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[ultrarider123]

Interesting article....makes me feel so old as I get on my $30,000 plus Harley to ride home....  Gotta spend less to feel younger, I'm guessing.....

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/06/22/harley-davidsons-hurdle-attracting-young-motorcycle-riders/?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite

[tdkkart]

I don't know that money is an issue for the youngsters. After all, they don't have a problem spending $50,000+ on a new pickup.

After buying our CVO RGU in Texas, we quickly found that it attracts a lot of attention everywhere we stopped. As much, or more, than our
Dodge Challenger, from all ages.

Hell, I have a problem with spending the money on a new truck, but I had a lot less issue spending it on a bike.

[VaEagle]

I see this as a problem H-D has had for many years.....They sell themselves as a part of history and tradition that the baby boomers can appreciate but not the younger people. There is no "early start" program to get the H-D make ingrained into the hearts and minds of non-riding youth.
They need to have H-D dirt/youth sized bikes along with youth "learn to ride" programs, maybe even a juvenile division to HOG. I also this may be sacrilege but maybe more family friendly events for kids and spouses as opposed to "beer and boobs"? How about junior classes at bike shows for kids and young adults.
I know the large antique/hot rod car shows will have things like model building classes and judging for kids too young to own or drive a car.
Until you sell someone on the idea that a motorcycle is more of a lifestyle then an expensive hobby that is only used part-time you may have trouble selling them on tying up so much of their income/savings on something as expensive as a Harley when they can buy something like an import bike for less money, more performance and less modification to "get it to run right" off the showroom floor. So once a young person buys another brand they may be hard to get to change to H-D.
As far as spending money on a truck, I bet most people would look at it as a practicality thing depending on their lifestyle and usage. I'm sure location/weather could come into play too. Assuming $50,000 spent on a truck that could be used more days a year for more purposes and more people vs. same money for a bike that is not as versatile and roomy and for most people wouldn't be used as many days a year. (I know there are some that use a bike for primary daily transportation but I bet it is a small percentage of motorcycle owners.)

[Streetglide1]

I can understand where They are concerned. time for the parents to get the younger generation out, but that seems to be the problem in some cases.

[Spiderman]

When I'm in SoCal, I see young people driving expensive BMW's , Audi's and yes, $50,000 pickups. When I'm in Maine I see young people driving old Ford Escorts with rusting quarter and rocker panels. If they've got a pickup, it's at least 20 years old and the tranny slips, it burns oil and is holier than the Pope. So yeah, money is an issue in Maine. I suspect that it's an issue in more states than it's not. California is not real. Or actually it's very real depending on how you see the USA. If you believe there is still an active middle class then California is not a real place. If you believe  that there's the top and the bottom and nothing in between then California is your kinda place-- - - - provided you're on the top.
At the end of the day, H-D fails younger riders for two reasons. A) no sport bikes (crotch rockets) B) Price points.  If a 25 yr old with only a high school degree is lucky enough not to have fried his FICO score between 18 and 25 then he/she is going to buy a decent car. Maybe even a fancy pickup  (that gets repossessed before it's paid off cause nobody with only a HS diploma is going to be steadily employed for 6 years consecutively. That person is not gonna get a loan for a $20,000 motorcycle even if they don't want a crotch rocket.

B B

[Ironhorse]

The passing of time and the natural aging process will correct all that.

[Sierramadre]

Harley is destined to go the way of the last buggy whip manufacturer.  The brand is not aspirational or even relevant to Millenials and the younger crowd...take a look at the guys drinking coffee at the dealership on Saturday morning and the demographics of the people on the group events.  Scary.

[tdkkart]

take a look at the guys drinking coffee at the dealership on Saturday morning and the demographics of the people on the group events.  Scary.

 Go to your local sportbike dealer and you won't see young people congregating there either. 16-30yo people simply don't tend do that, unless there's alcohol and/or music etc involved. Harley doesn't produce young people bikes, never have, probably never will. They made a try with Buell, but a slow bike that looks different and handles OK, is still a slow bike, and that's not what young people are looking for.

[Road Dad]

Average age of a HD rider is 48.

Average age of a Cadillac owner is dead

[dayne66]

Average age of a HD rider is 48.

Average age of a Cadillac owner is dead

I guess I'm average!

[Cat Eye]

Harley main demographic are adrenaline junkie that have raised their kids and are empty nesters that have disposable income and love to sit in front of their computer and read and write posts on Harley forums while 

[SanJuanRon]

I guess I'm average!

Hope you are referring to the Harley and not the Cadillac.  SJ Ron

[Spiderman]

Average age of a HD rider is 48.

Average age of a Cadillac owner is dead

I think I can assume without too much risk that you know absolutely nothing about Cadillacs
The CTS-V series are NOT your grandfather's Caddys. Not even remotely close.

