New HD model introduced

[jasnmar]

True, but it wasn't a "Harley" (I mean I know it was, but it wasn't in the same "class" as the Harley cruisers). It was different enough to not be classified the same.

[SVRACER01]

Wirelessly posted (GS3)

I think some of you may be surprised.

[jasnmar]

I hope you're right. Let's not confuse dealers "updating" their fleet of "training bikes", which is sure to happen, with customer sales before we decide.

Honestly I really want this to be a success. I really want Honda to introduce something that I think the general public (in the US) would like as well. I don't see any offering that fits that bill from Honda or Harley. I'd be happy to be wrong.

[Garandman]

I think some of you may be surprised.

What does that mean? That the Street 750 is successful in the US sales, or that they are used successfully for new rider courses? What constitutes sales success for that model?

Supposedly they are available this quarter.

[TheIglu]

The Blast sold...

Yeah. And that was a complete shitbox.

People will buy a name, we've known that for a long time. I'm sure these will sell without doing anything better than any other middleweights.

[nhbubba]

Most of the sub ~1000cc cruisers on the (US) market these days are really, really meh. It is a very low bar.

[Qfactor]

Is there any information as to whether Harley will include this model into their rental programs?

Oxx?

Q

[McBiggity]

I believe they will. Not sure on timeframe. The dealers that have a Riding Academy will be the first to get the new bikes both for the Academy fleet and for sales.

[mikeb]

The Sportster was always concidered Harly's "starter" bike won't this just cut sales of that model. Is there really a big difference between these and a sporty?

[LXnastynotch93]

That the shadow hasn't, Harley is all about buying an image not a bike and this image won't sell imho. I'll applaud then for the effort don't get me wrong I just don't see it taking off.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Exactly. No one cares about the bike, they care about being in the Harley club.

This is evident because the bikes are way overpriced for what you get. I don't understand how people get suckered in to financing a $16,000 bike that gets out performed by everything in it's class.

[nhbubba]

Which model cost $16k and what out performs it?

The $18k Road King are one helluva nice touring bike and compare very nicely with the $20k Honda F6B, depending on what your criteria are. Electra Glide undercuts the full-boat 'Wing too.

I used to believe that was true; the Harley club thing. I am coming around though. Their products have improved substantially over the last decade.. and I'm sure my tastes are changing too.

[mzdagrl]

I think you guys are missing out on the fact that this bike is going to sell huge to women (the fastest growing segment of riders out there). There are plenty of women out there who won't get a bike at all because they will only get a Harley and they are too heavy to start on. I met a few women in my BRC who wanted Harleys and ended up getting Shadows or Boulevards because they could get them smaller and/or cheaper, and a few who got Harley Sportsters and were not comfortable enough at the end of the course to actually ride them. A 5' tall woman really doesn't want a 600+lb monster for her first bike. The 500/750 options will be great for those people. They get to buy the image without scaring their panties off. Harley may do a lot of things wrong, but marketing is NOT one of those things. This is just another instance of the company listening to what it's customers want and acting accordingly. It may not be what we all see as useful, but I think these will do just fine in the States.

[gixxer72]

Exactly. No one cares about the bike, they care about being in the Harley club.

This is evident because the bikes are way overpriced for what you get. I don't understand how people get suckered in to financing a $16,000 bike that gets out performed by everything in it's class.

Is that the same situation for everyone who buys a sportbike? They want to be part of the Bikerboyz club? Narrow thinking. By outperformed do you mean beaten in acceleration and lap times? That is just not what the Harley is about.

Granted, a shit-ton of Harley riders are clowns who dress like pirates and act like assholes. But I'd say a lot of Harley riders (just like a lot of other brand riders) do care about the bike. I've ridden at least a dozen Harley's and with the exception of the Sportsters I could see myself owning any of them. And I've owned nothing but sport bikes for the last 25 years.

If it was in my budget a 2014 street glide would be in the garage right now...(btw no new bikes are in my current budget unfortunately)

[PhilB]

Exactly. No one cares about the bike, they care about being in the Harley club.

This is evident because the bikes are way overpriced for what you get. I don't understand how people get suckered in to financing a $16,000 bike that gets out performed by everything in it's class.

Because performance isn't the criterion they are interested in. If you're looking to a sportbike, performance is a critical measure, and price/performance is relevant. If you're looking to a cruiser, performance is a minor measure; look, sound, comfort, lower speed ride characteristics, all matter more. In any bike, build quality, fit and finish, and materials may be relevant to a rider. I'm not a cruiser guy by nature, but if I was, I'd be more likely to buy an H-D than a metric cruiser, even for more money, because the fit and finish are superior, and the materials are superior. I'd want a bike made more of metal, and less of plastic, for example.

