Why Millenials Don't Buy Harley Davidson Motorcycles 

Harley is doing a fantastic job of pricing itself out of existence.

Im not a millennial, as I'm 51, but I was looking for a new bike and decided to look at the Harleys. I found one that I liked and asked a salesman about it. He shot a smart comment at me about the high price and noted that he's not going to waste his time with someone that can't afford it. That right there killed any chance of me ever buying a Harley ever. I ended up getting a BMW M1000RR and I couldn't be more happy. If Harley wants to sell, they might want to clean up the sales staff just a little.

Harley Davidson represents the pinnacle of engineering when it comes to converting gasoline into noise.

Worst with Harleys is that you risk having to talk to Harley riders.

Motorcycles used to be the cheap trills, now they are a luxury item and a status statement 😢

Harley has fallen into the same catch 22 trap as Levi's. The fewer they sell the more they have to charge. The more they charge the fewer they sell. I walked into a clothing shop the other day and was utterly shocked to see an £120 price tag on a pair of Levi's 501 jeans. I walked a few doors down into another shop and paid £20 for a nearly identical, just as good quality, jeans without the brand logo. Vanity is a very expensive mistress!!!.

Born in 64. Last 3 bikes were a Yamaha Bolt, Suzuki M109R Boss, and a Hayabusa. I never did like the sound of a Harley.

I enjoy my Honda Sabre 1100. metric cruisers for life. doesn't leak oil, or leave me stranded. only very basic maintenance. Great bike.

Living in Italy, I see many beautiful motorcycles, including a lot of Harleys. The point is that Harleys are not only expensive but also not practical. Riding a 350 kg beast through mountain passes isn’t satisfying, and maneuvering a bike as wide as a small car through traffic on the way to work is inconvenient. Then, I look at Triumphs and understand that when a brand wants to evolve while staying true to its heritage, it finds a way.

The last time I was at a Harley shop the owner yelled very rudely at some guy that sat on one of his bikes in the showroom. Never went back there and that’s the only Harley dealership in the area.

They shouldn't have killed Buell. It was a very short sighted decision. That was their entry level, their sports/sports touring division and the brand that gave them cachet outside the cruiser market. The Pan America is nice but it's about a couple decades late. I agree with this video, but I'd highlight that it's a real thing that HD was made for American roads. If you want the big, torquey, comfortable v-twin that eats up cross continental highway miles, you're always going to look at a HD bike. And that kind of bike is just fundamentally always going to make sense in the US market.

South Park explained it well.

I'm a millennial (40) and I considered a Harley. I really liked the road king. My dad always wanted a Harley. My uncle, his brother, road Harleys. So there would be something about carrying on that tradition that appeals to me. At the end of the day, I couldn't justify it. The dealerships all felt like used car lots with ridiculously inflated prices. The BMW 1250 GS had so much more to offer for a similar price and with my BMW dealership, what you see is what you get. No BS Market adjustments, markup, assembly fees, etc. The price online is what I paid. Even aside from the price, the Harley just couldn't compete. My 1250 GS adventure has heated grips, electronically adjustable suspension, Cruise control, traction control, Customizable ride modes, TFT with Bluetooth connectivity, an 8 gallon tank, tons of top end power, and on and on. The Harleys selling point was basically "come on. It's a Harley."

As a young Gen X'er I'm considerably worse off than my boomer parents, so I can only imagine how bad it is for Millennials. I started riding bikes *because* I wanted a Harley. Not anymore. I can't relate to the brand, the style, and definitely not the price. As a consequence, I drifted away from cruisers and now I'd rather have a Japanese naked, and my aspirational bike is now a sport touring. Hell, at this point, for the price of a Harley I can buy two of them.

I'm a Millenial, i'm a Gal, and i just bought a Harley. Mind you, a second-hand Sportster 883 Iron from 2012, but as far as second-hand motorcycles are concerned, there wasn't a huge difference in price between the brands. There might have been before Covid, but now any half-decent second-hand will set you back at around 8000€ easy. I know for a fact that i'm probably not going to stick with my Sportster forever though, i'll want to upgrade eventually, but when i look at the current prices, whether new or second-hand, i'm having trouble imagining dunking twice the price of my car in a motorcycle.

