I think damn near everyone who wanted a Harley now has one. When it's a pretty day and many in the neighborhood have their garage doors open, I'm surprised at the number of Harleys setting in garages.

 

Groms are cool, and Honda did a great job bringing that out. Having said that, pussies on top too scared to make a bold move? They don't need too, because, like you said, THEY'RE ON TOP. The bold moves of the Buell, and the V Rod, didn't work out so well long term. Metric makers have no choice but to make bold moves to try and compete for market share. HD did not get where they are by making huge bold moves Maybe in 1903. And for all the bold moves the metrics have made, they still do not command the market share that HD does in the cruiser market.
Tons of kids on Groms. Guess what? they won't be when they hit 45, 50. HD's market has, and always will be, the 40+ crowd. I think it would be a mistake for Harley to come out with off road, dual sports, and tiny grom sized bikes. You don't see Ferrari coming out with small cheap SUV's or Mercedes trying to compete with Ford with trucks. They stay in their lane and are tops at what they produce. HD needs to be sure and kick Goldwing and other cruiser ***. They could use some improvement in some areas for sure, but introducing entirely new lines marketed at young new riders is not what they do best or should do.

 

Ironically my RGS cost damn near as much as my wife new 2014 Ford Focus and my 2018 Honda HRV minus 3k or so. It kinda blows my mind the folks that spend the big money and only get them out on a weekend. Why buy a bike if your not going to ride it every chance you get. They might as well bought a boat which would of cost them less than my bike. I saw one of those Aprilla bikes mentioned in a post above and didn't even know what it was lol. I always loved the bike, the sound, even the shake that makes HD what it is.

Young kids don't have 21k+ money to throw away on a pleasure toy any more than young kids buy Gold Wings. My bike isn't the fastest or lightest but it is the coolest in my eyes and well. It's not perfect by any means but it is what it is. Nobody cares when a crotch rocket goes by or a Ducati or even a Hayabusa . They all look when they hear a Harley coming for what ever reason and maybe thats why those of us that choose to ride the baddest machines on the road do so. Harley will never price itself to the cheap because it doesnt have to. Their will always be a Harley market much like there will always be a market for Lincolns, Cadillacs, Porshes , and all high end , high dollar machines . Their aint a sport bagger on the road that can come close to the Street Glide bar none. I don't see a decline in HD riders at all around here. Again seeing anything other is like a UFO sighting lol.

I went for an early AM ride and probably saw 50 HD's between 8-9am . Never saw another make.

 

Most younger cats will be out there on used Sportys for around 3-4 grand. Not on some
geezer glide. Market segment is pretty much same as it always was. There were people
meant to be on Harleys, then, there weren't. Way it's always been. Panic ensues.

 

 

What they offer is "lifestyle" I never bought into that. I owned metrics after I sold my FXR for too much money in the 90s. Harley Dealer in the 90s pissed me off with their tactics I swore I would never buy a Harley and prayed for them to once again to struggle and discount bikes. So I bought Honda and Yamaha Cruisers until I bought a new Harley Ultra in 2014 Sold it after three recalls and bought a Heritage and a Sportster 1200C. They are not faster or more reliable than my Hondas and especially my Yamahas. I never bought into the whole Pirate thing. When I went inside a place no one knew I came on a bike.

My son is 23 and has no interest in bikes. Neither do his friends, When I was his age, I was riding a naked GL1000 with a Windjammer fairing which was my first bike. Then a few crotch ro ckets before settling on an FXR which I rode a few years and then sold for stupid money, (Even then I wasn't a dyed in the wool Harley rider). Still not.

I rode a VT1100 from San Diego to NJ without issue, My favorite bike was a Yamaha 1300 which I sold to buy another Harley. This time discounted. Harleys are too expensive now to take a chance on getting one with issues,

 

I spent the weekend at the drag race in Bristol. Possibly 20% of the shirts worn by people there were Harley Davidson shirts. The average age of the people wearing them? I will guess it was over 50.
That is not the demographic that will grow or maintain the moco

 

I live on a fairly busy street, and at least 90 % of the bikes that ride past here are Harleys. I don't see any decline in riding Harleys, or owning Harleys, but I do see a decline in the quality of the replies to this thread. It is pulling the closet haters out of the woodwork!! I personally think it has run it's course, and needs to be closed!!

 

Yeah I am not into the lifestyle thing. I had my bike at the dealer for a couple items after my purchase, and I got HD surveys via email. One of the questions asked something about feeling part of the community, or something like that. That's a thought that never entered my mind. I think it's cool that bikers in general will wave and have an immediate bond of sorts with other riders, but I don't care what brand someone is riding.

 

Booo Hoooo. Bwahahah. Someone needs a Kleenex. Sheesh!!!.