Million Mile Harley

[Big Al of Tennessee]

FXRT owned By Dave Zein.

Dave has ridden motorcycles since age 11, got into politics through helping Veterans Affairs.

Politician and rider. Seems like a good guy.

Scott Walker the Governor of Wisconsin, comes out to help present the award.

1,000,000 mile Harley.

Dave Zien - 1st Million Mile Harley - Davidson Sponsor Hupy & Abraham S.C.

[santa]

Al are you next???

Santa

[DIGGER]

How many rebuilds??????    Don't matter I guess, iffin the body held up for a million miles that is pretty darn impressive.  Iffin ya look at the Iron Butt Association awards for the most documented miles in a year....the award is held by Mr Zien 's Harley at somewhere around 141,757 miles in a yr.

THAT BE DANGED IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!

[Big Al of Tennessee]

Digger that is impressive.

Mr Zien 's Harley at somewhere around 141,757 miles in a yr.

Iron Butt Record. I think the rider is most extraordinary.

[Big Al of Tennessee]

Al are you next???

Santa

Probably not, but this guy rides like he stole it. Mr. Zien that is.

[John Schmidt]

Used to be a little retired guy here in Fla. that beat the 141k hands down. He bought a new Yamaha, nice cruiser type, and since his wife was still working he'd take off for parts unknown. I recall chatting with him at a rest stop while waiting for others to show up headed for Bike Week. He was headed northwest soon so he could take in a reunion of old military buddies....in Oregon. Figured he'd work it out to hit Americade on the way home. I saw him a couple months later, bike had just shy of 70k on it. In the first year he owned it he logged over 150k. Yamaha was so impressed since he had no trouble with it and all those miles in such a short time, they bought it from him to study and gave him a new replacement. His reaction; "thanks, now I need to go pack." He was headed for California to see family, then to Canada for a wedding. Dude reminds me of DDT....no moss under his tires.

[Warlock]

Digger that is impressive.

Mr Zien 's Harley at somewhere around 141,757 miles in a yr.

Iron Butt Record. I think the rider is most extraordinary.

That is very impressive. That is better than 388 miles per day.
David

[Valk-Obsessed]

Wow!

[Pappy!]

That would be a cool bike to see after all those miles.
That is one dedicated rider as well....hats off to him for his merits.

[NITRO]

He lost a leg not long ago in an accident but is still riding. I crossed paths with him near my house last fall.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

This all happened way back in 09. Old news drug out again..


"He bought the bike new in Madison. To get to a million miles, he refurbished or overhauled the engine nine times, installed two new engines and went through 105 rear tires and nine seats. He says he's documented the million miles with receipts for gas and repairs."


9 overhauls with 2 being new engines, not so impressive (IMHO) compared to 350,00 to 450,000 mile honda's of several different models.

Raymond

[Tropic traveler]

This all happened way back in 09. Old news drug out again..


"He bought the bike new in Madison. To get to a million miles, he refurbished or overhauled the engine nine times, installed two new engines and went through 105 rear tires and nine seats. He says he's documented the million miles with receipts for gas and repairs."


9 overhauls with 2 being new engines, not so impressive (IMHO) compared to 350,00 to 450,000 mile honda's of several different models.

Raymond

How dare you point out the facts when the story was so, so, so "legendary"! 
You should be ashamed of yourself. 

[Big Al of Tennessee]

This all happened way back in 09. Old news drug out again..


"He bought the bike new in Madison. To get to a million miles, he refurbished or overhauled the engine nine times, installed two new engines and went through 105 rear tires and nine seats. He says he's documented the million miles with receipts for gas and repairs."


9 overhauls with 2 being new engines, not so impressive (IMHO) compared to 350,00 to 450,000 mile honda's of several different models.

Raymond

Dave Zien  gets the credit. It does not really matter what is under his butt.

But should get more kudos than say a guy riding a Goldwing Cadillac. He did it on inferior

equipment, with no cruise control like the F6B.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

He did it on inferior equipment,

I'll agree with that.

[Big Al of Tennessee]

This all happened way back in 09. Old news drug out again..


"He bought the bike new in Madison. To get to a million miles, he refurbished or overhauled the engine nine times, installed two new engines and went through 105 rear tires and nine seats. He says he's documented the million miles with receipts for gas and repairs."


9 overhauls with 2 being new engines, not so impressive (IMHO) compared to 350,00 to 450,000 mile honda's of several different models.

Raymond

How many differentials, u-joints, drive line parts, not to mention wheel bearings, has Alli (DDT'S Bike) gone through to get his miles he has run. A lot, more than one 2000$ rebuild on the drive line, has been done . The motors may last longer on a Honda. But that is about all that does. All motorcycles are troublesome and
expensive to work on.

