Is Harley-Davidson running out of customers?

[Ernesto]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Harley-Davidson Inc., the U.S. motorcycle maker, insists it isn't nervous.......
But analysts and others who watch the company say it's in the middle of a coming-of-age drama that might be called "Uneasy Rider."
As the Baby Boomers who transformed Harley's rumbling, lumbering bikes from countercultural totems into American icons enter their senior years -- the leading edge of the generation is turning 60 this year -- they're increasingly in the market for knee and hip replacements, not Harley's notoriously bone-shaking bikes.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=reutersEdge&storyID=2006-03-15T165425Z_01_N13178598_RTRUKOC_0_US-LEISURE-HARLEY.xml

[soothsayer]

1. i foresee harley-davidson wheelchairs

[SammyWinstonJack]

52. LOL!

:rofl: Too funny. Invest now!

[Deja Q]

58. And walking frames - that'll put Zimmer out of its monopoly

:D

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

92. The bedpanhead...

:hide:

[valerief]

2. Hey, they've got China and India yet. The US is a graveyard to

corporations now.

[Warpy]

6. They still like to be headquarteredhere

Low taxes.

[valerief]

8. They're not doing something right if they're paying ANY taxes.

Corporations, like really rich people, do not pay taxes. They just say they do.

[Deja Q]

59. And something tells me they won't be liked if they try to move now...

India isn't taking Americans - half of them hate us.

China wouldn't be, obviously...

Corporate leaders are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Many Americans, myself included, will readily forgive them and work with them again; I'm not fussy.

But as they're starting to see, their attempt at globalization is starting to backfire. And not just because of "cultural differences"; many DUers have seen what comes back to America - and it's in a truly sorry state; costs more to FIX. Never mind the politics of the issue; Nixon can be applauded for starting offshoring, but he and nobody since him did nearly enough to make China feel like real allies. Oops.

and I wouldn't be surprised if nuclear-capable India eventually turns on the US as well.

[SammyWinstonJack]

65. The asked for it. Did they actually think that those workers in China

and India would actually be able to buy their products with the wages they pay them? Idiots!

[phantom power]

3. I never really understood the appeal.

I mostly notice them when some yahoo is driving them around and spreading noise pollution. Would it kill them to design a proper muffler?

[ET Awful]

5. They do. The loud ones you hear are usually modified.

The factory bikes aren't all that loud.

[phantom power]

9. Are bikes exempt from muffler laws? I'd be cited if my car was that loud.

[ET Awful]

20. Honestly, I'm not sure what the laws are, BUT, I can tell you that from

the factory, Harleys are not that loud. Louder than a car? Yup, but not that obnoxious roar you hear from modified bikes.

[phantom power]

22. I'm sure I only notice the modified ones. Offensively loud, they are.

[ET Awful]

23. Yup. They are indeed.

But I've also seen some that are quieter than most V8 powered muscle cars.

[Jack from Charlotte]

36. "Potato, Potato, Potato........."

That's the noise a Harley makes. Has to do with the configuration of the cylinders or some such.

[AndyA]

7. AMEN!

Can't stand the loud things. And usually the operator feels like the rules of the road don't apply to them.

[valerief]

10. Thunder should come from the sky, not a motor vehicle.

[leveymg]

11. It's a two-wheel Hummer. Same balding white guy owns both.

The appeal is to conformists with "outlaw" or "death-squad commander" alter-egos. High authoritarian quotients on the Adorno F-scale. "Git outa my way."

[Richard Steele]

13. Bingo! "Same balding white guy owns both".

I live near a popular bar which has 20 of these
machines lined up outside every night...
And the crowd is 99% professionals in the 'high five figure'
bracket who chose a 'hog' as their 'midlife crisis vehicle'.

Dentists, architects and 'junior partners' who hit 40
and suddenly felt the need to spend 35 grand
to play 'dress-up'...in a nice safe neigborhood
where they can get a good 8-dollar Appletini.

[phantom power]

17. At least it's cheaper than a Ferrari :-)

[leveymg]

29. But, at least a Ferrari has curves and doesn't play country music

Dig this tow car/bike combo (scroll right). If you have to experience a mid-life crisis, and need toys, at least let them be tasteful ones. ;)

[Jack from Charlotte]

35. Cool! Nothing like a red Prancing Horse *

*

[leveymg]

37. Did you see what's on the trailer? (Scroll right)

Now, that's a righteous rig. Usually, you'd expect to see a 275GTB/4 on a trailer, not pulling one.

