Harley’s Age Debate: Thriving or Just Surviving? 

Our son bought his first Harley, a Sporster, at 16 in 2004, and bought an ElectraGlide Ultra early this year. He still has the Sporster also. He's now 36. I'm the graybeard at 70 this December, I have a '79 Ironhead and a '04 Roadking. Like you said, he'll be a greybeard one day.

I’ve loved Harley all my life. Bought my first Harley, 1992 FXRS, November 1994 I was 25yo. Now I’m 55 and still love Harley even more. Even though Harley is making huge mistakes especially with retaining the current CEO I cannot turn my back on Harley. Harley Davidson is what I enjoy and what I’m passionate about. It’s been there for me my whole life. It’s in my blood. Can’t truly explain it. If I love it I know others do too. I want Harley to be around for the next generation because I know how fulfilling it’s been in my life. We should strongly voice our concerns to Harley but not turn from them.

I've only bought one new Harley in my whole life....I won't be buying another new one. However, I now spend my money on refurbishing/building old shovelheads, and I have much more pride in my rides.

I have ridden all styles of motorcycles over my 55 years of riding. I started riding Harley Davidsons when I was 50. I could afford a new Heritage in 2003 and added a 2018 Limited for me and the wife to enjoy our retirement. Looking at a trike for my next ride! I believe the younger riders will eventually do the same if Harley continues to manufacture appealing motorcycles. As we get older we appreciate the heritage of the motor company.

I too am a grey beard. I bout my first Harley on 06 when I was 45. I just purchased a new 23 Tri Glide. I also had metric bikes in my youth. So your stats make total sense!

Started riding motorcycles in 2002 at the age of 27 on a 83 Honda Magna 1100 V65. At age 49 picked up a 1996 Road King. Love my Road King and I could give two shits for the newer model bikes. Give me an old Harley for $5-10k and I’ll drop another $10-15k to make it my own.

This is one reason why Trikes are on such a rise in popularity! Great video!

Harleys days are numbered because they have lost focus and no longer serve their customer base! Not because we are dieing off. Hiring foreign CEO who could give a rats ass about America or Americans was a BIG mistake!

Every bagger I see on the road, especially the newest models are Old Goats like me. I’ll be 62 in December. Been riding since 82 and I don’t intend on stopping. 😎

I am now a gray beard, my nephew will be. Gray beard in 10 years. My point is there will always be riders that will transition from sportsters or Dynas to baggers, It’s a revolving thing we all grow older. I don’t think Harley is going away anytime soon. I remember when I was in my 40s having this same conversation and now I am 68, those young guys that love Harley’s are going to be old guys still loving them.

In my family Harley riding has been generational. My grandfather rode Harleys beginning in the 1920s. My father followed on his 47 knucklehead. My son rides Harley. He will also be riding my old Harleys when I'm gone because I'm leaving them to him. Off topic but I just installed a set of 258 TTIs in my other dresser. My first bike I did was the 158 TTIs as it had smaller mufflers. Sound is better along with performance, in my opinion, no reversion or exhaust popping. My other two bikes have 1 3/4 drag pipes, so I just have lollipops in them that I made years ago. Thanks again.

I agree with your logic. I bought my first motorcycle when I was in High School. I wanted a Harley but all I could afford was a Honda 360. In college, I moved up to the Honda 750 CB. Both were excellent bikes (I should have kept them as an investment). I got married and had 3 kids and had to trade my Honda 750 CB in on a Toyota. I still dreamed of owning a Harley. After the kids left home, I was able to buy a new 2009 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. It was a great purchase, fun to own, with no major repairs, and retained its value. I recently had back surgery, so I sold my 2009 HD Fat Boy and bought a used 2022 HD CVO Tri Glide so that I could keep on riding. Like Kevin, I don't like all the "nanny" add-ons, but that is what comes with the newer HD. I believe history will repeat itself in that people will dream about someday owning a Harley and will eventually buy one.

This a very good subject Kevin, me 70 ultra limited annv. Love the bike and yes I have worked my way up to this expensive bike. Love it but the electronics is to much to deal with and pay for. I enjoyed being able to tune myself and now the ECM is not so much touchable, don’t I fact like the bike driving itself I like riding and controlling it. So, yes old school but want to still be able to configure things my way👍Thanks again for this subject…

I never understood this logic. There will always be gray beards, just like there will always be infants. Harley might go out of business but it won't be due to a lack of older folks.

I've owned a Harley for many years. But with their increasingly high prices, political stance, poor management, and their idiot CEO and Board, I am 100% done with Harley Davidson. I will never pay for parts are or services from Harley Davidson. Only purchases from third parties and I do my own services.

My grandfather rode a Harley in the war, my father rode a Harley, my son went to a Harley before I did. I bought my first Harley at 66, a used ‘14 street Bob that was stock and low mobiles. And at68 bought a used ‘11 trike with 20 k on it. 2 wheels on a good day and three on the other days or when the wife wants to go along.

