What's the 'Harley' appeal?

[jgrover]

I'm not trying to be demeaning or derogatory against HD owners, but after seeing 150 - 200 HD's on the road today, I am left scratching my head wonder what the appeal is, that justifies the outrageous price difference over other cruisers....

We did a 200 mile around the northern part of western washington today (first NICE day of the year) and while it doesn't surprise me every bike owner was out, the sheer amount of HD's was amazing.. probably 3-1 HD to other bikes.

Why are they worth the extra money??? Other then the Sporty's, you can't really ride a new one away for less then $15k...

They don't seem to handle well...

They don't seem to be agile...

They aren't 'fast' (though the can certainly be made faster)

They aren't smooth

They are???

Pretty? Well yeah, there are some really nice looking HD's out there.

Any current or previous HD owners care to comment on what the appeal is?

 

[twowheelnut]

For me, the Road King was a far superior in-town bike when compared to the FJR. It's an easy ride and you really don't care to ride fast, to handle like a sport bike or flick it through the twisties. Just cruise along smelling the roses, as it were. Oh, and today's Harleys are quite smooth at speed, idling - not so much.

 

[Toecutter]

I don't get it...

:dntknw:

 

[Baz]

I rented one for a week once & found myself asking the same question.

But I have done this with all cruisers.

 

[Dale Franks]

I'm not trying to be demeaning or derogatory against HD owners, but after seeing 150 - 200 HD's on the road today, I am left scratching my head wonder what the appeal is, that justifies the outrageous price difference over other cruisers....

The tradition. That's all it is. Harley has carved out a marketing niche, complete with a 'lifestyle"--whatever that is--that they've built over 100 years. In the US, when Squarejohn Citizen thinks of a motorcycle, he thinks "Harley". And HD knows this, which is why they intentionally restrict production to keep prices high. They've built a brand among cruiser riders, and they protect the brand ruthlessly.

There's an image to a Harley, and it's one that's been carefully cultivated by the MoCo as part of the brand. And, it has to be said, the MoCo has done a fantastic job of branding the motorcycle. It carries an aura of danger-whether that's individually true or not of the rider--that other bikes don't. No one's clutching his wife a little closer, or getting that nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach when group of BMW riders pull into the parking lot.

Even if the HD guys are all dentists on a Sunday ride for latte and scones.

Even I notice it. Back in 1986, when I was tooling around on a buddy's ZX900, people would see me and think nothing of it. When I pull up on my Sportster and people see the HD logo, they react...differently. I was a way more dangerous and volatile guy at 22 than I am now, but people treat me now like they should've treated me then.

Whatever else you may say about the MoCo, they're marketing geniuses. They've created a rock-solid perception of the product in the mind of the consumer.

We did a 200 mile around the northern part of western washington today (first NICE day of the year) and while it doesn't surprise me every bike owner was out, the sheer amount of HD's was amazing.. probably 3-1 HD to other bikes.
Why are they worth the extra money??? Other then the Sporty's, you can't really ride a new one away for less then $15k...

They don't seem to handle well...

They don't seem to be agile...

They aren't 'fast' (though the can certainly be made faster)

They aren't smooth

They are???

Pretty much everything you say. Harley doesn't even pretend to be interested in changing any of those things. Any more than they've been interested in changing the styling for the last 40 years. Harley is intentionally "old school", and when you get one, you can share pretty much the same riding experience that your father had.

That's the whole point. It's an appeal to the traditionally-minded biker, and the allure of the "outlaw biker" image. Dentists'll pay a pretty penny to for that image.

It's not about the motorcycles. It's about the marketing.

And, to be fair, most HD riders don't give a fig for performance. A number of them have never even ridden anything but a Harley, so they have no clue, other than a sort general knowledge, without specific experience, that some motorcycles "perform better".

I've been on a Harley for the last 9 months, and I can't wait to get rid of it, and go to an FJR. I want more from a motorcycle than a Harley can possibly give me. But there are a lot of Harley riders who prefer the image they think the HD provides them over any other factor. That's exactly what the MoCo wants.

Additionally, they are made in America. A lot of people find that important. There's a huge group of people who buy HD for that reason.

Pretty? Well yeah, there are some really nice looking HD's out there.

Well, don't blow that off as trivial. The trouble with the UMJ cruisers isn't that they're bad bikes. It's that they are kind of...ugly. I'll except the V-Star 1100 from that description, and the Roadliner is absolutely gorgeous. But the Honda and Boulevard cruisers look cheap and sucky.

There's a reason that all the UJM manufacturers take their styling cues from Harley.

