 15

As a die hard Harley rider and one that has ridden Harley's all my life, If I was planning to buy a motorcycle for touring purposes, I would go with the Goldwing. I don't know how much to ship a motorcycle overseas.

Answer 16

I think Dani G said it all.



While both are tourers, the similarities end there. Its a bit hard to compare a water-cooled horizontally opposed 6 to an air-cooled V2. The HD touring frames were redesigned for the 2009 model year and low speed handling is now much better. Both can be accessorized similarly. Both have ABS available.



You'll never get away from the Japanese vs Harley thing.



Clearly both are good machines, but the HD is the one with soul.

Answer 17

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Answer 18

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Answer 19

It depends on your definition of "better". Unless you ride both bikes, you won't know which one is "better".



Shipping to Ireland will be around €1,500 - €2,000. Assuming the import rates are similar to the U.K. you will have to pay an extra 30% on top of the total value for duties, brokerage, etc.



Trust me, it WILL be cheaper for you to buy the same bike in Eire.

Answer 20

Buy the Goldwing. No Harley rider would ever ask that question.

Answer 21

Harley is very dependable if you don't hot rod them.

Answer 22

HEY THERE POLAR BEAR I SEE YOU ARE STILL ACTING LIKE YOU KNOW SOMETHING. i'LL BE SURE TO GIVE THE FINGER SALUTE TO EVERY HD RIDER WHEN I PASS THEM WITH MY HAMMER. THANKS FOR SLAMMING THE VETS. DON'T DO IT ON HERE SECRETLY. JUST GO UP TO A VIETNAM VET AND TELL HIM WHAT YOU TOLD ME. HERES TO MEETING YOU SOMEDAY SOON. EVEN ON ONE LEG YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A CHANCE!!!!!!!!!

Answer 23

UK

I have always been a major Honda fan... their bikes are the blistering business.

Answer 24

UK

I wouldn't touch the HD with a barge pole - old tech agricultural load of overpriced rubbish. HD are on the verge of going bust.

The Wing every time.

In the UK a lot of us bikers do not even acknowledge HDs as real bikes - just for people who like to polish and mid life crisis men usually.



EDIT - I have ridden both these bikes

Answer 25

That depends if you want to ride it or just stare at a bike that won't start. If you intend to ride it, honda.

Answer 26

harley is best