Harley-Davidson Bagger Trend Killed The Cruiser (No Ones Laughing Now) 

Almost every rider in my area of the PA mountains has a bagger. With extras! If you need that much storage take the van. Windshields with stereos and bluetooth headsets? It's still laughable; defeats the point of being on 2 wheels and in the wind...👌

@@JamesMorton-hf3xb That’s why I got a road king , after riding my low rider for 35 years I wasn’t sure I would like a windshield so the RK windshield is detachable & I don’t need a Radio or anything but the pipe music

I feel like the new rider wants the fairing so they can have a big ass stereo just to turn heads going down the road… when before ,,they could never turn heads… ha ha

Love my Breakout. Had a Roadglide but happy to be back on a Softail.

@@lanceandmelanierogers6255 I think a bagger is too heavy for new riders. Just my opinion but I rode a Harley FXS for 35 years before I got a RK and I was amazed how much heavier it was specially in tight spots

Thank you! That's about how I am anymore these days, I just like some day trips and maybe some overnighters but I don't venture nearly as far as I used to.

I luv choppers i dont want a bagger

A Fatboy is a close in between. I mean that's a beefy cruiser.

That's how it's done.

Very well said, I've felt the same way for years, a simple, no frills cruiser. I've always loved the sound of a Harley V twin and the stripped down look. That's what made me gravitate to bobbers. I never liked the baggers/touring bikes for the look, weight, and unnecessary excess.

Right on! That's awesome to hear, I love those 48 Specials!

Less you sir!

That and the 3 wheelers

Yeah. Gotta make it tough on yourself in the 70s

I'm 60 and absolutely agree. I'll never own a full dresser. Love my cruisers.

I like the baggers out on the highway, you can for sure ride longer and farther without the fatigue. They just don't feel as good as the naked bikes to me either!

@@GixxerFoo I took your advice and recently bought a 2016 Switchback. This will hopefully keep me on a Dyna for the rest of my riding days. Love the FLD! Thanks for the advise

Facts

Exactly! Doesn't matter what you ride as long as you're riding!

You are spot on. The whole culture of riding is to be yourself and ride what you want.

Terminator 2 sold a ton of not just Fat Boys but Harleys in general!

@@GixxerFoo oh 100%! lol and all the bikes in Cobra I thought were cool too. Especially when Stallone is riding by the camera with the girl on a Harley Cruiser while the credits fade in. These moments stuck with me lol Wild Hogs was a hilarious movie too. Added more fuel to the fire

Zach, that movie will make a LOT more sense in 20yrs. Enjoy it while you can!

I’m 57, a still ride a cruiser. It suits my needs and desires better.

You grew up with the correct opinion lol

I absolutely love a Sportster, they can be anything you want them to be!

@@GixxerFoo They are not a gateway to big twin ownership. They are a bike unto themselves.

I’m 67. Still riding my Sportster. Easy to ride. Easy to back up into a parking spot. Been riding them since 1975.

​@@GixxerFooquick, nimble and have exhaust note all their own

@@billcarson1971 i,ll be 74 next month....still ride my 96 fxds most of the time (widshield and bags optional) or fire up my 2012 flhp throw on the tour pac and away we go...

That's a really good point! I could see there being a cruiser drought for a while!

Well said, that is very true.

I never got into the choppers either, you've got a garage full of awesome bikes!

You have serious good taste in Harleys! The 72 is really underrated.

Fact!

Lol I can't say I am not guilty of that myself.

That cuts deep, bro. Took me two weeks to get my little bag back from my buddy's saddlebags. FXDB for me! Dyna!

People were strapping things to their bikes way before dressers budro. Get some straps and bungee cords 💨

@@amerigo88 I see you brother! Dyna crew

@@brandonmacon3317 I have a sissy bar and a Biltwell bag that carries more than my Dad's saddlebags.

Now you've got the setup right there! I would love to get another sport bike eventually, even if it's a naked bike.

@@GixxerFoo Track days on the R1 have actually greatly improved my bagger riding.. especially with braking technique and confidence since neither bike have ABS! Nothing better than pushing a personal limit safely on the track and translating those skills to touring and twisty back roads on the Ultra Classic. Highly recommend!

you got a great deal on your Ultra Classic, these days you cant find anything less than 7.5-8K for used UC.

I’m almost 56 and ride a 2015 gsxr 600. I’d like another bike, a Sporty or a Dyna or Softail. It has to be no more than 6 grand so I don’t have sell the Gixxer.

@@RomVlad That's awesome! I hope I'm still riding sport bikes 20 years from now! From personal experience though, I would highly recommend a bagger if you can find one. I sold a Sportster to get the UC. There's nothing like the ability to carry stuff in the saddlebags and top case. Makes grocery shopping on a bike actually doable!