Another factor here is the customizeability of the HD. You rarely ever see two HD bikes that look exactly alike. As soon as you buy them, you begin to change the look. There's an extraordinarily lucrative secondary market for HD parts and mods, and the average HD buyer pours money into it. So, it does provide a good platform for customizing.

 

[colin]

Lifestyle is indeed the answer. You can see this here for sure.

There are tons of mags on the HD lifestyle. The guys here totally get into it, american flags, police bike getup, everything.

Ain't much america here, but you can buy a taste of route 66 with an HD from your local dealer..... hehe.

This goes for all makes/models. ducati club, yamaha SR club, old honda something club, etc. matching jackets, helmets, etc.....it's great!

-colin

 

[TriggerT]

I just know that I am not COOL enough to understand the Harley appeal. I am working on it, but since I am a big believer in ATGATT, I don't have high hopes that I will ever be a Harley DOOODE.

 

[gregorytx]

It's marketing on the part of the Motor Company. They appeal to the yearning of the middle aged man to become the "outlaw" they never were. Pretty much every TV commercial and printed advertisement for HD has that theme. They are marketing experts. I've had HD's, my last being an Electra Glide standard, and it was a beautiful bike. It was comfortable, and I had done things to it to make it unique and a better commuter. I never bought into the "lifestyle", refusing to dress like one of the Village People. Most of my friends that had HD's did everything they could to play the part, falling right into HD's marketing, and they spent a fortune on the HD accessories. Everything had to have "HD" on it. When I sold my Electra Glide, the gentleman that bought it was a tech guy for Dell computers in Austin and had never owned a motorcycle. I met him at a dealership to hand over the bike and found him inside with his wife. They had already purchased over $1,000.00 in "HD" accessories. Helmets, jackets, chaps, they loaded up. THAT'S what "HD" wants. You can't deny the beauty of their machines, and you can't deny their ability to market their product, and you also can't deny the inferiority of their product. It's all image, looks, and fluff. I had my Electra Glide for several months after I bought the FJR, and my plan was to keep it. After spending time on the FJR, I realized just how inferior the "HD" was and sold it. I have a co-worker that just spent $22,000.00 on a new Fat Boy, and he is convinced that it is a better bike than the FJR. I won't even dignify his stupidity with an argument. The reason he bought it......."it sounded mean".........If I ever start a company I will try and hire some of the marketing geniuses from HD

 

[MrTwisty]

If any of us got the whole Harley thing, we wouldn't be on this forum, we would be on the Harley forum.

 

[Fred W]

I'm not trying to be demeaning or derogatory against HD owners, but after seeing 150 - 200 HD's on the road today, I am left scratching my head wonder what the appeal is, that justifies the outrageous price difference over other cruisers....

It's all about "the image", they say. Be a rebel... Throw caution to the wind... Feel the freedom...

Harley riders want to be different... just like everybody else.

It's the same thing that happens with high school kids when they all adopt some silly fashion statement. They say they need to express themselves as individuals. So they all dress with the same silly way? :huh:

How is that expressing yourself? It isn't. It's following the herd. ...because your not "individual" enough to do otherwise. B)

 

[madmike2]

I just know that I am not COOL enough to understand the Harley appeal. I am working on it, but since I am a big believer in ATGATT, I don't have high hopes that I will ever be a Harley DOOODE.

How is that expressing yourself? It isn't. It's following the herd. ...because your not "individual" enough to do otherwise.

This goes for all makes/models. ducati club, yamaha SR club, old honda something club, etc. matching jackets, helmets, etc.....it's great!

You forgot the FJR Forum!_________________________________________________________________________

You have "keyed in" on some of the herd or group-think characteristics of the human being. In some ways, we who ride sport touring bikes are the same as those who buy cruisers or sport bikes. Here are MY sweeping generalizations:

1) Dress:

Cruiser owners tend to wear "beanie" helmets, "Nancy-pants", leather jackets or T-shirts and "motorcycle" boots.

Touring owners wear helmets and gloves, with some moving to textile jackets.

Sport bike owners tend to wear full-face helmets, gloves and a riding jacket of some sort, with a few who wear leathers.

Sport touring owners are normally ATGATT (Power Rangers).

2) Style:

Cruisers like loud pipes, chrome, driving lights and "custom" accessories.

Tourers like "comfort" additions (including sound systems, drink holders, etc.) for riding miles and miles carrying their belongings.

Sport bikers like slip-ons, carbon fiber, fender eliminators, and after market suspension, etc., that help their bikes look and act more "racer-replica".

Sport tourers like electronics (farkle-mania) and some of us build IBA replicas. As a cross-over bike, many add slip-ons and suspension.

3) Mode:

Cruiser riders tend to "cruise" at the speed limit or less in groups of 10 or more bikes.

