HAPPY BIRTHDAY fuckerQuote:
Originally posted by PinHead
I like peaches :drool:
I could eat em all day ;)
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY fuckerQuote:
Originally posted by PinHead
I like peaches :drool:
I could eat em all day ;)
I've seen plenty of youngsters starting on cruisers. HD's are expensive but if you could find HD's for the same price as sportbikes I bet you even see more youngsters on HD's. I was at Sturgis this Summer and there were all types & ages. The crowd was generally older though and I think that's because you generally have more expendable cash when you're older. It's unbelievable the brand-loyalty of HOG's...never seen anything like it. Sure the sales are down (on everything HD, not just bikes) but down from what? They ain't starving.
Rode a softail & roadking for the two weeks I was out there. I had a blast on those rides. Would I buy one? Dunno, would have to own about 3-4 other bikes first (dirt-bike, track-bike, streetfighter, sport-tourer) but it wouldn't suck owning an HD.
+1Quote:
Originally posted by LuvDog
I first got on the street in my early 20s.
The first bike I bought was a cruiser... a Suzuki Intruder 800.
If I could have afforded a H-D. I would have bought one.
The other guys I rode with mostly rode cruisers... the ones who didn't care about debt got H-D's.
We were all around the same age 22-24.
Eventually, I sold the cruiser for my ZX6... then a 6R and now my 7R.
I still like H-D and other cruisers and I'll most likely add a Fat Boy to the garage some day.
I hope you're right and the HD craze dies down... maybe the prices will drop.
My first ride was a custom harley chopper when I was 3.....I only rode on it
In HS/College I owned a CBR
When we moved to FL my wife wanted a bike so we bought an '01' Intruder 800........ why?
it was basically a HD knockoff-
low to the ground, easy to handle, comfortable
custom chrome pipes that raised the DB level quite a bit....
more chrome spots here and there
custom soft bags, gel seat, blah blah blah
the best part was it was under $6k almost NEW
12,ooo miles later she wants a sportbike, so it is for sale ! and looks almost as good as the day we bought it....
$3200 takes her away.....
To answer your original question - I know of one person who bought an 883 sportster as a 1st bike. Everyone else I know started out on older japanesse standards/cruisers or sportbikes.
I predict that the entire motrcycle industry will not have the same level of new rider growth seen in recent years due to a softening economy. (I also believe that more people will start to ride scooters in urban areas as gas prices rise.)
As far as younger people starting out with an HD, I don't think it is common because the bike is very expensive compared to other suitable bikes. But, I think if money was a non-issue, there would be more young people choosing an HD or custom for their first motorcycle.
Quote:
Originally posted by benVFR
How many people here are in their 20s or 30s and know a significant number of riders who have gotten into the H-D craze as young riders?