I was dealing with a couple local dealers on a Limited Anniversary. This was a couple months ago. I decided to continue to hold off... My point though is all of them were like... You better put a deposit down because we have 3-4 others interested and these bike are not hanging around. Went to two of the three yesterday to kill some time. Both still had the bike on the floor. I see all the same bikes on the floor of the dealers around here... I'm sure that will change some soon when spring hits, but none of the bikes have "Sold" tags on them.

 

Well I was in Asia for business last month and the price of a 2017 M8 Limited (not a CVO) in Beijing was $70K. Thought holy crap that is ridiculous. The manager said it is due to the 100% tariff on the bikes, that extra cash goes to the government. Plus the dealer has a little more markup. No 2018 bikes, they get those about a year after release in the US. They still sell about 500 bikes/year, not to super rich people but to people who travel to the US for rallies rent bikes and have such an amazing time they buy a bike in China to try to recreate the experience. The HOG chapter members there were super friendly but of course had a major language barrier.

 

Wow, a 100% tariff. Maybe, we should start placing tariff's on all goods from countries that place tariff's on our goods. No way anyone could afford a $70K bike in China, except the party leaders....... communism is working out quite well for those guys.

 

LMAO! JD is right....... Quite a few parts on our beloved motorcycle is made overseas..... Now, lets all stand up and say the pledge of allegiance. This isnt our grandfathers United States, and it never will be. I have an idea, our great grandchildren, if we're lucky enough to speak with them, will ask us: Grandpa, you rode a Harley Davidson? Answer: Yes I did..... It was called a Low Rider Custom and it had an Evolution motor....... It was perhaps the best motorcycle ever made............

Then, they'll go play with their virtual reality game.........

 

 

I think we’ve gotten pretty far afield of the OP. His point was that Harleys are not overpriced compared to top of the line metrics. Now we’re arguing over which bikes are the best, how many foreign made parts are on a Harley and how HD needs to upgrade their product to appeal to the younger generation or else go bust when all of us geezers get too old to ride. I don’t have a touring bike anymore. I did have a Road Glide Ultra before I traded it for a new Heritage. For what I paid for the Road Glide I could’ve had a Goldwing but chose the Road Glide because I liked it better than a Goldwing. I love my Heritage. There isn’t a metric bike that is comparable at any price AFAIK but there are a good many that cost more than it did.

 

I guess I'll add my 2 cents here. I owned a Honda I bought new in Jan 2000. I always wanted a harley, but couldn't afford one then. I priced them as well as all metrics comparable to the model class I liked. The honda was 9k brand new and basically was their equivalent to the road king. I think the RK then was around 15k maybe.

The problem I had with the Honda though was, all the faux chrome parts...mirror arms, cable ends, little "chrome" decorative bobbles....all rusted and had to be replaced almost every year. I kept the bike under a carport so they were exposed to rain and shouldn't have rusted.

Now fast forward 18 years. Not sure if that's the case with those bikes now, but they have increased in price exponentially in that time span. I think the new Honda's comparable to mine are aroumd 14k now. New Rks are only a few grand more still, but built with much better quality IMO. Sure the Honda I had was bullet proof when it comes to the motor. Sure the Harleys have issues with THEIR engines quite frequently, but I still think they are a better value when you factor in resale and demand.

 

I almost don't think you can legitimately compare prices between H-D and the also-ran brands. It's not that the also-rans aren't good bikes. It's that they largely focus on performance and tech advancements to the detriment of having any large cultural identity and global recognition. H-D has exploited that aspect of marketing extremely well, and has proven that motorcycles sell for more reasons than price and performance.


Maybe a decent comparison is a $55k Jeep Wrangler (they do exist) versus a $45 KIA suv. Jeep has a well-known cultural identity and people recognize that. Think about all the parts, accessories, aftermarket add-ons, options, models and upgrades available. You can buy a base model or top of the line, and then you can make it as individual as yourself and your wallet. Who does that with a Kia Sportage, GMC Acadia, or Toyota RAV4? They're all very decent vehicles but Jeep has that identity and culture thing mastered and never forgets it. People who want a Jeep will go buy a Jeep (and customize it) even while they could spend less, maybe get more and go in greater comfort. Screw that. They want a Jeep. I want a Harley. We both pay and know the cost is relative to the enjoyment we get. People who don't understand that should keep doing it their own way and enjoy what they do and spend on it. No worries.

 

This is exactly why the BMW R1200GS and GSA have such a presence in the market. Not only are there tons of aftermarket parts available for it but it also presents the 'persona' of being the 'Jeep' of the motorcycle world. I owned a 2005 GS and while it was a good bike I did not see the reason for all the 'hype.' I would like to see HD get back into this market as I see it fitting into the HD stable very well and I still see room in the vacuum left by the GS/GSA (although I do admit, I have not ridden one post the 2005 model). An updated XR1200R for more off-road capability would be very nice in my opinion!

 

Do they really have that much of a presence? Most of the bikes I pass on the road are HD's or sport bikes of some kind. I really don't see much of anything else. Hell, I see more HD Trikes than Beemers.