How can Harley Davidson appeal to younger riders? + Poll.

[Big Dave]

Makes me like that new Road King even more.

[AllanB]

Makes me like that new Road King even more.

I've test ridden a couple. I don't get em in a NZ situation. Over priced, overweight, under powered and under braked. I presume if I was curising endless straight line roads in the USA they would appeal more, laid back, music on, cruise.

In NZ for touring there are much better options for a fraction of the $.

[ducatilover]

I've test ridden a couple. I don't get em in a NZ situation. Over priced, overweight, under powered and under braked. I presume if I was curising endless straight line roads in the USA they would appeal more, laid back, music on, cruise.

In NZ for touring there are much better options for a fraction of the $.

No way, Dave writes stuff and he knows bestest

[Brian d marge]

Sorry no battery , so can't read all thread

HD
There is no shortage of them here , south Japan ,
Every man and his dog is riding one ,,,,,and the funny thing is ,,the outlaw rider types are the only ones who seem to wave at a strange bicyclist

The full dresser mob Can go fk themselves


Stephen

[AllanB]

No way, Dave writes stuff and he knows bestest

Ride one and let me know what you think ...........

Dave's allowed to be paid for his opinion, I'm allowed mine for free!

[ducatilover]

Ride one and let me know what you think ...........

I've ridden a handful


Although that just sounds like a metaphor for wanking, either way, not my cuppa.

[Big Dave]

Cool - this will help me blurt conscious for a ruff script.

I've just done 1,000km on a 2013 Road King in a mixture of SEQ hinterland - which has some similarity to say, Northand, a heap of 8 lane Freeway along the coast, both North and South of Brisbane - and a bit of big city work (around 2 million in Bris now)

Couldn't get enough of it. It's a pleasure to be on board. Brakes are fine. (If you want one with excellent stoppers try a Night Rod.) not killer, but fine. It's a 350kg vehicle. That's more the 'issue' than the quality of the brakes.

Power and torque are also fine for riding at around the speed limit - or a bit above. Maybe even ideal. You get to work the engine.

I had some wonderful days out the back of the Gold Coast, rolling through lush hill country on the fringes of the rainforest. Not NZ, but good, verdant hill country. I thought the bike was a real treat to punt along.

If you could do so - it would happily chug along at 80mph all day with hardly a hint of vibration. Overtaking power is fine - on the back of the torque.

The Road King has pretty good cornering clearance for a foot-boarder and what it lacks in sports capability via the floorboards, it makes up for in lounge chair comfort on the M1 and over the Harbour bridge.

Not to say it isn't pleasurable to chuck through a corner either. Some of that also depends on the size of the rider and what particular 'Harley' you are talking about. Most of the riding I've been doing with a pal on a Heritage Softail. The difference between it and the Road King in cornering clearance is quite skriiiiitch noticeable. Bigger the rider the more we seem to like them too.

Overall performance is all I 'need' in a Road Bike. Spooled up, it just sings to me - like a lot of bikes from numerous makers do, but I also think the 103 cube's performance is better suited to bike with 'finite cornering clearance' than some of the other extra-large capacity bikes.

To some extent - performance evaluation is relative too. That's why they give them to me for more than 1,000km if I need it.

When I jumped off my Buell, any cruiser seemed a bit unwieldy at first. Now when I go to one from my KLR I have to watch my speeds, cause I'm usually 20kph over the limit. It takes a while to get the mojo. To know without looking.

Agree there are mucho better touring options, my choice at the moment would be a Triumph adventurer if touring NZ was the only ask, but the RK tours quite well, does excellent city cruiser duty and is great for a 'non-gp' pleasure ride around the hills. Lots of folks like a show and shine too. Lots of folks have more than one bike in the shed.

Riding group, endless accessories (made just to piss you off), pretty good parties, all the other bits that come with the brand - value is relative to the individual. Some guys own three and spend $60k on bits and then talk of their next project. Lifestylers. I don't begrudge anyone's. (Well maybe Mashman's).

All the HOG events I've been to have been great. I don't share their fashion sense beyond the tee shirt, (for that matter I don't dress like a leathered up power ranger either) and I'm not that comfortable with the secret squirrel handshake, otherwise the people have been just like the folks at all the other brand's events I've been invited too. Motorcycle enthusiasts from all walks of life. Some of them are the hardest cases I've met in motorcycledom - some only do a few thousand K's a year, although some I've read seem to think that's an offence.

Overall I like 'em.

I do really like the bike too. Minter. Unfortunately I have to return it on Thursday.

[Winston001]

Nice essay Dave and much of what you say is in accordance with many bikers. A bike which is enjoyable to ride on broad roads at reasonable speed. All power to you brother.

But..this is New Zealand. We don't have long vacant stretches of road. Ok, there are some magnificent stretches in Canterbury and Otago but mostly our roads are short and sharp. There are subliminal roads out there: roads so compelling in their deep arcs that we can ride them not even knowing where we are.