Never understood why anyone would pay 25k+ for a motorcycle thats not hitting 200mph

I’m a baby boomer and have owned nearly 30 bikes, mostly Triumphs and Ducatis. I’ve never found a Harley I was interested in owning, and don’t expect that to change. The old adage about yesterday’s technology at tomorrow’s prices always rang true with me.

The only bikers that do not " nod" at me when I'm on my bike are HD riders and those that have just started riding in their middle age, I've been riding 44years since I was 16.

I have a favorite biker bar. 99% of the attendees roll in on their Harley's on bike night. Everyone turns around when a new bike enters the parking lot and looks to see what's coming... when it's just another Harley, they look for a half a second and then turn back to their beers. But when someone rolls in with a different kind of bike, everyone looks and keeps looking, and if it's a cool bike, they gather around it and check it out. So the bottom line is - you can't stand out when you buy the same "ME TOO!" Harley that everyone else has.

100% agree with the video. Hit everything spot on. I'm a millennial and it pretty much read my mind for the past 3 years. I own a Harley, but for the exact reason mentioned in the video, used = cheaper ... and I'm aware that I'm out preformed by others on similar metric bikes.

Harleys are best at converting fuel to noise, without the side effect of horsepower.

If I’m buying a motorcycle, it should do what they’re supposed to do. Go, stop, and corner spectacularly. Bonus points for keeping its fluids inside.

GenX here. Never wanted a Harley and learned to ride a bicycle on a banana bike bought used for 5 bucks at a yard sale. Also never bought a cup of coffee or toast. I have a toaster and a Keurig for that. Also own two houses and no car payment.

My Mum always said " if you cant say something nice about a company, then tell the truth !!!"

You nailed it with this video. Overweight, overpriced, dealer attitude and rider culture will keep me away from Harley even though I could afford one. Many Japanese and European brands to consider instead.

*"it comes with a sticker for your forehead that says: sucker."* Hahahah!

No. I in fact wouldn’t want a Harley no matter the price. If I wanted a motorcycle I’m getting crotch rocket. Not a slower, chunkier louder bike..

I grew up in Chicago and we have a HUGE polish community. I recently moved to Kentucky and there a growing polish community here as well lol. You guys love your motorcycles too! I really love your channel, you have great honest content. Thank you

Millennial here - during the summer of 2020 I was 34 and spending my time at home researching toys to treat myself too when the world to returned to a bit of normalcy. I grew up on the back of my dad's 81 Low Rider and I have been on Moto Guzzis for 20 years. I was all ready to go lay myoney down on a new Bronx and then at the end of that summer Harley gave it the ax and told me they didn't want me as a customer. I went with a new 2020 Triumph Speed Twin in the spring of 21 and never looked back.

Personally, I ride because I love the feeling of being one with my machine and flying free down the road. I don't ride to look cool. Harley feels like more of a fashion statement than a passion for riding.

I am 55 and have owned four metric bikes before now. I snatched up a low mileage 2005 Harley Heritage Classic at an auction for a very good price. It is everything a Harley experience should be. Living in Canada we only have half a year to ride so the usage of the bike and the enjoyment of riding is somewhat limited. So spending a full ticket price for a Harley is discouraging. However, the advice in this video about seeking out a used Harley is quite sound as the build quality and aftermarket support is very good. I think that th e market is really the problem for the manufacturers. As riders, we have lots of choices; many great choices. Go find what you like at a price you like. You can only ride one at a time. And these are not like spouses, so you can change them for another quite readily for little penalty!

I have rode motorcycles for 26 years. The only Harley I ever likes was the V-Rod and they quit making them. Another turn off of Harleys is reliability. So non Harley bikes are cheaper, more reliable, and the owners of non Harley bikes are friendlier. To me there never has been a draw to buy Harley

You summed up why I still haven't purchased a Harley after over 40 years on 2 wheels... Price and attitude. Twice in the last 2 years I have been only a signature away from buying an HD, only to walk away because the value just wasn't there in my opinion.

A guy I worked with rides his Sportster to our monthly luncheon. When he saw my Triumph Bonneville, he said “That’s almost a Harley.” I laughed. Lots of non riders think they have something important to say to owners/riders of non HD riders. I enjoy having a reliable, oil tight, easy to maintain and paid off Triumph.

