I Just Don't Get the HD Roadracing Effort
I currently own a Harley and it's a great bike for what it is. I like to see American products do well. I think HD is a great manufacturer for their niche. I simply do not understand, however their roadracing efforts. In general, their customers are not at all interested in (some would say are even vehemently against)roadracers and roadracing. They have no intention of putting an HD racer on the market, and roadracing technology doesn't exactly go hand in hand with cruisers. (Although, clip-ons and inverted forks on a springer would be amusing...) HD folks do like their horsepower, but they like it to go in a straight line, and to involve as much chrome as possible. Why is HD doing this?
If they want to spend the bucks on roadracing, why not develop on the Buell platform? They could sell Buells that way, and might be able to come up with something competitive after a couple of years. They're not selling cruisers throwing money at the VR, that's for sure, and I can't see the VR1000 ever being a serious contender. I just can't figure HD out on this one. HD does what it does very well, but I think they're trying to teach a pig to fly with the VR.
-Tom