Such bull sit on this thread:
- all vehicles depreciate. Unless you find one that is deemed a collectible classic. And even then once you factor in inflation, their value rarely meets the initial MSRP,
- Rolex watches are precision made time pieces and beautiful works of art…with a lot of gold. It’s not just a time piece but a beautiful and prestigious piece of jewelry. They don’t leak oil, never need a clutch replacement, never blow an engine. And they intentionally have low production. So, they typically hold their value and some appreciate.

And yes…I only wear my Submariner when I can carry my CCW.

 

True that.

Both Rolex and Harley cost more and perform less than their Japanese counterparts, assuming, of course, you focus on those nagging little details such as accuracy and cost of ownership for watches, acceleration, deceleration and handling for motorcycles.

That being said, dudes rarely show off their Casio when trying to impress a lady. Clients and potential clients may not think you are at the top of your profession sporting a $39 rubber/digital watch in a meeting. Likewise, not many ever got "Kawasaki" or "Suzuki" tattoos.

Both Rolex and Harley make good/decent products - but not necessarily for their price point. Both companies market the brand while their products are kind of just along for the ride.

 

If your hearing is good, when you are sleeping you can hear the tick, tick.
It sounds like a chime, the sound of quality.

 

I never own a Rolex, but I always own a Harley since the 60's.

 

"I do remember the EVO waiting lists, and some folks flipping bikes for more than MSRP. But That was gone by 1995. Harley boosted production and ended up with may dealers unable to sell their stock. That led to two-three years of leftovers."

Harley's were always know for retaining more of their value because they were American made and they did not overproduce them. Dealerships never had leftovers much less two or three year old bikes sitting on the floor. If ,you wanted a Harley you paid more and when you traded it or sold it was worth more. With the over production to boost sales Harley has created their current problem of slumping sales. Customers are no longer trading in their bikes every three or fours years because the resale value is I down. The dealerships are full of repo's new and leftovers . The supply outweighs the demand.

 

I wonder what John Cameron Swayzee might say about this topic

 

Another epic thread about the good old days of Harley Davidson and how Shoe Boy screwed it all up! We almost made a full week. lol

OP let me share/edit your post from a slightly different angle as someone new to HD:

All this having been said, the Harley-Davidson MoCo has iterated and released new models to attract a new buyer. While not all were a hit, many were. Fat Bob attracted many looking for a muscle bike look. Pan America brought BMW and KTM buyers into the showrooms. They squeezed much to survive the greatest economic crisis the World has seen since the Great Depression. While the faithful complained and moaned, an entirely new group of buyers joined the Harley Family. We bought ridiculously over priced bikes not to mention over priced shirts and jackets because we too were looking to the brand and newer lifestyle Harley was offering. MoCo has done a good job attracting new buyers while trying to keep the "don't change a thing" buyers of the past. No small feat for any Company. They have worked to look ahead and plan for the retirement of the older riders and how to attract newer younger riders from arguably better more reliable brands. The 20-30 year olds who flocked to Liter bikes like Hayabusa, YZF, XR1000s, Ninjas, etc are now 40, 50, and 60 looking for more than speed. They are looking for class and style. The days of dragging knees have been replaced with day trips with new friends at a leisurely pace on 800 lb bikes they can modify and style to fit and look the way they want. They are drawn to the largest dealership network in the United States, the Greatest Motorcycle brand World Wide, and the best group of owners of any motorcycle.

Was MoCo perfect? No how could they have been. In spite of all the bitching and moaning Harley Davidson for the past 120+ years has provided riders with arguably the greatest motorcycle and has attracted, kept and amazed buyers around the world with no end in sight **

(** Provided you don't need to go over 100 mph )

 

This thread is hilarious. I agree with almost all of the claims made on all sides, except those trying to compare Japanese motorcycles to Harley-Davidsons. There is absolutely nobody out there riding a Japanese motorcycle because it "performs better" or some such quality concern who actually wants and can afford a Harley-Davidson. It's not that it's a premium brand, as that is all marketing BS. It's that Harley-Davidson makes a uniquely American type of product that is unmatched elsewhere in the world. Whether that's because theirs are better or just different in their own way is for you to decide. I know you couldn't give me a thousand free Japanese motorcycles to ride before I'd pay a fair price to ride a piece of American iron with an air cooled v-twin. It doesn't matter how many cams they shove in the Japanese bike or how fast or how many horsepower it has at 12,000 RPM. Riding that is a totally different experience, one that I don't need to try to know I don't want, just like I don't sleep with men.

 

And since you brought up comparing Harley to Rolex, I think a better Bike to Watch comparison would be Harley to Pilot Watches, particularly high end Pilot Watches. What started out as rugged utility watches for Pilots, has now turned into niche brands of high end high priced cool watches. (IWC Big Pilot Le Petit Prince - $16K)

 

Some of you have definitely been drinking the kool-aid at the dealership. I have a different perspective regarding the brand as I've been riding Harleys for over 40 years. It's not the be all, end all of all motorcycles. When Harley introduces a new model, the folks that have been doing this for a while know that it generally takes around 4 years for the bugs to get worked out. That's why there is a lack of excitement when a new model is released.