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ABC News reports on motorcycles

15537 Views 81 Replies 36 Participants Last post by KPaulCook, Jun 25, 2002

banda

Discussion Starter · Jun 17, 2002

Great photo caption

I like the caption under the photo of the Goldwing riders: The average new Harley-Davidson motorcycle buyer is 45 years old and earns nearly $80,000.

61 - 80 of 82 Posts

panthercity

· #61 · Jun 18, 2002

Re: Anybody else watch "speed bike racing on cable television"

I must have missed it while watching roadracing, supercross/arenacross and the few dirt track and trials events shown.

panthercity

· #62 · Jun 18, 2002

Re: The HD general manager sums up

today's stereotypical Harley rider with the brilliant statement, "You throw the cell phone in the tour box and just go."

Sheesh, I got no Harley, no tour box and no cell phone. Good thing I ride a Beemer...

8285

· #63 · Jun 18, 2002

Re: Oh, I don't know...

I don't know about Lil Kim, but I think Pink is sexy...especially on a motorcycle.

Poser

· #64 · Jun 18, 2002

I was born in 1960, so I am either a late boomer or just missed, depending on who you ask. I figure I have about 30 years of riding left, at a minimum. Both of my brothers ride. One is 40, the other is 29. Between us, we will probably be riding a combined 100 years in the future. That wears out a lot of bikes.

Poser

· #65 · Jun 18, 2002

Re: maintenance free? ugghh

How 'bout a puddle under it. Not some wimpy Harley puddle, but a righteously deep and wide puddle like you find under a BSA.

sarnali

· #66 · Jun 19, 2002

Re: Oh, I don't know...

I 've got three teenage daughters and I've been watching mtv off and on since it started, most of the movies that appeal to my presumably typical teens such as romeo must die, or gone in 60 seconds, or fast and furious show sport bikes not harley's, the DMX video called ruff ryders roll shows a black sport bike club, also bush's machine head video that totaly rocks, shows a chick with dreds on a triumph blasting around london, in fact I only recall harley's in a stray cats video and one or two i can't name, as for hair bands most of them stunk, the best music out of the 80's was punk/techno/new wave art/thrash noise what ever you want to call it , though metallica, scorpions and guns an roses bust out pretty good, any way IMHO harleys don't seem to have a lot of appeal amongst the young 'uns up here around tacoma.

sarnali

· #67 · Jun 19, 2002

I don't know buddy, your right smack in the ol' target demographic there, if you notice yourself not shaving or putting your hair in a 2inch pony tail you might want to lock'n'load, I'm only saying this ;cause I'm pretty damn close to your age myself, I had a nightmare about big ass conchos on my bandit seat! and streamers! and white wall tires! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

runner00

· #68 · Jun 19, 2002

What do you guys and gals think of this. There is a small displacement cruiser market and Harley doesn't really have an entry in that market. I don't think the sportster 883 custom and hugger are really in the same category as

the Vstar, volusia etc. I'll bet they know that and are planning at least a new frame in order to create a low long ranger small displacement crusier. The current sportster frame is too high to compete with these other models. I think Harley is currently losing ground in the long low small displacement cruiser market and thats there niche(cruiser)....so I'll just bet we will see something interesting soon.

KPaulCook

· #69 · Jun 19, 2002

Re: The HD general manager sums up

LOL good one.

KPaulCook

· #70 · Jun 19, 2002

Re: 4 letters say it all

Thats what I said 5 characters say it all

You make great points about your VFR and suprised it fits so well. I though the ZX-9 might be a little bigger boned. However, I think my next bike will be a VFR with hard bags. Everyone that I know that has one just loves it and the used ones don't stay around the dealers too long (fetching good money) too. Do you have ABS? I am thinking about getting ABS since I live in rainy Seattle and I try to commute on my bike every day. So far on my ZX-6R I had a couple skids but mostly cause I was following to close

KPaulCook

· #71 · Jun 20, 2002

You are so right. My wife threatened to kick me out once and the first thing I thought about was where am I going to park my bike and no way am I selling it. I done flying, skiing, rock climbing but nothing comes close to motorcycles. I only wish I could started sooner.

