2021 Sportster S owner here. There has been a recall (they called it a Service buletin) due to that "whine" the bike makes when it false starts. My sportster S only started false starting when I did the first service (1yr-8000km) and the HD dealer updated the bike's firmware. They changed the Starter Clutch and Stator, after that, perfect. Later they offered a new battery, all under waranty. This was almost 2 years ago and since then it has been flawless. I've left the bike untouched last winter for 5 months and it started immediately. This is a great bike with some minor technical adjustments they should have made before launch.
when I purchased my bike I had to choose between Harley and Indian... and I went for a Harley then returned it within one week and got a Indian Chief Dark horse and I've been so happy with it.
Excessive is an understatement. The battery is a consumable part that often needs charging at inopportune times. It should take minimal tools and steps to get to it. 😵💫😵💫
Who exactly is beating Harley? They own the majority of the market in America. They beat out every other manufacturer combined when it comes to street bikes.
@@charlesprice7608 In America, but only due to protectionist policies since the Reagan administration. They came crying to ole Ronny to protect them from the Japanese brands. Harley is big in the US, but not for the right reasons.
Who cares, he's stoked about winning it. Maybe it's for his son or grandkids and they can't afford just randomly throwing money out of the window for a motorcycle.
@@Daniel-dj7fh definitely! Didn't mean any shade, just doesn't seem like his kinda bike but hey, I could be totally wrong! Lol Hope he's enjoyed it though, awesome bike to win!
@@stonesaquatichomes6825 If I were to guess, it looks like it would be a really small bike for him. But hey, like someone else said, maybe it's for someone else in his family! Either way, hope he's having fun with it!
I watched your review of the Triumph 1200 twin this morning where you said you'd give it a pass in favour of your Harley. Have you changed your mind now? 😂
I’m new to this channel- if he didn’t like the Triumph…….. well, I’m questioning his judgment. Triumphs are reliable, perform well, have good build quality, they’re comfortable, not boring, and have style to spare. What’s not to like??? And both 1200 parallel twins they do are excellent engines.
WoW! My Victory Cross Country battery is "Down there in front" . Once I remove the cover,Battery maintenance and replacement easy . Having to move the voltage regulator and related components, bad engineering.
The good ole sound of a dead RevMax. Welcome to the club. I know using a lithium battery in the Pan America is not approved by HD. I can assume it’s the same for the Sportster S. Good luck with that bike.
This was a coincidence. On this same day, I was about 30 miles north of you also heading to WOW. Except I got a nail in my rear tire. Normally not an issue, but I was on my Bonneville with tube tires so I was stuck. By the time I got a pick up and my trailer to get the bike home, the show was over.
Good lord that battery mounting is about as silly as it can be, like I get it if it was to come with already installed charging points or something. But it's silly goose mounting.
I LOVE my sportster S, but it definitely has issues. Mine's been in twice, luckily covered under warranty. One was a software issue, one was an electrical issue with the throttle. I'm keeping it until my warranty expires. Killer Creek does amazing work though.
@@ori2425No. I've owned at least nine Ducatis and several other bikes. And I've reviewed many more. The Sportster S I recently reviewed was light, powerful, and surprisingly nimble given that big front tire. Definitely a fun bike.
@@oldcowbb I'm no human behaviors expert, but the way he looked at the bike whilst gliding his hand over it is definitely how I reacted when I got my first and second bike.
btw if you hadn't know yet hellbender is closing for good on Nov. 30th. So kinda wondering how those in the greater ATL area is gonna get tied up with warranty work etc. without having a shop besides a extremely long service waits soon at the remaining dealers of the area. Not sure why HD is kinda forcing dealers to close their doors. The other thing I have against HD is their newish type scheme of back order parts. Mountain Creek HD is open on monday's and I'm wanting to say southern devil is as well granted MCHD is in Dalton and SDHD is in cartersville but soon to be the north ATL dealer basically after Saturday. stay safe and keep on riding.
