Why do people buy Harley's even though they are just over priced status symbols and are unreliable ?

Question

Check the bike trader and see how many are for sale.

Answer 1

For the same reason that they voted that George W. Bush fellow as a President.

It's a "Mental" thing!

Answer 2

i might buy ur 'overpriced' statement, but 'unreliable'...try again. probably the main reason why u see alot of used harley's from '06 and down is because they put a bigger motor in the '07's. the tc88 is now 'ancient', and the tc96 is the new boy on the block. also, except for sportsters, every hd bike now has a 6 speed tranny. all bikes, including sportsters, are now fuel injected. no more carbs will be on hd's as of the '07 model year.

i was just doing a bit of comparisons to hd vs victory just on the price of the bike....their kingpin would be only 2 or 2500 bucks cheaper than the road king, but u can add waaaaay more things on hd bikes than either metric or victory's. i'll stay with my hd

Answer 3

A high percentage of the current buyers are "instant bikers", arrogant males with little packages that are tired of getting rejected by savvy women and need an edge. They percieve, falsly, that purchasing a big loud harley will change all that, and if they buy the right outfit and have a harley, they can finally score. WRONG!! an a*hole is and a*hole, no matter what he's wearing or what he's riding, or owns.So, failing to score, or worse yet, getting hurt trying to impress some bimbo, they give it up and try to sell it at a profit. NOT!! Sooooo, Harley makes money and , by the same token, so does the corvette dealer. HOWEVER,, there is a core, to which I belong, a core of riders that KNOW the marvelous feeling that grabbing a growling, vibrating beast by the horns and exploding himself towards the horizon in wild "EEYAAAAHOOOOO" abandon!! THAT is why the real, confident in themselves men will ALWAYS ride harleys, or at the very least, stop whatever they are doing and gaze in the direction of the sound of an older, pre-amf pavement-breaking harley, their eyes slightly misted, holding those handlebars in their minds as the sound ratchets through the gears into the distance. No, my little buddy, untill you manage to make good enough friends with a harley owner, and gain his trust, so much trust that he would trust you to keep his sleeping nude wife secure during her slumber, you MIGHT be trusted enough that he might let you grab HIS beast by the horns and get around the block once or twice, and then YOU will KNOW, and untill then, you will remain the jealous lil dude that you are.

Answer 4

I enjoy answering questions like these to "help" the uninformed or misinformed get the story straight. First as far as over pricing, that may have been true 10-20 years ago. But with todays prices, check this out. All Harleys, with the exception of the Sportster have the 96 Cubic inch engine. That equates to approximately 1600cc. The nearest bikes to that are the Honda Gold Wing or the Yamaha Road Star. Now, go to the 3 websites and check out the prices. Harleys go for between $14,000-$22,000. Gold Wings go for $19,000-$27,000. Road Stars go for between $16,000-$24,000, so, how are they over priced, compared to the competition? If Harley's are so ugly, why does ALL other manufacturers copy the basic design and make their bikes look just like a Harley? As far as selling one, the reason why you see so many Harley's is for two reasons. Most people who sell one, usually a Sportster, want a bigger bike, and trade up. I did, so I know. There are more bikes of other brands than there are for Harleys. Don't believe me? Check out www.lets-ride.com and see for yourself. With other bikes, they fall apart after awhile and the resale value isn't worth the cost of an advertisement to sell them. Harley's retain their value, so, even 10-15 years later, you can still get money for them.
Sorry that you don't own a Harley, but wish you did.

Answer 5

Well, it looks like you've partially answered your own question. People buy Harley's precisely because they are status symbols -- and expensive ones at that. How reliable - or unreliable - they are depends on how well they are maintained.

I've been building and riding my own Harley's for about 30 years, and like any other piece of machinery, they always need maintenance and proper care. Nothing lasts forever.

Another reason people buy Harley's is because they have money to burn -- literally. When it comes to Harley's and Bentley's, money isn't the option. It's the status.

Answer 6

I used to think the same way you think, but the reality of it is that Harley's are made of extreme quality and they are comfortable and easy to ride, not to mention that once you've ridden one you understand that you're actually riding a motorcycle, because a harley is a motor on two wheels. It is just motor sitting on two wheels. It is a truly unique experience that only a true motorcycle lover can appreciate.

With that said, I tired of my Harley's because they're too fast for their frames and geometry. And since they're not very fast to begin with that should tell you that their frame and geometry is way outdated.

Plus, if you've never ridden a SuperMotard, well, all I can say is that you've never experience riding. SuperMotard riding is the ultimate blast. Picture a between 80 and 100 horsepower on a CR500 type frame and suspension system with street tires. You can absolutely raise total HELL. Nothing compares.

Answer 7

I know you probably asked this question just to get a rise out of the Harley Riders. But I'll answer this question like you are serious. First Harley's are not over priced, if you would just check prices your will see for an example that a Harley Ultra Classic cost less than a Honda Goldwing. Another example is I just brough another seat for my Ultra Classic my seat cost $300, my friend just brough a new seat for his Goldwing, it cost him $800. Now if you throw in that a new Harley is warrantee for 7 years, and parts are cheaper. In reality a Harley is cheaper than a rice burner.

Now I dont' understand why everybody thinks Harley's are not reliable, I just got back from a 3,000 mile trip. My Harley ran perfect no problems. I have brothers who have over 60,000 miles on their Harley's and they still run like new. I have over 20,000 miles on mine. Harley's are the most reliable motorcycle made.

The reason you see alot of them for sale it the so called "Yuppies", "RUBS" and "Wannabees" go out and buy a big Harley then find out they don't like riding or almost get in an accident so they sell it. Another reason is that Harley is the best selling motorcycle, so naturally they wil have the most for resale.

Answer 8

Harley's are an American icon and even though I don't ride one myself I do think they make one one of the best looking bikes on the market. You are going to see a lot of bikes for sale period, both Harley and metric, it is a passing fancy for many people.

Answer 9

good answer, auditor4… not overpriced at all some people are just poor. I got mine for $17,000 3 years ago I was only 25 and never had a problem with it. sence then Ive bought, built and sold a bunch of harleys and never had a problem with performance or getting rid them.

Answer 10

As far as I know, depending on where you are, of course, this is America, and we the right to choose. I would prefer a big Harley or Victory, but I can't afford one right now. That will be my next bike.

Why can't we all just get along and ride! Geez!!

Answer 11

Apparently you have never ridden a harley or been in a harley dealership.Since they have switched to the twin cams they are very reliable,and for prices they are no more than a *** bike,check the prices at the local honda or kawasaki dealership,the vulcan 2000 starts around 16,000.