Harley..Just buying the name?

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Dennis27 · #1 Unread post by **Dennis27** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:23 am

So I went to see a friend of mines new Harley yesterday. Hes put 1200 miles on the thing. This thing has the custom paint job cost him 30K brand new chrome everywhere.. He starts complaining about how the front end starts wobbeling at 90mph... then tells me the pegs drag if he trys to take a turn to sharp... to top it off a screw fell off that keeps his seat attached to the rear fender and now the back of the seat comes up off the frame... I asked him where it went.. The response was "must have vibrated off"... I've thought about purchasing a Harley now I feel that if I did I would just be purchasing the name.. I think it would be a safe bet to assume that the Yammys, Suzukis, and Kawis cruisers are built a lot more solid than Harleys... Harleys these days anyway are 1/4 Japanese, mexican, canadian... whatever..

Aggroton · #2 Unread post by **Aggroton** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:30 am

my father-in-law would skin you for saying something like that...i think to many people buy harleys cuz they look cool...not because they fit them...anyways...i love harleys...best ride ive ever been on...but to each their own...and btw...those new yammys are so sweet!

oldnslo · #3 Unread post by **oldnslo** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:37 am

Sounds like the Harley doesn't even come close to fitting his riding style. Most cruiser owners don't spend much time at 90 mph and grinding the footboards on fast curves. Some people, for some reason, like to tell stories that make them out to be victims, too.

HypeDOG · #4 Unread post by **HypeDOG** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:39 am

Yeah, can't wait till those Harley guys chime in...

While it's true there are plenty of poser Harley owners out there, a company doesn't make it 100 plus years on marketing alone. From what I've heard, there were some bad years and some great ones, and some of their bikes are better than others.

It's possible the employee that put together his hog was drunk that day... sad when bad things happen to good bikes

bennettoid · Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:43 am

I can't wait for iwannadie to see this thread.

I may own a Harley some day. but right now I'm shooting for a new Vulcan.

Aggroton · #6 Unread post by **Aggroton** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:46 am

my pop-in-law said in the 80's when it was AMC the workers hated them and would pee in gas tanks...crush up cig packs and leave them in cylinders and things like that...

wb · #7 Unread post by wb » Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:44 am

“If I had a Harley I’d leave it for a thief, and with the insurance I’d buy an Indian Chief” Ancient Tribal Proverb
....wb/lt/ca

iwannadie · #8 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 5:14 am

bennettoid wrote:I can't wait for iwannadie to see this thread.

I may own a Harley some day. but right now I'm shooting for a new Vulcan.

i wasnt going to even bother with this one and get another flame war going. but you really do buy more than just the name. you get a ton of chrome along with the name as well, and that harley sound everyone seems to love. as mentioned in the first post you do get the vibrations as well, buying a harley does get you alot. and just think how many countries your bike has parts from, they should include a world atlas so you can map out your parts by country so you can compare with other harley riders while at starbucks while wearing the mandatory 'proud to be american' or american flag leather jacket.

30k seems to buy you alot however if you actually want a motorcycle go buy an 'import' and save yourself the extra 22k for other stuff... like gas cause youll be putting alot of trouble free miles on your new 'import' bike.

Aggroton · #9 Unread post by **Aggroton** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:41 am

http://www.viciouscyclesinc.com/ForSale.htm

this is the baddest cheapest harley i've ever seen.

canuckerjay · Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:50 am

With regard to the 100 years in business; yes, this is indeed a success story, though remember that for a good chunk of that time, Harley was one of the only definitive cruiser brands. Now, they are faced with stiff competition from Kawi, Yamahaha, etc.; who are no longer shying away from the classic cruiser look that (yes) Harley defined.

Question is in this market, where the cruiser rider has much more choice (always a good thing), what does Harley have that stands out anymore?

Yes, they are certainly good bikes, but many people do buy them largely because they have identified with the brand of the bike and all that it stands for. Personally, I am more than willing to forgo the spending of 30 grand (in Looneys) and would rather drop a third of that on a solid, comparable cruiser from one of Harley's competitors. If that means I'll never be part of a clique that refuses to wave to anyone other than their own, I guess I'll have to live with that.