My dad rode Harleys, my older brother rode Harleys, I rode Harleys and my younger brother rode Harleys. My dad and my older brother have since passed. I ride Japanese I-4s and my younger brother rides a new Triumph Bonneville. My son who never rode Harleys rides a Japanese I-4.
I must admit my last new Harley was 35 years ago, a 1994 XLCH bought brand new (a gift from my wife). I liked it very much. It was just like my 1959 XLCH I had gotten used in 1969, a year after graduating High School, only it shifted on the left side, had 5 gears in the tranny, was electric start, had disc brakes, electronic ignition, and didnt leak oil....but it looked and felt like the same bike. Very nostalgic, just like our CB's. It was narrow, torquey, and a hoot to ride. The trans was industrial compared to a Japanese bike, the front end easily topped out over bumps, and the vibrations above 55 mph made my hands tingle and itch. While it was in getting serviced one time, the dealer lent me a Dyna convertible, and I could hardly believe they were made by the same company. In comparison the Dyna was really smooth once up to speed. I could easily have lived with the Dyna for a long time, but not so the Sporster. By then the Japanese were making very good, powerful motorcycles and the Sportster was beginning to wear on me. It was fun around town, but really going anywhere was out of the question, and I was a travelling man, so the Sporty didnt work out and was sold, and replaced with a liter Japanese inline 4. It felt like going home, as big Japanese I-4s were my bike of choice since 1977,
I always felt though, that if they wanted to, Harley could make a competitive sport tourer using that Dyna platform. More upright seating, slight forward lean, feet under the butt with a fairing and bags and comfortable seat. Not like a Road King, more like a ... oh shoot, that independant company that made the V4 sport tourer and recently went out of business.. name escapes me now. More like an FJR or Honda ST 1300 only with a narrow rubber mounted V Twin with belt drive. Unfortunately Harley never decided to give that a try. They just kept pumping out the cruisers. If they had made a sport tourer, I would have certainly given them serious consideration and at least a test ride. I thought the Dyna was a heck of a platform.
I would never fault peoples personal choices in motorcycles. As long as Harley is in business and people choose to buy them I support that, but Harley has known (as we have discussed) for YEARS, that their core customer base is dying out, and rather than make a change, or try anything progressive, to the contrary the 2 progressive moves they did make, buyjng MV Agusta and taking on Erik Buell, they squandered both of those opportunities to concentrate on choppers. Now they are scrambling to stay alive. It will be interesting to see how they do with electric bikes and with their new ADV bike that they are supposedly developing. Unfortunately their electric bike is 35% over priced with the competition, and doesnt appeal to their current customer base or to millenials ( due to price), and they may miss the Adventure craze altogether ( a style which currently appeals to those in the 40's to late 50's age range) or produce something so uncompetitve as to be a dismal failure. We shall see. I wish them well.
