I'm not sure about your characterization of H-D. It seems to me that the boys in Milwaukee know a thing or two about making money. It is, however, quite confusing why they seem not to want to cater to the segment of the market that would prefer to buy a 100% US-made sport bike.
I mean, it's not as if H-D *couldn't* build a sport bike (besides a Buell) that could sell well. The technology involved is not really all that complex.
I think that the bikes that Harley really needs to watch out for are the Ducati SportClassics. The GT1000, at $10K, is everything that H-D doesn't make (but could), and is encroaching on H-D's pricing territory and mystique. If Harley-Davidson could make something competitive, I'd consider it before I'd buy an Italian bike.
Still, it's a shame, that as it is, it'll be a GT1000 or Thruxton 900 for me long before it will ever be even a Sporty 883.