Harley Davidson vs Honda – Which Motorcycle Brand is the Best


One of the most common arguments that have existed for decades among motorcycle enthusiasts is which motorcycle company is better between Honda and Harley Davidson. These two amazing companies are considered the best and leading companies in the market, no individual companies can compete with them. They are simply the best you can find in the market today and their motorcycles models are the most popular.

So, which motorcycle company is better, Harley or Honda? – The truth is that there is really no better company than the other. These two companies are very reliable and whichever you choose will be good for you. In general, I would recommend Honda for people who want to get the most advanced technology and performance while Harley for those who love the Harley motorcycle style and want to get the original Harley design and engine, feeling more reliable because Harley is a bit more reliable than Honda.

There are many differences between these two companies that you need to know so that you will know which is better for you because each company has its own target audience with the design they made. So, because of that, you have to know everything about them. In this guide, I will show you the pros and cons of each company, differences between them, and who each is intended for. So, be sure that by the end of the article, you will surely know which is more suitable for you.

So, let’s get started.

Harley Davidson & who is it recommended for?

brown and black cruiser motorcycle
תוצאת תמונה עבור harley davidson logo

First and foremost, Harley Davidson is an American company that is considered an icon in the United States for those that do not know. In fact, it is the most successful and popular American motorcycle brand.

Harley was founded in Lenny in 1903, which is a very long time ago, and then, Harley only manufactures motorcycles and safety equipment compare to Honda that only produces lots more products from motorcycle-related stuff.

This may surprise you and I’m sure many will disagree with it, but believe me, Harley is more reliable than Honda because they are older and have a lot more experience with a difference of almost 50 years of manufacturing motorcycles. Beyond that, they have progressed in making motorcycles with its expertise and originality and was one of the first companies to produce motorcycles, so I think it deserves the benefit of reliability over Honda.

In addition, Harley motorcycles are very strong, spellbinding, and are also more upscale. Their models are more expensive than the Honda models and the Harley-style motorcycles have such a unique feeling that I think no motorcycle can deliver. Harley motorcycles simply have a different and best feeling on the road, together with the engine that produces the best sound that no company has. But at the same time, they also require more maintenance and consume more fuel than Honda models.

Harley also offers very old-fashioned technology from other companies, which is not bad and there are even those who love it, such as me. In my opinion, Harley has the best style, and their quality of construction is more than any other company, even more than Honda that uses many cheap parts.

So, what should I think about Harley Company? – In my opinion, Harley Davidson is more reliable than Honda and I would recommend their motorcycles less for riders who love their design and riding style because Harley’s technology is considered to be less advanced compared to Honda. Note that this does not mean their engine itself is not good. With the engine to have a lot of incredible power and noise, it may sound superficial to a lot of people, but to me and lots of fans of Harley, it plays a huge role and at least in choosing a motorcycle.

Harley is a very expensive company; their models require a lot of fuel and maintenance and are expensive both in price and in the long run. This will not stop the true Harley fans because they love Harley and the power of their products, which is a real icon in the United States. Therefore, I recommend Harley motorcycles for riders who love the built-up of Harley riding style and are willing to invest the amount of money they require for maintenance.

Don’t attack my opinions in the comments section. I know tons of you just hate Harley and that’s fine. That’s just my opinion and I would also love to hear your opinion in the comments.

Advantages of Harley Davidson Motorcycles over Honda

  • More quality in the construction style
  • Unique style and originality
  • More reliable
  • Better engine sense of commercial sound
  • A very powerful engine
  • Last much longer

Disadvantages of Harley Motorcycles over Honda

  • Offer weaker and less advanced technology
  • Less speedy than Honda motorcycles
  • More expensive
  • Require more money on maintenance

The 10 best Harley Davidson Motorcycles of all time

Harley Davidson 11F
Harley Davidson VRSCSE2
Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide
Harley Davidson CVO Softail Convertible
Harley Davidson FLHR Road King
Harley Davidson XR-1000
Harley Davidson VRSCA V-Rod
Harley Davidson FLHT Electra Glide Standard
Harley Davidson Duo-Glide
Harley Davidson FXSTB Night Train

Honda

man, riding, honda sports bike, motorcycle, honda, racetrack, bike, transportation, one person, mode of transportation
תוצאת תמונה עבור honda logo

Honda is also an amazing company like Harley but Honda is a Japanese company that started manufacturing motorcycles as early as 1955 and has produced millions of models that have made a huge success.

