| Author | Message | ||
     Iman501 |
http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/17/autos/harley_david son_fall.fortune/index.htm?hpt=C2 fortune magazine has an article on the aging demographic for harley, and how young people dont want the bikes | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
"Hey is that a cliff? MORE COAL! POUR ON THE STEAM!!!" | ||
| Gunut75 |
Yup! | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Harley's famous brand couldn't buffer it from the downturn once owning a Harley stopped being cool  | ||
| Cyclonedon |
It's time for Harley to come out with a new line of bolder chrome! That'll spark interest in their rolling couches.  | ||
| Roadcouch98 |
Wrinkle finish chrome to go with the wrinkle finish asses. | ||
| Cataract2 |
They had their chance. But they decided to hamper him and then hired a guy who cut him off. F*** them. (Message edited by Cataract2 on September 20, 2010) | ||
| Tpoppa |
To save their ass...HD really needs to come out with a bike that appeals to younger riders & has some real on road capability. I am not sure how they do that without making existing bikes look obsolete. The XR1200 was a swing and a miss. | ||
| Hootowl |
"They had their chance. But the decided to hamper him and then hired a guy who cut him off. F*** them." That pretty well sums up how I feel about it. I hope HD pulls its head out of its ass and flushes the current management team. Reminds me of "Other People's Money". HD is making buggy whips. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
watching Harley Sink, reminds me of Washington DC settling in the swamp same damn HYP running things into the ground; so went the nation. | ||
| Jaimec |
Harley hasn't yet figured out that today's generation has absolutely no interest in the over-priced, under-powered museum replicas they churn out. For today's generation, an antique bike is the Honda CB750K and Kawasaki Z1, not the WW2 holdovers that is Harley's bread and butter. | ||
| Ezblast |
I predicted this ten years ago - lol EZ | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
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| Cyclonedon |
I am not sure how they do that without making existing bikes look obsolete. The XR1200 was a swing and a miss. has anyone seen the new XR1200X in person yet? I haven't, I was just wondering if anyone has! That may well be Harley's last chance for a sport bike, time will tell. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
i glanced at one meh it's alright but it's still a harley cruiser as far as the looks go. | ||
| Bikertrash05 |
has anyone seen the new XR1200X in person yet? Yes, and it is just another over-weight under-powered Sportster, with pretty lip stick. A 1996 Buell S1 could run circles around it. | ||
| Xb984r |
I see an awful lot of young people on new cruisers, most of them H-D's. Funny how the new Sportsters seem to be selling. | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
They should come out with an American made sport bike. Don't call it a Harley, so sport bike riders won't hate it. Use a genius of technoligy to design them incorperating a trilogy of technology into the design. Inovative fetures and great street perfomance. Then they could go on to win a major race championship and right when the buz gets going about the great new bikes, aw never mind that won't work... | ||
| Moxnix |
.  | ||
| Court |
>>>Harley hasn't yet figured out that today's generation has absolutely no interest in the over-priced, under-powered museum replicas they churn out. They have also failed to realize the tremendous purchasing power the younger folks have. Both my kids have far more disposable income than I did at their age. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
It isn't that HD is turning out bad machines. In fact, they are the best HD has EVER made. The issue is that there are a limited number of younger buyers who are willing to buy the motorcycle equivalent of a Buick. | ||
| Tepiddeath |
I have not taken an XR1200 out for a ride, but I did sit on one in the show room. I was not impressed. The seat was hard as a rock and stuck out kind of far, the driver foot pegs were in the wrong spot, both for riding and for stopping, kept hitting me in the middle of my calf. It felt akward, and that is probably why I have not ridden one yet. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I'd really rather drive a Buick! | ||
| Iamarchangel |
What sport does the XR1200 represent? Why is it called a sport bike? Who are they kidding? | ||
| Ratbuell |
I *have* ridden an XR. For those just tuning in...my garage currently houses a 95 S2, a 98 S1W, an 01 M2L, an 06 UlyX, an 09 Blast and an 09 CR. Past residents include a 99 M2 and a 96 FLHP. I know me some Buell. I also have tens of thousands of miles on HD's under my belt. The XR? Has decent power, similar in feel to where my S2 was when it was stock (it's now thunderstormed with X1 cams, race ignition and race exhaust). Maybe a tic quicker than the bone-stock M2L I have. The EFI is admirably hiccup-free, though. And listening to the exhaust note, you can TELL it has Buell cam profiles  It's a porker. Handling is relatively floppy - especially slow-speed, it likes to lay over, like the rake is longer than it actually is. Brakes are middle-of-the-road - capable, but not gonna stoppie at will. The backbone frame flexed and communicated more than any tuber ever has. The fuel tank is the size of my S2's reserve. Suspension was adequate, but not adjustable. At all. Riding position was neutral, but the pegs were all wrong for aggressive riding - at least, to me. And it still weighed more than any of my tubers. But the belt tensioner is cool  All that aside...HD is still trying to ride the "but...it's a *Harley* " wave. There's a reason the name "Harley" carries so much power in the market....but that reason is long gone. HD has forgotten how to innovate. They are stuck, the needle is skipping, and the world doesn't even USE record players anymore...but there's HD, plugging away on vinyl because "it's the way we've always done it". THAT is going to be their downfall. They're so focused on building what THEY want to build, they've lost sight of what the MARKET wants to purchase. That's not to say the market wants a Buell, not necessarily. And it's not to say HD builds a bad motorcycle. But...performance is more than sparkle and noise. HD needs to learn that lesson, and I have a feeling it's going to be a hard one for them to learn. (Message edited by ratbuell on September 20, 2010) | ||
| Just_ziptab |
On h-d's facbook page: I'd like to see that XR1200 tango with a little 1125 Buell. Be better than the company that you junked out and then you might have something to crow about. | ||
| Danger_dave |
I've also ridden and tested the XR1200X. Very nice 'standard' motorcycle for mine. A Harley Sportster with good suspension, improved performance and nice looks. It doesn't have great cornering clearance or do anything out of the ordinary performance wise, but I do find it's a nice and enjoyable bike to ride. | ||
| 1125rcya |
Ok this is a real simple fix for Harley Davidson, but management is to dumb to understand american culture. They need to have a reality show that does nothing more than go video tape Bike weeks and show how much fun they can be ie. Sturgis bike week, Laconia Bike week, Ohio Bike week...and they need to emphasize poker runs and how these poop stains raise money for great organizations ie. Miracle Run which all proceeds go to children's hospital and Mark Allen Run "100% of proceeds to benefit The March of Dimes" this is a couple of many that IND, IN had to offer... I think if HD didn't let Dick Wandell f$$k us Buell owners there wouldn't be so much bad publicity. UP yours HD(spit) | ||
| Whisperstealth |
"poop" stains"? What are you talking about? | ||
| 1125rcya |
Whisperstealth all you got out of all that is poop stain... }  |