Dang man, great video! Born in 83, I'm an elder Millennial, and really agree with your economic points. I'm also a career salesperson and the only thing in your vid I question is the knowledge base of Harley salespeople. I agree they only know their brand, but that's all they NEED to know to get paid. Plus, I'm pretty sure Harley dealerships are exclusive stores, so no other brand in the showroom to sell. Unlike basically any other brand where you may be selling two or more manufacturers in the same store which would demand the cross product knowledge.

Not a milenial but I'll share my experience. I bought the Street 750 few years ago, traded a very loved Sprint ST 955i for it and paid bit extra on top. At first I was overjoyed, finally had a Harley and all that... very proud. Then I realised that any little item was priced premium, service stuff and add ons. I thought ok, understandable. Then a minor electrical fault happened, bike kept flashing hazards and would not start. Took it to a dealership, turned out to be a loose wire within the ECU connection tab. They fixed it within 10 minutes... I came out with a 250 pound bill. Next thing I did was sell the harley and buy another triumph... never again.

I've been to my local Harley dealership multiple times, and the sales staff (and the grizzled old guys who just hang out there) were all nice and polite. It's too bad buying a Harley has never crossed my mind. Working class millennials like myself can't possibly afford it. That dealership just happens to be our local Royal Enfield distributor and I'm buying one of those instead.

Its been awhile since I looked into bikes but I'm happy to see that the strategy of selling yesterday's technology at tomorrows prices is alive and well at this company

Biggest consideration for me when I bought my current bike is service. There is no service within 100 miles from here for anything but a few brands. Local Harley shop has a good reputation. Lots of other shops around that will work on a Harley. Once I picked the brand then I browsed online to know what I wanted and walked into the shop and bought what I wanted and nothing more. Lots of features I could have gotten on some other brand, but having quality service in town was more important. 134,000 miles and still going.

I've been riding a 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan 800A cruiser since I bought it used in 2004 for $3600 and it has been very reliable bike I've put 38000 miles on it and it still looks and runs great and has only dropped a thousand dollars in value of what I paid for it. I'm pretty happy to be in the wind with not a lot of money spent.

Honestly, I've bought two Kawasaki's. Honestly I just see no reason to buy a slower, heavier motorcycle that is also more expensive.

I'm 40, you hit the nail on the head. Owner and dealership attitudes soured me on HDs, even though they're beautiful bikes. When I was a kid, a Road King style motorcycle popped into my head when I thought of a motorcycle. I learned to ride in my early 20s on a beat up 1980 Kawasaki LTD 1000. The decade I spent riding that bike, I got lots of comments from old heads on HDs about "when are you gonna buy a REAL BIKE?". It was also usually the HD riders that wouldn't wave back to me since I obviously wasn't on a REAL BIKE. I was taught how to ride by an old head biker I worked with, but he rode a modified Yamaha VMax. Those attitudes chased me around for years, discouraging me from going to meets and group rides. I would just ride around alone. Fast forward to 2014 and I was looking to buy a brand new bike. I looked at Road Kings since they were a childhood fixture for me, but I got attitude from the sales people at my local HD dealership about finally upgrading to a REAL BIKE. Cue Triumph. I always liked their bikes, but I wanted a big cruiser, and up until then, they didn't have much in that vein besides the America, and it wasn't all that interesting to me. That year, they launched the Thunderbird LT and I was in love with it. It was cheaper than a Road King, but had the same look, and already came factory equipped with crash bars, highway pegs, a taller windshield, white-walls, spoke wheels, and beautiful paintwork. However, even when I went to my local Triumph dealership, they were a multi-brand dealership that also sold HDs and the salesman was obviously disinterested in selling me a Triumph. He had almost nothing to say about the bike while I was looking at it in the showroom. When I asked for a test ride, he said sure, let me show you around while we get the bike pulled out and ready for you. We immediately went into the HD showroom and he talked for almost 20 minutes about the new Project Rushmore HDs with the new at the time infotainment systems. I ended up buying the Triumph and love the bike, but I never went back to that dealership. I service my bike myself and I didn't have any warranty problems with my Triumph. I'm not in the market to replace my Thunderbird, but if I were, I'd go straight back to Triumph and buy the Speedmaster. Even though it's a smaller bike that my Thunderbird, it's still a looker. I'd kit it out similar to my Thunderbird, with bags, crash bars, and a windshield. Harley-Davidson just isn't on my radar and probably never will be at this point in my life.

