I live near a Harley dealership. Every Sunday Harley owners get together and ride. Ninety-five percent of them are guys in their late 40s and older, on a touring bike, with their fat wife on the back. The other five percent are younger guys, who have totally bought into the image that owning a Harley automatically makes you a badass, especially if the bike has ape hangers. To me, Harley is what Cadillac used to be in the '80s: the brand for your grandparents.
I have a new 2023 anniversary Tri-Glide. I paid $48000 out the door. I do my own work and I just did my 5000-mile inspection. I found the front axle pinch bolt was stripped out in the socket. The brake fluid had almost 4% water content. The heat deflectors didn't have the special nuts crimped, so the lower screws were doing nothing. The spark plug wires were not tie strapped to the frame under the seat area. The adjuster on the rear axle was 3/16" wider on the right side compared to the left side and the triple tree is a few degrees to the right when the front wheel is straight. The ground strap in the trunk was disconnected. So I would say that Harley's quality control is not there. My American made Hondas are much better.
Im a certified Harley tech and i have to say.... there is a reason i quit that corp lol. Not only do they charge out the ass for bikes that have more problens than a teenage taylor swift fan, the amount you pay in services at the dealer that they recommend..... will cost you the amount of a sportster or more. This guy is absolutly right. The videos they push on the employees say exactly what this guys says lol.. great stuff. They do make us techs money tho and some people love giving away money.
I'm British born and bred, I bought a Triumph Bonneville America brand new back in 2003 and still ride it most days! I also own a Harley Davidson Dyna Street Bob 2007 which is somewhat customised and is number 130/200 of the Grim Reaper limited edition paintjob. I love them both, they each draw attention at bike meets. Both are 'cruiser' bikes but have totally different characters. The Triumph is better suited to our twisty roads and lanes here in England but the Harley is my choice for the long and straight motorway rides. Great video, keep flying the Triumph flag!
Hey Weems! Have you ever thought about some people may ride Harleys because they just like the looks and sound of a Harley? I know this will amaze you, but 'most' people I think, are not into going as fast as is humanly possible. In a straight line, or around curves. Surprisingly, 'most' grow past that kind of behavior around their mid twenties, providing they haven't killed themselves, or watched a friend go off a cliff. It's really amazing how much fun Harley's are to just cruise on. I have more fun cruising my Harley at 45 mph, than I ever did riding my Triumph Trident like a wild man, back in the day. The Triumph was faster, would go around curves a lot faster, and had a unique 'snort' that no other bike could replicate. But the looks and ' sound' of the Harley was something that just made my experience so much more enjoyable, and I didn't have to be wringing it out like a teenage moron to get it. Which may have a lot to do with why I'm 75, and still alive to ride. Oh, and everybody doesn't walk around with all that phony crap you referred too. (the clothes, and attitude) Harley's are just fun to ride. To bad you can't just accept that, instead of trying to disect everything. There is One thing I hate about Harley's though, and that's the ever present "arrogant" attitude of the people that work at the dealerships! From the top to the bottom, those people, for the most part, will probably be the end to HD. And they're all SO ARROGANT, they can't see it. Oh well... their loss. I've got mine!
I bought a used 2008 1200 Nightster October 2023. Had 1047 miles on it. Dude got hurt and couldn"t ride anymore. Kept it in his garage for 15 yrs. His friend would ride it around the block a few times every 2 weeks. Right before I got it he had put brand new tires, new battery, and fresh oil change at the dealer. Paid $6k for it. I love that bike
Im a proud owner of a 2020 Triumph Rocket 3 GT and when a Harley guys stand beside me at a red light i can assure you that once they look at my bike they dont try to race me they give me the thumb up they know they cant stand a chance, i wear a full helmet a protection jacket and boots, im not wearing regular biker gears im more on the sporty side and protection gears, but every one choose what they like to ride and wear.
@@shadwox9808 not a Porsche motor they just had meeting with them on development watch making of the vrod the engine was developed out of the vr1000 race bike that set pole at Daytona better to research then reply just my opinion
I started out with a Triumph Bonnie in 1972 and rode them for 4 years till I got my first Harley. I was a fanatical Harley guy for almost 45 years then I got sick and couldn't ride my Streetglide anymore (to big and heavy) But I was not going to stop riding so I went back to my roots and bought a Triumph T100. Well I'll tell you I ride my Bonnie every year far way more than any Harley I had owned. I forgot how much better handling and FUN to ride than my Harleys .Hopefully I have many more years riding my beautiful Triumph!
