Streetwise: Most American men want a Harley

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Friday, April 23, 2004 | Lauren Rudd

[Willie Green]

What do men want more than anything else? No, not that ... well maybe that also; but that is not the topic of today's column. According to a survey of 1,000 men nationwide, besides wanting more money and keeping their wives happy, six out of 10 men dreamed of owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Steve Piehl, Harley-Davidson communication director, said, "When asked why they had not bought one, there were some interesting answers such as, 'My wife won't let me,' 'I don't have the time' and the one that really drives us crazy, 'Don't they cost at least $20,000?' "

The survey revealed that 75 percent of the respondents thought a Harley was too expensive. Not true, says Harley. "What we're finding out is that people know owning a Harley is cool, but they just do not have the facts. If they did, they'd have one in their garage right now," Piehl said.

[motzman]

Man, I'm going to sound like an old coot, but I hate the damn things. They're all over the place where I live and they're incredibly, unnecessarily LOUD. During the summer, every night I get to hear a parade of these damn things shaking the house.

Why can't I take the muffler off my car and blare my nice rumbly lo-po V8 for everyone to enjoy? It still wouldn't be as loud as a Hog. If that's not practical, maybe I can tie a few chainsaws to the back of the car set on full throttle, and put a few kettle drums in the trunk with a couple of "Earth First" types to bang on them relentlessly as I cruise the neighborhood.

Actually, I'm partial to rice-rockets and BMW motorcycles myself....

[MineralMan]

This what you meant? This Hummer?

[cinFLA]

Great, now there's going to be a surge of helmeted newbies with temp tags on bikes too big for them to manage.

They already have. The cops here have a name for them as they scrape their remains off the pavement.

[elbucko]

that 75 percent of the respondents thought a Harley was too expensive.

Perhaps. I bought my 1968 XLCH brand new in '68 when I returned from overseas and the Sporty cost me $1,650 at Long Beach Harley Davidson. A new '68 VW was sticker priced at $1,600. My Sportster is now worth more than $10,000 (yes it's restored. A restored '68 VW might be worth $6,000, concours.

I have owned my Harley longer than I have done anything else in my life. It is good.

[Shaun_MD]

I know this is off topic but I had to mention it.
The other day I was stopped at an intersection with a Heritage in front of me. The back of the rider's jacket said, "If you can read this, the bitch fell off."
Funniest thing I've seen in a while.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

And this is why a lot of men don't:

[AgentEcho]

Couldn't agree with you more. My sister and brother-in-law both have Harleys. Damn things are apart for repairs every time I'm over. My other sister and brother-in-law travel on an'02 Honda Goldwing. Keep it clean and routine maintenance and that thing runs like a charm. He had a '95 Goldwing and the only time I saw it torn down it was the rear end to trike it.

Æ

[Badeye]

Harley's are overpriced til you consider how they are built, compared to Honda's, or Suzuki's, or Yamaha's.

I'm not a big fan of Harley's reliability, however. Bottom line for me has always been if you like tinkering with your bike as much as you do riding it, Harley's the brand for you, if you can afford it.

If you just want to jump on and ride, the various Jap bikes are a better value.

Either way, a rider is a rider is a rider.

I am in absolute awe, however, of Harley's legendary marketing abilities. As a businessman, its amazing, truly amazing, the loyalty they have managed to inspire. Especially in the late 1970's and early 1980's, when even old Willie himself acknowledges the bikes from that era basically sucked.

[Badeye]

"Harley Davidson is a marketing company that happens to make motorcycles."

Damn you made the point I tried to make, in one sentence?

I hate that when that happens!.....LOL!

Great bikes if you like turning a wrench.....

[elbucko]

The fact that that crappy motorcycle is popular at all is a testament...

...that the Bozo's and the nerds have finally gotten the "bucks and balls" to get a Harley. You can call it "marketing" all you want, but those of us that have sat more hours on a Harley than on the can will disagree.

[excalibur1701]

Is it just me, or are Harleys getting louder and louder. I'm thinking of contacting our police and see if they start ticketing them for noise laws. It's gotten out of hand when you can hear them 2 blocks away.

[xsrdx]

They're all over the place where I live and they're incredibly, unnecessarily LOUD.

No doubt. Apparently HD thinks "loud and obnoxious" is a good enough substitute for "powerful", because a typical Hog will lose a drag race with a minivan.

Any company that can sell essentially the same product, with new paint, for more money every year, for 100 years, has to be doing something right I suppose.

I keep waiting for resale values to plummet, when people figure out they've been duped, but it never happens.

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

When asked why they had not bought one, there were some interesting answers such as, 'My wife won't let me,'

Pathetic. Any man that has to get permission from his wife to buy something should just go ahead and commit suicide, his life is already over anyway.

[Jonah Johansen]

There is something about Dentists or Assistant Bank managers riding down the street on their Harleys wearing their Halrey leather vests and their Harley T-shirts and some stupid hat or bandanna thinking they are now "bikers" which turns me off.

[MineralMan]

"Great, now there's going to be a surge of helmeted newbies with temp tags on bikes too big for them to manage.
"

Plenty of those out there already. They don't worry me as much as the 20-somethings on Japanese crotch rockets. Some of those things will do 150+ MPH.

I saw a guy just yesterday, passing me on the freeway, doing at least 120, in shorts and a t-shirt. Danged fool, if you ask me. Soon he'll have total body road rash.

[taxcontrol]

BMW K 1200 LT in ocean blue {pant pant pant}

I already told the wife that the 1200 would be my mid-life crisis "ahem" car. :-)

[Badeye]

"Plenty of those out there already. They don't worry me as much as the 20-somethings on Japanese crotch rockets. Some of those things will do 150+ MPH. "

Amen.

[Shaun_MD]

Riding a Hog or a Chopper use to be the exclusive domain of
the rebel and the outlaw. Now it's been co-opted by
yuppies and mid life crises. Thats not to say that all bikers are like that of course. But the yuppies have made it ordinary.

[Gator113]

Well........I am sure that you could find a Harley for $16,500...but it depends on what you actually want. I own 2 Harley's and both were well over 20K each. Harley's are not for everybody...they are for those of us that love them, respect them, can afford them and ride the heck out of them.

[Redbob]

I've often had dreams of owning a Harley.

I call dreams like that "nightmares."