B B

[Road Dad]

According to WSJ average age is 65 of a Cadillac owner.

And I know A LOT about how they are built. Personally I would never even consider owning one. 

Average life expectancy for a U. S. Male is 75 and some change.

So almost dead then.....he can drive it for 10 years

I think I can assume without too much risk that you know absolutely nothing about Cadillacs
The CTS-V series are NOT your grandfather's Caddys. Not even remotely close.

B B

[cambo]

According to WSJ average age is 65 of a Cadillac owner.

And I know A LOT about how they are built. Personally I would never even consider owning one. 

Average life expectancy for a U. S. Male is 75 and some change.

So almost dead then.....he can drive it for 10 years

I think I can assume without too much risk that you know absolutely nothing about Cadillacs
The CTS-V series are NOT your grandfather's Caddys. Not even remotely close.

B B

There are car brands that have never worried about the younger generation being able to buy one of their products as long as they all want to someday be able to afford one of their cars. Cadillac is one such brand again with the fantastic sedans they are producing. The CTS-V beat MB C55 AMG, , the Porsche 911, Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, Lotus Exige S, Aston Martin DB9, and the BMW Z4 M in Nurburgring. When I grow up I want me a CTS-V.

Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, etc, have done very well not making anything anyone under the age of 40 who is not a drug dealer can afford and they are doing just fine.

All HD has to do is follow their lead: Make great looking vehicles (already there) that have amazing performance (they need to try harder! ). Even reliability is not an issue here. I had a 2004 Porsche C4S and 3000 miles of the first 4000 miles on that car was driven by the dealership trying to figure out why it would suddenly drop the engine temp from operating temp to stone cold in 2 seconds flat and then go back up to operating temp and drop back down to 0 and on and on. I was ok with that because while they had my car I was driving one of theirs (same model). So customer service should be the same. No hassle warrantee work and don't leave me without a bike.

JMO, HD needs to keep making bikes the younger folks can't afford now but hope and pray that if they work hard enough (or become drug dealers) they will be able to afford someday.

HD

[Bromebe]

trying to push the little street 500's

http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/motorcycles/2015-motorcycles/street/street-500.html

and convince all that Harley owners are not all like the ones that caused all the mess in waco

[Road Dad]

At this stage HD probably consider acquiring another competitor that plays in another space of the market. VW is not going to hold on to Ducati forever for example.

They are probably not going to attract young buyers to the current selection of bikes. I like riding an HD now at 50 but there is no way I wanted to been seen in one before I was 30.

[charles05663]

At this stage HD probably consider acquiring another competitor that plays in another space of the market. VW is not going to hold on to Ducati forever for example.

They are probably not going to attract young buyers to the current selection of bikes. I like riding an HD now at 50 but there is no way I wanted to been seen in one before I was 30.

They did that with Buell.  Then they killed it when Wendell took over and the market collapsed.  At least at some dealerships, Buell brought people into the showroom who were not looking at HD's.  You have to get them into showroom first.

I guess the flip side is if anyone bought a Buell they would find out how HD dealers operate and be turned off.

 

[Spiderman]

And I know A LOT about how they are built. Personally I would never even consider owning one. 

You could have fooled me. 

B B

[mark]

I agree the current line of HDs isn't going to appeal to younger riders, because of cost, styling, and shop labor rates.  HD made its bones on the baby boomers, who were at their financial sweetspot when HD had its resurgence.  Unfortunately, the boomers are aging away from riding and there aren't enough Gen Xers to fill the gap.  Buell was a good idea - except for the engine and the labor cost for repairs. 

Regarding Cadillac, they have pigeon-holed themselves as an "old man" car, no matter what they produce.  I'm afraid HD has put themselves in the same situation.

[grc]

When I'm in SoCal, I see young people driving expensive BMW's , Audi's and yes, $50,000 pickups. When I'm in Maine I see young people driving old Ford Escorts with rusting quarter and rocker panels. If they've got a pickup, it's at least 20 years old and the tranny slips, it burns oil and is holier than the Pope. So yeah, money is an issue in Maine. I suspect that it's an issue in more states than it's not. California is not real. Or actually it's very real depending on how you see the USA. If you believe there is still an active middle class then California is not a real place. If you believe  that there's the top and the bottom and nothing in between then California is your kinda place-- - - - provided you're on the top.
At the end of the day, H-D fails younger riders for two reasons. A) no sport bikes (crotch rockets) B) Price points.  If a 25 yr old with only a high school degree is lucky enough not to have fried his FICO score between 18 and 25 then he/she is going to buy a decent car. Maybe even a fancy pickup  (that gets repossessed before it's paid off cause nobody with only a HS diploma is going to be steadily employed for 6 years consecutively. That person is not gonna get a loan for a $20,000 motorcycle even if they don't want a crotch rocket.