This is why I ditch the Sportster S as a second bike/dream bike. I really like the power cruiser segment of bikes. I really like how the Sportster S looks. But these problems seem to happen to basically everyone that has the damn bike! It is endless, endless stories like this. I shifted my attention elsewhere and ended up loving the Ducati Diavel 1260 WAY MORE anyway. All the power cruiser performance I want, even better looks in my opinion, vastly more comfort for me (and my wife since we do a lot of 2 up so the Diavel is probably better anyway for that alone), and far more reliable without the atrocious issues that have haunted the Sportster S. They have their own issues (and expensive Desmo cleaning if you don't do it yourself), but nothing like the LEMON HELL that is the Sportster S.
If your battery Is dying and it's charging when on wall charger means you have a bad rectifier and regulátor Assy or may be stator ...... How to check this issue - 1 Charge the battery. 2 check the voltage of battery on terminals while the bike is idling and then at 3000 rpm. 3 and same can be done on stator coupler.
Winner of the 450ss bro, I'm stoked that you won it. Forget what people say whether you'll ride it or no, resell yap yap. Do try to take it for a spin if you can, enjoy it.
I had a 2023 Sportster S for a bit and while I liked the performance of the bike... I started to dig into what would happen if the bike had an issue where I had to dig into the motor... now since the engine is part of the supporting structure you have to tear the whole bike apart just to get to the engine... I started many years ago building EVO's and that's the format I'm most familiar with so moving over to an M8 is not a huge jump with the exception of the computers which EVO's did not have back in the day. So needless to say I jumped over to a 2024 Low Rider S couldn't be more happy with my decision.
2021, 22, some 23's, and who really cares about the 24's (cause no one is buying them) are a shit-show of Problems.From battery problems, starter problems, wiring harness problems, electrical Bullshit issues etc. It's like all these Bike were built on a Friday Total Trainwreck with this Rev-Max platform.
For a totally different experience in all ways, and I mean ALL. Buy a work of art to give away. 1920s tech brought just about up to date; Janus Halcyon 450. Hand made in Goshen Indiana.
Gotta love those "Made in Mexico" tags! And they STILL have the nerve to blame production and manufacturing costs as to why the "American" bike costs what it costs.
I've been saying this since oct 2021. Stock harley battery is junk. Swap out and you don't even need to tender it. I can let it sit for a month and it starts right up.
I used to work for Harley and i can 100 percent say the new rev max bikes have issues. Had so many issue with the sportster s and the pan America. Some bikes never missed a beat and others were just straight trash
@@youragronk6208 go for something a bit older. The new more tech based ones have had MAJOR failures, way worse than this.... If your after one go older and less tech, even the M8's had issues but nowhere near as bad.
I always tell everone, buy the newest year RevMax model you want. My '24 PA has been bulletproof. All the improvements from the factory to fix issues the 21-23's had.
Strangely I just replaced my Sportster S battery two days ago. As far as the electrical issues with the bike, that is one I have not seen but my 2021 has had every possible other combination of starter issues. I have replaced the starter clutch, the fuel pump, the battery twice and the starter switch (the entire right hand handlebar unit). If you win it have fun but FFS, don't buy one. Mine is three years old and I have not been able to keep it running without issue for longer than 3 months before something else breaks. It is not enjoying freedom when you don't even know if the fucking thing will start.
Expensive bike like that and you get stranded just like that, that says a lot for value. You good people in the first world need to start seriously revaluating your expenditures when getting a bike.
These comments are so laughable. So many people hating on Harley for nothing. People always hate on the things they can’t afford. You can tell from some comments that they never even owned a Harley in their lifetime. Don’t worry people I’ll be enjoying those Harley’s for the ones who can’t. I like all bikes I choose to ride Harleys.
2 Years for a Battery hmmm I have the original battery in my 2006 Yamaha Snowmobile. Keep your gas tank full to keep the condensation and rust out of the gas tank. Hint "I use battery tenders"
harley and the electronics... they are not the best. hopefully it is just something loose and not something major.. but with your luck it will probably be a major part HAHA.. keep your head up and you got this.. cheers.