It's not just darley havidson, it's the owners. I've owned several and will never give up my 65 Panhead. But darley and their loyal riders refuse to grow with the times; stuck with V twin air cooled power when other engine designs prove better longevity. Exhaust is loud and made to be inefficient making engines heat and fail. Rider comfort is not a concern as much as an appearance. EVERY darley owner runs to the after market to upgrade, change and alter their outrageously over priced bike that cannot claim American Made. You are in my prayers Hoka Hey
I have a 2012 ultra limited. Paid 23k new. I have put at least 16k in that bike. New engine, trans rebuild, suspension, seat, etc........ So I have 40k in that bike. I have several motorcycles. I have a 2017 Goldwing that the only thing I have done to it is scheduled maintenance and tires. Has 50k on it and will run another 100k easy. Harley isn't even close to the reliability of the Honda. I dont care about the "club." I primarily ride in Texas and the southwest where water cooling is a must.
I like my M8 softail heritage classic. I don't do gangs or wear fancy dress. I keep my self to myself, but if you're ok with me I'm fine with anyone who rides anything.
Harley is almost the worst bike you can buy for reliability and factory workmanship and quality control. Royal Enfield is the worst. I love my Yamaha. My broken Harley is against the wall in my garage never to be fixed. I keep it to remind me to never ever buy another Harley.
All I’ve ever owned are Yamahas. My biker gang buddy told me he’d never ride with me if I rode “Jap Crap”. Oh well, I really want to be seen near a Harley anyways.
From my experience with Harley-Davidson the only honest bike they made up until recently was the Evo Sportster. Everything else was overpriced and overhyped. This is coming from a guy who did the "upgrade" to a big twin Harley. I don't regret trying a big twin Harley because it was an experience but the only Harleys I would ever buy again would be the Evo Sportster.
My Dad bought a KZ1100 in 1983 and still has it. It still runs pretty good and he's never been into the engine! A few carb rebuild and syncs and general maintenance.
It doesn’t have to be a v-twin. It doesn’t have to look classic. It just has to be good. I’ve owned many Japanese bikes, a Victory, a Trimph, and now my 1st Harley-Davidson, and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a different brand. I like all kinds.
I'm on the north side of 70 and have owned many motorcycles. I currently have a Harley Davidson, 2 Yamaha's, and a Honda. I like all of them because they are for different purposes. All of them are reliable and reasonably easy to work on. I recently added a Trailmaster Hurricane 200x minibike to the mix. All fun, all for different uses.
I like how you don't seem to have a problem with pigeon holding an entire group of people. If I did not know any better I swear that was being bigoted :-) I have a Harley with over 46,000 miles all I've done was change the oil, oil filter, and tires I'm pretty happy how about yourself?
Had a couple nice Harleys and they are what they are but still just too far behind in technology and quality. Went back to Japanese adventure bikes. More fun in the mountains and rough roads for me. Harleys just were not exciting to ride and are not worth the price.
I'm happy that you brought up the problem of demographics and HD. The fact that the average Harley rider is now in his 50's is a HUGE obstacle for the brand. The fact is, younger riders don't make the same associations with Harley that older folks do. For the older generation, they associate the brand with freedom and possibly even non-conformity. Films like Easy Rider and the coolness of outlaw culture helped Harley project this image. Over time, however, the brand has actually come to represent the OPPOSITE of those things. Quite simply, they have lost their cool. A younger rider doesn't see a guy on a $60k Road Glide, decked out in every piece of Harley emblazoned merch as cool. They see a middle aged white guy that looks like their dentist. It's pure conformity.
I ride a 2000 XL1200 and get snubbed by the Harley Big Twin riders at times. Always get a chuckle out of it. I also have a CB750 Honda and a BSA 650 Lightning. I also don't own any H-D apparel or skull accessories. In the past I owned a Iron Head Sportster and a Shovelhead FXE.
Harley owners...spent the first 10 yrs just trying to buy a sportser then they spend the rest of their lives trying to trade up to a couch on wheels....
