Just sittin here, lookin at the 18s. With the softail and dyna lines combines, this opens up the opportunity for Harley to expand it's line-up.(I know, not gonna happen) but... seems to me to be the perfect time for them to introduce a performance line. Nothing half assed either, something badazz and reasonably priced. You want the new generation in your stores... you'd better start speaking their language

 

The MoCo decided NOT to do that when they killed Buell. As far as I'm concerned, that's when they sealed their fate.

 

Is this where Duc comes into play? I'd be up for a Dyna that lost 200 pounds of useless bulk. Aluminum frame for starters. (Hell, my 11 year old Chevy has an aluminum frame...) Soon to be 12!

 

I agree and I think something along those lines is coming. That 50 new models in 5 years promise leaves a lot of open doors for experimentation. The Street line of bikes is a good idea that was poorly executed and lacking when compared to other bikes in the class. The easiest win, in my opinion, would be a flat track style bike to compete with the hipster scramblers everyone else is building. There's already history there, and that could also be a small CC starter/commuter.

To get a new age of riders that get their information from youtube, Harley is going to need a bike that wins comparison reviews. They can't just roll up onto someone else's turf and say yeah yours is cool but this is a Harley. This is coming from a guy that loves Harley for its loud, air cooled, vibrating, not always efficient nostalgia. Up to this point Harley has been winning with cool factor and Americana. Harley needs to build similar to car companies where they buy a competitor bike, test it, and tear it to pieces with the idea of creating something better. Harley has been the benchmark for decades when it comes to American style cruising, but they can't quite ever hit the mark when it's time to master another style.

 

I'm with ya JR... while I won't be into a racing/scrambler type of machine, I know there are a lot of people who are. Either Harley needs to step up it's engineering program, or start looking elsewhere for them. When they have to look for outside assistance to build anything but a 45 degree V-Twin, I question their engineering staff. It's time to show people they can build something besides overweight cruisers... if they can

 

Maybe revisit the nova project.

 

I hope so. I think HD is really going to focus on performance in the future. And it's about time they did.

 

I hope so... they've played the nostalgia card to death.

 

And yet every time they deviate from the "Harley mistque" the bike doesn't sell. Look at the FXRT, Sprint, Tour Glide, FXRS-SP, Vrod, etc. Most of the Harley buyers want a Harley in all of its archaic glory.
I can see however, combined Harley/Ducati dealerships IF Harley can sell them to their dealers. That was one of the issues with Buell, the dealers wouldn't participate, they put them in the corner and if someone asked for a Buell they were steered towards a Sportster.

 

Have to Agree There ..