How many think the HD trademark is worth an extra 64%?

I'll explain......I'm on my third HD bike overall, and second new one. I love the bikes but I'm also, shall we say, frugal. I recently decided to move to a FF helmet. After much research and trying on, I ended up with an HJC IS-16. I purchased a solid one for 170.99 (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...id-Helmet.aspx), but one with graphics cost 179.99. During my search I tried the HD dealer and saw the HD men's Hi-Vis ( http://www.harley-davidson.com/mcm/m...bmLocale=en_US ) which is $295. It sure looks to me like this HD helmet is indeed the HJC IS-16 with a different paint job. By my math the paint job jacks up the price over the graphics HJC by $115, or 63.8%.

I'm curious. Do people buy these because the HD paint job is worth that much extra? Are they not educated consumers? Some other reason? Maybe I'm just too cheap, but I don't get it.

 

I don't think Just the HD product Is worth more, I do thing that most items are usually really good stuff.
Correct a lot of people are not great consumers, some are impulse buyers, just like everywhere. Get a new bike, OH, OH, need a shirt, need a coat, need a helmet, Need, need, ETC. It just happens to be right there and convenient, and easy to one shop stop.
Some don't care what it costs, If its HD buy, buy.
I retired and not broke, but do try to make My spending get me the product I need and want for the best price. I have the time to shop around, but some don't..

Once read that Bill Gate makes so much that if he was walking down the street and stopped to bend over to pick up a hundred dollar bill, he would loose money!
Thats over $100.00 a second..

 

NO

 

I don't think people think the stuff with the H-D name is worth more, it's just that some people get a kick out of spending their own money to advertise products that they like or use. You ask why some people buy useful products like helmets at a premium with the H-D name on them. I ask why people spend money on useless stuff with the H-D (or any other company) name on them. For example, how many H-D stickers to you see in car and truck windows? They don't hand those out for free. Or H-D pillows, jewelry, glassware, you name it. Let me know when you figure it out.

 

For me, if the H-D trademark is not on a bike, it ain't worth JACK!

 

My 2 cents........
Most of us on this forum are proud of the fact that we ride Harley's, so many of us will buy the HD logo on clothes and accessories. It is a status symbol, like it or not. You mention the graphic on the helmet is painted on. I'll bet it is a first class paint job and that had to cost something. Most HD accessories are better than the cheap knockoffs you can buy, to get the logo on it adds value because to has to pass their criteria and be a decent item. That adds value to me.
"How much is that "HD" trademark worth"?
It must be worth allot, you're riding a Harley, there are cheaper alternative bikes out there.
Just another view point.

 

Go out and price a good quality paint job on a part that is comparable in size and shape to the helmet and I'm sure you will be surprised at how much it can cost.

 

 

Some interesting comments. I definitely never thought about the "wooho I just bought a bike" excitement factor. Nor did I think about the bumper sticks, glasses and such.

+1

I don't think this is a valid comparison. I was talking about the helmet and, while I didn't detail it in my post, Joe Rocket textile jackets marked way up over the MSRP if the logo was Joe Rocket instead of HD. On the other hand bikes are genuine HD, not a re-badged brand X bike so its not really what I was talking about. I guess I wasn't very clear on my post I was really wondering more about the motorclothes things, not bikes or most parts.

 

My last Harley branded helmet was $37.50. It was black with Harley Davidson written down the side with a winged skull emblem in front. It was 75% off at the last summer sale my dealer had. At $115 I'd say you got hammered pretty good.