I absolutely love this video. I hate Harley so much that I bought a Gilroy Indian LOL.. I love old Sportsters though. First Chopper I obsessed about was a 76 Bonneville with a king and queen seat big old sissy bar. Problem is The Branding of counterculture that Harley embraced has now become into culture. I really have high hopes for the new TVS Norton motorcycle. In Royal Enfield is blooming beautifully with an owner's manual that actually States how to adjust the tappets instead of just open your wallet you're paying again.
Idk if I would go that far...pretty bland bike but an Indian scout??? Triumph Bonnie or hell even an Engfield interceptor now where talking Rebel is mech sound....but so so 😴
I had an 2004 sporty and then a 06 dyna street bob about 14 years ago. I had nothing but trouble with my street bob. Always in the shop, first year 6 speed, are stators and charging systems every month for 3 months straight. Told Harley to come get the P.O.S. Started buying vintage triumphs and building choppers, then moved into Panheads and Shovelheads. Still have one pre unit left I’m building for. Y chick. Still love old triumphs, but I also love my pas,shovels and knuckleheads. The old Harley’s were great if you like old bikes, any old bike is a labor of love. It’s all what you’re into, but I just don’t care for newer bikes or cars. All my cars are old and I drive them as well. When they rust I repair, when they need maintenance I maintenance them. That’s still better to me then having a loan on a Chinese made piece of crap, assembled in America, that’s controlled by computers, or whereever they make the stuff now, it’s probably crap, overpriced crap. There’s a reason OEM parts still work. They are serviceable, and were better made. That’s why Harley Davidson sucks, and the fact that they got away from making cool bikes. That’s just my opinion though.
Minus my Mongo like spelling. Honestly though man, I’d be embarrassed to own a new Harley Davidson. It’s even worse when you see these people who buy all the gear and go out and play Billy Badass…it’s kind of a joke. Again, that’s just me though.
At $12k I might have thought about trading in my Bolt for a Sportser S, but the only model that I can see me riding and actually using is the 900 with a more standard rear fender for mounting bags, sissybar, and a step-up seat. Lots more work to get that done on the 1250 Sportster. The 900 only starts being appealing at like a $9k price tag. Even that is a stretch, though.
I agree HD is a marketing first and bike second kind of company. The boomers lapped up the bad boy marketing imagery for years and HD rested on that. Of course keeping that image alive is pretty tough when it’s juxtaposed with who most the HD riders u see now are, which is mostly old and fat! Not knocking them…that’s most of us when we get older, but it does create a marketing problem! Have u been to Sturgis? Outside of the occasional cosplay rich guys wife and the ladies hired to work it’s like the Westminster Kennel Club. When the entry price is 15k it’s a tough sell for younger buyers and when HD has tried to go below that there bikes look like some H.S. Kids summer project with an HD emblem slapped on. I think HD is doing the best they can but they dug themselves a pretty big hole.
I feel so conflicted lol. My first bike was a Yamaha maxim 650… owned a couple viragos, a Honda CM400. Currently I own two Yamaha xs650s, a triumph America, and a 92 Harley ElectraGlide… I’ve felt every bit of snobbery dished out at me over the years. Everything I have I worked for and paid cash… but I gotta say, the Harley has been incredibly reliable, and she’s given me almost 50 mpg… I don’t ride for the image perse. I ride to get from A-B. I love my big touring bike. Weight is good. Power is nice but kinda overrated. Handling is kinda on you, but that said, I’d rather take mountain twisties on the America than the ElectraGlide… bikes are kinda like tools and none of them are Swiss Army knives. You buy what you like and what works for the job you wanna do, image or whatever aside… I wish triumph had kept their rocket III touring… but the triumph dealership near me has just as many snobbish jackasses working at it as Harley does… expected to be treated better as an owner. Anyhow, long story short, while everything you say is true, I own and love triumph and Harley and Yamaha and wouldn’t hesitate to own another Honda… I like bike. Except crotch rockets, won’t throw a leg over one, gross lol. Someday triumph might bring back a touring bike and I’d like to try one out. Till then I’m probably a pretty loyal Harley guy because that’s the tool that works for me.
