Nah, the whole standard thing was marketing GENIUS, take a 13-14k bike strip off all the chrome, through in a plain jane engine and sell it for $12-13K. Now to make that bike look like last years $13-14K bike you have to spend $4-5K more. SO an EXTRA profit of $3-4K for the same bike.

They did similar with the ever popular Street Glide, it's pretty much a standard, lowered, strip off the trim, add a radio and some plastic filler panels and the ADD $4-5k to the price, flippin' BRILLANT!!! Marketing genius!

Dark customs - you think black cost the same as chrome???? GENIUS!!!!

 

I think you have it dead on here. I'm a Mac user, but for the longest time I was anti Mac. Then one friend got one, and another, and another. All along the way trying to convince me that it was the best thing to do. Finally the bug bit me, now my family has 2 macbooks, and in the combined 5 years (3 years for one, 2 for the other) we have owned both of them, they have NEVER given us any issues. I certainly can't say the same for the 2 HP's we own nore the Dell desktop I have that is collecting dust.

As for the "prestige" what about the return on investment? I've owned 6 bikes and still currently own 2 of them, and none of them hold value to that of a Harley. Now which bike out there other than a Harley, can you buy for lets say 18K MSRP, ride for a couple years putting around 6,5K miles, and the blue book on it is $16,3K. It seems to be pretty much across the board for Harleys too. Not only that, but for most riders (of ANY type of bike) there is no after market availability like there is for a Harley, both newer and ESPECIALLY old.

 

whoa.

i think youre misunderstanding him, and by extension me, since i agreed with him. i cant speak for VHPD, so i will speak for myself:

i personally do not put Harley (or any other brand, for that matter) on a pedestal. it is just an object, a toy. simply buying one does not make me a better person, or a "real" biker or whatever. the exclusivity and prestige i mentioned are marketing hype created by Harley Davidson MOCO to increase demand for their product, and to insinuate that their product is worth the (arguably high) price you pay for it. releasing "lesser" products is counterproductive to the image they are trying to cultivate. that's all i (and i assume VHPD) was trying to say. no one's trying to imply that you're not a "real" biker unless you can afford a "real" bike, or anything like that. (though i am insinuating that HD MOCO would like you to believe that. that's just great marketing.)

you seem be reacting as if VHPD's post said "i bought a prestigious elite product, and anything less is not prestigious or elite." (which would be a personal boast.) but i think what he said was more like: "harley wants you to think you are buying a prestigious, elite product." (which is just a statement of fact.)

hope that helps clarify a bit.