I started on Hondas in 1970. I bought a new Sportster in 1981. I rode to my 1st Sturgis rally in 1982 on it. I ve ridden to over 20 Sturgis rallies since. The ratio between the Youngens and the Graybeards attending, hasn't changed much. If you attend any of the rallies around the US, you'll notice the ratio of young riders to old riders hasn't changed much. The things that have changed is money invested in their bikes and the quality put into them. The Motor Company should look at this instead of assuming they know what riders want. I ride an 06 Sportster w a few parts on it, that I purchased from you. This bike has been reliable and fun for 16 years now. Thanks DKC

When I was 18 you could buy a Panhead or retired police bike for $500. But who the heck had $500 dollars back then?😆

Bought my first Harley, 2017 TriGlide in 2019. I could finally afford it cause the kids are grown and it's what we wanted to travel on. Yes I am over 65 too and have a gray beard. Not as cool as Kevin's but it's gray.

Hey now, I just turned 50 and have a grey beard, but I’m not planning on checking out any time soon! 😂

I think Harley could do a lot better with the quality of their motorcycles. There is virtually nothing except paint and chrome that Harley does well. Everything else is easily improved upon by the aftermarket and that gets expensive quick.

The average Joe could afford a new harley, not nowadays. The prices are ridiculous.

Great info! Personally, I don't agree with the premise that the HD market is aging out, signaling their demise. I bought my first new Harley (a XR100 Sportster) in the mid eighties and remember there being plenty of "grey beards" riding back then. In fact, I bought a perfect 1969 FLH in the mid 90s from "grey beard" who bought it new. Now, after 40 years of owning Harleys (10 including the two I bought for my wife), I guess I'm considered a "grey beard" too - and still find it difficult to not scratch the itch and pull the trigger on another new/slightly used motor!

My son is in his 30's and all his friends have purchased HD's recently . The problem is " ALL" the cost's associated with ownership. The price point , the down payments, the interest rates then the accumulated cost's of upgrades . So unless you have the means to afford a new "HD" - get a personal loan for the huge used market?

At 48, I just "aged into" my first HD, a '14 Ultra Limited, which I love, and which I have made several upgrades to, via DK Custom Products!

From my grandfathers basic transportation of a 100 years ago to the “premium” brand they have imaged into has been quite a story. After that 1916 single with the leather belt driving the rear wheel he had 2 Indians, one with a side car. The term basic transportation like his first car a Hupmobile cannot be spoken in the context of what Harley-Davidson is today. It’s now a luxury item as sold new. Bought my first HD used ‘79 FXEF in 1981 at 25 yrs old after a couple of Yamahas. $4100+ out the door from the dealer wasn’t chump change back then either but the demographic in my circle was mostly “blue collar” workers. Harley’ were maligned back then…my first shovel. Getting back to basics for HD is not in the forecast. Bikes like the failed street don’t connect with my generation. I will say I liked the V-Rod I tested years ago. Kevin is correct in this video that the younger buyers are the future grey beards like us. HD isn’t going away. It has been only this phase of my life that I can walk into an HD dealer and get out the door with a 100% cash sale as I did on my 23 TriGlide Anniversary edition. I keep bikes a long time and in 45 years have only purchased 3 brand new - 1979 XS650F (rode X-country 7K), 2007 XL1200R (still have it) and this TriGlide that brought me to learn about DK products. Keep up the great work Devin & Kevin!

If the fate if Harley Davidson is set in stone, it is because they have ignored the market. Younger riders loved the Sportster, but it isn't a starter bike for a new rider. I visit my local metric shop and they can't keep 250-600cc bikes on the floor, so the local dealer develops a relationship with that new rider and will probably sell them their next bike. The motorcycle culture is leaning towards adventure riding, dual sport/scrambler models. They don't want to tour interstates on a 1000 pound bagger. Harley is making progression towards water cooled engine, but, Japanese manufacturers perfected water cooled engines on their bikes in the early 1980. The Pan American MSRP is $19000, and Africa Twin 1100 MSRP is $14,500. I own a 2004 Ultra Classic, an 883 Iron and a "72" Sportster as well as an old ironhead Sportster. My son wanted to buy a Harley, we went shopping and he got a 1200 Sportster, rode it for a year and traded in on a SV650 Adventure Suzuki. The mentality of younger riders is different. I just watched a video today about the X350RA, a bike that would draw younger riders to Harley, nope, it is only going to be used for motorcycle training courses at H-D shops. Small displacement scrambler style motorcycle. Harley is making a terrible decision in not marketing this bike in the US. Mainly I think because it is made in China. It is hard to push the "buy American" when you are selling the same brand badged bikes from China next to one another.

I bought my first Harley at the beginning of this year at the age of 28. I ride trikes (personal preference). Started on a can am Ryker and thought about a spyder, but wanted a Harley instead. Definitely would’ve like a new RG3 but definitely out of my budget. Picked up a basically new 2019 Freewheeler and haven’t looked back. Maybe someday I’d buy a new one but don’t see the point when used ones can be great deals.