B B

That one post right there nailed several things.  Thanks Brian.

Jerry

[Lone Rider]

Maybe some of the younger generation are getting too soft to ride?

[Road Dad]

Does not seem to hard.....

You could have fooled me. 
H
B B

[DesertHOG]

At Santa Fe Harley they seem to be finding some younger riders.

[Spiderman]

Does not seem to hard.....

We have rules of posting on the site newbie. You need to read them and respect them.
Maybe after you've been here a few years and know people in person you've earned the right to be rude on occasion but with 42 posts under your belt, you're pushing it. Read the site dude. You won't find people with 10,000 posts going after me personally because I question a post they make.

B B

[martys]

IMHO I think that the Marketing Department are missing something in their approach to getting younger riders interested in the brand.  The younger generation is easily swayed by the media.  That is why you no longer see cigarette adds on TV and it is frowned upon in films and TV shows, compared to years ago, in an effort to not sensationalize smoking.  The MOCO could be using these media opportunities to "gain" younger people's interest in the brand by using more product placement.  If their favorite video game character was always riding a Harley, if the actors on some of the Crime shows, or Doctor shows, or Comedy shows, were riding Harley's  it would bring that inspiration into the minds of these young people that "Riding a Harley is Cool" If the MOCO would spend more on product placement type advertising I think they would build a whole new culture of Harley rider's.


Marty

[Ironhorse]

As I said earlier, I believe time will correct all of this.

In my 20s  I rode Japanese sport bikes.  I know many of us here used to. Never thought about a Harley. About age 32, I bought a Heritage and was on my way. Now I find the thought of riding 400 plus miles all hunched over and scrunched on a sport bike so unappealing. Aging joints and ligaments tell me so. I just got back from the Ouray GTG, and at my age, (closer to 60), there is no way I could have ridden a sport bike through 4 Utah national parks, and then hiked trails. So when the current crop of 20 something "hipsters" get older, and maybe wiser, those still riding will become HDs target group. At that point it is up to the MoCo to find a way to lure them away from buying another comfortable touring bike like BMW, Goldwing, Victory or Indian. As for buying power, those  older riders who can afford it will buy new HDs. Those who can't will buy used HDs or used Goldwings, or BMWs.

All that said, there is something we HD riders can do, and that is invite owners of other brands to ride with us. Over the decades the attitude of "If you don't ride a Harley, than you ain't chit" has painted us all with a broad brush. That coupled with the stigma of reliability issues may be a factor in folks not wanting to buy an HD. The greatest marketing strategy lies not within colors, paint, and a engine that goes "potato,..potato,...potato. It lies within us, the flesh and blood riders. Once they see that we are closer to "Grandfathers Of Arthritis" than "Sons Of Anarchy", they may make their next bike a Harley.

Hey,....how'd I get on top this soap box?

[dayne66]

The MOCO's marketing department needs to hire more women to flash Harley riders.

[laylonlor]

i' got a cts v  600 hp and zr1 and a air plane i'm 70 yr old,..... and a 43 yr old babe ,...he he he, and getting older

[laylonlor]

you young wiper stampers, can t ride

[DesertHOG]

i' got a cts v  600 hp and zr1 and a air plane i'm 70 yr old,..... and a 43 yr old babe ,...he he he, and getting older

At 43 I think they quit calling them babes and they become MILFs. If not a MILF then a cougar.

[Road Dad]

You are my new hero Sir!!  Enjoy life.

i' got a cts v  600 hp and zr1 and a air plane i'm 70 yr old,..... and a 43 yr old babe ,...he he he, and getting older

[Road Dad]

So if you read ALL the posts who started it??  I merely commented back on his comment b

People sure are sensitive on this forum. You guys should try ADV. I guess it's a big difference in riders between the two forums so the tone are different.

RWe have rules of posting on the site newbie. You need to read them and respect them.
Maybe after you've been here a few years and know people in person you've earned the right to be rude on occasion but with 42 posts under your belt, you're pushing it. Read the site dude. You won't find people with 10,000 posts going after me personally because I question a post they make.

