HD Expectations Tumbled

[bikerbillone]

Saw a white 2020 CVO 20 or 21 Saturday, man it was a beauty. Did not have a chance to chat with the driver, I suspect he had a story to tell.

[shovel52]

I have been riding for over 50 years and have owned just about every manufacturers motorcycle during that time. My main criticism of Harley Davidson is their lack of research and development. A perfect example of this is the fact that they are on the fifth revision of the oil pump in the Milwaukee 8. This is a terrific engine, but you can't tell me that if the proper testing had been done, they would have found this problem. A manufacturer today cannot sell motorcycles or any other product and make the public do the testing they should have done. I currently have five motorcycles. Four Harleys and and Indian. I get absolutely no pleasure in watching Harley stumble. I want them to succeed. If they continue to play music that only us Old Dogs like and understand, they will run out of audience. I don't have the perfect solution or I would be rich, but I feel like they need to target the market and simply move on.

In retrospect, I think they made a couple of big errors. I think that requiring their stores to be only Harley was the first mistake. It would be nice to be able to take you Honda in and trade it for a Harley at a store that offered both makes. I look at one of the big stores here in Indy and see six manufacturers under one roof. It gives you some options.

I love my Harleys. I love my Indian. I love my Chevys. I love my Jeeps. If it has wheels and burns gasoline, count me in. Ken

[paws]

My local Harley dealer would take in a Gold Wing or anything else on trade and immediately pass it out the back door to the local Honda dealer who would put it in his used inventory display. I don’t have any idea what kind of $$ deal they had between them, I only know Harley would not allow any other make of bike to be on their showroom floor.

On the other hand, if the Honda dealer took a Harley in on trade (rarely) he would keep it on his used showroom floor til he either sold it or sent it to auction.

[ISP-FL]

I ride 2-up about 90% of the time. We are full time RVers and travel between 6 and 7 months out of each year. We are constantly on our HD trike, usually on short rides somewhere. Some day though we will transition out of this lifestyle and I will probably want just a lighter, cheaper, 2 wheel machine to ride locally. Will HD have a product to fit that need? I'm pretty sure right now I could fill that need nicely by buying non-Harley.