Admittedly, some of this stuff is hard to read. I'll do my best to try and explain.
My first cycle was a 2002 Honda VTX 1800C that I bought off my uncle (he bought it new). He put 18k miles on the bike without a single issue before he sold it to me. I owned it for 5 years before trading it in on my 13 SERK that I bought last month. In the 5 years that I owned it, I never had any issue with it. Now, I wouldn't really consider the 1800C to be a touring bike, but it had hard bags and a windshield. Thing is - it was liquid-cooled, had dual ABS linked brakes, and a hydraulic clutch. Many of these features are considered "new" for Harley in the last few years. I guess that surprises me a little bit.
The 1800 was an American-made bike - but not by an American company. I know that Harley has never really considered Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki to be competition, and as a result, has been able to do (or not do) whatever they want. If they didn't perceive a big need to introduce a new feature, then they didn't do it. Mechanics rule #1 - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sales translation - if bikes keep selling like hotcakes the way they are, don't substantially change them.
I feel Harley nailed two things that the others really haven't yet - style and culture. The others have tried, and have gained some ground but they still are behind the MoCo in these areas. I think it's because of the styling that HD has and the culture they've helped create that owners are willing to deal with a higher number of issues than other manufacturers. Now, I'm not saying that Harley's have a ton of problems or that the other manufacturers DON'T have their share of issues. People will tend to complain about issues they've dealt within instead of singing the praises of something that they don't have any issues with.
So, getting back to me - while I loved my VTX in how it rode, performed, and had no issues with it, it did not have the styling that I really wanted. It didn't have the culture behind it that I've wanted to be a part of. That may sound stupid, but I'm just being honest and maybe I'm labeling myself as a fool for such. It's just a little tough to swallow that I will have paid 4 times for that from what I paid for the VTX - and a higher chance of more issues. Will that change my decision or will I get rid of the bike - no way. I'm in it for life. But I feel it's interesting to see the real reasons that can drive us to make "big" decisions like this if we're willing to be honest with ourselves.
Tru