Congrats on the pregnant wife my guy! Also my Empty 10 gets great gas milage compared to a 2006 f250. 🤣 38mpg sounds great until my friends xsr900 shows 58mpg and my bros ktm 790 duke sits at 61mpg, though the ktm has 6000 miles and leaks every fluid it has aside from the fuel... he had ktm replace the hoses and gaskets and 500 miles later it started pissing everywhere again out of every seam... dont buy a ktm. Also the harley has a voltage readout on the dash? almost like they knew it was going to be a problem.
Yep this is exactly why I lemoned my sportster s. They used the cheapest possible electronics and harnesses. Such a shame, it could have been a great bike. But even the Bluetooth unit is the cheapest you can find in the market. Works half the time. The bike won’t start, the battery the use is another cheapo. Get rid of it.
Ok I was listening while I was working and I thought he said going to have a baby but could hardly hear him (Im a diesel tech so shop is loud). I am right there with ya with being a long time. I remember the episodes with yummir6 back in the day.
@RiderInfusion my bike was built in 2017 with a battery probably built a year before that, and it's still going strong. How often are you changing batteries that you care if it takes 15 mins or 30?
"i have a bone to pick with harley" pick a number and get in line lol
The problem with Sportster S:
It's a Harley.
Agreed!
And not sporty enough. Lol
That's not fair, Harleys are great bikes! (If you'd rather work on a bike than ride.)
I don’t like them but I love my Harley baggers. What do you have?
Because it's not a Milwaukee 8
2021 Sportster S owner here. There has been a recall (they called it a Service buletin) due to that "whine" the bike makes when it false starts. My sportster S only started false starting when I did the first service (1yr-8000km) and the HD dealer updated the bike's firmware. They changed the Starter Clutch and Stator, after that, perfect. Later they offered a new battery, all under waranty. This was almost 2 years ago and since then it has been flawless. I've left the bike untouched last winter for 5 months and it started immediately. This is a great bike with some minor technical adjustments they should have made before launch.
Wait a Harley has a dead battery and charging issues!??! Never heard of that before ... Lol
The location for that battery is redonkulous!
I like your funny words magic man
Very true. I would absolutely hate that.
when I purchased my bike I had to choose between Harley and Indian... and I went for a Harley then returned it within one week and got a Indian Chief Dark horse and I've been so happy with it.
That is EXCESSIVE just to get to the battery. Poor job, Harley. And they wonder why they're getting beaten by every other motorcycle company.
It's to keep the weight down low
Bike has so much torque. You want as much weight low and near the front as possible.
Excessive is an understatement.
The battery is a consumable part that often needs charging at inopportune times. It should take minimal tools and steps to get to it. 😵💫😵💫
Who exactly is beating Harley? They own the majority of the market in America. They beat out every other manufacturer combined when it comes to street bikes.
@@charlesprice7608 In America, but only due to protectionist policies since the Reagan administration. They came crying to ole Ronny to protect them from the Japanese brands.
Harley is big in the US, but not for the right reasons.
I just love the fact that the cfmoto looks better than pretty much anything on the road
He dressed to match the bike! He's adorable!😂🎉 Cheers mate!
Something tells me that guys not riding the 450 lol grats on the win though!
Yea I absolutely agree.
Why not?
Who cares, he's stoked about winning it.
Maybe it's for his son or grandkids and they can't afford just randomly throwing money out of the window for a motorcycle.
@@Daniel-dj7fh definitely! Didn't mean any shade, just doesn't seem like his kinda bike but hey, I could be totally wrong! Lol
Hope he's enjoyed it though, awesome bike to win!
@@stonesaquatichomes6825 If I were to guess, it looks like it would be a really small bike for him. But hey, like someone else said, maybe it's for someone else in his family! Either way, hope he's having fun with it!
I watched your review of the Triumph 1200 twin this morning where you said you'd give it a pass in favour of your Harley.
Have you changed your mind now? 😂
He hasn't answered yet! He's trying to figure out how to delete your comment!
Lmao
I’m new to this channel- if he didn’t like the Triumph…….. well, I’m questioning his judgment. Triumphs are reliable, perform well, have good build quality, they’re comfortable, not boring, and have style to spare. What’s not to like??? And both 1200 parallel twins they do are excellent engines.
WoW! My Victory Cross Country battery is "Down there in front" . Once I remove the cover,Battery maintenance and replacement easy . Having to move the voltage regulator and related components, bad engineering.
