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

[scumdog]

I bet Scummy wants his bike to appeal to the younger ones

Well, after all, I AM one of the young(er) ones!

(And I don't mean Neil or Vivian or Rick etc )

[ducatilover]

Well, after all, I AM one of the young(er) ones!

(And I don't mean Neil or Vivian or Rick etc )

YOU'RE a younger one?
What are you bunch, a gaggle of Dumbledores on bikes?

[lakedaemonian]

Yet 12 years ago a bike that cost $26,000 in the US cost the same in NZ.

Only back then the Kiwi pesos (dollar) was only worth 45 cents US.

A Yank would have been better off buying a H-D from NZ and shipping it back.

Go figure...

That was a bit of a strange time really.

Back then around 2000 the Kiwi Dollar was a good bit undervalued(Americans/Poms were coming down here for holidays that turned into shopping sprees across the spectrum to the point of buying amnd filling shipping containers with all kinds of things)

AND

People in America were in queues for up to two years on some models waiting for new Harleys, unless they were willing to pay up to $5K US as a premium for immediate delivery.

Weird time and weird circumstances.

ALSO....I know a fair few Kiwis who still brag about Harleys they bought new or used in the 90's and flipping them for a profit locally within NZ.......and that's beside the Harley export market you alluded to for a bit there.

Same went with muscle cars leaving NZ for a few years.....thankfully, they are now returning en masse.

[Maha]

How can Harley Davidson appeal to younger riders?

Offer them a grey wig as part of the deal...

[avgas]

1) Take an 883
2) Remove everything that is not functional
3) Improve suspension
4) Sell at cost + gst + 5%

That's pretty much what honda did back in the 70's/80's
and chevy

and Hyundai have done this recently with their coupe. specifically for boy racers.

[jolly_26]

1) Take an 883
2) Remove everything that is not functional
3) Improve suspension
4) Sell at cost + gst + 5%

Pretty much this. Maybe raise the seat and give it a slightly more sporting stance. Maybe I'm completely missing the point though, if you want sporting from a HD you're probably looking at it wrong.

[nallac]

Pretty much this. Maybe raise the seat and give it a slightly more sporting stance. Maybe I'm completely missing the point though, if you want sporting from a HD you're probably looking at it wrong.

Kinda like what Buell did....

[Big Dave]

Kinda like what Buell did....

That - and add 60 horses.

[Tarded]

i'm 42 and have been riding cruisers for a few years. Never owned or wanted a sportbike in any way shape or form. Partly I think because I own a fast car and if I want to get somewhere quickly I'll drive that. My cruiser is for getting out, enjoying the ride and going 100-110kph. I love my current bike but every bike I've owned to date has been a stepping-stone to a wideglide. I don't know why I have to have one....just something appeals to me on a level I find it difficult to put into words. I know every second cruiser is a Harley...I know people laugh at them (and so do I when I see some old fat dude get off one in chaps and a bandana), I know they're too expensive and not super fast, I don't like too much chrome and I know some of them can be stupidly noisy....and I don't care. One day soon, I'm going to walk into a dealership with a bike I love and hasn't missed a beat plus ten grand and ride off on a cliche.....with a huge fuck-off grin on my face.

And thats the point.
Fuck em all. Ride what you like. Id have a street glide for the comfy seat and stereo if I had the coin for a flash 2nd bike.
Go racing if you want to ride quick.
Stopwatches are very confrontational - too much for most posers.

I have had jappas, a Buell Cyclone (cool bike) and an Itye thing now.
But dont EVER wear bumless pants. Its disgraceful.

[ducatilover]

Kinda like what Buell did....

One word in there offers a solution...
I don't think the HD "image" thing is aimed at young people, but it'd be cool if the XB series came back. I loved the XB12 I rode (except the noise, but that's an easy fix eh) and the XB9 was okay, but a bit wheezy.
A LAMS sized/entry level XB style bike would be awesome. Low revving vtwin, fuck all HP and just tractor esque torque matched to a good looking and sporty chassis? Winner winner, chicken dinner.

[Tarded]

So not the B Last 500cc single they built then?

[ducatilover]

So not the B Last 500cc single they built then?

No, ideally it would move under its own power.

[Winston001]

Much as I reject the modern mantra that a business needs to update and change over time, there is a kernel of truth.

Every business needs to adapt to current technology and customers expectations.

HD are as doomed as the Duisenberg if they stick to their current models. Its worth remembering that HD nearly went under 30 years ago. Remember Norton, BSA, Benelli et seq. Just names for most younger bikers today yet some of us remember them on the shop floor. Gone now.

If HD want to continue as a thriving marque then they should change to 60 degree watercooled engines and make riding their bikes as simple as possible. Handling might be important to us in NZ but many riders do not really think about it and in the USA/Europe it is not critical. So maybe HD can get away with flexible chassis although it would be nice to think they'd fix that too.

[Voltaire]

I'm over 50 and after reading this I think I need a Harley_ Davidson......dang, I can't buy them for under $3000 like old airhead BMW's.....bugger. Only accessories I have are slippers and a pipe.

[Big Dave]

HD are as doomed as the Duisenberg if they stick to their current models..

It would appear that's not a universal view.

http://au.finance.yahoo.com/echarts?...rce=undefined;