Do you love Harleys but hate the company?

Question

Been riding since the 60's. Hardcore bikers kept HD alive during the 70's. Now they want nothing to do with us. All they care about is selling t-shirts, jewelery and "motorclothes" to the posers FTF

Answer 1

sport bikes are the one's for poser's. when it's between 33 and 50 on the thermometer, i never see a rice rocket out, and very very few metrics if any. only the real rider's are out in temps like this, and most of the 1's i see are on hd's. i really dont care if they sell other than bikes on the side to get more coin, but 1 thing i do care about is how i get treated while in the shop. not all shops are created equal, some are so bad, even the moco will shut em down.
so far, all the hd shop's i've been to have treated me right. i cant say the same for a few metric dealers in my area....1 of em i cant belive they're still in business. it all comes down to respect...respect me, and u'll get my cash. to disrespect me is to lose my business for good in some cases.

the way the bikes are put together today, if u were to put some of them in a line, take off all identifying marks...decals, nameplates, etc....u might mistake who built what bike. harley's have a distinct engine sound that sets them apart.

Answer 2

An old joke my dad told me.
Why was God late for the second coming?
His Harley broke down.

I don't really care for the new bikes are the company to be honest. I respect the older bikes and the guys who helped keep Harley alive through all the tough financial times they had, however my biggest problem with them now is that they don't take enough of the money their making and put in into R&D for their new bikes and then they overcharge for antique technology all the while brainwashing the yuppies into thinking Harley makes the best bikes around. Whenever I point this out to people a lot of them say what about the VRod, its new. No, no it isn't. It was new when it came out but that was a while back. If Harley is going to make all that money then they need to build a better product, plain and simple. But Harley doesn't care about that anymore or all the old bikers that kept them from going under, all they want to do is put their logo on anything and everything and sell it. It really is ashamed that a such a legendary American company has turned to ****. I wouldn't mind them so much but they always talk about being an American tradition, well Im an American and I don't want to associated with a company that refuses to make the best product they can. As far as Harley's aesthetics go they've hit the nail on the head, but looks will do you nothing when your sitting on the side of the road because your bike vibrated apart.

And I really feel for all the guys like my dad that kept Harley going back in the day, those are the people Harley needs to be paying attention too not the idiots that saw an episode of American Thunder and decided they just had to have a Harley to TRAILER down to Daytona or Sturgis.

I wish Indian would make a comeback!

Answer 3

I think you're missing the point. The MoCo did something that you and others of your genre don't like, so you blast them for it...all the while forgettting two simple facts: The MoCo, just like any other business, is in the business to do one thing: make money. And in order to make money, you have to keep the company profitable. That means changing your business to keep the public interested, so they will in turn buy your products and make you money. The business that doesn't change with the public's wants and desires is the company that goes out of business. AMF found this out when they bought the company, and they damn near ruined it. Once Willie G. and the others bought the company back, they started doing just what I said - they started giving the public what they wanted, which made the company a success again, which MADE THEM MONEY.

I understand where you're coming from, as much as one from my generation can. I started riding in the '70s and made the jump to Harley in 2003. Now that I own a Harley, I'll never own anything else because I think they're the best bikes going, period. But that doesn't mean I agree with you in your opinion about the MoCo or those who buy the clothing and accessories.

The Harley-Davidson motorcycling community - and the people who make it up - has been changing for the past six or seven years, and it is this change that has made the MoCo as profitable as it has. I daresay that if the folks you and your generation call "posers" or "rubs" were buying Yamahas and Suzukis instead of Harleys, you'd be in the same situation as Indian owners are - you'd be out looking for parts for a bike from a company that no longer exists.

I ride a Harley, and am proud of it. I own 13 H-D t-shirts, three H-D polo shirts, several H-D hats, and two H-D riding jackets. I buy this stuff because I love Harley-Davidsons and am proud to be riding one. If I saw you broken-down on the side of the road, I'd pull over to help you because you're a biker.

Would you do the same for me? Or would you just pass the "poser" by?