The good ole sound of a dead RevMax. Welcome to the club. I know using a lithium battery in the Pan America is not approved by HD. I can assume it’s the same for the Sportster S. Good luck with that bike.
Holy crap... Ducati is at the bottom, but it's one screw...lol
If I never own a Harley it will be a good life.
Time for the Buell SuperCruiser!
This was a coincidence. On this same day, I was about 30 miles north of you also heading to WOW. Except I got a nail in my rear tire. Normally not an issue, but I was on my Bonneville with tube tires so I was stuck. By the time I got a pick up and my trailer to get the bike home, the show was over.
Totally on brand for you guys! WBRG is back!
Good lord that battery mounting is about as silly as it can be, like I get it if it was to come with already installed charging points or something. But it's silly goose mounting.
FIRST
I've got a China dad-bike, an ADV and have gone over 5k miles with no issues so far. I love it. Hope yours treats you better 😢
I LOVE my sportster S, but it definitely has issues. Mine's been in twice, luckily covered under warranty. One was a software issue, one was an electrical issue with the throttle. I'm keeping it until my warranty expires.
Killer Creek does amazing work though.
Congrats on the win good sir! It's a bonus win that you didn't get the Harley...
so you take a Triumph Bobber now? 🤣🤣🤣
Gotta give pat some credit. He let you in on the intrusive thought before he cranked her up and went ham with throttle on the bench
This "new" bike has already required more effort than my EVO carb Sportster.
I recently tested out and reviewed this bike and loved it. So much power and nimbleness!
Nimbleness?! Really?
@@jvillain9946 probably a typo, I guess he meant nimble-less
First bike ever?
@@ori2425No. I've owned at least nine Ducatis and several other bikes. And I've reviewed many more. The Sportster S I recently reviewed was light, powerful, and surprisingly nimble given that big front tire. Definitely a fun bike.
@@jvillain9946Yes I recently reviewed it if you're interested.
Think replacing the battery was bad? Replacing the engine is next after the cam chain tensioner sh!t the bed.
Not once did that guy put his leg over that 450 lol. That bike aint for him. OC: its a harley thats whats wrong lol
I highly doubt the guy rides at all.
he is just going to resell it
@@oldcowbb I'm no human behaviors expert, but the way he looked at the bike whilst gliding his hand over it is definitely how I reacted when I got my first and second bike.
That guy won a killer bike! Congrats dude!!
btw if you hadn't know yet hellbender is closing for good on Nov. 30th. So kinda wondering how those in the greater ATL area is gonna get tied up with warranty work etc. without having a shop besides a extremely long service waits soon at the remaining dealers of the area. Not sure why HD is kinda forcing dealers to close their doors. The other thing I have against HD is their newish type scheme of back order parts. Mountain Creek HD is open on monday's and I'm wanting to say southern devil is as well granted MCHD is in Dalton and SDHD is in cartersville but soon to be the north ATL dealer basically after Saturday. stay safe and keep on riding.
This is why I ditch the Sportster S as a second bike/dream bike. I really like the power cruiser segment of bikes. I really like how the Sportster S looks. But these problems seem to happen to basically everyone that has the damn bike! It is endless, endless stories like this. I shifted my attention elsewhere and ended up loving the Ducati Diavel 1260 WAY MORE anyway. All the power cruiser performance I want, even better looks in my opinion, vastly more comfort for me (and my wife since we do a lot of 2 up so the Diavel is probably better anyway for that alone), and far more reliable without the atrocious issues that have haunted the Sportster S. They have their own issues (and expensive Desmo cleaning if you don't do it yourself), but nothing like the LEMON HELL that is the Sportster S.
When they first came out I was kinda excited about the Sportster S. I am glad I did not pull the trigger on that one.
If your battery Is dying and it's charging when on wall charger means you have a bad rectifier and regulátor Assy or may be stator ......
How to check this issue -
1 Charge the battery.
2 check the voltage of battery on terminals while the bike is idling and then at 3000 rpm.
3 and same can be done on stator coupler.
Harley increased the battery size and charging for 2024.