Touring riders tend to ride the speed limit close to town but will "move" down the highway.

Sport bike riders I notice can be in small groups (I call them swarms---like "buzzing bees") but many single bikes. As a group, they tend to ride more aggressive because their bikes "can" turn and stop "with vigor".

Sport Touring riders are similar to Touring riders. Some are "loners", but many ride in small groups (3-5 bikes; some "larger" groups of 10-20.) for day or weekend rides. Many ride the speed limit +??? and some ride as aggressive as sport bikers.

4) Destinations:

Every type of bike group has a "usual" style that I observe/experience.

Cruisers tend to enjoy rides of 100-200 miles. They have their "hang-outs", favorite restaurant or dealer destinations. (For instance: "Let's ride from Sacramento to Jamestown HD. We'll stop at Jimmy-Jack's bar and grill on the way home.")

Tourers have farther destinations in mind and I see many traveling in pairs or trios. Many enjoy weekend getaways and longer vacation rides.

Sport bikers tend to stay close but find "interesting" twisty roads.

Sport Tourers are "all over the map" under this category. Like "Touring Bikers", they take day rides, weekend get aways, vacation trips and an occasional "meet" or "event". A percentage of sport-touring owners are deeply rooted in the Iron Butt rides.

So, every group has its "general" habit and style. Each group has its own "social aspects", which is a good part of motorcycle ownership. It doesn't make any group right or wrong, we tend to buy a certain bike based on our intentions to ride and enjoy this avocation in a certain way. As with all "labels", they don't fit every person on every type of bike.

 

[Fred W]

I agree. The only difference is that the Touring, Sport and Sport Touring guys don't usually try to convince everyone that they are trying to express themselves and be "unique".

Like girls, We just wanna have fun. :lol:

 

[madmike2]

I agree. The only difference is that the Touring, Sport and Sport Touring guys don't usually try to convince everyone that they are trying to express themselves and be "unique".
Like girls, We just wanna have fun. :lol:

I dunno!?!?

Sometimes we have our own set of "snobbish" attitudes. Its just a different type of fun. We all have our egos and they have led us to our particular style of bike.

 

[odot]

MM2......me thinks yer just describing three or four forum members with the sport touring descriptions.

 

[madmike2]

MM2......me thinks yer just describing three or four forum members with the sport touring descriptions.

Ray, that's why I placed this statement in the last paragraph:

So, every group has its "general" habit and style.

I ride with 'cyclists who own different types and brands of bikes. To me, its about the riding and enjoying the day and the people. I've ridden with FJR owners who wear leather vests, fingerless gloves and half-helmets as well as cruiser owners who wear ATGATT.

I know you ride your FJR or your Harley whenever and where ever you want, because you enjoy the riding. THAT'S what I'm talking about!

 

[TCMike]

I definately find it humorous that these HD riders are buying the bike to pretend to be rebels, and be different from main stream, when they have actually become mainstream. Just a a part of the regular crowd.

The HD bikes have a few decent qualities, but the they are so over priced, and over hyped that they are just not worth it.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

To me it's a national sickness that just seems to get worse with the passage of time.

The other day, SO and I attended a social event out in the country at which a few locals had gathered. I tentatively responded to a 'cycle' comment only to get (again, another) haranged by a Harley story of someone's relative trying to ride their 'Panhead', 'Shovelhead', ad nauseum, to 'Sturgeon' and crashing and being hospitalized.....(on and on). I've heard variations of all these Harley stories for decades -- give me a break!

And....if I never hear the sound of an open-piped v-twin ever again it'll be just fine. :angry:

The whole scene just sucks (imho).

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Harley Davidson sold 36,735 motorcycles in 1986.

They sold 177,187 motorcycles in 1999.

That period in the '90s was a fad. I think several factors were behind it. A generation coming to a period in their lives when they had 1.) Some money to spend 2.) A need to fill

Who were those people and what was the need they needed to fill? I'm not talking about the type of person who would walk into a dealer today. Today buying HD is a matter of person preference. In the '90s buying HD was fanaticism.

It seems to me like the phenomenon was the late Boomers or GenerationX crowd. They had some money, their lives were either moving into a permanent holding pattern or a rough patch (like a divorce) and they wanted to buy back their youth. Their childhood hero Evel Knievel rode Harleys. The movie Easy Rider was a bit before their time, but still a popular VHS rental. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay Leno and other celebrities were riding Harleys.

I'm glad for the fad, there are a lot of low mileage HDs out there and the prices are dropping. I want a dual sport first, but I think a Road Glide would make an excellent third bike.

 

[skifrik]

I have an 06 FJR AE and an 08 Road King. Although I put twice the miles on my FJR it's nice to ride the Harley. And act like a "poser".