Great video mate. Like you said, they are too expensive to buy and many people say that HD is only a Name of IT former self. Nothing behind it. Other manufacturers like BMW with the R18 model are 50 ahead.

I liked Harleys for what they look like. I like the feeling of riding these bikes. Now, BMW came along with their R18 Classic. I know many people don't like this bike for what it looks like, but it offers me what I really need. A mixture between feeling like driving around on a cruiser while still being able to get on the motorway for 6 hours straight in order to visit family. This is why I never bought and probably never will buy a Harley...

Boomer here. Never owned a Harley, never will

I visited a gathering of Harley enthusiasts 10 years ago. The motorcycles were amazing in their beauty, but in the parking lot there were groups of Harley-Boys walking around and fighting with each other. I was attacked by a strong feeling of disgust that has not passed since.

Harley's only real way to survive imo is to go to watchmaker route by making their bikes as expensive and show-offy as they can and hope people fall for it.

Millennials: The generation that was promised everything and got nothing.

I am 83 years old and still ride my 2002 Road King that I bough new for around $17,000. Harleys are heavy, but when you are rolling it doesn't seem to be a problem. I love it. But I agree, the main problem with the Harleys is the price.

Being one from the millennial generation. I have always wanted a Harley personally. I have almost bought a brand new Harley several times in recent years. The dealers and their sales tactics trying to overcharge over msrp and other fees has turned me away everytime.

Honestly I wouldn’t discount the negative image that Harley conjures up for 80% of the riders out there not riding a Harley. Young people just don’t want to ride these 800 pound poor handling behemoths, regardless of the price. Recent test ride a Low Rider S, supposedly one of their more sporty options. It was heavy, uncomfortable and felt like it was going to shake apart. Then they tried selling it for 4.5k over MSRP due to all the dealer fees and stuff. Harley is dying and it’s not just because their bikes are expensive, and they have nobody to blame but themselves.

The funny thing about Harley is it's the people who use to call cops on bikers that you see riding them now. Speaking as someone who was around bikers before the nineties when it wasn't so suburban

As a late millennial (95) Harleys were the motorcycles I grew up around and when I finally decided to get one they announced they were killing the air cooled sportsters so I bought a used one. The biggest problem is the price like you said 32k for a street glide is more then I have payed for all of my vehicles and just isn't realistic for my age group.

I actually prefer heavy bikes, but the Japanese have perfected that too, and that's why i love my 97 Honda Valkyrie. It will run circles around any HD and an excellent value

I think one has to go a lot deeper. Who made the decisions that turned America's economy from a manufacturing one into a service economy? Many good paying blue collar and middle class jobs in manufacturing died. I listened to our illustrious politicians in both major parties extolling the virtues of free markets etc. This was years ago when the average Chinese factory worker made about 62 cents an hour. How in hell does America compete in a world economy with that? I am 75, a student of history and a Navy veteran which means I have seen a lot in my time. It is hard for me to believe that this deeper reality and deliberate sabotage of my country by our own politicians and big wheels in banking and finance. I remember when Harley built a 350 cc bike that was affordable. But you are right about the new culture of inclusiveness being part of it. I despise racism and bigotry and always have. I don't know what the answers are but you have hit the nail on the head!

as a 40 year old who just learned how to ride a motorcycle this year, I too had the distaste for the harley brand elitism that typically accompanies the bikes. When I was shopping for a bike I did look at a few at a dealership but the large bike just didn't appeal to me. After looking at several styles of bikes I ended up with a Royal Enfield Interceptor. It fits my needs extremely well and has a style and a price that fits me. If I were to end up buying a Harley at this point it would be something from the 50s-80s, I do also Daily drive a 1967 C20 that I've had now for 17 years.

I walked in to a Harley dealership ready to spend and got insulted by the salesman for wearing a full face helmet. I left with no bike and then bought used one owner Harley from a retired man for a lot less...

Here in Brasil HD started building bikes in the early 00's,. When they introduce the 883 was a best seller, simply for the price being just right for our market. Now as you said the prices skyrocket, and the got rid of their entry line. I always wanted a HD but it simply don't make sense for me to have one. So I bought a RE, way less powerful for sure but compensate by being affordable.

