I crossed all over the country on my old Sporty, but even as a kid riding a dirt bike I knew I wanted a Harley. Of course back then it was a Harley, an Indian ( if you could find one ) or something with Lucas electrics! I tend to agree that there is not a tie to American made products in the young'ns, but then it is a different world. Now the thing you have to keep in mind. It is a different world then when I was young, 40 years ago, which was a different world then when my Dad was young 70 years ago which was a different world then when Gramps was young 90 years ago, etc, and yet HD has been there for 105 years..........

A point was made that the average Harley rider is 40, ok maybe that is true, but it is because of the HUGE number of new bikes Harley has produced in the last 10-15 years. I think if you look at the people who are serious about riding ( not the weekend guys who have a Harley just cause they can afford a new one to sit next to the new Vette [ and I wouldn't mind that ] ) you will find Harley is still the prime bike for the majority.

Finally when I was young you built your first couple of bikes so a Harley was not out of the question. To me THAT is the biggest difference, today no one wants to wrench on a bike, they just want to ride. In my mind you are missing half the joy of ownership.

 

Let's keep it simple...Harleys don't appeal to every demographic and to try to do that is an effort in futility and will only **** off their loyal base seeing their favorite models dumped to produce bikes to appeal to the fickle youth market...I started riding in 1967 on Yamaha dirt bikes and matured into a Harley rider...knew guys back then who wanted nothing to do with Harley, and wouldn't own anything else now...let the kids ride the crotch rockets and whatever else they can afford (same as most guys did when I was coming up) and they'll catch up when they grow up...

 

I toook the mids off and added the fwd's ...just felt better to me.
LOTS of fun to ride but I sure do appreciate a 6 speed tranny now. LOL

 

I do a lot of back roads so I have mids on mine, a lot easier to scoot up and tuck in when I want to throw the bike through some corners.

It must be nice with a 6-speed, I'm still in the stone age here with a 4-speed.

 

I guess the whole thing is a matter of preference.I've seen young guys on Harleys and old guys on rockets.How fast do you want to go? I tried a friends 600 Yami once and the thing was awesome,it cornered like it was on rails and was fast as hell,it just wasn't for me.I like my softail custom,It's really all I need,It looks good and is very dependable.The old gal's a little heavy but that's ok too,it rides well.I don't ride fast,I just ride.
I think it's human nature to race with some-one when you are younger.In the 70's as a surveyor in Fla. I saw 2 guys racing D-8 Cats on a construction project that I was working on !!!! I guess it is all about the need for speed.Being 63,life is going by fast enough,I choose to slow down and enjoy it....."There's no trophy at the end of the ride".

 

My opinion, being that I am rather youthful (22yrs old) is that the bikes that it seems younger people like are two complete opposites. You have the old school badass look such as the Crossbones and some of the Sporties (mine will be pretty hard when I'm done with all the **** I wanna do) and the sleek style such as the VROD. I see a lot of younger people on Jap bikes with that sleeker shape and think that there is definitely potential for Harley there. Don't see ANY younger riders on the classic looking Softails and Dynas. Personally, I would love to see them make something low and sleek and aerodynamic probably in the Sportster line. Just my

 

I agree, being 18 I just have no real interest in the Big Twins. Softails are too expensive, Dynas are too bland, V-Rods are too ugly, and the touring bikes are too much rolling sofa. I'm also 5'5" and 130lbs, big Harleys are a handful for me.

Harley brings out a cafe racer, sign me up for that! Old school look, just enough performance, and the perfect size for me.

If I land this federal government job I applied for, I might buy a new Triumph Thruxton as my daily and keep my ironhead for weekend cruises. I've never been a big fan of the Japanese bikes, to me they seem like basic transportation with no soul or personality. But a Triumph cafe racer, now THAT has personality! Triumph and cafe racer go together like Harley and open highways or Ducati and winning races, when the name Triumph is mentioned the cafe racer is what comes to mind!

 

Maybe Harley should team up with some younger designers and create newer models. I like what Russell Mitchell is doing with the Standard http://www.exilecycles.com/index.php?section=141 and the Night Train http://www.exilecycles.com/index.php?section=153
http://www.exilecycles.com/index.php?section=151
just a thought.

 

Triumph riders are a loyal bunch, much like Harley guys. A friend of mine at work, very British, has been riding Triumphs for years (he's a couple of years older than I am); he's on a Bonny 750 now, which he has a lot of fun on solo, but his wife bitches about riding bitch...says it's uncomfortable after a few miles. I've been trying to sell him my extra bike, a V-Star 1100, which would be great for them to ride 2-up...but he won't hear of it, wants to buy another Triumph...! God Save The Queen.

 

IMO, I don't think that HD really needs to do anything but keep making the great bikes it has always made. In a futile effort to attract young buyers, HD will alienate their base and cheapen the brand by putting all their time and effort into bikes most HD riders could care less about. Really, how many of us rushed to the dealer to buy a XR1200? There are plenty of people who enjoy HD for what they make. I am young, 26, and own a brand new Fatboy. There are plenty of guys like me out there that like shiny v-twins. And if people want to buy crotch rockets, let them. I also think that with the increasing amount of people riding, there is room for all companies and styles of bikes. Don't let the analysts tell you how HD is doing.