I'm gagging here but when Honda hit the US like a tidal wave in the early 70's with the little gas sipping, bullet proof Honda'a they sold like Hot Cakes. Even had a song wrote about them.

When gas hit's over the $4 dollars a gallon mark again, cheap dependable fun to ride motorcycles can be the answer for a lot of people if they are marketed right. Honda had a brilliant ad campaign that went with that push to get into the American market. Some of those old ad's were directed directly at Harley "now if there is only some of you guys out there old enough to remember them".

They depicted the Honda as a fun bike to ride as opposed to the big bulky hard to handle Harley's. The college kids eat them up!

Do I want one? NO! but if Harley can develop a product line that will support the building of our baggers, just do it.

The metrics are trying to copy Harley now to stay relevant in this U.S. Market. Harley should pull a reverse and copy their successful ad and sales campaign and put a line of fun to ride gas sippers on the road when the price of gas goes back to their record high levels.

I know that Yamaha and Honda has a line of scooters that fill that nitch but the competition will be for the small easy to handle motorcycle. Maybe Harley could get back into the scooter market also!

Forgive me! Just desperate to keep doors open for the HOG factory!

 

Harley has an aging demographic. Eventually, many mature riders will have a difficult time balancing a two-wheleer. Thus, trikes make sense.

I think the bagger craze is a good thing. To me it means that more riders are considering longer trips, whether they do or not, it usually leads to more miles being hammered down and less garage posing.

Bobbers have been hot of late. Old school is now hip. I would like one, but only if I could afford it as a second bike. That rigid frame would be the death of me!

Eventually, due to emmision standards, everything will be water-cooled. As a Harley group we will have to accept it or ride our air-cooled bikes until they expire or parts become scarce.

 

I think choppers will be around for a while, especially in warm climate areas for those that want show & cruz'in bikes, but eventually when water-cooled engines will be the "norm" that will be it. Baggers are the only way to fly for serious touring & as said, the radiator, etc is not as obvious as on a smaller bike, although the V-Rod looks cool, as do a lot of metrics. I think blacked out & chromed out both are cool, & will alway be in. No earth-shattering changes are on the horizon, IMO with the exception of all bikes will eventually be water-cooled, which I have no problem with, except I don't like the sound of high-reving engines. What is the main reason water-cooled engines have to be smaller displacement, because of the extra room required for the water-jacket?

 

I found a new version of the old Honda ad "You meet the nicest people on a Honda"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G87YBvuh2wc

 

That was my thought, too. Put on some miles you slackers!

 

More versatile bikes - XR1200, Dirt bikes (?) or even a VR1000 sportbike clone...

More targeted bikes for the younger riders..

I think Harley in the near future will start to undertake these ideas to boost sales and develop a long-term, sustainable customer base.

I enjoy Harley, but I would have waited to buy one (late 30's-40's) if it weren't for the XR1200. I'm more interested in a "do-it-all" bike at my age and is the general consensus among friends/riders of similar age.

I'd love to see a Harley dual-sport (on/off road) more available. I believe they made a limited production model, but only released a few hundred bikes.

 

Thats a joke...look at my bike.

 

Sorry... neither of those do a thing for me... that big front wheel looks like one of those big wheel trikes the little kids used to ride... waste of a perfectly good Road Glide IMHO. I don't get into the radical customized look... except for looking at trailer queens at a bike show.

 

Sorry 97... didn't catch the joke! I like the all black with the big chrome primary at the bottom. The contrast is striking and looks really good! But I'm sure there are some all-white bikes trolling around out there...

 

WTF! Now that was funny.