Shareholder expectations and shifting to a 'premium' motorcycle are klling HD. I can afford one, I work hard. I've had two of em. But I prefer a different brand for the style of riding I do. I still want HD to do well and represent what most everday people expect.

Been riding Harleys for 54 yrs, the last 17 on RoadGlides. Just switched to a Softail because of weight. One thing I've noticed is the number of 30 and younger folks riding RoadGlides! Ofcouse you couldn't pay me enough, when I was that age to ride behind a windshield 😂😂😂

I think part of the problem is how the CEO wants Harley to be an American luxury brand. Lots of folks don't care for that. Harley used to be an everyman bike. It's not a Lincoln or Cadilac.

Perhaps a good measure would be to add the total percentage of all age groups who are veterans. That may be telling

I have ridden Harley's for the better part of 50 years now, the 2021 Freewheeler I have now will probably be my last Harley Good show from @ D K Customs

I agree with you to a point We will be replaced by the younger crowd 😉 but I think new bikes sales will slow These new bikes are to expensive I think people will buy older bikes like the Twin Cam

I'm 66 years old, and I had ridden HD exclusively for the last 37 years. But about a year ago I bought a second bike, a BMW S1000XR, and in speed, power, handling, and braking, it smokes the Harley. When I finally do replace my 07 Electra Glide, it will probably be with an Indian, as the only Harley dealer in my city is pathetic.

I've been riding for 40 years. I've had 10 or 15 different bikes. I got my first Harley a few months ago at 58 years old. When I was younger, rider position, comfort, and even safety weren't an issue. I just wanted to be fast. I hated Harleys and thought they sounded like they were about to die at idle. Funny how things change with age. Now those three things are most important to me. I've lost the need for speed and I love the sound of my EVO with Vance & Hines exhaust. I sure wish I would've started riding a Harley earlier in life. Weird huh?

Factoring inflation, prices have not gone up. I have a real problem with Harley’s politics, the ceo and the board. Additionally the dealerships now feel like car dealerships.

I'm old but i still need it explained why gray beards fight against nanny controls. you buy cars with it. and automatic trans. i think people fight change even if its good or doesn't even affect them. Honestly the older you get the shitter you are at driving! Fact! so nanny controls that don't limit cant be all bad. on my '24 SG i throw it in road mode in the rain (rain mode useless) water cooled air cooled argument is seriously ridiculous. I want reliable bike that doesn't fry me. i guess I'm a terrible Harley rider cause you can keep a carb and kick start also!

Once they're all electric a new group of riders will come back

Harley and Trump. No matter what they do, someone will be upset. I'm 58, I'd love a new street glide but my 2014 Ultra runs great and can't justify the price. BUT other factors play into that.. Interest rates and inflation in general are two of the big ones for me.

The third Harley dealer in New York is closing. Price, service and attitude all play into this. Their faults are your source of business.

Riding a Harley Davidson has turned my beard white. Should I be worried?

First of all, H-D DOES NOT make "Harleys" anymore, and they haven't for a long time. They certainly don't make anything I would consider buying, even if I could afford it. I am currently 65, I bought my first Harley (used) in 2003. A 1989 FXRS Low Rider, in beautiful condition. I have bought a total of 5 Harleys, and currently own 2. They are/were all older, carbureted EVO engine bikes. All of them have/had bright shiny paint, bright aluminum, and LOADS of chrome. They are the bikes I wanted when I was younger, but couldn't afford. They look like Harleys, they sound like Harleys, and they feel like Harleys. You couldn't GIVE me any of the computerized, smooth, quiet, flat black GARBAGE H-D is peddling now. And I certainly have no interest in a "Pan America" or a "Sportster S". A "Harley" is a type of bike, that meets a certain definition, and nothing H-D makes today even comes close.

HD, Inc's demise will be witnessed by the silverbeards.

Biggest worry for Harley should be going woke

Harley is a dying brand literally. Was at a HOG meeting. of 50 people there, TWO people looked under 50 years old. In 25 years, there will be an immense amount of Harley's for sale. Harleys will not retain their value as the current riders move into old age homes and their bikes go into the used market. If relying on slightly less older people and a single demographic to replace older people demographic, is not optimistic now, or ever will be. Harley relying on on their foreign made bikes (Sportsters) to save them, will fail in the end; they will not attract new riders as those types of bikes can be found for far less money in other brands (Harley cheapened their manufacturing, but will not pass savings). Harley wants to sell an experience, but few people can afford that experience. Its goes for all brands, but Harley will dwindle off sooner than the others. I wish it was not the case. I want to play death metal on rides, not Oldies music....

Maybe HD Will build an two wheel stand up electric razor. These snowflake Gen Z'rs are useless.

Look, HD needs to close shop and sell off everything. Their bikes suck. Nothing breaks like a Harley. Their debt is almost twice their market value and it’s time they pay for their foreigner, CEO shoe-salesman’s stupidity. Never again will I buy a Harley or an OEM part. The aftermarket can build a better Harley using aftermarket parts only. Screw them and their greed.