Harley's new LAMS bike

**AllanB** · 8th November 2013, 19:34

I'll open by saying I very much like the Sporty 1200 - in particular some of the customer versions like the nighster etc. BUT they have been considered as HD's entry level ride and resale tends to be a bit ........shit. With theses LAMS bikes being introduced a logical step upward for the rider would be to the Sporty. Good marketing plan .......

**mossy1200** · 8th November 2013, 19:46

Originally Posted by AllanB

I have a picture in my minds eye of Hog Rallies being invaded by young yuppies wearing the latest HD gear on their 500's, cracking open their raspberry ciders or RTD's around the camp fire while signing top 10 pop songs.

That's the shitz I belong to this forum to read.
Well said. I might go to a rally just to eat popcorn and see what happens.

Most likely the 500s will be owned by girlfriends, wives and sons and daughters of Harley owners who have been sitting on the back of bikes for a while.

**wysper** · 9th November 2013, 06:12

Originally Posted by AllanB

I have a picture in my minds eye of Hog Rallies being invaded by young yuppies wearing the latest HD gear on their 500's, cracking open their raspberry ciders or RTD's around the camp fire while signing top 10 pop songs.

I kind of get the feeling that these bikes are aimed at a slightly different market. Not so much the fully paid up hog member, more a new rider market with a different mindset.

Hell, I ride a 883 and I get the feeling that most HOG members don't consider me to be riding a real harley and aren't really welcome on the ride. I don't really know if this is true or not but it is the vibe I get round HOG members. That slightly dismissive downward look when they realise I ride a sporty. I can't imagine these guys would fare much better. This doesn't bother me too much as the big gathering isn't really my scene.

These bikes could really open up a new rider base for harley. Their biggest detractors are likely to come from other harley riders LOL.

**Drew** · 9th November 2013, 07:07

Originally Posted by AllanB

I have a picture in my minds eye of Hog Rallies being invaded by young yuppies wearing the latest HD gear on their 500's, cracking open their raspberry ciders or RTD's around the camp fire while signing top 10 pop songs.

Hahahahahaha. Ya beat me to it. Briliant.

Originally Posted by mossy1200

That's the shitz I belong to this forum to read.
Well said. I might go to a rally just to eat popcorn and see what happens.

From time to time, a diamond is seen in the rough alright.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 9th November 2013, 12:00

Originally Posted by AllanB

I'll open by saying I very much like the Sporty 1200 - in particular some of the customer versions like the nighster etc. BUT they have been considered as HD's entry level ride and resale tends to be a bit ........shit.

except the dreamers who think something bog stock five years old is worth 90% of what they paid for it..... and they go round, and round, and round on tardme.

**GrayWolf** · 9th November 2013, 12:13

Originally Posted by wysper

I kind of get the feeling that these bikes are aimed at a slightly different market. Not so much the fully paid up hog member, more a new rider market with a different mindset.

Hell, I ride a 883 and I get the feeling that most HOG members don't consider me to be riding a real harley and aren't really welcome on the ride. I don't really know if this is true or not but it is the vibe I get round HOG members. That slightly dismissive downward look when they realise I ride a sporty. I can't imagine these guys would fare much better. This doesn't bother me too much as the big gathering isn't really my scene.

These bikes could really open up a new rider base for harley. Their biggest detractors are likely to come from other harley riders LOL.

Isnt it nice to know they practice HD 'snobbery' towards their own as well? ... Mate, I dont know if they ever came here, but if you research there was an even more irritating alternative to the Italian rebadged HD's of the 70's... there was one that used a Yamaha 250 2T motor... Now THAT would be worth the crack of turning up with......

QUOTE:
The 1975 Harley-Davidson SS-250 was a mid-size motorcycles based on a Yamaha design and featured a two-stroke single engine.
Harley-Davidson had formed a partnership with Aermacchi of Italy in the early1960s to sell mid-size four-stroke singles under the H-D badge. These were soon joined by a host of two-stroke models as small as 65 cc, and even some minibikes.
But while the larger singles were fairly successful, the times prompted something a bit more modern.
One of a quartet of new mid-size two-stroke singles based on a Yamaha design and introduced by Harley-Davidson in the mid-1970s, the SS-250 appeared in 1975 and was the largest street version offered.
On/off-road models carried the SX prefix, and both bikes were eventually available in 175- and 250-cc sizes.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency was beginning to frown on all two-stroke bikes as a major source of pollution.
As a result, the switch to two-strokes was -- in retrospect -- perhaps not the best choice, and Harley-Davidson quit offering singles of any type after 1978.

**Voltaire** · 9th November 2013, 12:38

Originally Posted by GrayWolf

Isnt it nice to know they practice HD 'snobbery' towards their own as well? ... Mate, I dont know if they ever came here, but if you research there was an even more irritating alternative to the Italian rebadged HD's of the 70's... there was one that used a Yamaha 250 2T motor... Now THAT would be worth the crack of turning up with......

QUOTE:
The 1975 Harley-Davidson SS-250 was a mid-size motorcycles based on a Yamaha design and featured a two-stroke single engine.
Harley-Davidson had formed a partnership with Aermacchi of Italy in the early1960s to sell mid-size four-stroke singles under the H-D badge. These were soon joined by a host of two-stroke models as small as 65 cc, and even some minibikes.
But while the larger singles were fairly successful, the times prompted something a bit more modern.
One of a quartet of new mid-size two-stroke singles based on a Yamaha design and introduced by Harley-Davidson in the mid-1970s, the SS-250 appeared in 1975 and was the largest street version offered.
On/off-road models carried the SX prefix, and both bikes were eventually available in 175- and 250-cc sizes.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency was beginning to frown on all two-stroke bikes as a major source of pollution.
As a result, the switch to two-strokes was -- in retrospect -- perhaps not the best choice, and Harley-Davidson quit offering singles of any type after 1978.

Reminds me of the story of the guy with the MG 1300 GT ( think Morris/Austin/etc 1100) who used to clean up at MG Gymkanas.

**OllieNZ** · 10th November 2013, 08:08

Originally Posted by Drew

No, it isn't.

Yep, what Drew said

**scumdog** · 10th November 2013, 10:25

Originally Posted by wysper

Hell, I ride a 883 and I get the feeling that most HOG members don't consider me to be riding a real harley and aren't really welcome on the ride. I don't really know if this is true or not but it is the vibe I get round HOG members. That slightly dismissive downward look when they realise I ride a sporty. I can't imagine these guys would fare much better.

Not down here they don't - hell Mrs Scummie rides my old 1200 Sport and while I don't attend many HOG rallies I've not heard anybody knocking a Sportster or the person who rides one.

And I reckon the mrs Sporty is as much fun and more nimble than my lardy-arsed Superglide T-Sport around town etc.

**Drew** · 10th November 2013, 10:31

Originally Posted by scumdog

Not down here they don't - hell Mrs Scummie rides my old 1200 Sport and while I don't attend many HOG rallies I've not heard anybody knocking a Sportster or the person who rides one.

And I reckon the mrs Sporty is as much fun and more nimble than my lardy-arsed Superglide T-Sport around town etc.

I don't imagine any big block to be a great deal of fun to ride the middle of any decent size town...not that Balclutha fits that bill really.

**Wayz** · 10th November 2013, 13:06

Yeah can't say I get any dis-respect from big block or any other Harley rider, shit at the end of the day it's all about being out there doing it! No time for biker politics when the road is calling!