B B

[J-Carr]

I see this as a problem H-D has had for many years.....They sell themselves as a part of history and tradition that the baby boomers can appreciate but not the younger people. There is no "early start" program to get the H-D make ingrained into the hearts and minds of non-riding youth.
They need to have H-D dirt/youth sized bikes along with youth "learn to ride" programs, maybe even a juvenile division to HOG. I also this may be sacrilege but maybe more family friendly events for kids and spouses as opposed to "beer and boobs"? How about junior classes at bike shows for kids and young adults.
I know the large antique/hot rod car shows will have things like model building classes and judging for kids too young to own or drive a car.
Until you sell someone on the idea that a motorcycle is more of a lifestyle then an expensive hobby that is only used part-time you may have trouble selling them on tying up so much of their income/savings on something as expensive as a Harley when they can buy something like an import bike for less money, more performance and less modification to "get it to run right" off the showroom floor. So once a young person buys another brand they may be hard to get to change to H-D.
As far as spending money on a truck, I bet most people would look at it as a practicality thing depending on their lifestyle and usage. I'm sure location/weather could come into play too. Assuming $50,000 spent on a truck that could be used more days a year for more purposes and more people vs. same money for a bike that is not as versatile and roomy and for most people wouldn't be used as many days a year. (I know there are some that use a bike for primary daily transportation but I bet it is a small percentage of motorcycle owners.)

Hit the nail on the head.  In our group, my son, who rides a V-Rod at 20 (Started at 16 on it - never bet your kid he can't make 12 years on honor roll) is the only one in his age range who does other than the dealers kid.  He can't afford anything new than a 2010 Escape.  He's in the Coast Guard so he does have a good job but just starting out its expensive to get everything else you need in life.  The Street series would be more affordable for him if I hadn't paid up and bought him the V-Rod.

Why has he always wanted a HD?  Because he starting riding on mine at 2.  He grew up with it.  It's his lifestyle because of it.  He actually got married at one of our HOG meetings.  Obviously that's pretty rare.  And even he didn't want an old led sled cruiser, hence the V-Rod (Porsche). Why don't any of his friends want HD?  Cause they grew up on Honda and Yamahas.  The rich kids got KTMs.  Then they got sport bikes.  And their dads who are now too old for sport bikes got Vulcans and Boulevards because they either had no brand loyalty and just wanted a bike, not a lifestyle, or they wanted a better quality machine for less money.

Many progress from Dirt, to Crotch Rocket, to Cruiser.  You need to have a viable alternative through all those markets to attract enough young people to stay viable yourself.  Either that or you go back to 1990 and only make half the bikes that people want and become a boutique brand.

And painting everything black is just becoming a joke, not an attraction for young people.  You ever see a crotch rocket crowd?  There's more color there than at a modern art gallery.

[iski]

The MOCO's marketing department needs to hire more women to flash Harley riders.

Yes.

[Para Bellum]

The Street models are HD's way of trying to catch 'em young and build some brand loyalty.  They're cheap(er) than Twin Cams and made for the shorter rides the in-city millennials do.

At 2014 Sturgis I test rode the Indian Scout and compared it to the Street 750.  Not a direct comparo, since the Scout is several $thou more, but disregarding the $ and engine difference (69 ci Indian, 46 ci HD), several things are obvious just when looked at in the showroom:  The Scout is top-notch in fit, finish, and design, and comes in 4 colors for the same price.  The Street  wants $300 extra for color paint, wiring harness at the neck is fugly, and the horn looks like someone forgot to include one on the original design, so they just threw it on at the last minute.  Looks like cr@p.

My point is that HD isn't going to win any brand loyalty with poor quality, nickel-and-dime philosophy, and poor service after the sale.  A legacy of resting on their past glory might not bring people in or back.  And when some of HD's most avid customers are switching to an entirely after-market crate engine, or dumping everything in the engine except the cases, or buying multi-$thousand extended service plans on a $40 K bike because it's a good bet the stock engine won't last 40K miles (who would accept that from a $10K car?), it tells you their stock price won't hold its value in the coming years.

[VaEagle]

In early articles there was talk of the Street line being more for overseas sales in countries that have growing economies yet they are aren't used to large displacement bikes in their congested cities, places like India and China. With talks of assembly plants in those countries to boost presence and sales too. If the MOCO does make it into those countries firmly then I would think the stock price will be fine. Maybe they are thinking on a global level and not just U.S.A. to survive?
I also wonder if us site members and those on other boards might be getting an altered image of things because of all the posting of problems so that is all we see....
Face it, how often does someone post and say " I rode my bike today and nothing broke!" so maybe we don't read about all the happy riders? It would be nice to read an independent poll about total number of bikes and how many actually break down. Maybe to balance things we need posts like those with many miles on their bike without problems etc.?

[grandpadoc]

I'm proud to say that my son has most of my former toys and cherishes them. He and his friends ride old used Harleys and can't see the point of buying new ones when there are so many used, low mile, prestine bikes around in SoCal. Us old Boomers just buy, consume, and discard premium stuff like its disposable and there is a whole generation of kids that recycle, repurpose, and thrive on our bad habits.
We live in a destination recreation area and what I see is young guys with prestine 60K trucks that they paid 20K for used. 90K boats they paid 15-25K for used and 60K custome used bikes the pay 10K for. There were two boats on my beach last night with a swarm of young guys and babes and the boats were late 70's big block river boats. So I guess the mind set these days for youngsters is buy quality, buy cheap, and enjoy.   

