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?
A new Japanese sportbike is the two wheel equivalent of a Formula One car, with so much technology, advanced materials and engineering development it makes your head hurt just thinking about it.
A new Harley OTOH, from a performance perspective, is pretty much on par with one 20 years old.
It's just bizarre.
He used to build mini-bikes and go-karts out of junk, but my grandmother would pitch a fit when I rode them, since they lived on 71st and Dicks Ave in SW Philly. I used to ride them in the Elmwood Ave park, but grandmom didn't care. My grandmother moved to Jersey in something like 64 or 65. The first thing Uncle Duke did when he got there was to buy a 62 Candy Apple Red Duo-Glide. He kept it in our garage and my mother hated that thing, but he loved it and used to take me for rides on it, I was 11 at the time and she used to stop him and make me get off. But that bike was in my garage every day for two years and I couldn't stay away from it. It could have been a Honda, Triumph, BSA or whatever and I would have felt the same way.
Ever since I saw Uncle Duke's Pan, I told myself one day I would get a Harley.
As for my Mom and bikes, she still hates them and she still tells me it's dangerous and I should sell it and I'm 50 now.
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.
If you have to ask, you'll never know.
1. They are widely recognized as the prettiest bikes in the world.
2. They are VERY comfortable if you ride the right model.
3. They are VERY reliable since AMF is out of the picture.....my neighbor has 102K on his '96 Road King.....nothing but standard maintenance.
4. They can be made VERY fast if that's what you want.
5. They all come with a wet spot on the back seat.......factory standard:)~
$21k for the Heritage Softail I spent a few years ago was the best investment I've ever made, bar none.
Gunnrmike