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New MO Poll/Survey

19K views 115 replies 50 participants last post by  955tri 
#1 ·
It's a harley i might actually buy.
 
#3 ·
Question?

Why would someone buy this over a Buell?

Seriously, I would come closer to buying a Buell Lightning if I wanted a standard but maybe I am missing something. Enlighten me please? Is it styling? Performance? Having the Harley-Davidson name on the gas tank?

The resident HD critic would like to know? To me this bike is at least 20 years too late.
 
#4 ·
It will be the perfect bike to tell Harley not to make another one like it ever again. It's a bike many will say they will buy, but few will purchase. It's not going to be super fast or super cheap, and it's a Harley, so 99% of the talkers will walk on by. If it had 120 rwhp and sold for 7 grand it might have a chance, but it doesn't, and it doesn't.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for making my point.. I suspected as much

By the way Excellent Point.. Too bad about the Bears getting beat by a middle of the pack AFC team. Just think what the Chargers, Ravens, Colts, Broncos and Chiefs would do to the Bears. Note Denver beat NE at NE this season rather convincingly.
 
#8 ·
Don't all HD cruisers, with the exception of the V-Rods, fit that category i.e. overpriced, primitive, overweight, underpowered?
 
#9 ·
Phah. Sure, I'll take two (one for parts).



Burn me once shame on you. Burn me twice, and uh, guess I'll buy the extended warranty.
 
#10 ·
How do we know what the price would be? Maybe Harley are looking to catch even more of the EU standard/naked market. Isn't it possible that the engine is mostly from Buell's parts bin, reversing the old argument?



Bottom line, I'd be riding a Lightning instead of a Firebolt were that sort of thing my cup of tea. But I'd certainly like to test and/or price one and be pleasantly surprised...

 
#12 ·
Make the tank look even more like an old XR, put a breathed-upon VRod-like motor in there, pump out about 140 HP, put a tach on it & some Ohlins and sell it at a price point somewhere near a Duc Smart. It'll move and it'll move. Otherwise a Buell will meet my needs just fine and for a hell of a lot less. And don't give me that ****e about a VRod not fitting in there. Talk to the folks at KTM about how to shrink-wrap the damn thing. You guys have the tools and the talent. Make us proud of that American can-do.
 
#16 ·
Yes, but a Cruiser is "Engineered" that way on purpose, only with more chrome.........
 
#17 ·
Re: Question?

They DID make it 20 years ago. It was called tyhe XR1000. Looked like a flatracker with trick heads,dual D'Allortos(sp?) and neat pipes. Put out more HP than any HD to that point. Didnt sell then......folk who had the cash didnt want it and folk that wanted it(me) didnt havre the cash. Dont think it would sell big now(at least in US). I like it ,but I can only swing one street bike and this doesnt fit my "one bike " needs. And if I DID buy a second street bike,it would probably be a dual purpose or a Ducati GT or a Bonneville scrambler. Or I 'd buy an old Ironhead Sporty for 3-4 grand and build my own street tracker Bottom line;even though Im a "Harley guy" and a dirt track guy who really likes the street tracker look,and likes this bike, i wont buy one. And thats,I believe ,the problem, its a nice bike but wont have a ready audience with cash in hand.
 
#20 ·
I'm not so sure. The original Sportster was more like this bike than the cruiser it came to be and it sold enough numbers to stay in production. Maybe this one would. In the real world 90hp with the decent torque that a 1200 V-twin puts out is quite sufficient for a heck of a lot of people. I bet there are plenty of people who'd like something with more power than the standard Sporty, but who also don't care about going 160mph. I guess that HD is going to find out. If it's successful maybe they'll take another step.



All the geniuses, including the super-fool, claimed that the Buell would never sell. They "proved" that Buell would be a total failure. They proved it with "facts and data" and "everybody knows" conventional wisdom. It looks like Buell sells more units in the USA than all the Italians put together. Worse, Buell showed that a product like that can be a success without requiring any acceptance from the sportbike mafia. I guess that Eric is having the last laugh while the idiots hang around the Burger Barn comparing spec sheets on the latest "soon to be obsolete" wunderbike. These "expert"s are now proven to be fools. So they should all be ignored. Hey, isn't gas supposed to be $4 per gallon by now according to this same load of "experts"? Also, HD was supposed to have crashed years ago according to the conventional wisdom. More examples of just how wrong the geniuses can be. If they were truly geniuses they'd be rich instead of sitting around making pointless "predictions" and pretending that they are plannning to buy this or that bike. The simple fact is that success is the prize that people win by going against conventional "wisdom".



I think I'll wait and see how this bike is received. HD's been making pretty good decisions the last couple of decades.
 
#23 ·
The 2007 XL1200 R goes for 8695 in black and 8955 in colors. The XL1200C goes for9695 in black and 9995 in colors. I cant see this new bike going for less than 9500 and more likely for over 10K. its performance will probably be compareable to the Ninja 750 or SV650 .

By the way my local dealer has 06 Sporties in the floor at 1000 below MSRP(7100 bucks for an XR1200R). For 3000 bucks (if you do your own work) you could roll your own street tracker.
 
#24 ·
I agree with you ...I like it and would prefer it over a VROD. But do you prefer it over a Monster or a Buell? If it comes out in 08 will you buy one? I really like the bike and hopes HD takes the chance,but I dont think it will draw many folk from other brands into Harleys.Hope i'm wrong.
 
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