I buy HD stuff and other stuff too. I really don't care what people wear, and I don't care if people don't like that I wear HD. It's really all about the ride.
Do I blame the Motor co. for trying to make money? naw....I'd do it too. we always say they overcharge, but hell how much did we all pay for our bikes? I know it gets old payin out the nose, but that's the price you pay for havin an HD. It just seems silly to me that we get all worked up over their prices, can't blame em for makin money!

 

Its kind of a mixed bag for me.....I shop for value and I think you can find it at HD at times....I shop thier "close out" rack all the time. But I also buy from other places too.......dont want cheep....dont want expensive.....I want value.....and that of course is in the eye of the "spender".

 

Sure you can't blame the dealership for wanting to make money but c'mon. Toilet seat covers, cologne, hallmark has HD bags and cards for s**tsakes. What do these have to do with motorcycles??
They don't have HD shops anymore, they have 'boutiques'. It makes me want to puke. Every damn airport has a HD boutique. These having nothing to do with bikes, only selling more product to every frickin tool who has more money than brains.
It's RUBS who have 03 'anniversery' editions sitting in their garages with 500 miles on the odometer who buy all this crap...Guys who trailer their bikes to the show n' shine 20 miles down the road...Guys who spend more time cleaning and talking about their rides (and they rarely have a clue what they're talking about) than actually riding. It's to the point where i'm embarassed to where anything that has HD on it. The moco is selling out and it's sickening.

 

Why does everyone care? If you like the HD stuff and want to spend the $$$ then have fun! If you don't then that is cool too! It seems to me that many of the people who put down others for buying HD stuff, also put down people who DON'T buy HD bikes. Why? Do what you want to do, wear what you want to wear, buy whatever bike YOU want to buy, and let others do the same. Relax, enjoy life, and ride as much as you can!

 

Whenever I think about this topic it physically makes my brain hurt and my eyes go crossed. So I will try to spend minimal time doing so. But, whenever I ask people why they bought a Harley in the first place, one of the top answers is that it was made in the US, and there is always some mock patriotic flag waving deal, "supporting the working man blah, blah, blah..." then they go to the Harley dealer and buy all that crap made in China or Pakistan or some other such place.[:@] I'd like to see them replace every H-D logo or American flag on those clothes with the flag of the Nation where that product was made. I'd like to see them all with huge Chinese flags on their backs, and on their heads, and hands, and feet. On their trucks, and bikes, and frickin toilet seats.... Would you buy a Chinese bike? Why not? I'm sure they'll custom paint whatever flag or symbol on it that you want. They can use the extra bucks to build more missiles to point at us.

I buy American whenever it's possible, and do my best to support fellow American's (or at least good folks of other Nations that aren't out to kill us). If you want, you can always sew H-D patches or put stickers on products that were actaully made by Americans. For me, my jacket still has the Vanson patches that came with it, Harley can keep that junk.

Rant off...

 

I've got less in my leather jacket, chaps, and gloves than I would have in just a leather jacket if I'd bought them at a HD dealer. My jacket is made by Custom Chrome and has a thinsulate lining. My chaps are made by CC too.

Look at my bike. Two things I really saved money on by shopping around:

1. Drag Specialties 'Quick-Bob' tank. I was quoted a price of $425.00 at a HD dealer. I bought the same DS tank from an independant bike shop in Ohio, selling on Ebay, for $270.00.

2. The HD Lightening Star front wheel. The HD dealer's price, and in the catalog, is $635.00. I bought mine from a HD dealer in Ohio, for $315.00, including shipping.

On those two items alone my savings is almost $500.00!

There are some HD dealers that sell on Ebay. Some of them, especially in the winter months in the NE USA, sell way below retail.

 

I would like to make another comment in order to tighten the thread back up a bit as to the reason for my initial post.

I wasn't complaining about owning or wearing apparel w/ HD stiched or embosed on it. It was simply my observation that the dealer charged outragous prices for the HD articles they sold, and oftentimes (most often, in fact) the quality of the article was not worth the price being asked. In the example that I cited - the neck gaiter - I was able to purchase one down the street for one third the price being asked at the dealership. The difference between the two - one teeny tiny HD sewn on patch! The presense of that little patch did not make that article of clothing worth a 300% increase in price - to me!

Someone there at the MOCO has obviously drawn the conclusion that they can ask three times more than a fair price for there motor clothes and related articles because it has HD sewn, stamped, or silk screened on it, and someone will buy it. Seems like corporate arrogance to me.

I'm not inclined to give the MOCO free advertisement while having to pay more than its worth myself to do it. My bike is advertisement enough! I may have to pay outragous prices for gasoline, but not for the clothes I ride in.

 

I wonder just how much of the parts that go on a Harley are made here in the USA?

 

It's all about what the market will bear. It's the nature of our economy. HD charges what they charge for everything, bikes to boutique items, because they can get the price in the market. Easy solution to the whole situation, if the items have value for you consistent with the price, buy 'em. If not, shop around. It's difficult for me to blame any organization for profiting from people's interest in the brand. And if the RUB's wanna keep buying stuff, bikes and all, so HD can turn a nice profit, and I can stay in the saddle of my favorite brand, I've no objections.

How long would HD have a stock condom before somebody figured out how to customize it??

 

The cost of being a MOCO groupie=A lot.
This is an expensive lifestyle no matter where you shop or wear.
Can't we all just get along whether you wear Levi jeans or HD jeans?
or wear a 400$ HD jacket or a 50$ Ebay Jacket.

I've never been to a bike night and have someone ask or comment on someone being decked out in HD gear. We usually just check out eachothers rides.