I think I’m a millennial, but I love Harley Davidson Everything💯🇺🇸I’m just waiting to get back on a motorcycle after I died on one almost 6 years ago…

All my life I have ridden two brands, Harley and Honda. I think you are spot on in your assessment. HD made a huge mistake dropping the air cooled sportster like they did.

You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

I’m a millennial (36) and bought my first USED HD. I am new to riding and if it weren’t for the exceptionally welcoming and informative people at my local HD dealership I probably would have gone with an Indian. My plan is to get a few seasons under my belt with my 2013 Dyna that I paid $11k for and then begin shopping for a new bike once I’m a more confident and competent rider. I say all of that to preface that I think brand loyalty is absolutely missing from my generation and that if you want to stay competitive you have to actually be competitive. HD relies on past laurels and reputation but they just aren’t necessary for the price tag. Especially when the Indians look and perform just as good or better. If and when I buy a new bike I will be looking at all brands and searching for the best value that meets my needs, not whatever emblem is on the tank.

The reason I would never owned a Harley with a real Harley motor is they can't be internally balanced they can only be between two RPMs rangers. That's why I love the V-Rod well design well-balanced motor.

Im 34 and was looking at a 2023 street glide. I was laughed out of the delarship and had 7k ready for a down payment. I ended up just buying a buddy's 06 Hornet 919 he just bought a street glide. Had straight pipes clipons the bike runs great. Hevent looked back. Im the one laughing now. I havent riden in 12 years and this $900 cb is making me pleanty happy.

Millennial here and just bought my first bike this past year. At first I wanted a Harley and had my eye on the Nightster but just couldn't justify the 13k + price tag. Like you said, even the pre-owned inventory was expensive. Eventually I bought a Royal Enfield Interceptor and I really love it. Looks great and lots of fun at a fraction of the price. When I decide to upgrade, not sure Harley will even be a consideration after exploring the options from Europe and Japan.

For the same reasons generation after genereation were rejecting HD - poor quality, poor reliability, overpriced, looks, poor tech, fostering the imagery that's been socially unacceptable for the last 40 years....

Unfortunately for the idea of a housing bubble, vacancies are near record lows. After the 2008 recession, construction levels fell off a cliff, and construction companies found it difficult to build their crew sizes back up again, with the result being that someone working in the construction industry often starts off getting paid $105k per year, in comparison to someone starting out at Goldman Sachs for $110k per year. Of course, all of this makes construction more expensive and more difficult, meaning that there is less construction even as the population grows and households get smaller, on average.

The one mechanic at my Indian dealership said he switched to Indian 4 years ago when his Harley-Davidson's engine blew up at 55,000 now he has 68,000 Miles on his Indian and it still runs great. He's been riding for 40 years. He said after the engine blew up he had enough with Harley and those are the bikes he rode before going to Indian.

I think you hit the nail in the head with both reasons. As a millennial, I don’t want to be associated with those exclusivity clubs. It also doesn’t help that Harley riders DON’T WAVE BACK!!!

Motorcyclists should have a lot in common, including a love of all things mechanical. It used to irritate me that Harley riders would never return a friendly wave from a sport bike rider. At first I thought it was snobbery, but eventually concluded they're just embarrassed to be seen on an overweight, poor-handling bike with a 1950s-era engine.

15 or 20 years ago, Harley made the decision to move away from their blue-collar base and become an exclusive brand. I remember the c e o using that word. Old dealerships were forced to modernize or leave the business and prices shot up. I don't understand how they could wish to be an exclusive brand and have mass appeal.. Harley is likely to become a small production brand selling to very wealthy clients.

Well done video. 🙏🏻 As a Gen Xer myself, I have incredible sympathy for Millennials and the generations behind them. The wealth gap is real--and an absolute tragedy.

As a millenial, I definitely like Harleys. They seem like great bikes and I love the way the touring chassis bikes move. For 28k out the door though, that price is disgusting for something that has a fraction of the performance of my Concours 14 I got for $6,500 used. They are cool bikes, but I totally can't justify spending that amount of money on a bike like that.

I think you’re spot on with your analysis. The situation here in the UK is very similar, getting rid of the traditional entry level models has cut off potential new customers here at the knees! I bought a new Sportster in 2004, plus extras, and could afford the repayments. The same would not be true now, plus culture has changed, America doesn’t seem quite such a cool nation as it did twenty+ years ago………mind you, neither does England!

