| Author | Message | ||
     Rhinowerx |
My deposit is down - it's been a long wait... | ||
| Kdkerr2 |
I have a sneaking suspicion that the XR1200 Sporties are going to meet the same fate in the US that the old XLCR and XR1000 met, dismal failures especially with the this recession. What sells good in Japan and Europe doesn't always sell in America. I could be wrong but time will tell. KK | ||
| Madduck |
The information I have from several sources is that HD has made a committment to produce 750 XR1200 in 2009. They may or may not sell more of them. How the decision is being made seems to be a closely guarded secret. It seems very unlikely to me that HD would have a limited edition of so few motorcycles if they rapidly sell out thru the dealers, but anything can happen in this economy. My only concern at the moment is whether I can get one, if they make only one and sell it to me i'll be fine with the decision. | ||
| Towjam |
My only concern at the moment is whether I can get one, if they make only one and sell it to me i'll be fine with the decision. Madduck, Just out of curiosity, why is there concern? Although I have no way of knowing for sure, I don't think the initial 750 are sold out yet. Assuming you dealer got your order entered the same day you place it, you should be good to go. ? | ||
| Madduck |
I believe that the 750 HD has committed to are "pre sold" to special dealers and friends of the company. Being in the normal motorcycle purchaser class, there is a pretty good chance that any after the first 750 will be modifiec or not produced at all. There seems to be growing sentiment at HD corporate that there are too many different models in the mix. Road king model sporster R model and wide glide are now gone and others will be, leading up to the 2010 shakeup. Adding a new sportster model designed to appeal to midwestern dirt track fans seems to be unlikely. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Paul, wussup re: Road King??? congrats on your new Sporty, if indeed you indeed end up getting one. i'm curious: Anon above says it ain't a motorcycle, it's an intelligence test. if you actually get your hands on one, did you pass or fail the test??? :-) FB | ||
| Madduck |
FB, Regarding the test, the anxwer will be yes. To some I will have failed, to others I will have passed. If I get one, I will still be happy and piss off those that believe I failed. Going from a nightster to an XR1200 is all good. My winter project of lowering my ULY will probably piss off more people than my buying the XR. My new job will force me to take more time off so I plan on traveling again, Health problems have gone away with time and stress management techniques. So watch out I may be heading your way. Life is good when the road is beckoning. Take care of yourself and do what D tells you to. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Paul, you're welcome here anytime. it'll be awhile before i can ride again (yesterday was three weeks out from surgery, so three months and one week to go before i'm allowed to actively move my right arm again...), but i'd be honored to do the Parkway with you some time. do what D tells me to do??? but, of course! Happy Thanksgiving, sir, glad to hear you're well. :-) FB | ||
| Blake |
I like good looking bikes as much as I like good performing bikes. Both aspects are important to the market, to varying degrees. There's nothing wrong with wanting a piece of rolling artwork to ride lazily through town to across the country. I don't see the new XR taking any sales from Buell. It's just another Sportster. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
rolling artwork? ride lazily?? funny stuff, my friend, understandable considering this is your Buell-focused web site, but it seems to me that your blinders are on a wee bit tight this morning. i said it before, i'll say it again: i'd relish the opportunity to put the XR up against a well-ridden Buell on a technical course and see how it does. based on what i know/can see about the XR, it's doubtful that anyone - you included - would call it a "lazy" motorcycle afterwords. FB ps: :-) | ||
| Madduck |
Stopped by my dealer today, order confirmation is in. Mine is 247/750 details are still sketchy about what will be "special" about these first 750. More details on Dec 1 supposedly, when the order line officially opens. Taking orders from 12/1 to 12/21 or until all 750 are gone. Don't know why we have an order confirmation and really don't care at this point. | ||
| Firstbatch |
IF HD could have purchased the XR1200 trademark from Storz they would have definitely launched the bike in the US....wonder how much Storz got paid to give up the XR1200 name??? | ||
| Trojan |
I don't see the new XR taking any sales from Buell. It's just another Sportster. It has already taken sales from Buell in Europe, Australia and Japan. Not everyone likes the styling or suits the size of the XB. Anyone over 6' will feel more comfortable in this than the XB range (except the X of course). The XR will suit all those looking for a 'full size' retro styled roadster but still want some decent performance. Couple that with the much larger promotion and advertising campaigns by H-D compared to Buell (and the fact that most H-D sales people will naturally push sales of this bike rather than the Buell range tucked away at the back of the shop!), and it will (and has) undoubtedly take sales from prospective Buell customers. i said it before, i'll say it again: i'd relish the opportunity to put the XR up against a well-ridden Buell on a technical course and see how it does. Check out the video of the first Italian XR1200 race at Magione in October. They had a full grid of 48 bikes (try that for a Buell race in Europe!) with massive dealer support and some top riders taking part. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HINq74kflIg&eurl=ht tp://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults /mcn/2008/November/1-2/nov0508-raceblog-harley-one -make-series/ Spain also has a one make series that has run this year for the XR1200 and for the 1125R. The grids are twice as large in the XR1200 Cup compared to the 1125R. Take a look at the 'fans' on pit wall in the Spanish video and you'll see another reason for H-D wanting to promote this bike. These are people that wouldn't normally venture within 100 miles of a race track, but will go to watch Harley Racing. Can you imagine the attraction for these bikes if they raced at Daytona in March  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KluDVy7PfOI details are still sketchy about what will be "special" about these first 750. You will probably get a signed number one plate to commemorate the first 750 sold. We got one over here for the first 100, but that was the only difference. | ||