[Jess from VA]

My Hog for 18 years was the FXRD (only 1000 made in '86, and called the Grand Touring Edition, Sport Glide).  It was an FXRT with every single accessory added at the factory and fancy paint.  I only got 99.5K, and did a top end (and other stuff) on the engine at 78K, because I wanted to, not that it had to be done.  I had two valks before I sold it and would not run it over 100K because I didn't want any BS about it turning over twice when selling it.  It was a great bike.  Harley's only attempt at a sport tourer (thus the Sport Glide).

Not a batwing fairing, a BMW lease design fairing (one of the reasons it did not sell well).  All body work was ABS, like the Valk, not glass.



Had the lowers too, but took them off in Summer too hot.


Mine, after fresh paint (Harley would not give me the paint codes/pin stripes to stay original midnight blue, like the top photo).




The old lineup.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Al I wonder how many chains and sprockets that Harley used in 450,000 miles? ($1500 worth?)

So far all my Honda's have been far from troublesome and real cheap to keep going. I've spent more money on seats than any other parts but what should I expect with riding somewhere around 300,000 in the last 11 years. Dang cow hide and spring steel just isn't what it used to be I guess.

Raymond

[Hooter]

   Nice bike Jess. I still  have my 96 Springer Softail (FXSTS) with a rigid mounted 1340. I will never sell that bike, I have too much time on it and into it. I didn't say money it has never cost me much, just time to keep it right. Never rebuilt and it may puff a little smoke on startup once and a great while, but what the hey. Just rebuillt the springer last winter and put new neck bearings in it. Springers front ends are heavy. Only have 64,000 on the clock and will continue to ride it.

[RainMaker]

I don't care what he rode - he's ridden that one a million miles! 

That's the story.  No Harley bashing allowed.

[nogrey]

You know, if you rode 400 miles a day, every day, it'd take you almost 7 years to get to a million miles. That's impressive on any bike! His butt must be shaped exactly like whatever seat he uses 

[LTD]

Back in the 80s I really admired the FXRT thought it was a great design. Sonny Barger the Hells Angel president rode one for a while I believe.

[Black Pearl's Captain]

I don't care what he rode - he's ridden that one a million miles!  

That's the story.  No Harley bashing allowed.

Sorry, I thought the title to this thread was Million Mile Harley and the story was about the Harley since that was what the whole let's put this million mile Harley in a museum youtube video thing was all about.

Perhaps you should play the video at least from 5:30 to 5:40.

[Jess Tolbirt]

more popcorn please!!!!

[Jess from VA]

Back in the 80s I really admired the FXRT thought it was a great design. Sonny Barger the Hells Angel president rode one for a while I believe.

I got my FXRD in the late 80's in CA, and at the time a number of Hells Angels could be seen running the PCH and freeways on FXRT/FXRDs; good all-weather and high wind tourers.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

more popcorn please!!!!

[old2soon]

I've driven some million mile trucks. AND not one of them had all their original parts. Think rebuilds on the drive lines and tires-lotsa tires. Good MAINTENANCE will extend the life of most anything-think Boeing B-52. I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 or 5 million miles driving professionally. I DID NOT do those miles in ONE truck. The fact he did THOSE miles on THAT H/D is kinda amazing and I for one would expect stuff to wear out. Think about 1 million motorcycle miles on 3 or 4 or 5 different motorcycles much less ONE motorcycle.  Well done sir!!  RIDE SAFE.

[paulmull ( Wimp )]

the only way you could have a million mile Harley is haul it around in a trailer...

[RainMaker]

I don't care what he rode - he's ridden that one a million miles!  

That's the story.  No Harley bashing allowed.

Sorry, I thought the title to this thread was Million Mile Harley and the story was about the Harley since that was what the whole let's put this million mile Harley in a museum youtube video thing was all about.

Perhaps you should play the video at least from 5:30 to 5:40.

The guy who was talking from 5:30 to 5:40 is a HD Corporate guy.  He should believe that HDs are the best or he's working for the wrong company.

If this was a 12 owner bike that hit one million miles, then it's about the bike.  If it's one guy who rode it one million miles, it's about him, no matter the hoopla and promotion they put around the bike.  IMHO.

Wimp, I'd normally agree with you about the trailer but here's an example that was ridden the distance, so there is at least one (probably only one) instance that defeats the statement.  But I did think the same thing with my Honda biased mind.

I'm glad it's going to the museum.  Would really hate to see another of those idiotic plexiglas coffins with Dave mounted on it like a stuffed animal one day.