I'm fairly new to Harley's with my second HD bike. I've notice the amount of OEM parts that are for sale on the internet.... mostly Ebay. That's not counting the shops and individuals that don't have access to the internet with lots of HD parts for sale. Most I assume are because of the interchangeability of Harley Davidson parts. I went to a HD swape meet with a friend once in Michigan. I would bet there were enough parts to build 25 Harley's from scratch.
I'm amazed at the number of genuine HD hard saddlebags that are being bought and sold. Some new take-offs mostly as the result of trike conversions and customizing. There are a bags for sale as bottoms only, lids only, left or right sides only. Most of which are from crashes I guess. All of the nice complete sets are going for big $$$$. I hate the leather bags on my RKC and would love to have a nice set of Vivid Black hard bags but I'll never be able to afford these prices. If I found a set I could afford that only needed painting, It would take me a year to save enough to have them painted. I've got the fever like most of you and I didn't realize it was so contagious. Someone please explain the HD culture so that I won't be so convinced that it just me and I may not ever recover.

 

This thread is gonna go sour real quick..........

In my opinion, the Harley culture is a rapidly disapearing thing. Just look at this forum..........people knocking other peoples rides, people showing just how much money can be sank into a bike.....that's not at all what it was about.
I was a part of the culture for awhile a long time ago, and when I came back 3 years ago, I found something completely different in it's place.
Today's Harley culture is about money and snobbery.

I hope yer happy with what ya did to the company and the people Willie G........

 

I've had the H-D feaver since 1969. ..............So far, I've been holding my own.

 

I would guess that there are lots of folks who have alot of parts in their garage that they were once into, then changed their heads, thats the beauty of a harley. Make it into whatever you want, whenever you want. Not like a cage where you can't go from two door 2dr to 4dr, 2x4 to 4x4, hard top to rag top, drag bike to cruiser, etc. What's the saying, variety is the spice of life.

 

I think I feel your pain on this one. GPS and all the what I consider garbage on bikes nowadays. I guess I fall into the KISS train of thought, keep it simple stupid. I hate electonics on a bike, besides ignition. I tend to walk away when I meet someone who starts talking a laundry list of all the gadgets he has on his bike. They should have rode when it was more of an adventure to ride and be able to fix it on the fly if you broke down. I ride a 90 fxrs-sp, from what I read and see, not sure if I want to go any newer.

 

If you find the bags you want at a price you like, buy them. Then, learn how to paint them yourself, or find someone who can paint who needs something you can do, and make a trade.

 

now don't take what I said the wrong way, bikes.
Most of the dealers you see at swap meets and such are from the original culture. A lot of them are great guys, and a lot more friendly than they appear.
It's just that times are changing, and what you see at bike night and a lot of what you read in here is a part of the "new" mindset.
An excellent example of this was a guy last fall that came in here...was a member of the same club I was. Posted some things similar to what I said in this thread, and a large number of the membership here turned on him....called him a troll, etc.
Ex metric riders calling a real 1%er a troll in a Harley forum

Ever since then, I look at this place, and what's out there now a lot differently.
To find the original culture, you have to look a bit deeper than bike nights or forums.

welcome to the family by the way

 

I disagree somewhat. There has always been a snob class in everything including the HD culture. I think we are seeing the effects of what was more disposable income and a customizing parts supply that didn't require tools or talent to put together for our bikes. More people riding and buying HD's. There appears to be more what I consider the Sunday tea crowd riding but is that really a problem? The faces have changed but the attitudes are mostly the same. The thing that has caught my attention is the younger crowd actually spending what is a large chunk of their income to get HD's. I see more and more here while the old crew hangs on. Shu, I actually pulled over to check on a biker on the side of the road two weeks ago and had a bunch of the dressed and chromed to the hilt crowd slow down to check on us. You gotta have faith. There will always be CS'ers out there but there will always be bikers there too.

 

I think you are right on Schu. I also think the MOCO is largely to blame. I am significately older than you and can remember when Harleys were reasonalbly priced and the average hard working guy could buy one and if it happended to take a crap he could fix it if he had a smattering of mechanical ability.

The machines they are producing now are outrageously gadgeted up and I would guess quite a few owners would not attempt even the minor repair.

 

A metric, better know as Jap Crap, is a stepping stone for many riders but a POS is still a POS and I call em that. Once I got the money for a real Hog, that was what I had. Never had a furrin car and knock on wood never will. Meaning a US marque = I don't GAS if it is made in Brazil or South Africa as long as the money goes to Detroit, not Tokyo. Start throwing rocks, y'all. I agree with the complexity comments above. Don't need no electronic gizmos. That is for the Generation __ whatever they are now. I grew up without all that crap and don't need it.