I have an abiding memory of passing through the Kaikoura coast at 160+k on the Ducati and it was an ethereal experience. Completely mesmerising, a Zen elevation away from the world with only the blacktop and the vanishing horizon in mind: totally immersed in the moment.

Ducatis do that. Accept no others.





Ooooohhhhh sob broke my gorgeous Ducati dammnit to hell.

[Big Dave]

Part of the reason for having this bike is to produce a 'where to ride guide' for KR readers on holiday over here. I've been riding around the region comparing notes as it were.

Hinterland SEQ is quite similar road-wise to a lot of places in NZ. It's one of the better parts of the continent in that regard. Northland, parts of your southland and the Catlins. Hill country is hill country. Down around the NSW/Qld border is not unlike some back country in the Waikato.



The main difference is how far apart the good bits are once you leave the great dividing range. The surfaces here are a bit more reliable too.

Traffic generally is denser (leave it!) than NZ. There are 3.05 Million people in an area about 1/5th of the North Island.

And it was 24c and perfik for riding yesterday but I won't rub it in :-P

The Roadie would work fine in Orkland too. Where I've been riding it is not that dissimilar.

Fiordland and the West Coast or Waipua Forest it ain't.

But when I think about it - I have ridden a Goldwing and a Victory Vision around the south island and dug them a heap too (And the Trophy...and the Tiger) RK is same class as the big boppers.

[Big Dave]

And FWIW I quite like Ducati engines now. But the only chassis (of those I have tried) that I'm comfortable on is the Multistrudle and while I enjoy how it goes and the bam - I couldn't live with its looks.

I've been trying to line up a spin on a Diavel but there are no testers going atm.

[ducatilover]

And FWIW I quite like Ducati engines now. But the only chassis (of those I have tried) that I'm comfortable on is the Multistrudle and while I enjoy how it goes and the bam - I couldn't live with its looks.

I've been trying to line up a spin on a Diavel but there are no testers going atm.

I'm not being a knob, but I don't see a chap of your stature fitting on most silly Italian bikes.
Anybody who can live with the looks of the Multistrapper is somewhat sick

The Diavel looks like a bit of a laugh.

I have an abiding memory of passing through the Kaikoura coast at 160+k on the Ducati and it was an ethereal experience. Completely mesmerising, a Zen elevation away from the world with only the blacktop and the vanishing horizon in mind: totally immersed in the moment.

Strangely not everyone wants that

May mate's father in Auckland rides a big shiny Harley every day (not sure what model, it's blue, very large and the model name is about half the alphabet) and he's not a pretentious accountant. He also rides everywhere in NZ on it, with the wife.
I expect it'd be very good at all that long distance stuff. Not sure 'bout commuting, but he doesn't mind.

Still massively ghey though (have to say that, I sound like I understand why people want different things to me)

[Asymonds1]

I understand Motoguzi & Ducati in particular are looking at similar issues with regards to demographics.

im a guzzi rider myself and i love it. my guzzi is an old 1987 400cc bike but when i upgrade in time i actually wont be able to afford a new or 2nd hand one cuse their demographic is for people with a thick wallet, i think ill be going for a second hand sportster after my fun runs out on the guzzi. ill still like to keep it tho

[scumdog]

Rode a mile or two in America on an Ultraglide Classic - the 'full monte' bagger dripping in chrome and luggage boxes.

We were two-up and got off the Interstate freeways as much as possible, got onto some roads that were as twist and narrow as any in NZ.

The bike was a dream to ride, a real 'mile-eater' if on the freeway at 85 - 90mph in 6th gear (hence why we went onto the back roads).

When we get older and on a lesser income we will probably trade in both our current bikes for one.

Most negative thing I found about the bike? - judging where to put my feet on the ground without the front & rear running-boards getting in the way, they're not far apart.
I had not previously ridden a bike with them, I'm used to regular pegs, tons of give and take where you put you feet down with them.

[imdying]

what can Harley Davidson do, in your opinion, to appeal to younger riders

Nab them young, make a LAMs model?

[Edbear]

My C50T was very close to the RK dimensions-wise and of course I loved it. I could commute, scratch better than any Harley, cruise in comfort and it was economical to boot. A mate riding his GSX1400 was sure it was at least a thou, and was gobsmacked to be told it was "only" 805cc! Another mate with a Suzuki Bandit 1200S simply couldn't keep up in the twisties so it is really down to rider skill in the end.

I love the Road King, in fact most of the Harley models, including the T-Bird, 1200S, and the Electra Glide.

You simply cannot apply logic to a Harley, (or any motorcycle for that matter), or say this or that is better or worse. Harley's have their appeal simply because of what they are and those who like them will like them for no particular reason. If you love your bike and love riding it, what else is there to consider?