CVO is what I ride, so the reason for my comparing. Point enough for me, but like I said, JMHO.

 

Didn't say I wanted water cooled , but if Harley is forced to go to water cooled I would still buy a Harley. If the question was if it wasa choice between air cooled or water cooled ... air cooled

 

This is an oft-quoted myth that keeps on being repeated. There are metric brands who make V-Twin cruisers for people that either can't afford a Harley, or wouldn't be caught dead on one. They sell a ton of those machines, and the vast majority of them are water cooled.

For people who actually ride, there's no doubt that water cooling, fuel injection, electronic ignition, monoshocks, and all the other technology being used on superior bikes are good things. Harley can't lose by adopting new technology which makes the bikes more rideable and more reliable.

Because what that does is make them more capable touring machines that'll be taken seriously by riders. The 1,000-mile-a-year club and the people that gripe about tradition and archaic technology aren't the people who'll keep the MoCo going for the next 100 years. It's the guys who seriously tour, who'll put 100,000 miles on a bike in 3 or 4 years and then trade up for another that the MoCo needs to cater to.

 

Yup...

 

Nothing mythical, they sell a ton of those bikes to folks who don't want a Harley, usually because they can't afford them.

I know this is an emotional thing for some of you guys and I'm sorry, but MOCO has a business to run based from facts. One fact is 95% of Harley owners didn't buy them for the quality of the ride. Harley is the first to admit that just about every metric of equal design are superior in just about all areas of performance. MOCO also knows that they were one of the top selling motorcycle companies for the last 20 years. So what drives a person buy the highest priced motorcycle that performs closer to the low end and looks and sounds the same as 20 year old Harley? It isn't the mono shock.

Harley knows they have a big risk by making a dramatic change. Sure you are ready for the mono shock Harley that sounds and looks more like a Hondahawasaki because you are super rider, but it's the other 95% that keeps Harley in business. As of right now, nobody builds a bike like a Harley except maybe Indian. Once they add your mono shock, they are just another fish in the sea and super rider shops for the cheapest mono shock bike on the market.

I don't really expect you to get that, a guy that slams the very bike he owns while at the same admitting that most other bikes are superior isn't thinking logically or really care business survival. What you want is to be able to keep up with your metric buddies while still riding a Harley. It's a insecurity thing, I get that. But Harley has to think in the bigger picture. The insecure Super rider isn't MOCOs problem. It's the EPA and the guy who is part of the 95% that want a Harley that looks and sounds like dads 20 year Harley. He may only put a 1000 miles on every Spring, but he is willing to fork out the bucks for it.

I don't know what MOCO is going to do to fix the problem, but it still will look and sound like the air-cooled Vtwin that the other 95% want. And it won't have a mono shock.

Beary

 

It never ceases to amaze me how deluded people are. I bought a Harley because I wanted a Harley. I wanted a Harley because they fit me right. For the 30 years I rode prior to buying a Harley, I could have afforded one, but you couldn't have given me one. Why not? Because they're big, heavy, slow, low-tech, unreliable machines. And believe it or not, that's the reason most other people who ride don't own them either. Talk to anyone on a 'Wing, a Vision, a BMW, or any other Touring platform, and most of them will tell you that they never considered a Harley.

Now that I own and ride two of them, I can say without a doubt that the impression of Harleys I had 20 years ago is mostly correct, but with the exception of the reliability issues, they're what I want right now.

I slam the bike I own, because I'm not a Bar & Shield Zombie who will continue to happily eat the $hit sandwich that the Mothership keeps serving us. With the exception of when the bags come off during the once a week polishing ritual that the Garage Queen servants go through, there would be no outside indication that there was a monoshock under the bike. Well, other than the fact that the bike would ride and handle better. But people like you will fight that innovation tooth and nail, yet I'm sure you don't mind your newfangled electric start (just like a Hondazuki, omfg!).

The "***s" that South Park made fun of a few years ago are dragging the Moco under, and ruining the sport of motorcycling. Harley can continue to cater to them, and watch their sales continue to fall, or they can go back to being a leader in quality and innovation, and retain the throwback styling that other manufacturers emulate.

 

Only way I would buy a Water cooled Harley is if it had 2200cc v twin. 103 is 1690 110ci is 1800. With all the epa crap they will want on the bike it won't have much more power then a 120ci built bike.

 

Huh? The water cooled 1800 in the 'Wing will flat out smoke the air cooled 110 in a CVO bagger.

 

You'd think wrong. Those "old school" riders who refuse to deal with changing technology gave up when bikes went to electric start.

I think there's a lot of posers who SAY they wouldn't ride a water cooled HD, who will happily plunk down the money just because it says HD on the tank.

 

If HD goes with water, I'll keep mine till it falls apart. No water cooled bike for me.