Hydroboy35th Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Yea, got to give them credit for that. First to go with fuel injection, water cooling and built in nav.I never said they were innovative, I said they were original. The only reason Japanese cruisers exist is because Harley sells so many of them. All Japanese companies do is "copy" everybody else's products and sells them at a cheaper price. Think Lexus & Acura, they are wanna be cheaper versions of BMW & Mercedes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 I never said they were innovative, I said they were original. The only reason Japanese cruisers exist is because Harley sells so many of them. All Japanese companies do is "copy" everybody else's products and sells them at a cheaper price. Think Lexus & Acura, they are wanna be cheaper versions of BMW & Mercedes. Very true, they created the bike market pretty much worldwide for the common man. But that doesn't make them original. That makes them very good at manufacturing, cost control and marketing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 All Japanese companies do is "copy" everybody else's products and sells them at a cheaper price. Think Lexus & Acura, they are wanna be cheaper versions of BMW & Mercedes.Really? Which harley model is the blackbird based on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kritz Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 ^Tour Glide Classic in Vivid black 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydroboy35th Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Really? Which harley model is the blackbird based on?We're talking cruisers. not sportbikes, not dirtbikes, not iPods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccrory Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Very true, they created the bike market pretty much worldwide for the common man. But that doesn't make them original. That makes them very good at manufacturing, cost control and marketing. To me, "Heritage" and "Tradition" are HD code words for not having to innovate because they feel that CUSTOMERS OWE THEM RESPECT for stuff they did 50 years ago. They've over-tuned and over-specialized their customer experience. It's brilliant actually, except Indian is now eating into both of those claims (Indian was right there when Harley got started and inspired a lot of HD's models). Furthermore their highly-tuned customer base is dying off and Harley knows it - there are only so many greybeards with $15-30k to drop on a new bike and another $5-10k on accessories and clothing when cheaper, more capable, better-performing and more broadly-appealing bikes are available from others. Where's their sports bike? Their ADV bike? Their cafe racer? Their scrambler? Their dirt bike? Something for young kids to start with? They didn't have to address any of that in the past because they've been allowed to coast by their faithful. I think HD is smacking their established customer core with a cue ball because they're realizing that the world is changing. Water cooling, an electric bike, a 500 and 750 made in India, more tech in their flagship cruisers - all point to a brand new era for HD. Putting that to their customer base all at once is veritable shock-and-awe! Even if HD is successful with half of their new moves, it'll still shake up expectations. They'll lose some customers because of it, but they will get others to replace the fold. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 We're talking cruisers. not sportbikes, not dirtbikes, not iPods.Look at the line I quoted, you said "All Japanese companies do is..." when clearly you are wrong, for better or worse the Japanese have done more engineering and innovation in the last generation of motorcycles than harley has done in the past 50 years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokey Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 I never said they were innovative, I said they were original. The only reason Japanese cruisers exist is because Harley sells so many of them. All Japanese companies do is "copy" everybody else's products and sells them at a cheaper price. Think Lexus & Acura, they are wanna be cheaper versions of BMW & Mercedes. Yeah, they are called less expensive yet overall better machines......and yes I am referring to Lexus and Acura vs BMW and Benz too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodninja420 Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Yeah, they are called less expensive yet overall better machines......and yes I am referring to Lexus and Acura vs BMW and Benz too.Maybe if you value long term reliability above all else. But if you value the driving experience, Lexus doesn't have anything on the Bimmer. Grandpa car, in my opinion.Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydroboy35th Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 AKIRA, my best advice to you is to join HDforum or some other Harley forum. The guys there are more mature & more likely to help you out instead of criticizing something you like for 21 pages. There are way too many haters and ricer boyz on their "crotch rockets" round here. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 AKIRA, my best advice to you is to join HDforum or some other Harley forum. The guys there are more mature & more likely to help you out instead of criticizing something you like for 21 pages. There are way too many haters and ricer boyz on their "crotch rockets" round here.LoL it's called a sport bike, the crotch rocket is in my pants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Butters Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 AKIRA, my best advice to you is to join HDforum or some other Harley forum. The guys there are more mature & more likely to help you out instead of criticizing something you like for 21 pages. There are way too many haters and ricer boyz on their "crotch rockets" round here.Annnnnnd here comes the butthurt... Feel free to log out if you don't like it here... Oh let me rephrase... "aaarrrgh matey, if ye don't like it here, feel free to sail off and pound sand" With all due respect and shit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kritz Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 (edited) Sounds like you're a hater of certain brands yourself Hydro Edited June 20, 2014 by Kritz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyDuty Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 (edited) Let’s say you’re on the road thousands of miles from home and you discover a problem with your bike how long would it take you to find a dealer and get it to them how long would it take them to get the parts you need and get you back on the road would they give you a loner for a few hours to run around on until they got your bike back on the road? There is a lot more to Harley loyalty them most of you know. Edited June 20, 2014 by HeavyDuty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Butters Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Pretty sure there's just as many Honda dealers by me as there are HD dealerships... Heck, there's one company here that owns one of both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Butters Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Or a Ducati 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 HD is right. Don't matter what part you need. Every Harley dealer in America has it in stock and every employee in those dealers will drop everything to get you going. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiomike Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 HaHa, no hate here....lol Its not even like 'to each his own; but rather `if you don't ride what we ride your shit sucks'. You all prove my point repeatedly, and thats just plain a bullshit attitude whether you ride one brand or the other. And don't go and say its just all playing around, many of you know you're in full hate mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 (edited) Fellas, this isn't a, as some of you say, a "crotchrocket" forum, it's a motorcycle forum, but when you come on here bragging about how great HD is, you better expect some pushback. These boys here aren't "bikers", they are motorcyclists, and realists. I have friends that have drank the kool-aid and constantly give me shit for riding an FZ. They say the same tired, stupid shit like, when are you gonna get a real mans bike and wonder why I want to sweat in leathers on a hot day. Then I tell them they are stupid poser fags on grandpa bikes and they laugh and ride off to the bar where they pretend to be badasses. Now, I'm not saying every HD rider is a drunken pirate, what I will say is that I will ride with a fully geared sport bike rider over a pirate on a Harley or any other bike, any day.That shit is just gay. Forgot my got damn smiley! Edited June 27, 2014 by max power 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smccrory Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 And don't go and say its just all playing around, many of you know you're in full hate mode. OK, fair 'nuf, let's get realzies then. (For the record, I don't presently own a sport bike - my light ADV rig already gets me close enough to speeding tickets!) ON the upside, I think most Harleys look amazing and I have huge respect for HD's sales figures and their ability to capitalize on their products and market. I've met a lot of great HD owners who are true enthusiasts and they thoroughly enjoy their motorcycles (and often own other brands as well). They're cool and respect others who ride. I really dig those kinds of people, and you are probably that type - I bet we'd get along famously. But yes, you are also right, some of my own poking at the general HD group is serious (though I wouldn't quite call it hate). It's probably not unlike a lot of others giving HD shit. My biggest beef is that I cannot fathom how so many self-purported "rebel-edged independents" can drop ridiculous cash to clique together like high school wannabes, dressing alike in overpriced corporate-approved, foreign-made clothing, and make their bikes as garish and loud as possible to say "looook at meee everybodeee, I'm rebel-fabulous!" I'm amazed with most's disregard for their own safety and I hope they don't have any children, partners or family who would miss them if they died from a simple low-side. Poker runs that include bar stops (or any riding activity that does) are just plain stupid, and I see a 100x more HDs at bars than non-HDs, so there's something in that culture that promotes unnecessarily risky behavior. "Fallen Rider" rides are even more stupid when they're in memory of someone dying from rotten rider judgement. And don't get me started on how the majority of HD riders view women - it's cavemanesque and disgusting. All of it is so incredibly non-self-aware. It wouldn't be so bad if the group was cognizant of their own hipocricy and didn't puff up at every opportunity to regurgitate the same "rice burner," "real man-'s bike" bullcrap to anyone outside of their clique, but they do. Like I said, you are probably quite different and my apologies if I or others wrongly lump you or anyone else into the stereotype - that mistake is on us. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydroboy35th Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 My step-mother rides a Harley. Take that for what it's worth. (bikes for women)And my wife rides a Monster soooo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kritz Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Oh come on it's not that big 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiomike Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 OK, fair 'nuf, let's get realzies then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiomike Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Guess I screwed that reply up....so here's what I wanted to say- Realzies huh,,,lol. that some funny chit. I jump in the hd riders shit when they get going about sportbikes or bikes other than hd's. All that is plain bs. My siggy explains how I feel about it. I'll ride with whoever whatever bike they ride, makes no dif to me....as long as they slow down enough for me to keep up....lol. And there are some here, like you, who don't seem to care what another man rides either. We all do it because we love to ride. If I see a biker on the side of the road broke down, I stop. And honestly, if they would have had some of these sportbikes back when I started riding I would probably have had one. Now I couldn't get up on one and be comfortable if I wanted to, so I ride what some like to call a 'couch'. Just riding, enjoying the scenery, the smells of the outdoors, and to get the f@#& away from the madness. And I enjoy watching some of the sportbike riders videos as well as hearing of some of their escapades. Pretty cool if they're not endangering...but that goes for the cruiser riders too. Guess I'm just gettin old, expectin people to get along and all that....lol. I appreciate your honesty smccrory, it seems to be a rare thing anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 Reminder, I hate all of you. Power Rump Rangers and Pirate Fags....Don't matter. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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