I tried to drink the cool aid. I couldn't do it. I had a beautiful 2007 Goldwing trike with a Motor Trike conversion kit. Which the Goldwing was assembled in US and the Motor trike was 100 percent made in Texas. I brought my trike to a Harley dealer and was looking at the time was the 2014 Mount Rushmore Street Glide edition. I pull into the Harley place and no one was in the shop. No one. The salesman says, metric bike huh? I say yeah, looking at a new Street Glide. He didn't get off the chair or want anything to do with me. I thought he was going to speed dial all his Harley buddies to get their torches and pitch forks to drive me out of there. I asked how much, he didn't respond. I said trade on the trike. He responded, no. I said I hope I don't slip on all the oil in the parking lot. That dealership is no longer their.
i agree with #1. I'm so over Harley riders and even people who don't ride think that HD is the pinnacle and all riders should aspire to ride a HD. I agree the company does great things for the community but the attitudes of most HD riders is they are weekend Outlaws while sitting in the Tim Hortons parking lot. I stress to people I work with that I'm NOT a biker, I'm a guy who rides a bike (I have 2 honda and a Yamaha).
All these comments are incredibly bizarre. First off I've never been to a Tim Hortons and secondly I have no problem with people riding Hondas or Yamahas or Suzukis or triumphs or whatever. But there seems to be a whole band of you out there who hate Harley riders. I think it's you that have the problem.
I'm going to be 100% honest here. I love Harley-Davidson motorcycles. I love the Harley-Davidson culture. The people. I've owned and ridden Hondas. Kawasakis. Yamahas. Harleys. Suzukis. Triumphs. I've loved every motorcycle I've ridden. Lately, the direction Harley-Davidson has been taking as a company has soured me. I say this as a person who believed in and worked at Harley-Davidson dealerships for 17 years. I'll always love and bleed for the Bar & Shield, but I can't work at dealerships anymore. I may be an outlier. I'm an old school, blue collar guy. I don't want the sale. I want your business. I'll give a little on the short side to gain in the long game. I'll work with a long-term customer experiencing a hardship because I actually care. The customer culture is beautiful. The corporate culture has become toxic to me. I'm not a slave to metrics. It's not about K.P.I. to me. I don't care about maximizing profits and getting rich. I care about paying my bills and gaining the trust of my customers. I think Harley-Davidson may have lost sight of that. Build the relationship with the customers. They'll spend the money because they care. Be beholden to your customers, not your shareholders.
And for the record.....if I could find a Triumph for a reasonable price in Northern New England.....I'd buy it in a second. And as far as a motorcycle being American-made.....THERE ISN'T A SINGLE MOTORCYCLE MADE IN A SINGLE COUNTRY.
Maybe the Speed Twin doesn't make too much power because if you want that much power you buy the Speed Triple RR that makes 177.6 bhp (yes, .6. It's important.) and has 125 Nm of torque. Plus it goes round bends and looks pretty whilst doing it. 😀
agree 100%- I was given an 06 ultra classic by my father-in-law. ow he is old school( motor-cop 35 yrs ). He loves his HD and it's a real honor to be given this immaculate machine he has cherished for 20 years. I've been on two wheels for two decades, and I've had several standards throughout that time, this is my first HD. The maintenance on this bike is so outrageously expensive, that I don't know where to start... the cheaply manufactured parts or the 200 p/h labor. Let's not forget having to deal with obnoxious, "I know way more than you" attitudes I have been getting from my neighborhood HD dealer. Did I mention that the labor is nearly $200.00 an hour? Still, there's a lot of history that comes with this bike, so I digress. I would never slap down 20k on a HD. Not when I could purchase 2 slightly used Japanese bikes for the same $. As for the final point, there IS a division between bikers. It's kinda funny however that with there being so many new, different kinds of riding and bikes out there in 2024, the only static I ever seem to see is between HD & everyone else. Huh, must just be a coincidence.🤔
You forgot fun. One of my favorite bikes is a motorized bicycle, its front wheel drive (so you can lock the rear brake and drift/skid turns easily through intersections over 20 mph, its top speed is only 27 so you loose a little speed), it's not particularly reliable and with likely around 1 HP from a 25cc engine at 12k rpm its not exactly a rocket ship (though it does climb fairly steep hills without much issue and can play ramping dirt off-road too). It's handling is pretty top notch being front wheel drive, but it wins in the fun factor. I've had people of all ages want to hop on and take it for a drive, anyone that's 8 to 88 (and yeah even older is fine too), I'll let them hop on and go ride around for as long as they want. I've even had pretty much a stadium of people cheer it on (it was during a college game day, so many people out in the streets, I don't know if they thought it was a show or what when I was smoking tires at the intersection for fun, but had dozens of people ask about it that day and handful of test drives). Made great fuel economy, but more importantly a lot of smiles!
