Harley owners, explain this please?

Question

If hard core Harley riders live a simple life, i.e. they live to ride and ride to live.....why do they chose the most expensive motor cycle? It would seem if you truly only lived to ride it would be much simpler to live your life on a Honda or something equally reliable, but much less expensive. Think of the oil changes that cost $89, every part costs $100 etc.

I have a feeling the answer will be "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand". So other than that answer, why else? Don't get me wrong, I love Harley's, I just don't like the fact the company knows they are a cult phenomenon and take advantage of thier biggest supporters, thier riders.

I'll try to clarify more; I've owned a honda and I'm about to own a Harley. I want to do all the work myself and have no inclination to pay anyone $90 to turn one bolt. But it seems lately HD has gotten very corporate, basically making owners void thier waranty should they dare touch thier own motors. I'm sure back in the old days you could buy an HD with cash, ride the hell out of it and be happy. Today, that's not the case. HD owners probably spend at least $1000 in chrome and pipes before they take thier first ride on thier new hog. I'll still buy a Harley, I just don't like the way the company is heading toward a global corporate world. Owning a Harley used to be more about sticking it to "the man" and being your own dog. Today, I think too many people are trying to be Jesse James and Paul Tuettle on a Sportster.

Answer 1

Made in the US is really important to many Harley riders.

Answer 2

The EPA and DOT will not allow Harley to build simple, easy to work on bikes any more. All new Harleys must have computer controlled fuel injection, oxygen sensors, and electric fuel pumps (no more carburetors) to pass emission requirements. In California we must have catalytic converters, fuel tank evaporation canisters, etc. An air-cooled V-Twin Harley engine is more simple than a liquid cooled engine, but the EPA forces the fuel-air mixture to be so lean that the bikes will hardly idle without overheating. This year (2007) is so bad that Harley just had to release a computer remap to let the engine idle on one cylinder for a while to allow the other to cool off during hot weather! Many if not most new Harley owners will spend ~$1k at delivery to get their new bike to run as well as and sound like an older one. The reliability and performance of the basically primative design has improved enough over the years that the the tradeoff is worth it. Simple no longer means inexpensive; in this case it is the opposite thanks to the government regulators. A wind-up Rolex costs more and is not as accurate as a quartz Timex, but which is more desirable?

Answer 3

Because cost is irrelevant if it's something you love. If you put a price tag on it, then you're not living this "simple life" you're talking about. Most older harley guys rode when you could swap parts and change your bike, which is half the fun of a Harley. Making it your bike. So no two Harley's are the same. Today it's a little different but the spirit still lives and most don't understand it.

Answer 4

First off " A simple life" does not mean a poor life.
Part of my life is running a contracting business and I make enough to buy Harley's . That is what I want so that is what I ride ,simple , right?
Next, my bikes have always been plenty dependable , I've not been stranded or towed. Harley's are easy to work on and easy to get parts for. When on the road I've always been able to do a suitable repair with readily available parts and be on my way.
I've had Honda's, Yam ahas and many others as well and frankly ,I've never been able to pull out a tool roll and fix a Jap or Euro bike roadside and be on my way,they are delicate and temperamental and just not that easy to work on ,or even get parts for.
BTW, cost me under $20.00 to do an oil change, and many of my parts are expensive, I buy what I consider the highest quality or the "sharpest" parts because it is my bike ,I take pride in it. It is not, nor will it ever be, about what is more economic.
Keep in mind ,part of the cost of a Harley is paying American workers a living wage to build our motorcycles rather than send that money over seas.
When my responsibilities are taken care of I ride, as much and as far as I can, the only real problem I have is that when I go , I don't want to come back!

Answer 5

I was living my life with a Honda, until cirumstances led to having a Harley. Oil changes cost the same when you do it yourself, which I believe was / is the "simple life". Parts, unless you go for the flashy aftermarket stuff, are comparably priced. To me, flashy = not simple. While you have a point about the cult phenomenon, it does not apply to all. If I did not have this particular HD, I would have gotten one anyway. And my life would still be lived the same way. I really do prefer simple. It makes life so much easier, with less stress. While I don't claim to "Live to Ride, Ride to Live", it seems I do it more than others. The truth is I prefer 2 wheels to anything else.


One more thing: nobody has asked me to help them move since I stopped driving my pickup. Simpler, isn't it?

Answer 6

I have been riding motorcycles since I was 13. All kinds of bikes. For 2 or more years a $200 peice of crap honda was my only transportation. I know bikes. I now own a custom built 90 FXR H-D drag bike (w/NOS!) that I ride for fun. To answer your question...most hard core "bikers" ride older rebuilt machines. The parts on older harleys are mostly interchangeable and there are countless ways to build a custom bike. It is about being different from everyone else. In recent years yuppies and yippies have increased the demand for new Harleys thus increasing the cost. Hard core bikers are now outnumbered by weekend warriors on showroom bikes that all look alike.

Answer 7

Some people want to be apart of something that they are not normally exposed to. When you buy a Harley it seems to bring on a certain mystic that you cant get from a import cruiser. Harley recognises this and being a business to make money markets the hell out of it. ( they would be stupid not to.) Ive had both and to me its the ride but to some its more of a desire to belong to something that isn't corporate America and stand for rebellion and easy living. hens the term easy rider.
This is my opinion only but i believe it to be true.

Answer 8

the older harleys were simple and easy to own. they've always been priced higher than the competition. (notice i said "were") the new harley riders are trying to live an image that is older than electronic ignition and fuel injection.
put the new riders on an old ironhead sportster, panhead or shovel and have them get their hands dirty and see what would happen.
the newer riders are credit card bikers...

Answer 9

Heres my best shot at it: before the big discovery channel blowout, you would buy a Harley because it would hold it value better, it would hold up better (everyday riding not trailer it then ride on the weekend only in good weather) and the other companys just weren't built as well plastic parts and such. then everybody wanted to get in on the new bike craze. this is good and bad more choices better quality but also higher prices that people will pay because they don;t know any better. Now you can spend alot of cash on any kind fast. Or you can do your own work and save just like it used to be with cars before computer crapp

Answer 10

Harley's are American Clasics, it's like owning a 55 Vette, not the best sports car ever made but it gets lots more attention then a tokyo drift car does.

It's all about image. and like other images that Yuppies adopt they drive the price up for the rest of us. Im not into the biker life but Im not a weekend warrior either. I have ridden in So Cal for over 30 years and I luv my softail.