[Chains]

My son went to a Harley after grinding his butt into the ground on his ninja.  Finally got smart, like Lou's son he rides older bikes that he builds in his body shop.  Seriously doubt if he would ever buy a new one unless it was wrecked then he would rebuild it to his style.  Does the same with cars and trucks.

[Streetglide1]

The Hd dealers have a lot of young riders in this area. The CTS Caddy purty popular also.

[RGlideKid]

The world today is a rapidly changing environment for any business, much less one that sells high-end products.  Harley said they saw hard times ahead so they came out with the Rushmore program.  I don't know if it was more hype than real change, but I do like many of the "new" things I've seen incorporated into their bikes.  I am fearful that now that they've come out with Rushmore, they will sit back and relax again, hoping for the revenue to just rush right on in.  I think that would be a huge mistake for them.  I think Rushmore just scratched the surface, and that if they let it die, it will go worse for them than if they were to admit they "still had a long way to go" and were still yearning for advice from owners.
I also think they could do better with listening to both the drivers and riders of their bikes, and I think they would do much better business if they would work harder with the dealers to where they would become special places where owners and potential customers want to be, want to visit, and want to spend money at.
There are some dealers that are like that, but there are many more who just don't seem to get it - for whatever the reason.
I think Victory went overboard with their plastic spaceship bikes, but then were they just being smart?  Were they trying to capture a market niche that Harley didn't "own"? 
I don't know if crotch rockets are the answer for Harley, or something that looks more modern or young, but one thing's for certain.  The baby boomers are going to fade away eventually to be replaced by whatever comes after us.  And the economic situation in this country will be even more challenging to stay afloat in without us.

[HUBBARD]

So if you read ALL the posts who started it??  I merely commented back on his comment b

People sure are sensitive on this forum. You guys should try ADV. I guess it's a big difference in riders between the two forums so the tone are different.

Hehehe.  Not the ones that are still here!  Better eat plenty of Trout before getting into a battle of the minds with BB, there Sarge.     Later--HUBBARD

[Dr.D]

I got it! The MoCo needs to market the new bikes as mobile extensions of a smart phone and have all the new cool apps that keep these young-uns texting and playing phone all the time. Maybe they could play video games about riding while riding.

[J-Carr]

That's just it.  For the current HD Demographic and the idiots who run the place trying to navigate the new menu system while figuring out what you can do on the bars vs what you need to touch the screen for is a video game.  They just don't understand why the kids aren't playing.

I scored 53 points on my buddies street glide.  Or I routed myself 53 miles out of the way on a ride.... I'm still not exactly sure.     

[Mach]

At 35 I'm classified as a white collar worker.  I find 2% of motorcycling women attractive excluding PAID talent.  My GF nor NONE of the women I hang out with find Harleys guys attractive.  Yeah they might think it's badass but you will NEVER catch them at a rally or bike night regularly.

If you attract women, they will come.

I'm not throwing stones this is just reality for me and most of the other white collar workers I'm with.  Seriously guys, my friend was showing me his new Honda Fit.  I just said looks nice.  What am I suppose to say, I have and F-250 and a Harley. 

[Dr.D]

At 35 I'm classified as a white collar worker.  I find 2% of motorcycling women attractive excluding PAID talent.  My GF nor NONE of the women I hang out with find Harleys guys attractive.  Yeah they might think it's badass but you will NEVER catch them at a rally or bike night regularly.

If you attract women, they will come.

I'm not throwing stones this is just reality for me and most of the other white collar workers I'm with.  Seriously guys, my friend was showing me his new Honda Fit.  I just said looks nice.  What am I suppose to say, I have and F-250 and a Harley.

This is a funny but telling post. I am 55 and younger than most of my HD riding buddies. You are 35 and very young, probably the age of my friends children so of course your little lady friends think we are old and unattractive just like their fathers. If you own a new CVO dresser you are not the average by any mean$ and that is fine.

The new 20 and 30 somethings are still looking for new hot women and most of us are not. Our hot momma's are your mothers so it is natural that you do not find older biker ladies very attractive. I expect HD will do ok in the future because the young fast crotch crowd will grow up and want different things in life. I have a F-250 also and three Harleys, A new Indian Vintage, a house with a pool, a hunting property with a cabin, an Audi A7, a Bentley GTC and a bunch of other stuff. The point is i had none of that in my thirties, when i was a young hot bod myself.

Things change in life and Harley will survive. And if they do not we will be buying the newer better chit.

[03Lightningrocks]

Young folks want to look cool for the most part. They show up at Harley and the place is filled with us old guys. While most of them love their grand pa, they would prefer to be hanging out with folks their own age, not grand pa and his buds.

