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There doesn’t seem to be any interest at all in the new 2010 Harleys. What gives? In previous years the chatter began months before the new model year. The 2010’s have been posted on TMW for about a week and not one comment yet.

There isn’t anything exciting or new out for 2010 and a big disappointment for a lot of potential Harley buyers. When is Harley going to take the leap forward that so many have been waiting and wanting to see? Harley seems to be like our Chicago Cubs- wait till next year!

What are your thoughts?

Probably the economy right now has people hanging on to their money.

mbrudolph wrote:There doesn’t seem to be any interest at all in the new 2010 Harleys. What gives? In previous years the chatter began months before the new model year. The 2010’s have been posted on TMW for about a week and not one comment yet.

There isn’t anything exciting or new out for 2010 and a big disappointment for a lot of potential Harley buyers. When is Harley going to take the leap forward that so many have been waiting and wanting to see? Harley seems to be like our Chicago Cubs- wait till next year!

What are your thoughts?

What leap forward are potential Harley buyers looking for? What would constitute 'exciting or new' by their standards?

Very good question Valocity! What leap forward are potential Harley buyers looking for? What would constitute exciting or new by their standards?

I think design and model changes , technology upgrades and paying attention to other features the consumers have been asking for.

In Harley’s world their idea of a major change is coming out with their denim paint a few years back and they think that should satisfy their marketing base. Any significant changes they’ve made have been mandated.

Sorry to say that they are in big trouble and I’m talking beyond the current economical situation. Harley dictates what the public wants and what they’ll sell. That type of marketing isn’t going to work much longer, their “old school” consumer base is all but gone. I hope they’ll be able to turn things around.

I don't know that HD buyers are really looking for a leap forward.

Considering the type of bike and (in general) their audience they have pretty much pushed the envelope by having belt drives and FI.

The bikes are traditional looking, their typical riders aren't particularly interested in high performance, digital control clusters or having an aluminum frame saving them 30 pounds.

For HD to have significant innovation I think they need to invent a new brand or expand on the Buell line.

Buells are invested in sporting and high performance. Now, a new brand could be oriented around 3 things and perhaps attract a new audience.

1) Bleeding edge technology and materials
2) Exotic Fuel sources in combination with #1 - to produce bikes that get incredible MPG performance
3) User Friendliness and Safety

The combination of the above three factors would attract a new type of rider - or bring scooter riders over to the dark side (or perhaps the three factors would amount to a new type of scooter).

The people who are in to cruisers, own cruisers. The type of people that are in to Sport Bikes, own sport bikes. You get a small bump of new riders every year and you lose riders every year (death, new family circumstances and medical/age problems preventing continued riders).

But if you could attract new buyers - people who would never consider riding motorcycles - then you can save your own company and motorcycling in general would get a boost.

HD purchased a scooter company I believe recently, so this may not be too far from the mark.

RhadamYgg

RhadamYgg wrote:I don't know that HD buyers are really looking for a leap forward.

Considering the type of bike and (in general) their audience they have pretty much pushed the envelope by having belt drives and FI.

The bikes are traditional looking, their typical riders aren't particularly interested in high performance, digital control clusters or having an aluminum frame saving them 30 pounds.

For HD to have significant innovation I think they need to invent a new brand or expand on the Buell line.

Buells are invested in sporting and high performance. Now, a new brand could be oriented around 3 things and perhaps attract a new audience.

1) Bleeding edge technology and materials
2) Exotic Fuel sources in combination with #1 - to produce bikes that get incredible MPG performance
3) User Friendliness and Safety

The combination of the above three factors would attract a new type of rider - or bring scooter riders over to the dark side (or perhaps the three factors would amount to a new type of scooter).

The people who are in to cruisers, own cruisers. The type of people that are in to Sport Bikes, own sport bikes. You get a small bump of new riders every year and you lose riders every year (death, new family circumstances and medical/age problems preventing continued riders).

But if you could attract new buyers - people who would never consider riding motorcycles - then you can save your own company and motorcycling in general would get a boost.

HD purchased a scooter company I believe recently, so this may not be too far from the mark.

RhadamYgg

You're not even kidding man. Where are diesel powered bikes?

Amdonim wrote:

RhadamYgg wrote:I don't know that HD buyers are really looking for a leap forward.

Considering the type of bike and (in general) their audience they have pretty much pushed the envelope by having belt drives and FI.

The bikes are traditional looking, their typical riders aren't particularly interested in high performance, digital control clusters or having an aluminum frame saving them 30 pounds.

For HD to have significant innovation I think they need to invent a new brand or expand on the Buell line.

Buells are invested in sporting and high performance. Now, a new brand could be oriented around 3 things and perhaps attract a new audience.

1) Bleeding edge technology and materials
2) Exotic Fuel sources in combination with #1 - to produce bikes that get incredible MPG performance
3) User Friendliness and Safety

The combination of the above three factors would attract a new type of rider - or bring scooter riders over to the dark side (or perhaps the three factors would amount to a new type of scooter).

The people who are in to cruisers, own cruisers. The type of people that are in to Sport Bikes, own sport bikes. You get a small bump of new riders every year and you lose riders every year (death, new family circumstances and medical/age problems preventing continued riders).

But if you could attract new buyers - people who would never consider riding motorcycles - then you can save your own company and motorcycling in general would get a boost.

HD purchased a scooter company I believe recently, so this may not be too far from the mark.

RhadamYgg

You're not even kidding man. Where are diesel powered bikes?

Better be a clean running diesel... I can just imagine walking around with soot on one side of my jacket like those old Mercedes diesels.

All kidding aside - the new cleaner burning diesel engines by VW are really good and it could be scaled to work in bikes.

RhadamYgg

Speak of the devil. I found a company from Holland that threw a VW 1.2 TDI on a bike. Tuneable to 120 hp, 250 lb/ft and 450 lbs. And being a TDI, it's basically cleaner than any petrol engine could hope to be. I'm in love.

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2005/ ... star-twin/

Amdonim wrote:Speak of the devil. I found a company from Holland that threw a VW 1.2 TDI on a bike. Tuneable to 120 hp, 250 lb/ft and 450 lbs. And being a TDI, it's basically cleaner than any petrol engine could hope to be. I'm in love.

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2005/ ... star-twin/

Sweet, too bad they don't list the mileage the bike gets. With diesel, I'd expect at least 10% increase in fuel economy.

RhadamYgg

I'd assume way higher than that. The car that engine comes from, the Lupo, gets 98 mpg highway. Granted it's got a lot of tricks that bike won't, but still. IF you managed to keep your wrist in check (and with numbers like that, it's a big if), you could probably manage well over 100 mpg. I've learned a lot about TDIs this summer, and amazingly the same tuning that boosts power at high throttle ranges also drastically improves fuel mileage at low throttle points. Diesel's apparently do not rely on any sort of A/F ratio (you just need enough air to prevent soot), so fuel mapping is way different from cars.