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Author Topic: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling  (Read 13921 times)

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OBB

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #45 on: February 23, 2022, 03:10:21 PM »

So true on all accounts.  I guess each of us gets to pick their own poison. When stuck on the road in the middle of a tour, I'd rather the issue be saddlebags leaking from dried up seals than a locked up engine due to sumping.
At least there will a dealer close by to deal with it......

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TN

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #46 on: February 23, 2022, 03:59:55 PM »

Yet it still has the karaoke machine inner fairing, cheap fit and finish and the rubber seals for the bags are glued into channels in the lid of the bags. Those are prone to deforming with heat and cold so they'll eventually fall out of their channels. Their high end one starts at $33k and goes up from there.

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And this is all from your hands on experience ? Please tell me more so I don’t waste my time, I ain’t got much to waste these days. Does the ride command screen give me the lyrics so I can sing along during the ride? Karaoke machine function.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2022, 04:14:06 PM by TN »
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Jock

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #47 on: February 23, 2022, 04:43:35 PM »

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Ironhorse

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #48 on: February 23, 2022, 05:43:39 PM »

At least there will a dealer close by to deal with it......

Having had the stator on my ‘01 replaced in Montana, Utah, Arizona, and California I can attest that that. Luckily a Stator is a half day job that can be pushed to the head of the job list. A sumped and locked up engine is going to take a lot longer to deal with.

On the plus side I have t-shirts from all those dealerships.
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OBB

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #49 on: February 23, 2022, 09:09:34 PM »

And this is all from your hands on experience ? Please tell me more so I don’t waste my time, I ain’t got much to waste these days. Does the ride command screen give me the lyrics so I can sing along during the ride? Karaoke machine function.
Have you looked at one in person? I have. They're hideous.

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Willie D

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #50 on: February 23, 2022, 10:20:03 PM »

They may be struggling even with us old timers because Of the price and availability of certain models.

I made the switch to my 2017 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse and have been very satisfied. It is not without a few issues, but Polaris warranty has taken care of all of them.

I now have almost 30k on it and have put a set of tires and oil changes performed by my dealer at a very reasonable price and timeline that works for me.

I still own my 2012 CVO Softail convertible with 48k and my son and grandson ride it more that I do, but I wouldn’t sell it for anything- it’s one of 307 made for US production and always gets looks where ever I ride it.

We all like to complain of the problems, but we still all have a choice as to what we like to ride.

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #51 on: February 24, 2022, 07:11:41 AM »

Have you looked at one in person? I have. They're hideous.

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Have you rode one?  I will say the look of the inner fair is bad, I do not like it at all.  However the suspension is far better than my 19 CVO Road Glide, the bike handles better in my opinion and rides way better.  Comparing a road glide special to a Challenger, the Indian has a very slight edge on the power.  Comfort, is up to individual ride.  Stock handles bars have never worked for me on my Haleys and would not work on the challenger either.

I do have like like stock bars on the Pan America, but did add H-D two inch risers.

Harleys touring bike is extremely dated and very long in the tooth.  In needs to have a much better suspension, and to do that means a frame redesign.  22 is the 14th year Harley has used that Frame.  Every one else has a much batter frame and suspension.
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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #52 on: February 24, 2022, 08:18:05 AM »

And this is all from your hands on experience ? Please tell me more so I don’t waste my time, I ain’t got much to waste these days. Does the ride command screen give me the lyrics so I can sing along during the ride? Karaoke machine function.
Some people will tie themselves in a knot to knock anything not HD.  The dash looks no different than a RG and there’s nothing wrong with the bag gaskets either.  I’d give the fit/finish edge to HD, but engine design/durability to the Indian.  And I’m speaking from experience because I’ve owned one for two years & have two buddies that own one.  So, my post is first hand info.
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TN

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #53 on: February 24, 2022, 08:51:19 AM »

Have you looked at one in person? I have. They're hideous.

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I’ve looked at one, fondled it, rode it and I do see one in my future. When I test drove one it was a standard model they were having problems with throttle body, software, something which I’m not sure of. I ain’t buying first year of anything anymore after prior experience with the MOCO and we’ll make it right scenario with their 110 innovation.

