well its all changing and it will happen again, just like the big tire thing, the consensous around people i hang with anything over a 180 is (out) no comfort hard to handle in turns, we say four guys ahead of us on some twisties two months ago, and they had to do 20 mph,to keep those big things on road one guys butt was bouncing off his seat about 6inches, we passed and smiled (safetly) than they finally stopped at a rest area and one guy says to us your lucky, this thing is going in the paper tomarow, alot of people bought into these monsters, like our harleys used to hold decent resale values, now are in the dumpster, those things with a few thousand miles are worth a third of value, if that, i see guys going with the skinny rear tire which were on the orig choppers back in the 60 70 ~s

 

Not so much as market saturation. A couple of years into it, those with the expendable income made their purchases, and did so in large numbers. However, builders based their future sales on trend increases. Increases that never materialized. With showrooms full and warehouses at capacityproduction lines shut down. For the average Joe, a bike is not like a car or P/U truck that you purchase every few years. As for the younger crowd, well they march to the beat of a different drum. Just my two cents worth!

 

I'm not so sure I would consider Big Dog a custom motorcycle. It ismore along the lines of a production motorcycle (just like HD), with more color options. With that said I think we will begin to see a slight reduction in price to stay competative. I don't think the day of the chopper has died, I just think the day of the $50,000 custom is dead.

 

I think HD would rather just watch them die a natural death than buy them. After all, if there is enough of a market for choppers, HD knows how to build one. Some would argue that the much delayed Rocker is their first step in that direction.

 

desperate times desperate measures drop the prices cut your profit a bit and still make a dollar a dollar made is worth more than a dollar not made....The monopoly game of the high price junk is over 100k 0r 150 k for some bike because some dude built it.... screw that

 

i wonder if indian picked a bad time to try the come back, i dont think they even had a dealer network set up yet,

 

I also wonder if one of the reasons that HD didn't make a big chopper was because they knew that it was going to be a fad.

I wonder if this fad will continue until RUBS die off as well (Not literally die but fad out)
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I'm thinking the 20-30 families impactedby a lay-off don't look at it as measley and to them it is a biggie!

 

The BD dealer in my area took down their signs. The place is still opened,but it looks like they only have a few bikes in the store. I have not stopped in to see what the deal is,but it does not look good. Maybe BD should produce some less expensive bikes to compete in the market. Their bike prices start about where HD ends. I once asked the dealer how most people paid for their $35,000 plus bikes? He said most people would take out home equity loans. That is great when the economy is good,but in times like these,it just doesn't fly. Besides my wife would kill me if I paid for a motorcycle or any toy that way.

 

"wonder if indian picked a bad time to try the come back"

That's a good question, Brian. I, for one,hope not. But, it does appear thereis a large number of used bikes hitting the market and new ones still sitting in the showrooms.

As was mentioned above, very doubtful the chopper concept is dead, but it could well be that the futuristic looking/WAY high priced stuff is on the outs.

I've come to like the look ofclassic bobber/choppers... sure can't personally find an appeal in the outlandish "contemporary" stuff. The prices of the "contemporary" type of chopper is plum scary.

Andre Ming
Eastern OK