Just wondering, Why was the sportster roadster discontinued?

[Timmy S]

Just like the subject line says "Why was the sportster roadster discontinued?"

It seems to me that in the sportster line this bike had the most bang for the buck and had the biggest gas tank for longer times between fill ups, highest ground clearance for better handling in the curves and other factors. Maybe I am missing something here..

Thanks for your insightful responses.

[HYPERR]

Just like the subject line says "Why was the sportster roadster discontinued?"

It seems to me that in the sportster line this bike had the most bang for the buck and had the biggest gas tank for longer times between fill ups, highest ground clearance for better handling in the curves and other factors. Maybe I am missing something here..

Thanks for your insightful responses.

People that buy Sportsters apparently don't care about that stuff. They used to have a Sportster Sport that was a MUCH better bike than the Custom but the Custom spanked it beyond belief on the sales floor.

I hope the XR1200 is a success. It is one of the bikes I would be interested in buying in the future and I don't want Harley to discontinue it due to lack of sales.

[NewGuy]

Just like the subject line says "Why was the sportster roadster discontinued?"

It seems to me that in the sportster line this bike had the most bang for the buck and had the biggest gas tank for longer times between fill ups, highest ground clearance for better handling in the curves and other factors. Maybe I am missing something here..

Thanks for your insightful responses.

I was wondering that too, and can only assume that sales were not up to expectations.

I thought that Sportster was the best of the bunch, and lacked only one thing I wanted - forward controls. I don't want a bike that's lowered (which decreases lean angle) and I prefer the lower maintenance of cast wheels over spokes. The Custom looks good, but I'd prefer the Roadster.

[Gummiente]

Lacklustre sales killed the Roadster, just like it did the last time they tried to sell it back in the late 80's. Poor sales also killed the Super Glide Sport. Harley does not keep making products that don't sell... apparently, this is the last year for the Road Glide.

[XB08]

They stop making it because they were planning on the XR1200 .

[HYPERR]

apparently, this is the last year for the Road Glide.

Similar to the situation with the Tour Glide and the Electra Glide. Buyers chose the traditional Batwing fairing of the Electra over the modern(and arguably better) fairing of the Tour by a huge margin resulting in the death of the Tour Glide. I also recall a pretty neat bike back in the 80s(early 90s?) called the Sport Glide which also met a premature death due to lackluster sales.

[Gummiente]

The Tour Glide was dropped in '96 and the replacement Road Glide was introduced in '98. You are correct about the lacklustre sales of both versions, but I have heard that the TG and RG were personal favourites of Willie G, which is why they were allowed to stay in the lineup over the years while other models were canned.

Having owned and ridden both the Electra-Glide and Road Glide, I can honestly say that the E-Glide has the edge in wind protection, but the R-Glide is far superior in handling and comfort.

As for the Sport Glide, it existed in various years and versions of the Super Glide and was a damn fine ride, but poor sales killed it off every time.