Your question is kind of like saying "I don't understand how people get suckered in to financing a $40,000 pickup truck when you can get faster pickup trucks for cheaper." The guy buying the pickup probably doesn't (and shouldn't) be thinking about speed and handling on the twisties as the top criteria for his pickup.

PhilB

[LXnastynotch93]

For instance, you can go buy a V-Rod or a Diavel for similar money. Or you can spend a little more and get a V-Max. You can go buy a Fat Bob, or you can get a Thunderbird Storm. You can buy an Electra Glide Ultra, or get a Goldwing. I think too many people buy HD's to be "in the club", but that doesn't mean EVERYONE who buys an HD does it for that reason. I also think a lot of people have friends with HD's, or maybe know HD's because that's really all they see. So they go get an HD without really evaluating their options.

If I were to buy a cruiser right now it would be between a Thunderbird Storm or a Fat Bob. Who knows, maybe I would be suckered into the HD. I took my MSF course at an HD dealership and I really liked the Fat Bob. At the end of the day I guess you gotta pick the one you like, but there are probably many HD owners who would be happier on a different bike, and don't even know it because they didn't try anything else.

[G21forme]

Because performance isn't the criterion they are interested in. If you're looking to a sportbike, performance is a critical measure, and price/performance is relevant. If you're looking to a cruiser, performance is a minor measure; look, sound, comfort, lower speed ride characteristics, all matter more. In any bike, build quality, fit and finish, and materials may be relevant to a rider. I'm not a cruiser guy by nature, but if I was, I'd be more likely to buy an H-D than a metric cruiser, even for more money, because the fit and finish are superior, and the materials are superior. I'd want a bike made more of metal, and less of plastic, for example.

Your question is kind of like saying "I don't understand how people get suckered in to financing a $40,000 pickup truck when you can get faster pickup trucks for cheaper." The guy buying the pickup probably doesn't (and shouldn't) be thinking about speed and handling on the twisties as the top criteria for his pickup.

PhilB

How can you puff your chest at the broken spoke on an 883? while I agree they technically don't care about the performance I do think the average hd buyer cares about the on paper performance cu wise so everyone knows how far they can piss.

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[Rosco61]

Ive had a lot of motorcycles and have ridden lot's of miles. If you had a few thousand miles under your wheels with your wife/girlfriend on a Road glide or any of their touring rigs you would be singing a different tune. I used to think they sucked too.
Don't knock it until you have some experience cruising on one for a bit. The touring rigs are awesome.

[Tunertype]

Which model cost $16k and what out performs it?

The $18k Road King are one helluva nice touring bike and compare very nicely with the $20k Honda F6B, depending on what your criteria are. Electra Glide undercuts the full-boat 'Wing too.

I used to believe that was true; the Harley club thing. I am coming around though. Their products have improved substantially over the last decade.. and I'm sure my tastes are changing too.

No doubt the full sized touring Harley's are good bikes for what they do. I always thought the Gold wing was on another level. Like the most "luxury" touring bike you can get period. I don't think the Electra has reverse or as good wind protection, ducted engine heaters, seat heaters, sat nav touch screen stereo and an after market that is dedicated to touring.

[nhbubba]

You're seriously going to cite aftermarket support as a ding against a Harley?!?

[Garandman]

[SVRACER01]

What does that mean? That the Street 750 is successful in the US sales, or that they are used successfully for new rider courses? What constitutes sales success for that model?

Supposedly they are available this quarter.

i think it will be more successful than people think. if i had to guess, i would say we wont see them until august. but i could be wrong

Yeah. And that was a complete shitbox.

People will buy a name, we've known that for a long time. I'm sure these will sell without doing anything better than any other middleweights.

true. there is something in a name. but even if only sells half as good as the metric counterparts thats still sales taken from them

Is there any information as to whether Harley will include this model into their rental programs?

Oxx?

Q

i cant speak for rental programs as every dealer/rental division is different. i believe we rent sportsters so i dont see why they would do at least a 750

The Sportster was always concidered Harly's "starter" bike won't this just cut sales of that model. Is there really a big difference between these and a sporty?

Exactly. No one cares about the bike, they care about being in the Harley club.

This is evident because the bikes are way overpriced for what you get. I don't understand how people get suckered in to financing a $16,000 bike that gets out performed by everything in it's class.

HDs dont typically get outperformed by anything in its class since there are very few bikes in the metric field that are in their class (from a touring standpoint). yes they are expensive, but rightfully so. fit and finish is top notch. i think $9-10k for a metric dirtbike is insane for something youre going to throw on the ground or crash into a tree

I think you guys are missing out on the fact that this bike is going to sell huge to women (the fastest growing segment of riders out there). There are plenty of women out there who won't get a bike at all because they will only get a Harley and they are too heavy to start on. I met a few women in my BRC who wanted Harleys and ended up getting Shadows or Boulevards because they could get them smaller and/or cheaper, and a few who got Harley Sportsters and were not comfortable enough at the end of the course to actually ride them. A 5' tall woman really doesn't want a 600+lb monster for her first bike. The 500/750 options will be great for those people. They get to buy the image without scaring their panties off. Harley may do a lot of things wrong, but marketing is NOT one of those things. This is just another instance of the company listening to what it's customers want and acting accordingly. It may not be what we all see as useful, but I think these will do just fine in the States.

i agree with all of this except the bold print. nail on the head.