It's really weird to me that anyone would be so 'loyal' to a BRAND. A brand? Really? For a bunch of "freedom loving rebels," being so psycho for a brand wreaks an awful of very anti-freedom facism😅
its not really so different to the people who let apple bend them over the counter every 6 months with the latest "feature" that android released years back. people are just brand snobs and want to look a certain way even if functionally they buy a pile of shit.
For me personally I don’t care about brands of any kind.I currently own & ride a Honda.so I get plenty of hate from Harley purest.I like bike as shadetree says.hey we’re all on 2 wheels till glory. Be all inclusive not exclusive.
Im wondering if the engine design is kind of obsolete. If I look up a Yamaha r600, It's actually putting out equivalent torque and more horsepower at half the cc's and half the weight almost. That's comparing the 1200 sportster to the Yamaha R600, both 2004's. That v-twin design becomes hindering at the higher CC level I'm thinking, to keep up with the competition they have to stroke the hell out of it and add to the bore size increasing stress on the engine substantially. Might be the reason why they are kind of unreliable. 🤷♂️
Having tasted many type fruits in my life. Never thought to be loyal to one specific type. I like them all and eat them whenever I feel like having either. If the cost of one increases over the others without nutritional benefits, i won’t eat too much of it or simply stop buying it because I can’t afford it. End of the day, it serves as fuel to my body or soul.
I love the look of the cruisers Harley makes. I love the sound as they rev up. However, I'm not a fan of how they sound at idle. I prefer shaft drive to belt drive. I can't stand how bad Harley gouges people when they are cutting quality with cheap Chinese electronics. If you saved 3 grand putting lower quality electronics in my bike then shouldn't My bike be at least 2 grand cheaper? My Honda Shadow costed me a mere 7 grand with less than 300 miles on it from a dealer. The older Harley sitting next to it with 10k miles on it was selling for 13,000 I can respect it. It just isn't for me. Whatever you ride, keep the shiny side up and stay safe out there.
Harley Davidson is currently losing long time Independent dealers as Harley’s focus is moving to Corporate owned dealers. Rocky Mountain in Colorado is closing, Black Hills in SD is closing,Daytona Harley also and others. That personal independent touch regarding service is going to crap. Overpriced and indifferent, welcome to the New Harley. Love the bikes, hate their pricing and hate HDMC. Compare the Nightster to the Honda Rebel 1100. Comparable till you get to pricing. Going to pay a least $5K more for the Harley.
Harley Davidson in France has become a cliché, it's boring, all they ride is Harley's. Recently retired couples who have a massive disposable income decide to get into motorcycling and throw their money into Harley Davidson. They buy the biggest Harley, matching Harley clothing and matching Harley helmets then go around like they've been riding bikes for years and looking down on the rest. These people don't even know how to service their own bikes! Ask a kid in France to name a motorcycle, they will say Harley Davidson. So for this reason I can't stand Harley Davidson.
I currently have an 05 roadking but the best bike I've had was a 03 Honda Sabre. It was heavy with the drive shaft but I never had mechanical/electrical issues with before trading in for a 13 street bob, yes I was a 42 year old dyna-bro 😆
Harley sells sub par performance bikes and then expects their customers to pony up thousands more to get the performance that they are capable of and customers both do this willingly and brag about the stage # kit they have. The Motor Company hates their dealers and see them as just a cash cow. Harley-Davidson is designed to pull as much cash out of your wallet as is humanly possible both from sale, service and even motor clothes.
The new water cooled Sportster should be $11K max. Honda has the the new 1100cc Rebel they are selling for $9.5K. If history is any indication the Honda will be vastly superior in just about every way and smoke the Harley performance wise. Being old myself, I agree there are guys in my age group who if they couldn't have a Harley they just wouldn't ride. Don't see that attitude a lot among the younger crowd, which is who you would think the Sportster is made to appeal too. So Harley might have a tough sell if their new Sportster has a $6K premium over a Honda Rebel. Actually when I talk to young guys they universally say Harleys are an old mans bike and a lot add that it's a douchebags bike, that last might mean that Harley's marketing really isn't all that good. Finally I find the US's present economic situation, high inflation during a recession to be eerily similar to the economy of the late 70's early 80's when Harley almost went belly up.