I’m not glued to HD, I can have my neck tattoo reworked to whatever but it’s what I got right now and I like it too.


RideOn

And speaking of hideous............ :drink:    I'll get back with ya on this
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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #54 on: February 24, 2022, 09:41:33 AM »


 They're hideous.

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That kind of blanket assessment never (ok, rarely) means anything.  Looks / design / style are so subjective.  I've still never come around to thinking the Tour Glide was an even decent looking bike (though I had and wore out an FXRT years and years ago).  For a long time I thought the Road Glide was ugly.  Then I didn't. 

The other makes and models are certainly different.  They might or might not be outside my personal sensibilities for what is a good looking machine.  But that's just me.  No blanket assessments.  Except for the Tour Glide.
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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #55 on: February 24, 2022, 10:09:29 AM »

Went back & read the "17 Reasons" listed in the article in the first post in this thread.  Oddly, or not oddly, Indian is not mentioned by name as a reason.  It could be considered a part of a reason - #6 for example - yet the existence of Polaris - also not mentioned - is not a primary subject of the article.

Most all products have competition.  Except Oreos, which have a weak sort of competition but it's not really competition because - Oreos. Harley's problems are internal more than external was the subject of what I read. If Harley does not do what they need to do as a company, yes their competition will eat their lunch, to use a time honored technical financial analytical term.  But the reason for that, since Harley has been a market leader for a long time in their dominant category, is Harley itself.  If Harley was doing or had been doing what was needed to be done, the emergence of Indian would be akin to a gnat on an elephant's back instead of Indian eating a big chunk of Harley's lunch.

As to arguing the finer points of loving Indians or loving to hate Indians or such - some like 'em, some don't.  Indians have their own sets of problems - have several friends who own them - so they are not problem free.  Harley decided long ago to be more of a follower & not a leader in the MC industry.  Other brands innovate while Harley sits back & waits to perceive the difference between a verifiable MC trend vs a fad, and then they copy something, sometimes badly.  Other motor companies do the same, it's a strategy.  Harley is more more behind than they should be on tech & unless they change their strategy they will end up further behind IMHO.
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Ironhorse

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #56 on: February 24, 2022, 11:37:16 AM »

  Harley is more more behind than they should be on tech & unless they change their strategy they will end up further behind IMHO.

Could not agree more.  In the field of "Big Touring Bikes", Indian, BMW and Honda all have adjustable "Ride Modes".  Some do more (Honda adjusts suspension firmness to coincide with ECM settings while Indian does not), but Harley does none.  Indian, BMW and Honda all have motorized windshields while Harley does not. I don't know if Indian has reverse, but Honda and BMW do.  On the plus side HD has a monster network of accessories and upgrades (probably due more to need than want) than any other manufacturer.  And their clothing line is unequaled.

Riding and owning a motorcycle is subjective, it always has been. There is no "one bike satisfies all" machine out there.  None of us speaks for the other, only for ourselves.  Now I've ridden all types of bikes, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, BMW and Harley.  However the Honda GoldWing I ride now is flat out better than any other bike I've ridden (my opinion and experience, not yours). And I have absolutely no desire to change cams, exhaust, intake, get a dyno tune and swap suspension components.

The downside is that there are fewer Honda dealerships across the nation.
The upside is that with Honda dependability I won't need one to change out a stator or compensator in the middle of a tour.

I'll stop at the HD dealership anyway, just to buy a shirt.
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TN

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #57 on: February 24, 2022, 11:49:48 AM »

I think this thread is bike racist, I like all bikes no matter the make and it’s all in how they treat me as to how I treat them. Another thing is the gender of a bike, all mine has been female and I’ll keep it that way until I don’t. Identifying the sex of a motorcycle is a tedious process and not for the faint of heart.


I did ride to the Indian dealer today and no Pursuit in sight.

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TN

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #58 on: February 24, 2022, 11:54:06 AM »

I did spot one ugly Challenger.






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Ironhorse

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Re: 17 Shady Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Are Struggling
« Reply #59 on: February 24, 2022, 12:10:12 PM »

I did spot one ugly Challenger.

Did the instrument cluster look like a Karaoke machine?,.....LOL!!!
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