A Buell Cruiser? Hey! It could Happen, if I had my way.

Re: In answer to, good,sarnali...

I owned an '85 XLX (ported) for three years, put 30,000 on it including 500 mile days and never thought the vibration a problem. Nor did I have a reliability issue once. Of course being a founding GPTB member I remember bikes that really vibrated. Try a BSA 500 single, a Norton Atlas or a Gilera 202 sometime and you'll never complain about Sportsters again. I think that the people who are whining about the vibration are simply wussies.

As far as the performance goes, I don't give a shyt if a 600cc bike can stomp a Sportster. It all depends on the sort of riding you do. A Sportster is a superior platfom for my usual riding which consists of Interstate commuting and urban errands. I can come out at the end of a ride without needing to be put in traction. I wouldn't use a Sportster if my intention was storming around our mountain roads. Well, I wouldn't use a 600 either. No need for 160mph capability on roads with 40 mph curves and 2000 ft dropoffs. A KLR650 can be as much fun as anything in the twisties.

It's just too bad that so many people have this ego problem that causes them to slam people who don't get their kicks by whiteknuckling. Riding one sort of motorcycle, be it HD or Supersport doesn't make anyone a superior person. Having to even worry about what anyone else rides only reveals the whiner to be a jerk.

Re: In answer to, good,sarnali...

I didn't think you were slamming anyone, sorry if you got that idea.

I think Harley will do just fine. Maybe not as well as with the baby boomers, but lots of young people like them. It's still hard to beat a large displacement high torque engine for 2 up Interstate riding. Most riders don't go for sportbikes. Even amongst the 20-30 demographic cruisers still outsell sportbikes.

As far as "decades old technology" goes much engine technology was developed long before WWII. Mercedes fielded 4 valve DOHC racing engines for example. My dad rode an inline4 Indian when he was young.

What we have today is an ability to make features that once were insanely expensive now affordable in production vehicles. We even see titanium bits now... an unheard of thing prior to the huge amount of money the military spent perfecting production of aircraft with titanium parts.

So, I don't see any reason the V-Twin should disappear. Any more than singles will disappear. Unless someone can find a way to make a competitve MX bike with two cylinders.