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People keep saying this is an earth shattering change for Harley. To me they are just shuffling already existing bikes around. If they want to shock the world with drastic changes, how about they come out with some brand new bikes? Is that too much to expect?
People keep saying this is an earth shattering change for Harley. To me they are just shuffling already existing bikes around. If they want to shock the world with drastic changes, how about they come out with some brand new bikes? Is that too much to expect?
For HD it is an earth shattering change.
They're not likely to come out with a brand new bike by themselves. Their V-Rod was designed by another company. I don't know if HD manufactures it, even today. HD's dirt bikes from long ago were made by an Italian company.
I wish they kept Buell. I'm wondering if some within the company think it was a mistake to drop them.
They're not likely to come out with a brand new bike by themselves. Their V-Rod was designed by another company. I don't know if HD manufactures it, even today. HD's dirt bikes from long ago were made by an Italian company.
I wish they kept Buell. I'm wondering if some within the company think it was a mistake to drop them.
I want Harley to make a scrambler with the 750 street platform. And better yet, I want Harley to make a baby 250cc or 300cc V-Twin or even a little 250cc single. Make some bikes similar to the 300cc and 500cc Honda Rebel. I would buy one of those in a second!
More of the same. Boring ass company. I'd ride the hell out of a road glide tho.
I feel the same, except my latest obsession is the Sportster Iron 883. It would be fun for cruising around the city, and would certainly make me feel alot cooler than my nerdy BMW
People keep saying this is an earth shattering change for Harley. To me they are just shuffling already existing bikes around. If they want to shock the world with drastic changes, how about they come out with some brand new bikes? Is that too much to expect?
The redesigned Softail line that now incorporates a few of the discontinued Dynas pretty much ARE brand new bikes, albiet with familiar names and appearance.
The frame geometry, suspensions and the new Milwaukee 8 engine are a complete departure from the old Softail design.
Harley is trying to keep the older customers happy with the traditional designs they expect while also trying to attract newer, younger customers by modernization of some models and incorporating newer technology.
Harley has always been good at preserving the looks while updating the machines.
For example, the touring bikes got an all new frame design in 2009 that provided significantly improved handling, but to most people, they looked identical to the previous years model.
And they did introduce an all new line with the Street 750 and 500 in 2014.
This is Harley's conundrum....the don't want to "shock the world with drastic changes"...
The aging faithful want Harleys to look and ride like a Harley but younger potential customers care less about tradition and more about innovation..
Fortunately, Harley makes enough different models to pleaae a variety of customers.
The redesigned Softail line that now incorporates a few of the discontinued Dynas pretty much ARE brand new bikes, albiet with familiar names and appearance.
The frame geometry, suspensions and the new Milwaukee 8 engine are a complete departure from the old Softail design.
Harley is trying to keep the older customers happy with the traditional designs they expect while also trying to attract newer, younger customers by modernization of some models and incorporating newer technology.
Harley has always been good at preserving the looks while updating the machines.
For example, the touring bikes got an all new frame design in 2009 that provided significantly improved handling, but to most people, they looked identical to the previous years model.
And they did introduce an all new line with the Street 750 and 500 in 2014.
This is Harley's conundrum....the don't want to "shock the world with drastic changes"...
The aging faithful want Harleys to look and ride like a Harley but younger potential customers care less about tradition and more about innovation..
Fortunately, Harley makes enough different models to pleaae a variety of customers.
Yeah, except that they are losing market share to Triumph and Yamaha. Even Indian is making compelling bikes that outperform Harley models in the same class. Harley needs to up its game.
Yeah, except that they are losing market share to Triumph and Yamaha. Even Indian is making compelling bikes that outperform Harley models in the same class. Harley needs to up its game.
Be most excited about Indian. I am, though not *quite* enough to buy a Scout yet. I didn't get out enough on my regular bike this year, another would just sit. Nor did I buy a Buell, or Victory, when I had the chance. Buell had fascinating frames with 1960s tractor engines, which never really turned me on. That does not discount the resourcefulness of Eric Buell and his crew, though.
Indians seem to be modern tech on modern platforms. Most other industries, that would kick H-D very hard indeed much like JPN did to Chrysler back in the early 1980s. That would, however, assume a level playing field. I "think" Polaris and H-D in fact do have such a level playing field, making it all the more interesting. I wonder...Polaris and their Victory line could never seriously displace H-D., much as I wished they would. Just did not happen. But the Indian thing, going right at them literally toe-to-toe with tradition? That's ballsy.
Of course, another time H-D had something like that happen, they went to the Reagan Government and talked them into a "tariff" on all bikes over 700cc's due to what they claimed was "dumping" by JPN. Must have been 1983 or so. It was a big tariff, for a few years there 750s and bigger were extra-expensive and rare. Lot of 700s proliferated, however: I remember the Nighthawk S of that era being best of a bad lot by far. That was gone, but not forgotten, by what: guessing about '86. But don't underestimate the lobbying ability of backward, retrograde companies like H-D to get the government behind them if the chips are down. Politicians can and will do that, with success.
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