In contrast to Harley, Honda not only manufactures motorcycles but other vehicles such as ATV, dirt bikes and even cars while Honda motorcycles are much cheaper and inexpensive to maintain in the long run. Also, Honda offers all the latest and most advanced technologies of recent years and most Honda models come in very sporty and very beautiful designs. Honda manufactures a wide range of motorcycles but Harley only focuses on Cruiser.

Honda models produce less vibration than Harley’s which makes them more comfortable while some people say that Harley motorcycles are more comfortable and have no problem with vibration. In my opinion, Honda is more comfortable, but with all the comfort of Honda, Harley still produces more high-quality motorcycles in terms of style and design which makes Harley worth its high price. Honda motorcycles will last fewer years than Harley’s.

So, what should I think of Honda Motorcycles? – In my opinion, Honda is an amazing company. Although I love Harley more than Honda, there are still some things about Honda that are better than Harley, so I would recommend Honda models for those who do not really care about design and want to get the latest technology and performance at a lower price and, of course, cheaper to maintain in the long run.

Advantages of Honda over Harley

  • Offer better technology
  • Better for races
  • Very cheap
  • Cheap for maintenance
  • More convenient

Disadvantages of Honda over Harley

  • Less beautiful and come with a banal design
  • Less good construction
  • Last for fewer years

The 10 best Honda Motorcycles of all time

NR750
Honda CBR1100XX
Honda Rebel
Honda Super Cub
Honda CBR600F
Honda CBR900RR
Honda RC213V-S
Honda CBX
Honda CRF1000L
Honda XRV750

What are the key differences between Honda and Harley Davidson motorcycle?

Harley Davidson motorcycles cost more expensive

One of the major drawbacks that Harley motorcycle has is its very high prices in large differences than Honda, and guess what? Not only are Harley motorcycles more expensive, but they are also costly to maintain in the long run which is definitely a huge drawback.

And the strangest thing is that Harley doesn’t really offer advanced technologies like Honda. They still use the old ones and the price still remains high which is probably a very big disadvantage to Harley.

Although Harley has relatively cheap motorcycle models like the Harley Davidson 1200 or a few other models, their other models are sold very expensive than Honda, and in my opinion, it is mainly because Harley is an icon and love to invest in the design of the construction and engine quality which significantly increases the price.

For example, the cheapest Harley motorcycle is priced at $7,600 and most of their other models are sold at an average price of $20,000. They even have models that cost $50,000, which is just crazy compare to Honda that has very cheap motorcycles starting from $2,000 to $4,000 and its most expensive motorcycle costs $28,000.

Honda Motorcycles have better technology than Harley Davidson Motorcycles

It’s no secret that Harley motorcycles come in very old technologies, reminiscent of 1950s motorcycles compare to Honda that uses all the new technologies you get. You will also get better performance and the most advanced performance in the market, and the truth is that Harley refuses to upgrade its engine; it still uses very old engines.

Harley does not make the transition to move to new technology and prefers to stick with its old technology, this may be a disadvantage for me, but for some, it is an advantage. Many people really love that Harley didn’t have too many features and still uses old design and specifications and there are even those who can die for it, so it varies among riders.

Honda motorcycles are better for racing than Harley Davidson motorcycles

Honda motorcycles are much better for racing than Harley Davidson motorcycles. In fact, they are designed for racing because Honda produces sports models that know how to handle any tough terrain while Harley Davidson manufactures cruises, that is, types of motorcycles not generally designed for racing.