[Dr.D]

Well after some reflection and seeing a typical Harley rider at lunch today i have to admit most of those old geezers are ugly. But they think they look cool. Here is the look, long stringy hair that has not been cut much since the seventies, a grey or white beard to match that blows around in the wind if not tied into a rope with some brightly colored fabric, black square toed boots possibly with some chain on them, a large wallet chained to their belt to keep it from getting lost but they say it is to keep it from getting stolen and a sleeveless shirt under a leather vest covered with a ton of patches and pins all trying to cover a belly that has been the container of way to much beer. Lord have mercy we will not mention teeth or the lack thereof.

Harley women? Leathered up ole hags with skin just as rough as the wore out leather jacket, tits that sag under a bra-less tank with nips looking straight down, turkey necks that make real turkeys ashamed of the association, tight shirts that emphasize every fat roll and jeans digging in  like a bean pole under a mushroom cloud all overwritten with sexy slogans that no one, not even the wearer believes.

No wonder the 20 or 30 somethings are afraid to grow into us. My wife and i were looking at some pictures of a harley couple younger than us getting drunk and wild a bike rally and we said, damn they look like hell!

Hey Mach you and that hot wife enjoy today because tomorrow ain't yesterday. All in good fun mate. BTW aim one of the young thin good looking  mature dudes.

[Mach]

Haha nice read! 

I got off work and stopped in to have some wings and a beer. Got an alert about rain coming. Told the guy I was chatting with at the bar I got to go,  I'm on my bike. He looked at me weird and said bike? I told him the red Harley out front. He told me I look like a Subaru and ski rack guy.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Dr.D]

He told me I look like a Subaru and ski rack guy.

You should have slapped his silly with your 12 inch d--k.
You are probably not a normal and you will make an unusually ugly Harley rider when you mature because you have started to early. Get a savings account for the wife's plastic surgery cause bikes and women need upkeep.

[03Lightningrocks]

Well after some reflection and seeing a typical Harley rider at lunch today i have to admit most of those old geezers are ugly. But they think they look cool. Here is the look, long stringy hair that has not been cut much since the seventies, a grey or white beard to match that blows around in the wind if not tied into a rope with some brightly colored fabric, black square toed boots possibly with some chain on them, a large wallet chained to their belt to keep it from getting lost but they say it is to keep it from getting stolen and a sleeveless shirt under a leather vest covered with a ton of patches and pins all trying to cover a belly that has been the container of way to much beer. Lord have mercy we will not mention teeth or the lack thereof.

LOL... you just described our local HOG.

[VaEagle]

Subaru and ski rack guy?

[iski]

Well after some reflection and seeing a typical Harley rider at lunch today i have to admit most of those old geezers are ugly. But they think they look cool. Here is the look, long stringy hair that has not been cut much since the seventies, a grey or white beard to match that blows around in the wind if not tied into a rope with some brightly colored fabric, black square toed boots possibly with some chain on them, a large wallet chained to their belt to keep it from getting lost but they say it is to keep it from getting stolen and a sleeveless shirt under a leather vest covered with a ton of patches and pins all trying to cover a belly that has been the container of way to much beer. Lord have mercy we will not mention teeth or the lack thereof.

Harley women? Leathered up ole hags with skin just as rough as the wore out leather jacket, tits that sag under a bra-less tank with nips looking straight down, turkey necks that make real turkeys ashamed of the association, tight shirts that emphasize every fat roll and jeans digging in  like a bean pole under a mushroom cloud all overwritten with sexy slogans that no one, not even the wearer believes.

No wonder the 20 or 30 somethings are afraid to grow into us. My wife and i were looking at some pictures of a harley couple younger than us getting drunk and wild a bike rally and we said, damn they look like hell!

My sympathies.  You are blessed with the gift of excellent eyesight as well as a memory unclouded by many multiples of adult beverages.     Reading your post reminded me of reading EasyRiders in the 60s-70s to look at the pictures of the 20 year old versions of the wimmens you describe now.

The 2 dozen or so helmet stickers of sometimes intimate personal expression are also regulation.   

Yeah we may be old but as long as we can fog a mirror & throw a leg over a saddle, we aren't dead.  Even though we may look like it.  Have noticed the aging of bike rally attendees.  More wrinkles, less hair, & what hair there is is grayer as each year passes.  The young whippersnappers mosly figure it will never catch up with them.  No reason to burst their bubbles.

A very good post read Dr.D, all in all. 

[Fired00d]

Well I'm older than 48 and I'm not yet dead.  But I own both Harley's and Cadillac's (and Corvettes and various other toys), so I'm not sure what that makes me....   

