Guys can we get back on topic here...That being that HD needs to wake up and do something different...or they will go the way of the dinosaur or GM...What do you think it would take to ge HD moving in the right direction????

New BALANCED motor, different look (not a Victory look jus different), what....

Plus Schumacher you can REALLY STIR THE POT...with out trying....Good Job!

NOW BACK ON TOPIC!!!

 

Alright!!...You tell it like it is man. I'm going to be posing next week at a Christmas party wearing a sport jacket and dress pants. Who am I trying to impress looking like James Bond? If you're going to pose, pose on the best, a Harley. And do it every day, mile after mile. Bring a friend too, and pose 2 up. Bring a bunch of friends and pose like you're having a great time.

Does any of this have anything to do with Victory motorcycles anymore?

 

Harley does try different looks and motors (V-rod and rocker) but the sales for those just don't take off. Designing and building new models is expensive and the Moco wants its return on investment sooner rather than later. I've wrote before that Victory has one advantage over HD in that it does not have a "classic" look that it must keep in order to still look like a Victory

 

Personally, in my opinion, I think HD is making a grave mistake in overpricing their product. They charge top dollar for the bikes off the line then seriously overcharge for parts, installation and service.

Right now, and for the past 100 years they've gotten away with it I suppose. But I do agree that they will price themselves right out of the market when moco's like Victory offer an alternative that people like and are buying.

On the other hand, competition is good. Maybe, just maybe because Victory is out there, HD might start to set their prices reasonably.
my 2cents.

 

I could care less about a smooth ballanced motor , plenty of bikes out there like that , somewhat akin to a sewing machine.
The 2 biggest things that dissapoint me with HD , are the crappy warranty backing and the power level for a bike with 96 cubes , and that seem's to be a realatively easy thing to fix ..... IF THEY CARED!

 

I have my gripes with HD too.. I'd like to see a bigger motor.. especially on the touring bikes.. I'd like to see longer warranty coverage.. and like everyone else I'd like to see lower prices.. but hey, life is what it is and I ain't holdin' my breath waiting for HD to improve stuff..

As far as Victory goes.. I'm sort of with a few of you here.. I like the hammer.. and the 8 ball isn't bad either.. I wouldn't give up my harley for one but as a second, or third bike? I could every easily go with Victory..

mavrick

 

♫If I had a Hammer
I'd hammer in the mornin'
I'd hammer in the evenin'
all over this land.♫

edit; To zeus33, Way to go if you're going to be a poser, be the best damn poser you can be! brub bub bub bub

 

[quote=zeus33;5913985]Personally, in my opinion, I think HD is making a grave mistake in overpricing their product. They charge top dollar for the bikes off the line then seriously overcharge for parts, installation and service.
[quote]

Yeah, the parts, installation and sevice costs are way out of control. I just had some work done to replace my fairing brackets and "ouch" the cost was terrible.

As far a list prices goes, I don't know the whole history on how they priced their products over the many, many years, but for the past twenty years they want their prices to reflect a premium product. When I was at the Victory dealer that last time, I noticed their prices were up there too.

 

I live about 20 miles from the main gate of Fort Hood. Fifty thousand troops out there, most of them young men. The local dealer tryed for 10 years to sell Buels. No go. They tried Big Dog for 3 years. No go. The V-rod, they haven't even stocked one of those for 4 years. Ya wanna know why, they couldn't give one of them away! The Rocker, oh yeah, that went over well..............NOT!
So what's my point? The soldier boys either ride a metric rocket, or a metric Harley look alike, or a Old tech., Out of date pos.,New Harley-Davidson. And there are a lot of new Harleys being ridden around here.
If I didn't read this forum, I would have never known what a "pos" a Harley-Davidson really is, and I've had seven of them in the last 25 years.
The truth is, The people at the MOCO are
building what they can sell. They have tried a lot of other things in the last 15 years, but most people in "real life" still want the "real deal".
The Harleys of ten years ago, are not the Harleys of today. And the Harleys ten years from now, will be much different from those being built today.
Those that are not happy with with what Harley is building now, well you surely are free to buy anything else, and I really hope that you all will. I also hope that I'm still alive 10 years down the road so that I can go buy a new 2020 Ultra. I can hardly waite! ................. Have a nice evening folks!

 

Or what does Victory need to do? Expand their dealer network, invest in some advertising or they will go the way of Buell. Some cool stuff, but never made it.

+1

You guys do realize that HD has a 2 year warranty where as metrics have 1 year. Victory also has a standard 1 year. They are offering 5 year for a limited time only on new purchases. Seems HD is ahead in terms of Warranty.

Do some of your own wrenching alleviates this "cost to install parts". I can pay Ford 60 bucks to change the oil in my truck. Or I can do it myself with the SAME oil and filter for 20 bucks.

I don't get this "Old tech" crap either. Liquid cooling is not exactly "new". HD was one of the first to go EFI across their line and belt final. When it comes down to it, any V-Twin cruiser is still that, a v-twin cruiser. A V-twin ICE. They are ALL "old tech". New tech would be smaller displacement, twin turbo with double the fuel economy and more power.