Harley did it again?

Re: Hawgs

I see this whole Harley "renaissance" as a kind of cultural amnesia. Harley almost tanked a few decades ago, by producing an inferior, dated product. Somehow, through a kind of reverse-logic, it became the bike of choice for a certain brand of rider. And you can be sure, that "brand" of rider, knew one end of a wrench from the other.

As other (read that Japanese) brands became more and more attuned to US needs, Harley’s percentage of the market shrank. Hence the 30% import tariffs on any bike 750cc and over, back in "the bad old days" at Harley. Remembering how bad they were, I think, is the hardest part for anyone in my age bracket, to forget. Not to mention, a used hog in fair, to poor shape was a relatively cheap item, back in them thar days.

Now, Harley Davidson is selling pretty much the same product (albeit with Japanese parts), but to a different group of rider, nostalgic in intent, but for the most part vacuous in mechanical ability. A small percent of people who buy new Harleys, actually work on them. Maybe change a sparkplug, but no major stuff, like splitting cases. Take it to the dealer. And when it gets old and faded, sell it, and buy a new one.

This Harley rebirth is to me, a kind of insidious look at the way our culture, as a nation, is headed. Where looks are accepted over substance. Glitz over function. And no one works on anything, or knows how anything works.

Where nostalgia is canned, and sold, like soup.

BTW, I'd have three Harleys, if I could buy a thrashed one for around $750.00 again.

Re: Hawgs

It's just you have a different type or rider, trying to project the same image, as the Harley riders of yore. Doesn't work, for me.

That's what I meant about "selling nostalgia".

It's the kind of person who trailers their Electra Glide to Sturgis. Arm chaps, and all.

Maybe I made a mistake when I said, "How bad they were". Everything was "bad", back then, before your AMF. Bad in the respect of inherent design flaws that made riding one, well, interesting. If you knew what you were doing, you fixed it, didn't "take it to the shop".

Actually, I think AMF got a bad rap. That's when most people think Harley started going down the tubes, but in my mind, that's when they started trying to "get it right". I'm sure a few people will howl at that one.

I was born in '55, and by the time I came of age, all the old Brit, Italian, and American bikes from the late fifties/early sixties were starting to wear out, and blow up, in great quantities. You could buy one for a song. People even gave them away. (Like a rat 61 cubic inch Knucklehead someone gave me, long ago, running).

I have a garage full of old Japanese bikes, most of them given to me in a basket, that now are all running, and looking pretty good. I drive 'em, and try to wear them out.

And if the price of an old hawg ever gets down to a reasonable level, I'll buy one of those, too. But you don't see too many rat Harleys putting around anymore, do you?

Re: The Might Pinto

Pintos! I had a 1976 Pinto Pony MPG Sedan, automatic. No power anything, turned like a 51 De Soto, with flat tires.

It finally ended up with a Holley 390, ISKY Cam, headers, tweeked distributor. That 2.3 litre motor was sweet, all standard SAE on the outside, metric on the inside. 5 mains, with a 75 lb. crankshaft. German Ford.

With the MPG gearing, that little bugger would top out at around 115 mph. Used to ***** off, and beat, psudo-sports cars like the Porche 924.

Man, every time some fool starts badmouthing Pintos, I want to punch 'em. I pity da fool...

Your Plymouth sounds like something out of the Blues Bros. Cop tires, cop engine, cop brakes...etc..

Re: Fix it again, tony

850's! Ha, you're talking to someone who owned two.

I especially liked the "Valve Bend Option" when the miserable rubber-band timing belt would break.

Or the marvelous "Marelli Prince of Darkness"?

But the best was when the head would rot, from not using a precise 60/40 ratio of coolant/water.

Much better than the 500 (crash box).