In addition, Honda has much faster models that run at higher speeds and provide the most advanced technologies in the market. In fact, it is obvious that Honda is one of the best motorcycle models for racing, so if you are looking for a racing motorcycle, Honda will be a much better option for you.

Harley produces only cruises while Honda produces all motorcycle types

Unfortunately, the only types of motorcycle that Harley produces are cruises while Honda produces all types of motorcycles, from largest to smallest and motorcycle of all shapes and colors, which gives Honda the advantage of having more choices to choose from.

In addition, almost all Harley motorcycles look the same in their design except for a change in color, so that’s also something you’ll have to take into account.

You are more likely to meet friends with Harley motorcycles than Honda

What a lot of people don’t know about having Harley motorcycles is that you are more likely to meet friends because there are loads of Harley enthusiasts in America that meet together on weekends, go to a restaurant or even clubs. But this is not the case for Honda; even there are hardly any Honda social groups.

If you do not know, Harley is known for their fans because they stick to their motorcycles and there are tons of Harley fans all over the United States and elsewhere. So, make sure you find someone who is a Harley rider as he will always give you good advice and talk to you about motorcycles, which is not the case for Honda riders because they are less crazy fans.

Harley motorcycles are well-built than Honda motorcycles

Harley invests a lot in the design and building of its models, they use the highest quality materials, which of course significantly increases the price of their motorcycle, but it is worth it because Harley motorcycles are much cooler than the sports designs of Honda.

Honda models have boring sports designs that are similar to any other company, but for Harley, their designs are all original. Although some companies tried to copy them, they never succeeded, so you look at Harley’s much better durability in this respect.

Harley motorcycles will last longer than Honda motorcycles

Because Harley models are designed more powerful and durable than Honda models, the added benefit of all that will make Harley motorcycles last a lot longer than Honda models.

Harley’s engines make more noise than Honda engines

If the engine noise is very important to you, then be sure that Harley is superior in this regard, and despite all the technological innovations that Honda has in its engine, it still does not approach the incredible level of noise of Harley’s engines.

I know a lot of riders that engine noise is very important to them and I can understand that it is really fun to have an engine that makes big noise even though it sounds superficial. Therefore, if engine noise is what you are looking for, then the Harley motorcycles are the best for you.

Harley motorcycles are bigger than Honda motorcycle

Harley motorcycles are much bigger and larger in size and weight than Honda motorcycles. I do not count this as a disadvantage or advantage, but it is worth taking this into account because I know a lot of people who are very bothered to ride a motorcycle that is too big and heavy.

In general, for high riders, I don’t think it will prevent them from riding a Harley motorcycle but it will certainly limit low riders when riding.

Harley motorcycles are cooler than Honda motorcycles

If you want to look cooler when riding a motorcycle, then Harley motorcycles are best for you because they look brighter and cooler. Let’s say the fact, we all want to look cool when riding and there is nothing wrong with that. Harley’s motorcycle with black color looks much cooler than a Honda design.

So, which should I choose, Honda or Harley motorcycles?

So, the truth that comes down to these two companies is that they are both amazing and they both have a lot of credibilities. Believe me, no one is better than the other. Although I said Harley is more credible, I think there are lots of people who will disagree with me and will probably compare these two companies. Harley motorcycles last longer than Honda’s but they are both amazing companies.

First of all, I would recommend that you buy from the company that fits you the best. On the one hand, I would recommend Harley motorcycles for those who have the money to maintain them. But for the high prices of Harley motorcycles, I would guarantee it for those who have no problem with compromising performance.

On the other hand, Honda will be great for those looking for a cheap and reliable motorcycle that will give a good performance and cheap to maintain. Honda will definitely suit most people from the price point of view.

I really hope I helped you figure out which is better.

For any questions you may have or opinion on the article, feel free to write us a comment, and we will get back to you within 24 hours.

                                             Thanks for reading, until the next post.

Rob

I’m Rob, the owner of RX Riders Place. My family and I have a long history of riding dirt bikes and ATVs and want to share what we have learned.

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