Your dealer wants you to believe that there is a shortage so that you will "snap one up."
Obviously you are thinking about it?

There's no shortage here in the Black Hills.
Heard that they had 5 chrome yellow SG's.

 

Production numbers are down. HD was not going to get caught with to many bikes in a slow economy. Smart move.
I had to wait 3 weeks for my 2013 RGU. I could have gotten one sooner but not the color I wanted. If it had been a planed purchase it would have been no big deal. But I totaled my 2011 . 3 weeks is nothing like a 12 month wait in 1996.
It was worth it got the one I wanted.
Unlike last year there are not a bunch sitting on the floor, and dealer that have what you want are not as willing to trade them off to anther dealer this year.

 

Local dealer here has plenty of the 2013's. Only one I have yet to see is that Breakout.

 

Come on out here to Rapid City SD.
We got plenty of touring models sitting on the floor here.
RG's, UC's, SG's. Several CVO touring bikes too.

 

I have been looking for a Street Glide and all the dealers here in Florida have plenty of them in stock.

 

IMO, The dealers your checking are not ordering enough for the show room, could be lack of funds / moco credit, etc. idk..
Im in CT with 3 (yes Three) local dealers (Hartford, Ellington, & Bristol.
And also one about 50 minutes north in Mass. All 4 dealers are stocked. They turn them over fast! But there are more new ones coming off the Moco truck every week!

We had another kinda local HD Dealer, (30 min away) in mass, they too also claimed touring was hard to get yada yada, just as your dealers are saying.
They closed down! last year (Tibbys HD Spfld MA).
I have heard that if you cant move inventory, the Moco wont keep giving you bikes.
Just sayin....

 

My local dealer seems to be having a shortage of ALL new bikes. Over the past 6 years I have never remembered seeing their show room so empty. Their claim is that they are having problems getting them as fast as they can sell them. Like the OP, touring bikes especially. They are still busy in the shop and at the parts counter and have what seems to be a steady stream of customers.

 

Sounds like its just that one dealer running short on bikes. I've been to a couple shops in MA and RI and have seen plenty of touring bikes for sale.

 

Kind of interesting that in the middle of sept. I was in the dealership in Kingman, Az. They had two new 2012 SE Ultra Classics in stock. I don't think there is much difference between the 12's and 13's.

 

I've been in several dealerships recently both here in Phoenix and on a road trip. I saw plenty of touring bikes in the showrooms.