The battery is located lower to move the weight lower down
Winner of the 450ss bro, I'm stoked that you won it.
Forget what people say whether you'll ride it or no, resell yap yap.
Do try to take it for a spin if you can, enjoy it.
what did you expect, it says harley right on it. mantis has been making great boat anchors for years, they cost less and last longer..
Ducati Monster 821 owner. Hold my beer! Battery is hidden at the base of the swingarm!
Just saw that the Ninja 7 hybrid came out. It'd be a very interesting first ride to see!
OC: I think its most likely the regulator
💂🏻♂️"Get in there Lewis" 💂🏻♂️
I had a 2023 Sportster S for a bit and while I liked the performance of the bike... I started to dig into what would happen if the bike had an issue where I had to dig into the motor... now since the engine is part of the supporting structure you have to tear the whole bike apart just to get to the engine... I started many years ago building EVO's and that's the format I'm most familiar with so moving over to an M8 is not a huge jump with the exception of the computers which EVO's did not have back in the day. So needless to say I jumped over to a 2024 Low Rider S couldn't be more happy with my decision.
2021, 22, some 23's, and who really cares about the 24's (cause no one is buying them) are a shit-show of Problems.From battery problems, starter problems, wiring harness problems, electrical Bullshit issues etc. It's like all these Bike were built on a Friday Total Trainwreck with this Rev-Max platform.
For a totally different experience in all ways, and I mean ALL. Buy a work of art to give away. 1920s tech brought just about up to date; Janus Halcyon 450. Hand made in Goshen Indiana.
That bike looks dope. It wants to look badder than a sports bike.
And I thought my zx1400 battery was a pain in the ass to get at. Well done Harley I think you one upped Kawasaki.
Im glad Peter Griffin was able to get the bike of his dreams!
Gotta love those "Made in Mexico" tags! And they STILL have the nerve to blame production and manufacturing costs as to why the "American" bike costs what it costs.
I don't even remember how many times I rolled up to a motorcycle dealer on a Monday because I forgot they are closed...
Oh snap, I didn't know Heather was pregnant! Congrats dude!
Is it hers?
Imagine going to your local harley and asking for a simple battery change and you get slapped by a 1 hour labor charge 😂
Have a look where Ducati put the xDiavel Battery....same place.
OC-a possible grounding issue draining the battery.
I like the idle sound, but I have a feeling it's too loud under load.
I think the battery is depressed from being locked-up in the basement like that.
Wow, they took "low center" to heart.
I've been saying this since oct 2021. Stock harley battery is junk. Swap out and you don't even need to tender it. I can let it sit for a month and it starts right up.
I used to work for Harley and i can 100 percent say the new rev max bikes have issues. Had so many issue with the sportster s and the pan America. Some bikes never missed a beat and others were just straight trash
What are the good ones?
@@youragronk6208 go for something a bit older. The new more tech based ones have had MAJOR failures, way worse than this.... If your after one go older and less tech, even the M8's had issues but nowhere near as bad.
I always tell everone, buy the newest year RevMax model you want. My '24 PA has been bulletproof. All the improvements from the factory to fix issues the 21-23's had.
Strangely I just replaced my Sportster S battery two days ago. As far as the electrical issues with the bike, that is one I have not seen but my 2021 has had every possible other combination of starter issues. I have replaced the starter clutch, the fuel pump, the battery twice and the starter switch (the entire right hand handlebar unit). If you win it have fun but FFS, don't buy one. Mine is three years old and I have not been able to keep it running without issue for longer than 3 months before something else breaks. It is not enjoying freedom when you don't even know if the fucking thing will start.
Battery on ftr same place. Easy access though.
He has a shop full of tool chests and a bike lift and he has to take the bike to a Harley Stealership .
Expensive bike like that and you get stranded just like that, that says a lot for value. You good people in the first world need to start seriously revaluating your expenditures when getting a bike.
@chase its a bcm update that you need to do as i have a 2021 pan america with the same issue update M1532 fixes thats no start issue
stator problems if the charging system wont feed current to the battery. alternator, baterry and regulator must be replaced.
Yeah. Its charging system. Should be pretty easy to fix.
