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2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two and Softail Slim Preview
 

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2012 Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two and Softail Slim Preview

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While I like the metal flake tank on the 72, the bike as a whole is way too gaudy for me. I prefer cruisers more stripped down with less chrome which is why I owned a Street Bob.
The Slimline - looks great. 700lbs? What makes Softails sooo much heavier than Dynas? Is the frame really that much heavier? I know lots of the large Japanese cruisers are also at that weight so I'm not knocking the bike, just curious.

The Sporty looks pretty cool, That was pretty much the style back then as I recall. The Fat Bob is well, fat...and Bob I guess, doesn't really do it for me.

That thing is pretty groovy. The hipsters riding in the metal flake helmets and Chuck Taylors are gonna go nuts over this one.

It's funny how the "intelligentsia" were always yammering how H-D needed to appeal to younger riders and build sport bikes.

In So Cal I see way more youngsters on H-Ds now than rice rockets. The local dealers will tell you they can't keep the cool new sporty models on the floor.

I went riding last weekend with some friends. Scott Jacobs (H-D's official artist) was in our group. His wife was riding a 48. It was pretty damn cool looking.

His house is just amazing with all the artwork but that's a story for another time.

Whoa! I'm hip! And young!

I didn't say hip, young girls.

Go to the mall where you belong.

FTFY
;)

Harley actually is dominating in the over 800cc market for 18-35 year olds. Their Dark Series bikes really have taken off.

I dunno about this one - the 72. I already have the matching metalflake Fulmer helmet, but I much prefer the way the Iron or 48 looks. The 72 looks like I should be wearing polyester and a really wide collar. I know that's the point, but...

But either way this thing is cheaper than that Honda Fairy I mean Fury 'chopper', and does not look like it's made of plastic and putty.
So if it's your bag baby, then groovy..

No, no, no. Harleys have no appeal to young people, what with the antiquated engine design and stuck-in-a-rut styling. Haven't you heard? Several late-middle-age guys around here with their fingers on the pulse of America's youth have told us so many times.

Again, you must be mistaken. Harley's parts-bin designs are simply a cheap trick by a dying company. Nobody's fooled.

Oh, BTW, smart guy, my hip is fine. It's my sciatica that acts up.

"Everybody knew" young guys would never buy Harleys and would only buy crotch rockets. Then the young guys on crotch rockets noticed the chicks digging riding on Harleys. Exit the crotch rocket. Enter the Harley.

Everybody was wrong once again. However I predicted years ago that there would always be at least some demand for HDs by young guys/gals and that the company's imminent demise was rubbish. Looks like Kook and his ilk were full of shyt again.

Yeah..what a dumbass that guy is. Reading all those "facts" and "figures," and drawing "conclusions" from them.

I'm glad I'm stoopid too.

Demographic Headwinds Hitting Harley-Davidson - Seeking Alpha