Because performance isn't the criterion they are interested in. If you're looking to a sportbike, performance is a critical measure, and price/performance is relevant. If you're looking to a cruiser, performance is a minor measure; look, sound, comfort, lower speed ride characteristics, all matter more. In any bike, build quality, fit and finish, and materials may be relevant to a rider. I'm not a cruiser guy by nature, but if I was, I'd be more likely to buy an H-D than a metric cruiser, even for more money, because the fit and finish are superior, and the materials are superior. I'd want a bike made more of metal, and less of plastic, for example.

Your question is kind of like saying "I don't understand how people get suckered in to financing a $40,000 pickup truck when you can get faster pickup trucks for cheaper." The guy buying the pickup probably doesn't (and shouldn't) be thinking about speed and handling on the twisties as the top criteria for his pickup.

PhilB

exactly

Ive had a lot of motorcycles and have ridden lot's of miles. If you had a few thousand miles under your wheels with your wife/girlfriend on a Road glide or any of their touring rigs you would be singing a different tune. I used to think they sucked too.
Don't knock it until you have some experience cruising on one for a bit. The touring rigs are awesome.

i was in the same place. even when i started working at an HD dealer. "HDs are junk" was my motto. it didnt take long to realize that when you stop looking at them from a typical sportbike/performance standpoint and veiw them for what they are, they are fantastic bikes. i did the SS1000 on a road glide ultra, the wife and i went niagara and back on the same bike. rented an electra glide in LV for a day. i even rented one for a blast up to bar harbor with the wife for lunch one day.

No doubt the full sized touring Harley's are good bikes for what they do. I always thought the Gold wing was on another level. Like the most "luxury" touring bike you can get period. I don't think the Electra has reverse or as good wind protection, ducted engine heaters, seat heaters, sat nav touch screen stereo and an after market that is dedicated to touring.

no reverse. frankly, if you need reverse on a bike then buy a fucking car or a trike. everything else youre off base on. wind protection is second to none, especially with the new '14s fairing. heated seats are avail from HD and standard on their CVO touring models. sat nav with touch screen is standard on select models this year along with bluetooth and ipod control standard on all bikes with radios. heated engine ducts? really? buy a miata. also there is more aftermarket avail for HD than probably any other brand. come by the shop and ill hit you with just one catalog. when you wake up ill hit you with a different one.

You're seriously going to cite aftermarket support as a ding against a Harley?!?

ya, theres too much to choose from

bottom line, in general HD knows what they are doing. they sold over 260k units worldwide last year. when you consider that they only make 1 product in 5 different flavors (6 now) and the fact that theres lots of motorcycle popular countries that HD cant sell bikes in...thats a lot of fucking new bikes. i predict with the new bikes and availability of new markets opening up to them from this bike, sales will only increase.

[LXnastynotch93]

Maybe I should test ride a Fat Bob then...

[SVRACER01]

ive heard a fat bob is good handling bike.
you should try a road king

[nhbubba]

...they only make 1 product in 5 different flavors (6 now)...

What do you mean by that?

Sportster, V-Rod (and these street things), Dyna, Softail, and whatever-Glide.. That seems like 5 different products. Each has flavors within. Some (okay, plenty) of overlap between some of those products. But they stand alone reasonably well, no?

I hear over and over again that an ElectraGlide is nothing remotely like a Dyna or Softail to ride. I've always considered the Dyna a cruiser and the 'Glide a tourer. The geometry and chassis is pretty radically different, isn't it?

I'm not a cruiser fan in the least. And I think the V-Rod is silly. But HD has my attention with their touring bikes. I think that speaks volumes with respect to their goals of widening their audience and market saturation.

[SVRACER01]

i meant that they make motorcycles. street bikes. big ones (CC wise). honda makes everything from 50cc to 1800cc and dont forget that includes dirt bikes and ATVs.
i consider the streets to be a new family. i dont think HD is considering them part of the v rod family. so yes, all the "families" are different. none of them share the same chassis. the engines are the same in the dyna, softail and touring bikes, but not how they are mounted in the frame. for example, touring bikes have rubber mounted engines to reduce vibes and softails are rigid mounted but the engine is counterbalanced to reduce vibes
so 6 families
-v-rod
-touring
-dyna
-sportster
-softail
-street