I was literally having the Triumph-Harley horsepower discussion with some other Triumph riders yesterday. The Nightster is making more hp than the Triumph 1200 "High Torque" twin, and almost as much as the 1200 "High Power" version in the Speed Twin. By comparison, my 2019 Street Scrambler 900 should be making in the 80-90 hp range, and the 1200 should be well over 100 hp. The worst part is there are no performance upgrade parts that would get you close to the hp figures H-D is getting from the Rev-Max motors. On the plus side for Triumph, the Sportster S and Nightster seem to be way less practical than any of the modern classic line-up, and the Triumphs are much more affordable.
I’m a Ducati rider, I have a pikes peak multistrada. I saw a video by Maximorides on YT and it sparked my interest in Harley Davidson. Generally speaking I looked negatively at HD because for 30k, Ducati is giving me 170+ HP and 100ftlbs torque, forged wheels, brembo m50 or better brakes, ohlins electronic suspension etc.. Harley is just giving me a few more cubic inches and different color schemes. But out of curiosity I went to my local dealer to test ride the road glide ST. It was heavy and a bit of a boat at first. But when you get it rolling it was surprisingly easy to handle. On the road it turned in pretty well for a 1000+ pound total mass (rider + bike), the brakes worked very well keeping in mind the size and weight. The power of the 117 was surprisingly good for the size of the bike as well. It pulled good and got me up to 75 mph from 10mph in no time, I was in third gear. At speed 60-70 mph it was easy enough to flick side to side to see how well it could avoid a road hazard at speed. The faring diverted wind around me nicely and only could feel air flow on the top of my helmet, I’m 6’1”. I know my current bike is superior performance wise, but the Harley for being 350lbs ish heavier did pretty well. Looking over the bike nothing seemed “low quality”. Some things could have been improved but it was a nice motorcycle. Idk if it’s 30k nice but I’ll admit that I’ve been wrong about these motorcycles. The customer base and business practices have kinda put me off from HD generally speaking on top of my perception of the old design which I now see wasn’t completely accurate. I’m uncertain about HD for now. But their bikes are pretty good for what they are (atleast the one I test rode). I wish for 30k, they offered the 131, ohlins, better breaks and standardized safety features.
I don't fit any box, never have. Up till a year ago I owned & rode 78 Bonny, 98 Zuki Gixer and 98 Harley FXSG. I passed on the Gix to a new rider who could handle the performance the older gal still made and keep it up reliable & looking almost new. Fixing to turn 74. I would rather ride somethig that is streetable than a bike that doesn't run. Not a brand fanatic. Any bike that runs well suits me just fine.
After riding Japanese bikes for about a decade, i bought a '19 street glide. Nothing about that bike is particularly good neve mind great. Even though its waw lightly used, i paid an arm and a leg. What did i get for my money? Not much in the way of the motorcycle itself but instead it got me membership into the club. The culture if you will. Im over it now and i want a good bike again. Ill have to leave the club but i feel if i get a k1600b ill be the real rebel
Let me comment before I view this content an see how close I came? I've owned many motorcycles an brands, an Harley (Which I currently own) is in 3rd place. First an second choice is hard choice between my Goldwing an Yamaha Venture Royale. I can tell you how popular Honda was in 70s-80s when I picked up Honda deliveries from Seattle docks from Japan. Warehouse building for Japanese motorcycles is so long you can't see end of building. When they loaded my truck with Honda line products from 90% building storage. Yamaha, Suzuki, kawa, all had rest houses in 10% of building! My Harley seems too want worked on much more than any other bike I've owned. New model Harley don't have stock accessories my 86' Yamaha or Honda. My 88 Goldwind has everything my Yamaha had plus "reverse" gear that modern Harleys still don't have. Harleys are so crude they don't even come with center stands, an so crude center stands not even available on almost all models! Now, let's talk, "costs"! Harleys are incredibly expensive, Harley thinks their parts are made of gold while Taiwan chrome isn't holding up?