KPaulCook

· #72 · Jun 20, 2002

B.S. on the Harley thing

I commute 34 miles a day on I-5 and my count is a little different 2 harleys, a Buell and very old Honda that looked like it had been abused. Last week the sun was out and all the Gray Pony Tailed Brothers were wearing their worthless skull caps without any protective gear (no jackets). Those Harley guys are too proud to ask for help or take it when offered. As I came out of the office a guy was standing by his new Road King. I asked if he needed help i.e. like a jump or something. He said no? I then asked if there was something wrong with the bike he said no. A friend of mine said latter the guys wife came with a van to pick it up. Go look at any site that allows riders to review their own bike. Or go check out any owners group. The point is the Japaneese bikes are superior in reliability than any H-D or Bueel. I think Harley's quality (like Detroits) is getting worse because they don't fear Japan as once they did. Don't worry they will feel the fear once the Brotherhood fad thing wears off and Japan gets its confidence (economy) back.

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KPaulCook

· #73 · Jun 20, 2002

Your agrument doesn't hold all the oil leaking from your Harley

If cost was an issue they (younger buyers)would all buy Sportsers which cost less than the average 600 sportbike or SV650 etc. No the reason is that Harleys look old and nostaglic. Most young bikers I see who don't ride sport bikes have Ducati Monsters and other standards. They are not into old 50s looking bikes period and never will be. Mark my words when you old guys are 60 the most popular bike will not be a Harley. Most likely it will be a Honda.

KPaulCook

· #74 · Jun 20, 2002

This is the best argument/analysis I have seen so far. Women for some reason love Harleys. Maybe its the throbbing V-Twin betwen the....

Harleys have lots of chrome and no go. A chick is not going think a BMW tourer or a Ducati is cool unless she rides. By the way I have seen a lot of women sport bike riders. So maybe when they learn to ride they are impressed with all show no go thing

KPaulCook

· #75 · Jun 20, 2002

I think you are a lot smarter than you think. Very insightful post. You are right on all three points. I would change 1 slightly to focus on Buell as the racing arm and concentrate on at least one class in AMA that they have to race against the Japanese bikes.

Yep you are right in 5 years I should sell my Harley stock unless they do at least 2 out of the 3 things you suggested.

KPaulCook

· #76 · Jun 20, 2002

Forget cruisers they are on there way out. Strictly a baby boomer thing. H-D should focus on making more V-Rod inspired stuff like a H-D Monster like standard with a V-Rod engine.

luvmyvfr

· #77 · Jun 20, 2002

Re: 4 letters say it all

I live in rainy Seattle too, and no, I don't have the ABS. Mine is a 99 model (best of the bunch actually, not yellow, no catalytic converter, best hp/wt ratio, and not a lard arse like the '02 models). I also commute every day (even in the winter, even in the snow) I've never needed ABS, if you're skidding, let up on the brakes a wee bit. Don't follow so close, my friend. Wet pavement takes away your power/braking/steering advantage here. See you on the road.

luvmyvfr

runner00

· #78 · Jun 20, 2002

nothing like totally missing the point.

eh rocky.

KPaulCook

· #79 · Jun 21, 2002

Like I said small cruisers are on their way out.

Your point was H-D should make more small girly cruisers. I think the Japanese have the segment pegged its low markup anyway. Monsters wannabes and power naked bike standards are going to the next wave.

mandrake_the_mollusk

· #80 · Jun 21, 2002

Great Point Sparky: Re: ABC News reports on motorcycles

One 20-something guy says he'll be into Harleys when he gets to be boomer-age, another says he won't. Truth is if you're more than a decade away from "40-ish" you have no idea WHAT kind of bike you'll want when you get there. Most of the boomers buying Harleys (and metric cruisers) were riding something else in their 20's or weren't riding any motorcycle at all and never thought they would. The metric cruisers didn't even exist! Something has kept Harley going for 100 years changing their bikes very slowly. If they don't fall into another quality control abyss like they did under AMF, which almost put them under, then 20 years from now they'll be selling bikes as close to what they're making now as the gov't will let them. Maybe demand won't be what it is right now (you might even be able to walk into a H-D store and ****er on a dusty one like when I got my first!) but they'll still be around. God knows what the Japanese will be making then. It may not be cruisers. As soon as demand drops a tad they'll move on to the next fad. Perhaps bikes covered with go-fast stickers that sound like a cow being tortured by Saddam's secret police --to remind aging Gen-Xer's of that Civic with a coffee-can exhaust they had when they were young ;-)

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