I’m on the old end ofmillennials at 40. I have a Yamaha v star 650. It was my first road bike. Decades on dirt bikes but never got into road bikes until my late 30s. Honestly I thought I would one day “upgrade” to a Harley, but never will. Grew up reading easy rider etc, and now a days I think metric chops are what most fit the spirit of the 70s chopper scene. Making the most out of what you got and what your capable of. The v star puts a smile on my face, is easy to tinker with, 20 years of cheap parts, and I’ll likely ride it until I can’t ride anymore.

"Whatever HD can do, a motorbike can do better"

Its Harley riders for me. I know not everyone is the same and you get assholes everywhere but everytime i pass a bike i always gesture, nod or small hand wave. In the UK i never get one back from Harley riders. Every other rider 90% of the time. 😂

I bought a used Heritage Classic recently and got great treatment at the dealer although i bought a brand new 2022 Triumph T120 and it's still the best bike ive ever owned! 😊

I bought a Honda over a Harley. I didn't buy a Harley because it is an old man's bike, too expensive, and I was turned off by the tough guy culture. Not for me.

Gen X Harley Street Glide lover here. I spend half my time in South America, (Work in oil and gas) and the only option down there was a Honda XR150. It was 2,000 usd, light as a feather, perfect for dirt roads or street. Perfect for lane splitting, and a lot of fun. I looked at some new CVO's at home, 50,000-60,000 dollars. I got three boys-- going to buy three Honda XR-150's for their first bikes.

My first custom motorcycle was a Drag Star and as I walked and traveled and saw Harley's like many others have done, I was also enchanted and exchanged my Drag Star for a Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Classic...After a few years of use, I was in trouble for maneuvering a motorcycle that is so heavy and that it heats up our legs and balls when we are riding in city traffic, I discovered that I was happy and I didn't know it with the Drag Star that I had, so I changed bikes again and became happy again. Happy with a Drag Star like the one I had before Harley.

A couple decades ago, Harley dealers required buyers who already owned a Harley to offer a trade in before they would sell them a new one. They were selling big twins for an average of $5k over MSRP, PLUS forcing trade ins that they ALSO profited heavily on. I have owned two Harleys, I like them, but they have been digging their own grave for at least 20 years.

Exactly why I didn't buy a Harley when I started riding again in 2007. I wanted to wear a helmet, and I didn't buy into the "badass" persona. I bought a Victory and loved it. Since then I've moved into ADV bikes and won't look back. I think if Harley wants to survive, they should start building dual sports and start widening their focus.

Great video. I'm an older millennial that owns two cheap second hand bikes, an old K100 and a KLR. Hard to beat German and Japanese engineering. My dad owns a HD. The only way I'll ever own a HD is if I inherit it. But I'd sell it immediately. Zero appeal to me. I'd rather buy second hand Japanese old bikes and fix them up these days over buying new. I've decided to work less in my life than have new shiny expensive things.

Harley sales are down. But sales of used road bikes like the Schwinn Varsity from the 70’s are up with millennials and the younger generation because they can take them to the bicycle repair co-op to make fixie gear bikes. Or the millennials and younger generations are buying 1960’s and 70’s American economy cars like Ford Falcons and Mercury Comets, Dodge darts and Plymouth Valiats. Also, no generation, men and women, has spent so much money covering their bodies with billboard sized tattoos. A sleeved arm can cost $2000 or more. This is a definite waste of money - and a disfigurement of the human body.

Im 32, and will stick with my 1st gen klr thank you very much

Agree with everything you said. Unfortunately, harley keeps raising prices without adding any features to justify the price increase. They will sell you a bike that has the exact same specs as it did 3 years ago for 30% more today. They lack some of the most basic electronic features that Japanese bikes offer at one-third of the price. The accessories catalog is ridiculously overpriced, and you absolutely need some options to make the bike worth your time. Harley is banking too much on their brand, and at the end of the day, my hard earned cash will not be filling up some complacent and greedy company's pockets.