Careful now... some might say you are privileged and didn't work for what you have... just sayin'.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[SBB]

Careful now... some might say you are privileged and didn't work for what you have... just sayin'.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

Anyone that would make an assumption like that would have to be a ignorant dumb ass.
The world is full of them. They are usually the people that have never worked for anything but complain because others have.

SBB

[SBB]

We have rules of posting on the site newbie. You need to read them and respect them.
Maybe after you've been here a few years and know people in person you've earned the right to be rude on occasion but with 42 posts under your belt, you're pushing it. Read the site dude. You won't find people with 10,000 posts going after me personally because I question a post they make.

B B

Good post! Reminds me of a site member everyone thought was maladjusted, pompous and arrogant with their post.
Then we got to meet that person. It's tough to really know someone until you meet them.
Good person, good man and had that twinkle in their eye when they posted.
Sitting behind a keyboard you don't see the smile on the other  persons face as they are typing.
That is why attendance at a GTG is so much fun!


SBB

[03Lightningrocks]

Good post! Reminds me of a site member everyone thought was maladjusted, pompous and arrogant with their post.
Then we got to meet that person. It's tough to really know someone until you meet them.
Good person, good man and had that twinkle in their eye when they posted.
Sitting behind a keyboard you don't see the smile on the other  persons face as they are typing.
That is why attendance at a GTG is so much fun!


SBB

I agree. I have been a member on a site for a local club. It was funny how nice everyone who met each other were. Once you meet a person and spend time with them, you seem to read their comments more favorably. It is difficult for me at times due to my very dry sense of humor. Once people meet me they realize this and take my humor in stride.

[FlaHeatWave]

'Coming off trail / dirt bikes when I was a kid, I decided I wanted a street bike when I was 19-20, (working 2-3 jobs) 'rode all the big bikes of the time (BMW R900 (what an ill handling pos!) Honda 750s, Triumph twins & triples, Kaw triples, Z-1s, KZ 1000s, the poster of the soon to be released XLCR Café Sportster really got my interest up for HD, man what a badass looking bike! So I started checking out Shovels (mostly chopped to some degree), Sportsters and settled on a '76 Sporty in July of '76 (a Navy guy wrecked it, cosmetic damage only, with about 350 miles on it) because it handled extremely well for a liter bike, sounded great when I put the drag pipes / jetted the Zenith, and had plenty of go, would outrun most all the cages of the day to the ton, and would powershift 2nd every time .

Remember, Harley (AMF) couldn't give HDs away in the face of the Japanese onslaught of technology and "You meet the nicest people on a Honda"? Later HD petitioned the Fed for an import tariff, remember the 700s?

After taking any girl, for a spin on the Sporty, I instantly got "lucky"

Out of the hundreds of folks in my local (predominantly HD) riding community, I am the only one that is active on any HD forums, so I feel that we are just a very small cross section of the demographic.

I see tons of younger riders on HDs, a lot of them Military / former Military, mostly on "murdered out" SGs

I guess that what I was really saying was that Harley (then AMF) attracted a younger rider (me) back in the 70s... 

   

[smkymtnboy]

Anyone that would make an assumption like that would have to be a ignorant dumb ass.
The world is full of them. They are usually the people that have never worked for anything but complain because others have.

SBB dead on, brother!

[JakeyL.]

Newbie checking in...  This reminds me of "the old days" when I was active in a cycle world forum.  Back then it was an all out war.  Forums weren't as specific, so you had the metric guys talkin chit about the "American iron" guys, and vice versa.  Anyway, we had a meet-up where a handful of different guys and bikes showed up... No real invite, just anyone with balls decided to be present... Long sory short:  our love of riding and two wheeled machines ruled the day.   We found that what we had in common far outweighed our differences..  I made some lifelong friends...  Anyway, now I'm rambling.  Carry on.

[gemectigizoint]

Take kindly the counsel of years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. That's one reason I own my CVO FLTRXE.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[Dr.D]

Good post! Reminds me of a site member everyone thought was maladjusted, pompous and arrogant with their post.
Then we got to meet that person. It's tough to really know someone until you meet them.
Good person, good man and had that twinkle in their eye when they posted.
Sitting behind a keyboard you don't see the smile on the other  persons face as they are typing.
That is why attendance at a GTG is so much fun!


SBB

I belong to a private cigar club and after posting for a few years I went to one of their get togethers. After meeting them I had one guy tell me I was much more intelligent than i appeared on line. I do put on the idiot just for fun and enjoy playing the dumb hillbilly.

[smkymtnboy]

I belong to a private cigar club and after posting for a few years I went to one of their get togethers. After meeting them I had one guy tell me I was much more intelligent than i appeared on line. I do put on the idiot just for fun and enjoy playing the dumb hillbilly.

well, in my case i am not playing the dumb hillbilly. i really am the dumb hillbilly! its not all bad. i do have a very nice motorcicle or is it motorcycle... it will set the tars on far!! sorry, i meant tires. lol!