It's just not the same riding around the lake with fairing out front, cruiser you can actually feel the wind out there.

That really is an awesome bike that splits the difference the two worlds there!

I love those Heritages, they will do anything you want them to!

In the same boat , new bikes just have too much technology that I don't need or want . I have bags, and a batwing on my 2008 Fat Bob , it gets the job done

I feel the same with cars. My old 08 CVPI was the pinnacle of what cars should be, excluding its power lumbar and analog/digital gauges, and dbw.

Good Point.

Yep, it's just about whatever trend is in at any given time & everything cycles back around eventually.

Bluetooth your phone into it. I haven’t listened to FM in 10 years.

Psst…psst…you don’t have to listen to the radio like in 1978….

I like the simpler rides myself too, really felt the 90's was the golden era for cruisers.

It truly is a unique community, I really hope that it makes resurgence back to where we were before the 2008 recession.

You don't see many springers anymore these days! Honestly they draw a bigger crowd than any bagger cause you don't see them every day.

I do the same thing with my Wide Glide. I don't even have the saddle bag. My wallet in one pocket, my phone in the other. No shield.

Your amazing I hope to make it to thaat age and ride at that age mate

@@anthonymasluk2295 Appreciate you, Live to Ride - Ride to Live

@@danielcombs3048 thanks mate

Hell yeah my friend! Keep it loose, fast and dangerous!!

Good job 👍 I’m 64 and I have only kicked a handful of times after I broke my knee cap in a dirt bike wreck in 1980 and had 5 surgeries on it since. I can still kick in an emergency if I must.

Amazing your a year older then my mom I hope to ride at your age if I make your age cheers

I ride a. 09 fatboy zero issues had it from brand new

There was a time when you couldn't find a Fat Boy in the dealers! I love to hear they are still out there on the road, you can anything with a Fat Boy!

@@GixxerFoo I agree that’s why my ride is a keeper I bought it brand new in November 2008 I had to wait 5 months for it as I wanted vivid black it was worth the wait

That's the big thing with the touring bikes is just the sheer weight you have to deal with.

I'm also 62. I've been on cruisers since '93, switched to a Street Glide in '09. Ultras and now a Street Glide again since then. The weight is an issue but it's not that bad, especially if you've been riding for years and know how to balance a bike, guessing you have. No hernias. The comfort for myself and my wife is huge on a touring bike compared to a Dyna or Softail. Those body aches you describe are the reason TO get a touring bike. Have had several of each (Dynas & Softails) and they are all gone now but an Ultra and Street Glide remain (Ultra at cabin, SG at home). Traded my '13 Super Glide Custom for that used Ultra for the cabin this spring, and that was a great move, I loved my Super Glide and didn't ever want to part with it but the Ultra is so so much more useful for us at the cabin. I'm guessing very few if any on here who are bashing touring bikes for some reason have ever owned a touring bike because if you have, you know how much more comfortable they are and how insignificant the weight difference is relative to the improved comfort. Sold my '17 Ultra a couple years ago and bought a Low Rider ST for a more back to the basics, light weight, simple experience. I was all about lighter, simpler, easier, more fun... Well that bike is gone now & back to the touring bikes. When I'm riding several hours on a weekend for fun, I want to be comfortable. Or I will just stay home on the couch, it's that simple. Street Glide and Ultra just fit us so good, and the storage in the bags and tour pack make them useful as well. Jackets, helmets, groceries, etc., once you get used to having storage for stuff you feel like you're on a useless bike when it has no storage. Street Glide weighs over 100 lbs more than my cruisers did, but no big deal. We love music & the sound system adds a new level of entertainment to any ride. Cruise control is a must for me in whatever vehicle I'm driving these days. And the built-in GPS is great when you're out exploring new roads (and NO, you do not know every cool back road within a few hours of your house no matter who you are). The wife is 100% more comfortable on a touring bike as well, the tour pack backrest and the floor boards make it a much better experience for her. Maybe some of you ride alone or don't care if your significant other is comfortable, then a cruiser is much more feasible. I was cruiser cruiser cruiser in the '90's and 2000's, but got spoiled in a big hurry when I got my first touring bike in '09. When I tried to go back to a cruiser 2 years ago, that was a total failure.

That's a very good point, having something that is designed for it makes a huge difference not having to think about how and where to tie something down.

YESSS the WindJammer, fairing and bags! I been there too on my Kawasakis getting drenched and fighting the elements, it's amazing how all the sudden those baggers ain't so bad. That's some impressive miles on that CVO!

those kaw 900's were one fast machine

Those were some seriously popular models, it iconic enough they emulated the same style in the later models!