I disagree. I think its more because when you are younger, you want speed and performance machines. Harleys are cruisers so they aren't built for speed as their main goal. Speed becomes less important as you get older so you go for comfort and enjoying a leisurely ride. That is what Harley and their cruiser motorcycles are good at. Do I think they are expensive? Yes I do but comparable bikes such as Indian are also expensive.
i just wanna know more about how to work on whatever i am riding. Whats the easiest to work on that is also affordable. A $500 1200 cc bike is no good if i can;t keep it going ...same thing if it's $5000. having a bunch of shitty bikes is just as expensive as one or two harleys, or hondas
Here is a description of the typical HD rider. He is a middle-aged white man dressed in a pirate costume wearing a rag on his head instead of a helmet. He usually has a wallet with a chain on it. He wears Doc Martin-style boots. All of this allows him to think he is a non-conformist rebel bad-ass even though he looks like every other HD rider.
Yea that’s sad, at least everyone who hates on Harley doesn’t look the same with some obscure brand black t shirt, beard, and boots… that would be wierd if they all had early British hats and tucked other peoples yay..
I would be OK with owning a HD after the M8 was balanced and blueprinted using the finest aftermarket components like a Dark Horse or S&S crank, forged pistons and all the premium parts available for the best reliability.
how much should a Harley cost? They really outta give a rider their first one after a 60 year track record of failure. After that first one the rider might actually pay the crazy $20-30-40,000. but they owe us a free first bike after raising the import tax on their competition back in the 80's
The new 1200rr speed triple...amazing looking and fast...to high priced tho...want an old big daytona 955i again...the reason you always see harleys in the shop is customization not repair to be honest...
Harley Davidson is nothing more than an an old legacy company stuck in the past. What can you expect from a company that has a 3 wheel, which is nothing more than a mobility scooter. Who are Harley riders? Doctors and lawyers who pretend to be rebels. Or old fat people who have not seen their penises in 40 years.
I find nice used Sportys for $3-5k all the time. News flash: you don't have to buy new. Let others pay for the new bike smell and when they get tired of it or they simp out to their wives or GFs you can swoop in and get a deal. Many old riders are aging out too, that's how I found my Dyna for $5k.
First time Harley owner here. Harley as a company is dog water, the quality and reliability is always going to be hit and miss depending on the year, model, service history, riding style, I could go on. I bought Harley for my first street bike because I wanted the experience, to see why my grandpa loved them even though I grew up wrenching on metrics and lowkey still prefer them even though they’re a PITA to work on compared to most Harleys. Hearing my own boss say that metric owners whining about Harley means they’re too broke to afford one kinda put a sour taste in my mouth, can’t even praise metrics around him. Love the bikes, ignore the riders, I say.
Parts. Rear caliper for an 09 Softail Heritage. Taken to the shop in January of this year. The OEM part will not be released until June 4. You expect a company that charges so much for maintenance and so much for parts that would at least deliver within half a year.
The most unfortunate thing to happen in the motorcycle community is the demise of Victory. Victory was a great motorcycle if they had marketed properly they would still be around.
I was manager at a small metric motorcycle dealership when Victory sent a rep by to sell us the brand. It was more expensive than metric bikes and less expensive than Harley. I took one home for the weekend and reported back to the owner on Tuesday. I told him I didn't think I could sell it. The metric customer was so price driven that they would never accept it. The fit and finish was so B-grade the Harley customer wouldn't have it. The motorcycle business is really small and everybody knows everybody. None that I knew did well with it. To be fair, I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend with that bike. Great bike..sigh..and I have always been a Harley rider...
My youngest is just getting into bikes. I am from London , have ridden pretty much everything, owned a few. I have a old brit bike as a daily driver, I told the boy to buy a Harley. Why? here in japan they are cheap due to the market being flooded. However he wont lose money on a harley. He will buy it for 200 000 yen ride it and sell it for 200 or more. Me I crashed and lost money on pretty much all me bikes except me Enfield !
You‘ll lose money on every single bike, any, always, every time, even holding it for 40years. You lose less if you buy a cheaper bike and more if you buy a more expensive bike. It‘s simple and no Marketing and mouth-to-mouth false propaganda will ever change that. Yes, there are rare occasions where this is working outside of that, but no, it‘s a combination of finding a dumb buyer for a greedy sale, unfair business. And again, that can be done with many brands and models.