[Harley Guy]

Average age of a HD rider is 48.

Average age of a Cadillac owner is dead

Over average guy for me

[ultrarider123]

I belong to a private cigar club and after posting for a few years I went to one of their get togethers. After meeting them I had one guy tell me I was much more intelligent than i appeared on line. I do put on the idiot just for fun and enjoy playing the dumb hillbilly.

Would that be at Smokey's place, Doc?  That's a nice cigar club.  Smokey's...the only place in K'ville with a great all around stick selection.

And bie da weigh, ain't nuttin rong wit be'n a healbilly......

[Dr.D]

Would that be at Smokey's place, Doc?  That's a nice cigar club.  Smokey's...the only place in K'ville with a great all around stick selection.

And bie da weigh, ain't nuttin rong wit be'n a healbilly......

No not Smokey's it is online by invitation only. I could get killed if I mentioned the super secret name.

[Dr.D]

Saw a small group of young harley riders this weekend and asked what they were doing on the old mans bikes. We had a nice conversation, nice bunch of young folks.

I think HD will be ok because all these young crotch rocket riders will get older and tired of the little screamers and mature into the comfy cruisers.

[Panhead_Jimmy]

Bloomberg Business, 8/11/2015:

“Honestly,” says Harley-Davidson Chief Marketing Officer Mark Hans-Richer, “we sell new bikes to guys in their 80s all the time.”

[2smoke]

If you look at other brands, there are some really fun and exciting bikes out there that target newbies and younger riders.  Honda's CB and CBR 500 are fine bikes that look cool and are bargain priced.  Any of you check out the KTM RC 390?  Talk about setting the hook!  And there is a race class dedicated to this bike that is all about getting new riders into racing and track day events. Just plain genius!  How about the Yamaha FZ07 and FZ09?  Really cool bikes at a price point that doesn't require the buyer to sell his or her soul to get one.  A local dealer has brand new FZ09 models for $7500.  That is a 108 HP bike that can do sub-11 second quarter miles off the showroom floor!!!  I want one! My point is, if you want to attract new riders, you have to make a bike new riders want to buy.  They are out there big time.  Just not made by H-D. 

[Dr.D]

If you look at other brands, there are some really fun and exciting bikes out there that target newbies and younger riders.  Honda's CB and CBR 500 are fine bikes that look cool and are bargain priced.  Any of you check out the KTM RC 390?  Talk about setting the hook!  And there is a race class dedicated to this bike that is all about getting new riders into racing and track day events. Just plain genius!  How about the Yamaha FZ07 and FZ09?  Really cool bikes at a price point that doesn't require the buyer to sell his or her soul to get one.  A local dealer has brand new FZ09 models for $7500.  That is a 108 HP bike that can do sub-11 second quarter miles off the showroom floor!!!  I want one! My point is, if you want to attract new riders, you have to make a bike new riders want to buy.  They are out there big time.  Just not made by H-D.

Young people get old and things change. If they survive the triple digit days of motorcycling they will slow down and maybe want a geezer glide. I have a buddy that has been riding Harleys for decades and his Harley is slowing way down. I have to wait on his old ass all the time now.

[North Georgia Hawg]

This is one of the most entertaining threads I've read in a long time. Lots of interesting posts here.

If the MoCo feels they need to attract younger riders, they are going about it all WRONG. The Street line isn't going to do it... Not with all of the much-faster, much-more-reliable, and MUCH-lower-priced offerings in the market these days. I've never been a crotch-rocket guy - but those things do move a lot of younger riders to buy them. They are very fast, they handle incredibly, and are are a lot of fun when you're in your 20s and 30s - not to mention a LOT more affordable.

The numerous quality issues notwithstanding, with Harley's "real" bikes now priced at stratospheric levels, and CVOs at a simply ludicrous price point - I have a difficult time understanding how the MoCo is going to continue making much profit off of them, in this continuing difficult economic environment. It basically comes down to moving enough of them to recoup the manufacturing investment, at acceptable prices. Hence, their relentless focus on cost control over innovation... but I think that will turn out at some point to be a zero-sum game. They will continue to lose customers because they are selling what is essentially an early-20th century engine design, and decorating the bikes with increasingly fussy and unreliable electronic gadgetry in an attempt to compensate (no pun intended) for their very weak engine designs and cost-focused manufacturing mindset, here 15 years into the 21st century.

But let's face it... They make a LOT more profit on their logo licensing, their clothing lines, their service departments (no further comment) and their P&A than they do on the bikes themselves. And for whatever reason, people continue to buy into the Harley mystique - perhaps for no other reason than just wanting to feel like a bad ass by owning one.

Ken