Answer 4

Bingo...OK all you clones,start hitting the thumbs down button.I also had a 1975 sporty,kept it alive and riding for years,not an easy task,especially on my budget,but then it was the ride to have.Two things happened: 1.)Harley's became the new toy of the yuppie,guys unwilling to live the life became weekend Easy-Riders.The fantasy of being a biker became a commodity sold to the guy with the platinum card.When i had my sporty it was all i owned.I hitchhiked all winter to get to work.Over the years all the trophy lake houses I work on started to have new shiny HD's in the garage,ready to make the 30 mile "run" to laconia.All the cutesy Harley accessories hung on the wall.You know the rest.2.)Import bikes got really good.These are not your 82 virago's.When the old sporty was ready to retire I did what few HD worshipers do,I actually took an objective look at all the bikes out there.Blasphemy!Guess what,When the nameplate is gone the new Imports blow the Harley's out of the water.They are the REAL bike today.Not one of a billion that every CPA and Lawyer owns.Do yourselves a favor oh Harley minions and actually take an objective look.It is sweet to be the rebel again.Paul P.S. My third post HD ride is the new '06 Vulcan 2000LT.Ride one before you rant.

Answer 5

image. the individuals at Harley-Davidson are geniuses in merchandising those dated motorcycles as being cool and appropriate. yet i purchase motorcycles to experience. image has no which ability once you have lined 500 mile and nonetheless face one greater 200 miles. convenience and reliability is each little thing once you're putting miles on. For me, Harleys are no longer mushy. Harleys are underpowered. the hot engine coupled with the hot six velocity transmission is a great progression, yet while in comparison with a Honda Goldwing or the quickly to be released K1600 GT, Harleys are nonetheless underpowered. in case you experience being cool is greater substantial that than convenience, then purchase the Harley. i choose for the main mushy, the smoothest working, desirable driving, the quietest gadget i will arise with the money for. this is why there's a GL1800 Goldwing interior the storage, no longer a Harley-Davidson. i'm no longer swayed by ability of the full "image" and "life type" ploy. i do no longer hate Harley-Davidson, merely want they provided a very good motorbike. Which they do no longer. purchase the BMW. sturdy success

Answer 6

Interesting, but true in many ways. HD made over 300 million last year just on T-shirt sales, that more than they made off selling the bikes.

Where you are mistaken about what saved Harley, it was saved by going public on the NY Stock Exchange. Once the HD Company went Public on the market. The Yuppies are the ones who started buy frenzy in the biking industry.

The hidden untold secret is....Some of the HD parts are not! Made in the USA.
These parts are as follows:
Headlight bulbs, tail lights and light plastic covers are made in China, also some of the swing arm parts are made over seas with metal that comes from China Steel Works.

With a little research you to can verify what I am telling you.

Answer 7

I think you have the wrong take on HD. As I read it:
AMF saved Harley and brought in quality control and standardization in the 70s, way behind the rest of the manufacturing world.

Later, Reagan kept HD alive with the 700cc embargo.
This kept HD having to improve the breed.

You all may love your HDs, but the Motor Company is like any other: the bottom line is the bottom line. Over 40% of their (fabulous) profit is non-motorcycle.

Answer 8

Don't have much use for the bike or the company. Owned an H-D back a few years ago and good thing I owned a pick-up truck too. The bike came home in the truck more than once. Now maybe it was just my Harley that was a lemon but that bike is the reason that I won't own another H-D to this day.

Answer 9

I liked the old bikes. I never had one 'cause I couldn't afford one then. I've seen what has happened with the company, and I understand why. Doesn't mean I have to like it. They can sell all the t-shirts and coffee and jerky they want, I don't care. But I would have liked them to at least show an interest in helping me when I was asking about saddle bags for the new bike I was picking up. They didn't have a problem selling the old lady a new jacket, though. So, I buy my oils and filters to maintain my warranty. I go other places for the aftermarket and accessories.

Answer 10

first, i dont love harley... well somewhat... kinda like i love lexus for selling hella spendy toyotas...

if you care about riding, riding fast, riding far, riding long, riding with style/comfort... you wouldn't want a harley anyway... if you want to brag to your other sissy buddies about how much money you have while you stand around your bikes in the sun... you already bought one.

but i dont hate people who own harleys, just the ones that think it was worth it.

maybe if they had less lawyers and more engineers they could build something decent, wait they did make an OK bike recently, the liquid cooled vrod... liquid cooling what a good idea, we should pat them on the back, just after we ask them to step off the shoulders of Honda engineers so we can reach.