| Jlnance |
Stopped by my dealer today, order confirmation is in. Do you need me to ride it across the country for you?  | ||
| Court |
>>>Do you need me to ride it across the country for you? I've ridden Sportsters cross country. . . make damn sure you know what you are signing on for. After 12 miles you have exhausted all the possible seating positions. My personal favorite is hands folded on the instruments and legs draped atop the rear turn signals. It gets old at 75 miles. . . real old at 150. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Do you need me to ride it across the country for you? Jim, the last guy who served up a meatball like that here on BadWeB got wayyyyy more than he bargained for. just sayin'. :-) | ||
| Madduck |
Court, At last I can come close to your achievement, I've ridden a bultaco pursang from MN to Portland Oregon and half of it was gravel/dirt. Any sportster would do better, except for the fire roads in the rockies. When I retire in four or five years I may just take that sportster across the country, have never seen a dirt track race at DelMar. "Then came Bronson" proved forever that the sportster is one do it all machine. Heal quick Ferris, adventures await with each posting on the BadWeb. Didn't I have supper at the Thuderdome with a person who had traveled round the world on his harley but shy two legs?? Should start a thread on longest distance on most unsuited motorcycle. Bicyclists travel across the country routinely so they shouldn't count. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
I've ridden my old IH Sporty from Jacksonville Florida to El Paso TX -- a few months later I made the return trip. I was much younger, and dumber, but it was still not much fun. The worst part of the trip, westward bound side, is you ride, and ride, and ride, only to reach the TX state line 'Welcome to Texas" or something like that and then the the "El Paso 3 light years" is the next distance sign. | ||
| Josh_ |
Took a mostly stock Hugger 883 2-up to Key West from St Louis in 2.5 days. Went back a week later. 2.5gal peanut tank meant a fill-up every 100 miles. Actually had the option of taking a FLH, but my girlfriend said it would be more fun on our bike. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Heal quick Ferris, adventures await with each posting on the BadWeb. thx Paul, that's music to my ears. :-) Didn't I have supper at the Thunderdome with a person who had traveled round the world on his harley but shy two legs?? yes, sir, you most certainly did. :-) Mr. Dave Barr is the gentleman in question, and in case you (or anyone else following along) missed it earlier this year, check out Reepicheep's magnificent photo essay of Dave presenting his around-the-world Super Glide to the AMA Museum in Pickerington, Ohio, USA this past January (lots of high-res pix, dial-up beware): http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=6817&post=1039616#POST1039616 Dave's deals makes riding across America on a new Sporty seem pretty tame in comparison. :-) | ||
| Towjam |
The XRs are already in route to dealers. I just got a call from my dealer - and mine should be in tomorrow or Wednesday. | ||
| Jb2 |
Court, I heard you telling the same story to Mike Breedlove this spring and didn't say much. I've ridden two different Sportys across the country and loved every minute but I'm short and the bike fits me well. Josh is correct that the 2-1/2 gallon tank gives you a built in break every 100 miles. The only thing that kept from buying another Sportster when I bought the Vic was the fact they goofed it up by rubber-mounting the engine. Having said that, I agree that most riders would cry after a day in the saddle of a rigid mounted Sporty. I had a guy turn and head for home on the second day of a week long ride only to find out later it took him almost as long to get back as it did for me to finish the trip. Can't speak for the new paint-shaker version. The one I rode out to the cross reaffirmed my suspicion that I made the right choice for me with the Vic. Madduck & FB, I think Dave Barr could ride any bike to anywhere. JB2 | ||
| Madduck |
JB2, I am suspicous that Dave Barr could walk farther then I am willing to ride my sportster. :-) | ||
| Court |
>>>>Should start a thread on longest distance on most unsuited motorcycle. I'm still amazed from the time my friend Martin rode (and completed) the Iron Butt on a 167cc 2-Stroke Zundapp. He had 8 pistons and cylinders waiting at checkpoints and while other riders slept he rebuilt the motor every day. The Dave Barr story was amazing. In fact, I recently visited with one of the fellows who rode their Ulysses from Washington, DC to Argentina and the more I hear about being highjacked, beaten, held up and stranded the more simple coast to coast runs seem mundane. The Sportster will sure, pressed into a touring role, put you in touch with elemental motorcycling. I confess of the 12 I've had I still have a fondness for my XLCR which I did ride like a touring bike from time to time. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Those fires this summer didn't get close to him, did they Jerry? | ||
| Jb2 |
Madduck, Good point. He's one tough dude! I remember Reep thinking that it was a pretty amazing feat, riding that beat up FX around the world only to find out later he did it with peg legs. I have a photo of him flipping the bird while riding across NSW, Australia with his metal legs catching a breeze. Hardcore. JB2 BTW, Even if I'm not fond of the rubber mount the XR1200 is still one good looking bike. I'd almost buy it on looks alone if I hadn't taken a ride on the Nightster. | ||
| Jlnance |
Jim, the last guy who served up a meatball like that here on BadWeB got wayyyyy more than he bargained for. But the girls loved him.  | ||
| Towjam |
did not Cycle World give this machine high marks in its recent review? High marks indeed. Harley posted the full review at: http://tinyurl.com/5bmxkd | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Those fires this summer didn't get close to him, did they Jerry? Reep, not sure. we used to live about ten minutes from Dave, and that entire area (the Kern River Valley) is under severe wildfire threat for much of the year. But the girls loved him. Jim, that's a kind thing to say, but in truth that was a sneak attack on Mrs. Bird on my part, and altho she's smiling in the photo, i'm not totally sure i've been forgiven yet for my impromptu reach-around. (did, she, um, mention anything about this when you stayed with them on your cross-country ride???) sure made for a great photo, tho. :-) Towjam, thx for the link. :-) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Dave Barr and his current squeeze:  :-) |