Lasted longer then my Sherco
so you didn't install battery tender leads?
These comments are so laughable. So many people hating on Harley for nothing. People always hate on the things they can’t afford. You can tell from some comments that they never even owned a Harley in their lifetime. Don’t worry people I’ll be enjoying those Harley’s for the ones who can’t. I like all bikes I choose to ride Harleys.
Never going to get one crap again
Also you can’t use a lithium battery with this bike, it will throw all kinds of codes and basically what happened.
Hardly Ableson*
*I hope that doesn't put a jinx on mine!
My brand new 2022 FXLRS had the rectifier fail after 3 weeks.
Hobbit “PATTY” waves from that day haha
2 Years for a Battery hmmm I have the original battery in my 2006 Yamaha Snowmobile.
Keep your gas tank full to keep the condensation and rust out of the gas tank. Hint "I use battery tenders"
Your bike is wearing fish nets.😂
So you looked at this bike and said "this looks simple enough. Jus like any other Harley" ....😮
It’s a Harley, it was never alive to begin with!!!
Instead of throwing parts at it, try bench testing the R/R and stator separately.
Why are the turn signals flashing while bikes being towed?
No keyfob nearby, the "alarm" is going off.
harley and the electronics... they are not the best. hopefully it is just something loose and not something major.. but with your luck it will probably be a major part HAHA.. keep your head up and you got this.. cheers.
It was a fun day at wow and I got to meet you as well
That seat looks so freaking uncomfortable.
Congrats on the pregnant wife my guy! Also my Empty 10 gets great gas milage compared to a 2006 f250. 🤣 38mpg sounds great until my friends xsr900 shows 58mpg and my bros ktm 790 duke sits at 61mpg, though the ktm has 6000 miles and leaks every fluid it has aside from the fuel... he had ktm replace the hoses and gaskets and 500 miles later it started pissing everywhere again out of every seam... dont buy a ktm. Also the harley has a voltage readout on the dash? almost like they knew it was going to be a problem.
I've never had those kind of problems with my 01 sv650s
A local sportster s vlogger is on his 2nd motor already. I really wanted to love them but they seem to be lemons
Not too hard to work out if it’s fuel or spark on the side of the road
Yep this is exactly why I lemoned my sportster s. They used the cheapest possible electronics and harnesses. Such a shame, it could have been a great bike. But even the Bluetooth unit is the cheapest you can find in the market. Works half the time. The bike won’t start, the battery the use is another cheapo. Get rid of it.
Changing a battery should not be rocket dentistry.
Battery will last 5+ years and it's mounted lower to move the weight of the bike lower.
It's actually a smart move
What year is this harley? 21,22,23,24 or 25?
rectifier, i had this issue on a 03 Z1000
Man, that's a hella lot a work to change a battery.
One of the Japanese manufacturer needs to copy the styling of this sportster. Them looks has me on a choke hold.
really bro, I'll stick with the 883
Should’ve got the scout 101 instead.
Pipes sound awful, sounds like a ride on mower. That would put me to sleep on the highway
Harley Davidson: the most efficient bike at turning fuel into noise
And oil into a road hazard.
Don’t worry I’m enjoying my loud noisy Harley’s for all the ones who wish they could afford one.
That comments says you never owned a Harley or can afford one.
From the get-go this sounds like a rectifier issue
Makes sense. Its a Harley
Forgot to put it in transport mode.
You still using Keeps? Hair is looking good bro
well it is a Harlee.
OC: Been subbed since the old channels. Congrats to you and your wife on growing your family!
Ok I was listening while I was working and I thought he said going to have a baby but could hardly hear him (Im a diesel tech so shop is loud). I am right there with ya with being a long time. I remember the episodes with yummir6 back in the day.
The amount of work it takes to swap a battery is crazy. That’s stupid lol
It's to keep the weight down low.
It's a smart idea
@@simmon81auNah, I don’t agree. Modern lithium batteries weigh practically nothing, especially motorcycles size batteries.
@RiderInfusion my bike was built in 2017 with a battery probably built a year before that, and it's still going strong.
How often are you changing batteries that you care if it takes 15 mins or 30?
@@simmon81auI guess that’s true