I still have my first and only Harley. A 1995 fxstsb springer softail that I bought used in 98. With routine maintenance and always being garage kept it still runs and looks as good as the day I bought it. For me it’s been a fun bike to own. With a large aftermarket and its mechanical simplicity it’s an easy bike to work on for the diy owner. It’s not fast and doesn’t stop on a dime but I still get a grin whenever I throw a leg over it. There’s a few newer Harley’s that I like. The Breakout, Fatboy and the Street Glide look great but after owning the Springer for 25 years I could never get rid of her. She’s part of the family

I’m a millennial (34), and I don’t think I’ll ever own a HD solely because of the price. I just bought a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 which looks just as sexy as a HD, can do what I need it to do, and is a fraction of the cost. I think RE is going to be one of the companies that pushes HD out simply because they’re affordable.

I'm a huge Harley guy, and own two of them. From my experience, the dealerships are a huge part of Harley Davidson's downward sales. I'm not saying they're all bad, but trying to do business with many of them is a real PITA. They are very deceptive about pricing and it's like pulling teeth getting solid numbers to negotiate a decent deal.

Gen x 51, I've had 11 motorcycles so far never even considered a harley ever

As a new rider many years ago, I aimed to get a HD, I didn’t, I got my car licence and went 2 decades on 4 wheels. I had an urge to get on two wheels again. I did look at the Sportster and the 48 but tbh, the cost new, then depreciation and thought I’d give it a miss. I got a pre owned 883 Sportster ultra low mileage, saved thousands, used it, hated it, got rid of it! Went Triumph route instead 👍

Actual millenial here: i live in Europe and started riding at 18 because it was cheaper than a car. My first bike was a SR 500 that i still have and love for the classic looks and the feel. For weekend trips with the wife i wanted a classic touring bike. For the look and feel there were only Harley, Indian and BMW (R18). Here is the one good thing as you mentioned in the video: the used prices. I bought a road king for 12.000 € with ~50.000 km from 2008 (with ABS). I absolutely love it but whenever i entered one of the dealerships i wonder who in their right mind would pay upwards of 40.000 € for a motorcycle. Buy used!

There is "Harley culture" and there is "rider culture" If you want to ride, for the price ANY other manufacturer will get you a better ride.

Great video buddy, we bought a brand new Road Glide Ultra in 2016, sold it after a year, lost 10k and went back to my DR650. Worst bike I've owned yet was the Harley over $40k out the door with zero extras. My Dr650 was $8500 out the door with a 5 year warranty added for $450ish. Harley has sold out to greed decades ago, if not for those who still love to dress up in cosplay on the weekends Harley would be done for.

I totally agree. Im a 64 yr old old school biker who's just bought his last bike. I bought a 2021 Harley Davidson Fat Bob 114 that was ridiculously expensive. It a real pleasure to ride but after customizing it a little it came out the door at over $30,000.00 with all its warranties. I could have bought two Japanese bikes and still had enough for a box of beer.How many 20 - 35 yr olds have 30K laying around to put out on something they only put a few miles on every year? Everybody loves my bike until I tell them what I've got into it. WTF everybody says !

I'm 44 and 100% agree that the "Harley attitude" is real and a real turnoff. I'm also very happy with the lower price point and higher reliability of my Yamaha Vstar 650. If Harleys were less expensive, more reliable, and the culture swirling around the bike was a little more friendly, I might consider it. I will say that when I was a teenager, I absolutely loved everything about Harley Davidson and wanted one desperately... but couldn't afford one.

There is a generation that didn't grow up watching "Easy Rider" & they don't want to look like their Harley riding grandparents. I do believe that is a factor in Harley sales. They're selling an identity not engineering.

I'm a millennial who has been riding for three years. Got almost 30k miles under my belt so far. I ended up buying a third gen Honda Magna and I absolutely love it. I didn't buy a Harley for a few reasons... #1 is definitely the value. I want something cheap enough to where if I mess up and drop it, I'm not going to be crying for days. Even a $10,000 bike was completely out of the question. #2 is performance - I wanted something fun, quick and at a manageable weight. When the lightest bike in the lineup is 700lbs and is only pushing 50 hp I gotta look elsewhere. #3 - I wanted something more unique than the billions of V-twin bikes running around. #4 - Harley culture is annoying. Unfortunately the Harley stereotypes have only been reinforced since I've been riding. If I pass another rider and give them the wave and it's not returned it's almost certainly going to be an older guy on a Harley. To be fair, it does seem to be a minority. Maybe my tastes will change as I get older. Who knows?

As a millennial, I love my Harley! I bought it used but it is by far my favorite bike I've owned. Its crusty and old and by no means perfect but it puts a smile on my face.