[bass player rider]

buying a harley

Next year, when they have their glut of unsold street rods, I'll buy one for a lot less than the 16K price. Regular Harley riders and thoses effected by peer pressure are not going to buy a Harley that makes one "lean" over like a Jap bike. They might as well get used to it. Harley Davidson is going to come with more outside of the traditional Harley box bikes to stay marketable. It's only business to survive.

[KAT6]

They would have to make a sport bike for me to buy one and not the vrod or buel the buel would have to have a longer wheel base

[The CyberPoet]

What would it take?

Hmmm... no seriously, let me think about this...

An 883R for $5k new. About the same price as an Indian-made Enfield (which uses similar technology in my mind). Would be reasonable for about town and the way it rides reminds me in many ways of my first bike (Honda CB450). But I wouldn't want to do a 600 to 1000 mile day on it.

Or they bring in another firm again and design a whole new engine-powerplant system (like they did with the V-Rod, but something newer yet again with a different flavor -- say BMW's K1200S engine or some equivilent high-rev'ing, smooth engine with 3 to 6 cylinders). In theory they could do the design in-house, but the truth would seem that it would fall too far afoul of their design credos... probably why they brought Porsche in to do the VRod engine design. Or wrap the VRod engine into something more akin to a ST1100 -- recam it for smooth power, put me upright and shielded from the elements, and add a big dose of reliability. Then price-tag it under $18k with a high-resale value, or under $12k with a normally depreciation.

Or, if you insist on sticking to the whole killer torque, low-rev, laid back theme, build a diesel version of the 1200XL engine.

But in general, with their current crop of offerings, I have no interest.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[billinlv]

had one, thats why im here

[xbubbax]

it would need wings and tits, to fly me arround and soming to hold onto wehen flying, also it would have to have a back massager and a minibar

[escahoe]

the v-rod at abouk $8k na d a bigger fuel tank

[SweetLou]

Another 35 years? I'm in riding for the performance for the meantime. If someone were to GIVE me one? I would sell it, and buy a Gixxer.

I had the same though!!!

[SlipKid]

They'd have to lower the price

Make you take an IQ test

Put you on "What Not To Wear"

Build something besides stupid looking cruisers

[kanoftuna750]

They would have to lift the gas cap and put a SUZUKI under it. But then I would have to change the gas cap.

[Badkitty]

i'll have to say..gimme a bike for free..and 1/2 price off the expensive parts. Then maybe i'll CONSIDER one.

[Zukiman]

I have several friends that own Harleys and their bikes have spent more time in the shop than mine. And I don't mean for scheduled maintenance. They are not worth the money. If someone gave me a Harley I would sell it and get a metric cruiser.

[banana600]

i think harley's "hold their value" so well because the people selling them can't stand the fact they paid so much for something they don't want anymore. the whole 'chopper hype' is helping the hefty resale value too imo.

[Matt]

With my current mindset, and their current products, they could not chage my mind. I would however like one of the low, stretched customs from Perowitcz, Yafee or Eric Gorges instead. (sp)

I came by my distain honestly. When Kim and I were looking at buying bikes, we started at the HD dealership. I wanted a Buell, she a litte black sportster......

I had a Buell, a breathed on Harley as it were. The X1 Lightning, 1200ccs of hyped out HD power, got spanked by my Kanotuna during break in............ Nuff said there....... HOWEVER, if it were not for the Blast, my wife would never have gotten on a bike, she found the Blast VERY unintimidating. In that regard, getting a new rider on a bike, who might not otherwise ride, the Blast is one of their best products - too bad it's not priced like other 500cc bikes.

Beull has as much chance of making a competative sport bike (that's attractive to the respective market) as Cadiallac does in making a sports car. Their both for a more conservative and more mature mindset, while they're making inroads to the younger crowds, they are not that popular with the youngsters.....

...finally, that gawd aweful image I want nothing to do with. That would have to go...... I'd rather be categorized as a squid than associate with somebody who looks the other way when a ricer goes by.

What would it take?

• 50% price cut. Chrome don't get you home. That old technology was paid for long ago - price it accordingly.
• Less attitude from HD riders. There is no sport bike brand that does not wave to other sport bikes - regardless of cost or image.
• A better product, one that can compete with what comes out of Japan. Perhaps an update or other models that incorporate that new-fangled-tech-stuff like liquid cooling. The V-Rod doesn't count, it's not a Milwaukee engineered motor.

[KatanaO215]

yeah its pretty funny that the only way they could have a motor with any kind of real performance was to outsource the production of the motor to Porsche.

Gotta love those American made Street Rods that are coming out. You know, the ones with the German engine, Italian brakes, Japanese suspension.

[harrye]

What does Harley need to do to get (younger sportbike fans) to buy one?

I would say Harley probably never thought about it. They don't need to. At least not over the last 20 plus years. Was it 20 or 25 years ago when HD lobbied congress for import restrictions on Japanese bikes (limited to cruisers probably)? I know they tried for something like this in the early Ronald Regan years (1980's).

Shortly thereafter, HD's quality improved (it had been real bad under AMC ownership), and the brand became the darling of the baby boomer generation. HD hasn't had to look back since.

I think HD had a lot of trouble beginning in the mid 1960's with the Japanese invasion of small displacement bikes. My first bike was a 1965 model 80cc Yamaha, and I've been a loyalist of bikes from Japan ever since. I can't explain the current popularity of Harleys. I get the impression that most riders have a blue collar background, although I know professional people own Harley's as well. Most HD riders are mature (of the gray haired set, or close to it). So maybe these riders were never exposed to the small displacement Japanese bikes of the 1960's.

When a trend like Harley's current popularity lasts for 20 years or more, its easy for younger people to think that the brand has been popular and successful contineously and forever, and that it always, always will be. That is not the case. In another 10, 15, or 20 years, the baby boomer generation will start to hang up their riding leathers for good. Who will then buy the sizable production quantities that come from HD's factories? Not me. If I wanted a vintage or antique American motorcycle, I'd try to accquire one from the 1920's to the early 1940's. An authentic antique, not a more newly manufactured one.

So maybe HD management does look into the long-term future and think about these same issues from time to time. The popularity of custom choppers on televison ( the Tuttles, Billy Lane, etc.) has certainly taken me by surprise. But who buys these super expensive bikes? Jay Leno, the US Air Force, corporations that want an advertising ploy. That's not a solid customer base of loyal individuals.

I suppose if I looked at TV footage of a Sturgis gathering, I'd see who rides choppers. I've seen only one chopper on the road in my area of Northern Michigan. I see very very few sport bikes. I see Harleys, Harleys, Harleys all the time, except for July and August when tourists roll thru.

If I were to guess at HD's long-term future, I'd say there are probably enough people who like the unique thump thump of the v-twins, and the legandary cruiser, chopper mystique that HD will be producing bikes of this nature, and engines for the speciality shops, for a long time. Lower production volumes and high or higher prices I am sure. But HD will continue in some form for a long long time.

But Harley doesn't need me. They don't have to do anything to win me as a customer. I don't want them to try. The way I feel and have felt for the last 40 years, they won't win me ever. Does a Porsche or Ferrari owner spend any time coveting a V-8 Ford Mustang? Why go backwards technologically, except for fun or to be open minded? I know the economics of that analogy are backwards because of the way the Japanese motorcycle industry developed and the market dominating practices that it employs. Leading edge technology doesn't usually cost less except when its Japanese technology.

Let Harley be Harley. Viva la difference.