Man, I hate to chime in here, but Im a sucker for a good discussion so here we go.. Bear in mind my father rode Indians until 53 then rode Harleys until a few years before his death when he switched to small Hondas and Yamahas. I have owned 7 Harleys, the most recent of which was a 1994, but I recently went on a trip with a friend on his 2005 ish 1200 Sportster and we traded bikes for awhile so I could get a feel for a later model harley, cause everyone always says " have you ridden a modern one?"
I think Harleys today are MUCH better than they used to be..Much better. That being said, I think Bubbler underestimates the lifestyle draw, and how many Americans are drawn to Harley ( and now Indian, and in a way Victory) just because they are " American made". I believe the vast majority of Harley's are sold on this fact, and on the fact that when you buy one you are automatically absorbed into the life style. I believe " most" motorcycles, and most Harley's in particular, are ridden very little each year. I believe most Harley's are ridden mainly to rallies and poker runs and yes.... bars. That is not to say some very dedicated motorcyclists are not long distance enthusiasts who tour and ride many miles each year on Harley Davidson's. I see them when I am out touring and they are out in some desolate places, far from home, but never far from a Harley Dealership, (which is another draw for that brand..a very large dealer network). I would never say that the motor company has pulled over anything on the buying public...what Harley has done, has cleverly taken advantage of a desire among many motorcycle enthusiasts who want a motorcycle that looks and sounds a certain way,(which is the reason metric cruisers are so popular and the biggest sellers for Japan in this country) and relies on patriotism as a tool for sales. Their goal is to move American buyers of metric cruisers to Harleys eventually. Smart business model..and it's working. But to keep them on Harleys, the product has to be decent, and today it is. Maybe not the equivalent of a comparable Japanese machine, but close enough for most individuals.
Americans like to think of themselves as individuals, loners, bad asses and Harley has absolutely played to that image. I find it amusing that the new Indian Ads try to out Harley Harley, intimating to really be an individual you cant ride a Harley like everyone else, you must ride an Indian and be one of a kind. Yet their ads show bearded, dark sun glass wearing grimacing riders, wearing 1/2 helmets, fingerless gloves, engineer boots, black Leather jackets, ie: Harleys target audience. That may be brilliant. Still there is a lot of peer pressure in the Harley fold to stay with Harley. It will be interesting to watch.
This summer after I rode my buddy's 1200 and he rode my CB, we switched back and he made the comment that the only thing the 2 bikes had in common is that they were both motorcycles, that other than ergos, the CB was superior in every way. BTW he is not your typical HD rider, he owns no HD branded gear, and wears a full face helmet and a Hi-Viz jacket, so I believe he felt free to comment freely rather than toe the motor Co line. I am always free to speak my mind so I will publicly agree that his 1200 set up with mid mount pegs had better ergos than my CB. My front brakes were much better, his rear brakes were much better, my engine and handling was much better. Both bikes performed flawlessly on our 2000 mile trip.
Harley makes a good bike, Honda makes a good bike. Each individual is free to choose the brand that suits him ( or her).
my prayers went out to him.
