18 In A Row

[ikonoklass]

For the love of God, buy Indian! [first post]

[Buzglyd]

They'd better come out with a naked standard or it's not going to happen!

[captainwhoopass]

Yup, buzzy inline fours with zero wind protection are the wave of the future. It's what all the 45-year-olds will be riding by 2010.

[F451]

Congratulations Harley-Davidson...now for number nineteen.

[HOV]

Awesome. I'm really glad that Harley has made record profits by selling $25 t-shirts to people going through mid-life crises.



Perhaps it is the same crisis that prompts the people who buy these machines to ride without adequate safety gear.



Much like beanie babies, the value of a Harley is based purely on some delusional group-think phenomenon. How else could it be that a brand of retro-styled bikes can offer substandard performance, stale looks, and still sell for a premium?



Imagine the same concept for automobile production. Ford decides to redesign its entire model lineup to reflect the technology and features of the 1965 Galaxie, right down to the lap belts, drum brakes, vinyl, and crappy gas mileage. All this can be yours for a price that's 40% higher than the price of a new Corvette...?



No thanks, H-D. I'll save my nostalgia money for retirement.

[sarnali]

18 years of double-digit growth is fantastic, I wish I'd have bought stock in them in the eighties when it was cheap, It's nice too see them going for MSRP again too though I guess that was more a dealership issue than anything else.

Of note was the " continuous steam of exciting new motorcycles" I wonder what that was alluding too?

Are they expanding on the V-Rod line? are they responding to Triumph's Rocket 111 with a Quad-cam 230?

Since the core baby boomer market is moving on to golf carts and attends are they taking Kpaul's advice and *****-canning twins in favor of inline four standards?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[sarnali]

I guessing you haven't seen the $40k T-birds that are flying off Ford lots? Or the Chrysler PT cruisers, or the new Chevy pick-up? While these all have modern brakes, suspensions and electronics as do both Harley's and Triumph's, the retro styling is big bucks in the automotive as well as Motor-sicle industries right now.

[HOV]

You're right. I guess it's a problem with society, not H-D. I think the answer lies in continuing education for those poor, misguided baby boomers.



"This is called a Yamaha FJR1300, don't be afraid to touch it..."

[longride]

Yeah, it seems everyone is misguided but you. Maybe when you finish high school you can buy a motorcycle of your very own.

[KPaulCook]

KPaul the great Motorcycle Prophet does it again. i.e the Naked Standard trend