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Thread: Harley’s reign challenged?

  1. #1
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    23rd June 2004 - 12:00
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    Harley’s reign challenged?

    As Harley moves into it’s second hundred years in existence, it looks like their pre-eminent position at the top of the cruiser pile in the US is coming under attack in a way not seen since the US imposed import tax hikes to fight off overseas competition decades ago.

    Harley-Davidson rules the U.S. cruiser market with 51 percent of total sales, followed by Honda at 22 percent and Yamaha at 11 percent, according to data compiled by Suzuki, which itself has an 8 percent share.

    Suzuki and others are now looking to make a more serious run with a new line of cruisers, such as the ‘Boulevard’ with fuel-injection. The bike is being targeted at riders who are looking to move away from sportsbikes but still want a high-tech machine rather than downgrading to something more agricultural.

    "We feel there is not a bike like that on the market right now," said Mel Harris, vice president of American Suzuki's motorcycle/marine operations. "This is not your grandfather's cruiser that goes putt, putt."
    http://www.motobke.co.uk

  2. #2
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    23rd June 2004 - 12:00
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  3. #3
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    11th November 2002 - 13:00
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    If Suzuki are right it`s a bit of a mystery why Yamaha launched the Bulldog as a European bike.Surely it would have been the ideal machine for those used to cruisers but wanted something more practical.It would be interesting to see whether they could go for the same thing with a TL motor.bulldog was a really nice bike but why such a half-arsed effort?People liked the looks but were led to believe it was going to be "The New V-Max",which it most definately wasn`t.now Suzuki and Kawasaki are tied I reckon a 1000cc V-twin with Z1000 type styling would sell really well,and be what the Bulldog was touted as.

  4. #4
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    27th September 2003 - 12:00
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    Na, people will still buy HD just for the name.
    It's like Levi's. It does not matter how many you've owned that have had the zips fail, or that there are other brands with better zips, look exactly the same (minus the tag) and are 4-5x cheaper, only Levi's are "Cool" (or "Fat", "Sick", etc). People are "Fashion Victoms". It does not matter that other bike companies make better bikes cheaper, when it comes to "Cruisiers" there are enough "Fashion Victoms" out there to keep HD going for years. Most "Cruisier" riders I have meet have eventually fallen to "Peer-Pressure" and got an HD. At the end of the day for these (suckers), it does not matter that their HD is less than perfect, it is just not "Cool" to ride anything else. You'd have as much chance of convincing them otherwise as getting anyone to change their relidgious believes (but you can have fun trying, but be careful and watch-out for ).

    At the end of the day we all are "Fashion Victoms" of one kind or another. A lot of us sport-bike riders are not much better. I mean how many R1's would sell if there weren't so many V. Rossi won't-a-be's out there? Why do we really buy bigger are faster bikes, or dereg/modify the bikes (or cars) we have?

    Me, maybe I'm a "Fashion Victom" too, but at the end of the day I don't give a shit if someone else thinks that the bike I ride (or the jeans I wear) is cool or not. What matters is that I enjoy it (or feel comfortable in them)

    Well that's enough ravings from me (for now ).
    New Zealand......
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  5. #5
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    31st March 2003 - 13:09
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    Potato bikes...

    I'm not a fan of anything that say's "potato potato potato potato potato" when it idles...

    Or anything that says "ninga ninga ninga ninga ninga ninga ninga" either...

    just my 5c
    MDU
    $2,000 cash if you find a buyer for my house, kumeuhouseforsale@straightshooters.co.nz for details

  6. #6
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    30th May 2004 - 14:22
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    cheaper, when it comes to "Cruisiers" there are enough "Fashion Victoms" out there to keep HD going for years. Most "Cruisier" riders I have meet have eventually fallen to "Peer-Pressure" and got an HD. At the end of the day for these (suckers), it does not matter that their HD is less than perfect, it is just not "Cool" to ride anything else. You'd have as much chance of convincing them otherwise as getting anyone to change their relidgious believes (but you can have fun trying, but be careful and watch-out for ).[/color][/font]
    Well that's enough ravings from me (for now ).[/QUOTE]

    One of the reasons I ended up picking the Guzzi, EVERYONE else was buying Hardly and I aint EVERYONE.
    Besides that I wanted something simple and the Jappers were getting more complicated than this pin brain could handle with a screwdriver and a cresent.

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