@@weemsmotorco Triumph guy here as well...owner of a 2014 'white stripe' Rocket III Roadster bought it new in 2015 demo model with 70 miles on it (45k trouble free miles)and it has been awesome no issues at all except the valve cover gasket but all in all awesome motorcycle. I agree with you Triumph- their marketing and events are just about non-existent they could learn much from H-D in that regard. But love my Rocket torque is insane...like riding a bull
A new Sportster should sell for less for sure. New out the gate the forks and shocks need to be replaced with something good, the starter gear will fail in two years or less, the breaks are more of a suggestion to slow down.
HD mastered "free advertising"....how many other companies have people getting tattoos and painting their logo on garages and trailers and a host of other things at zero cost to the company. They are the kings of advertising and brand recognition.
Sportster should be around $8,900 for an 883. No more than $12,500 for a 1200. Harley is dissolutionally overpriced. I paid $12,000ish for my Ultra Classic because I couldn't justify spending $32,000+ for a new one.
I have 2011 Bonneville T100, and have been looking for a more foot forward ride, my leg is giving me trouble after about 30 minutes, I was thinking about the Street Bob and saw that the MSRP is like $15400 and the softail standard is like $14000. So I go to my local harley place that was advertising end of the year sale. They had about 15 Street Bobs on the floor. Then came the numbers - it was going to be almost $21k out the door! I asked about a used 1200, this thing was rough - dented fender and scratched tank 2016 model they still wanted $11,000 for it. In my opinion the 1200 sporty should be about $11,000 and the 883 $8499. But for that money i'd rather buy a Speedmaster 1200 for $13,500.
Harley sells life style. Be in our club because all the rest a less than, don't you want to be one of us? Well yes and no. I appreciate that Moonshine Harley Davidson in Nashville throws great parties. I attend them on my Vulcan Classic all the time. Free beer food and a band is a great deal😁. They look hard and long at her and no body has ever commented so I think I am pulling it off. I would love an Electra Glide but I don't have 15k to spend on one even though I have looked at used ones just haven't found one yet. Plus my classic has been basically trouble free since I bought it. I don't hate Harley but I am not in love either. Peace!
I've own 4 Harleys and 5 Hondas and one Triumph. All were assembled in America by American workers except the Trumpet. Most dependable that never needed anything were the Hondas. Most expensive to work on were the Harleys. The Trumpet was cool but never could get it to run right. Current ride is 2002 Honda Vlx 600, and it's a blast to ride.
I'd say a sportster in the state of CA should cost not a dollar more than 10k. I myself will never buy a NEW Harley due to the bs price tag. "4 valves per cylinder" "oil cooler" has a "cvo" badge that'll be 50,000 dollars please. What a JOKE.
Too bad you feel the need to hate on them. Now I feel like if I saw you somewhere I would not want to try and start a conversation because I would be feeling like you may think I'm less of a person because I ride what I like. To each his own. I've never felt the need to trash a Triumph or a Triumph owner. People can ride whatever they want, I'm just glad they're riding.
The worst thing about HD is how they trade on the notion of tradition at the expense of their competitiveness in the overall motorcycle market. They have become a lifestyle brand that sells t-shirts and baseball caps and dealership experiences with restaurants; the bikes are just there as a substitute for a pro sports team to root for and buy their merch. They sold outmoded engineered products as authentic so successfully that the HD cult rejects innovation in what is essentially a technology product. To be fair I am impressed so far with the success of the newest HD products and hope that the younger generation of HD buyers are finally demanding bikes that incorporate up to date design & engineering.
All of Harley-Davidson sponsoring bike shows and giving expensive motorcycles away to Rich movie stars doesn't mean shit when they rip off their customers left right and Center. Their predatory sales practices and all of their other Shady dealings totally black in the image I have of them. When people wish AMF was back in charge of Harley Davidson you know things are bad. Everything Harley has done for 20 plus years has been a gross mistake and it shows. If it wasn't for the ride to drink drink to ride crowd Harley-Davidson would be a memory. Now I have a Sportster a 99 with 370,000 MI. It has been my most reliable bike more reliable than my wildest dreams. The company could you so much better if they turn their business practices around and made customer service number one but customer service in this country is a fading memory like Sears. If Harley-Davidson's motto was satisfaction guaranteed or your money back their bikes would be 100% reliable right off the line. And they think a sneaker guy is going to help them fat chance haha.
