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To: xsrdx
The thing I find disturbing about Harleys - and it really isn't HD's fault - is their relative lack of sophistication. But that's what sells.

How can cast iron, steel, pushrods, and 50hp/liter sell for TWICE as much money as titanium, magnesium, DOHC and 180hp/liter?

Why would that be "disturbing"? It's not complicated; the "relative lack of sophistication" is awfully appealing to some.

Like my '97 Fat Boy, for instance. When I ride it, I'm on a very mechanical beast. It handles slow, it vibrates a bit and it's low and heavy. For all those reasons, I love it. It's just damn fun to ride; it's a mechanical beast.

And just so you don't think I'm ignorant of modern machines, I've had my '92 Honda ST1100 clocked at 137 mph by a (friendly) highway patrolman's laser gun. It was his idea to see what I could do with it.

I have a fast, smooth interstate-travel bike and a slow, clunky one that's great on a sunny day to go out and watch the cows go by. I love both for what they are (and guess which one small boys will stand around, waiting for me to light it off?). It's not complicated.

159 posted on 04/23/2004 12:35:04 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Is Fallujah gone yet?)
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To: Hank Rearden
Why would that be "disturbing"? It's not complicated; the "relative lack of sophistication" is awfully appealing to some.

My disquiet boils down to cost - if a FatBoy was $15k instead of $22k+, no sweat.

Alternatively, if a 180hp, 186 mph Yamaha R1 was $25k, I'd probably be less critical of HD.

To me, it's the same as selling a Dodge Ram diesel for twice as much as a Porsche 911.

236 posted on 04/23/2004 2:36:34 PM PDT by xsrdx (Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas)
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