davidrider
Kungfu Panda
The HD touring models are just super comfortable. That's my take on why you see folks riding the wheels off them. BTW, just got back from a 4k mile trip myself.
I don't have the numbers handy, but I'd say 50% of all bikes sold over 750cc are HD and the rest split the other 50%?
No, they are not for me, but they are for many. I respect that, and I can see how they got there. True, they are in a marketing slump, and they are trying to shake things up because they see they must replace us baby boomers with millennials, and they are aggressively pursuing that angle. Like this, when HD is good, we are all good.
Now.. to the original post
Why won't Harley go ahead and make a sport-tourer? Not like it's beyond their ability. I for one would certainly look at one, give it a test ride. I don't need 200 or 160 horsepower. 125 is plenty maybe even 100. Imagine, hydraulic valves, belt drive, rubber mounted motor, small fairing, hard bags, flat seat. I don't understand why Harley and Indian steadfastly refuse to build a bike of that genre.
Then I too would walk into a Harley dealership.
And 75% of those Harleys bought, are ridden maybe 5,000 miles, if they are lucky. Many buy them for the prestige, ride them two or three times and then they sit! 4:
"I ride a Harley!"
Seems like you've got some unsubstantiated bias... did you know that about 75% of statistics are also made up, ya really. There are garage queens of all makes and models. I bought my 2005 ST from a guy who'd had it for 6 years at that time and it had less than 500 miles on it. I rode it for about three summers and grabbed an even better deal on a bmw and sold the ST with more than 20k miles for about the same price I paid for it. Some statistics that will hold up to google, 50% of HDs sold these days are touring bikes and many of their cruiser models have good light touring capability. Then you can tour on anything if you're hard core.
I've a friend with two ducs that I ride more than he does. Only cost is I have to add a carbon fiber farkle each time I borrow one. The bikes are mostly carbon fiber now. To him they're garage art, to me two cool low mile rides. To each their own. As for other folks comments about seeing mostly HDs on their long rides, I'd have to agree. I pay attention to what others ride because I like all kinds of bikes.
2) Those #'s are U.S. and vary by region. Where I live (Central PA) is heavy Harley country, likely in part due to the huge Harley presence in York. I definitely see more than 1/3 Harley on the roads around here.
SupraSabre said:Many buy them for the prestige, ride them two or three times and then they sit!
davidrider said:did you know that about 75% of statistics are also made up, ya really.
That's an understatement if I ever heard one! I don't remember the name of the town but once on a trip I stayed overnight in the central PA area. I could not believe how many bikes were on the road to begin with let alone what type they were. It was as though there was a bike rally going on but there wasn't. It was impressive to see. I was astounded at how many Harley's I saw to the point where we began to wonder if we were putting our lives in danger going about town on Japanese bikes.