Faults:

The rear arm of the heel-and-toe shifter worked itself loose at 1200km, and the mechanism that transmits movement from the shifter to the gearbox did the same shortly after the 16000km service. Annoying, but easily fixed.

General Comments:

I absolutely love this bike. I have been riding since the late 70's and have owned both Japanese (Honda, Yamaha & Kawasaki) and European bikes (BMW & Triumph).

I was part of the Harley haters, but was nonetheless willing to road test one when looking for a new touring bike: it was a revelation.

By coincidence I road tested a Gold Wing on the same day as the 'Glide. The Honda is perfect in any engineering analysis, but to me it was about as exciting as driving an Accord. The Harley, on the other hand, has a much more elemental mechanical quality to it. It feels like a motorcycle where the Honda feels like an appliance.

This is the first bike in a long time that always encourages me to seek out the longest route between A and B. My wife enjoys the excellent passenger accommodations. The adjustable passenger floorboards are nice, the sound system with built-in intercom is very good and the luggage is great. This is a top-notch ride!