Exactly! I have had 2 in my shed for years, until recently. An Ultra (now Street Glide) and a Dyna. Touring bike for longer trips, Dyna for shorter trips / day rides. Or so I thought. Not true at all, no matter how long the trip, I still wanted the comfort and convenience of the touring bike. Finally sold the Dyna, it did not get ridden.

That FXR has to be a blast to ride! I do have to admit the trike are pretty comfortable and easy to ride without having to deal with all the weight!

@@GixxerFoo 28 years and counting. 120K on the clock.

Amen to that. Remember we was skeered we'd sprain our thumb if'n it didn't have a kicker

Geezer Gllde

garbage wagons.

I like fairing is some situations but anything other than running down the highway I am good without it.

Fairings killed your mom?

Fairings stole my FXR.

​@@onerider808fairings took out my clutch

Roadsters rule👍

That's a good point, the Evo powered tourers were very underpowered and they were much heavier back then as well.

I used to feel the same way too, but now that they handle pretty well they are a lot of fun to put some power in!

@@GixxerFoo I agree

The ride pretty well but not as much as the name implies lol.

That's a very interesting take, I like it!

Nope, not a car just because it has a stereo and a cup holder and a windshield. There are still quite a few differences. Your definition of a "motorcycle" is different than the actual definition of a motorcycle. Maybe you are confused between a bicycle or tricycle and a motorcycle. People have been running around with "stereos" on their bodies (Walkmans) for many decades now, so having one built-in on a motorcycle in 2024 does not seem like a huge stretch or stop it from being a motorcycle. If you are heading out on a 500 mile day (not a trip around the block, an actual 500 mile day in the elements), you might want to bring your coffee with you in the morning or a bottle of water during the day... hence the cup holder. And yup, on an actual motorcyle, hard as that might be to comprehend for some folks.

Or a convertible. See many baggers at my shop that are 10 to 15 years old with less than 20,000 miles on em. I'm 57 years old and if you can't make a 100 mile ride on any bike it might be time to consider a different mode of transportation

I'm the same way, if it's got two wheels I am in. Just don't worry what others think and do your thing.

@@GixxerFoo I'm happy to hear that. Keep up the good work.

Yeah there's that, I didn't want to call it out though!

I'll admit I wasn't a fan of the bikes on TV but I loved what it did for motorcycles. It got people excited about bikes and out in the dealers, so many people that never thought about a motorcycle got excited about it from the tv shows.

Once you get on those touring bikes you're pretty much ruined on everything else.

That's for sure a reason why those bag come in handy, I have lost so much stuff out of my pockets over the years.

Absolutely, well said!

That's a good point, I haven't made the switch to a full on touring machine although I probably could of just bought one buy now adding suspension to mine and changing it as I get older.

I really hope the chopper make a come back, that was some wild times back in the early 2000's.

@@GixxerFoo 70's and 80's, even the 90's too

That's awesome to hear! You got a deal on that bike with only 5K on the clock, that's the way to find them!

I love to hear that! That's the flip side of things anymore these days, you pull up on a Fat Boy and it's not something everyone sees all day every day now!

I wouldn't mind having one but I wouldn't want to ride it every day just around town.

That's really where it's gone is all fancy electronics anymore, we used to get bikes to get away from all that.

I really like the fairing or a windshield if I am on the highway all day, but just around town it's not bad at all to ride without it.

I love that, I been trying to talk my old man into a touring bike but he 76 and just absolutely stuck on the Vrod.

That's what a lot of people say about the Sportster, I know guys that love those bikes but they are just too tall to ride one. Even with the solo seat that sits you on the fender and the further forward controls with tall bars.

That's a really good point, I am happy to see more go than show after the choppers and big wheel bagger craze.

Wearing a back pack sucks, I did it for a long time before I broke down and got bags.

Yeah I gotta admit I felt that way too, I haven't gone full on touring but I finally broke down and put on some hard mounted bags.

I love to hear that! Getting the right seat and bar setup makes all the difference in the world.

I personally prefer the stripped back simple look and ride myself, now if I am going out on the highway all day I do like a dresser.

I love hearing that! I can see the choppers coming back, it's just a matter of time before it cycles back. Who knows, maybe even chrome will make a comeback!

You know that's a real good point, it's hard to take a day trip and not have anywhere to stuff.

@@GixxerFoo I'm fortunate to be retired, divorced many years, and no kids... I go on several 3 day rides a year, since retiring... Thirty minutes to throw some things in a backpack that happens to fit in my tour pact... And I could be on the road because everything else I need is already on my Ultra... Well.... maybe a stop at an ATM... and top off the gas... hahaha!! Love the channel Brother.. 😎👍

LMFAO I remember seeing that years ago with holes in the bottom of the bags to make them ice chest. That was a pretty cool idea, probably wouldn't fly today the way most are anymore.