A working horse, not a show pony.

[Jack from Charlotte]

40. No. What bike is that? *

*

[leveymg]

41. It's an MV-Augusta road-racing bike from the same era.

Late '60s. I think I found a picture of the same bike here (scroll down to 2nd photo):

http://www.dropbears.com/m/models/classic/mv.htm

[Blue_Tires]

47. is that Laguna Seca?

[leveymg]

50. Yup. 2004 Monterrey Historic races.

Been there? It's a great ride or drive up from LA along Hwy 101 into Big Sur. Lived in Santa Cruz for a while, too. I just love that whole area.

[Blue_Tires]

51. lol

i just know it from video games and TV---I've never been

[leveymg]

54. If you ever visit the LA or SF area, rent a convertible or a bike

and make the trip along the coast road to the Monterrey Bay area.

Unbelievable. Big Sur.



Or, just rent "Play Misty for Me". Good flick with Clint Eastwood and a Jag XK-140 filmed in Big Sur.

[maxsolomon]

79. you should take architects out of that equation

we generally don't make shit for wages, despite how sexy and non-bald we are.

i'm 42 & i don't have that kind of money. i drive a 15 year old saab & a bicycle.

[Richard Steele]

88. You are probably right, in my experience.

I was a bit worked up when I wrote that,
and just 'shooting from the hip'...sorry.

Truth is, my sweetie works at an architechture firm,
and I should have known better.

'Sexy and non-bald', on the other hand....
Well, since my unfair SMEAR started this,
I guess I owe you a free pass on that one.:D

[sendero]

86. LOL.....

...... yes, over the last few years you can't help but notice it. Legions of "middle-aged" balding/gray potbellied men riding Harleys.

It sucks to lose your youth, but I don't think a motorcycle is going to bring it back.

And as someone who rode for several years when I was young, Harleys are all image and no substance. For actual performance, lack of hand-numbing ass-itching vibration, etc, I'll take a Honda any day :) I understand the folks who are into the "mystique", but IMHO the "mystique" is nothing more or less than picking Levi's over chinos.

[Jack from Charlotte]

38. Those guys remind me of dressing up like a cowboys as a 6 year old.....

They're a bunch of accounts dressing up and playing make believe. I always thought I'd like to wear kakhi slacks a yellow long sleeve shirt with a button down collar with a neck tie. Drive up on a Japanese bike, say a Yammaha and go to one of those Harley bars, drink iced tea and just hang out.

Wonder what the reaction would be?

[leveymg]

43. Treat them right, and they'll do the same.

I used to ride my Honda CB500 around LA in the early '80s. Dressed exactly that way (no tie). Stopped at lots of bikers bars and other seedy joints. Always had a warm welcome and a good time. Kept my ego parked outside at the curb.

Hey, I've ridden Harleys, too. Very comfortable on long rides. Never owned one, though. Aside from Buels, they're just not made to lean over in corners.

[Jack from Charlotte]

72. Ever seen this tee shirt? "If you can read this...the bitch fell off.?" *

*

[leveymg]

73. Had a hat that said the same thing. eom

[SpiralHawk]

61. Bumper sticker: "Nice Hummer. Sorry About Your Penis"

Seen on the streets of Albuquerque

[mitchum]

90. I call those guys members of "Outlaws Ltd."

[Mountainman]

25. The owners change the mufflers to make more noise.

I am a metric bike owner and even metric bikes and have after market mufflers that make loud noise. I wish the cops would enforce the noise laws. I think anything over 14 decibels is against the law.

[LifeDuringWartime]

48. 14 dB?

Points of Reference *measured in dBA or decibels

*

0 The softest sound a person can hear with normal hearing
*

10 normal breathing
*

20 whispering at 5 feet
*

30 soft whisper
*

50 rainfall
*

60 normal conversation
*

110 shouting in ear
*

120 thunder

[Sapere aude]

74. I'm sure I have the DB wrong now sorry

[400Years]

4. most Harley owners these days are faux bikers

who have more in common with the village people than they do with the hell's angels.

[GoneOffShore]

14. I call them the Born to be Mild bunch.

n/t

[400Years]

26. ha ha, good one

[leftofthedial]

12. harley golf carts

like in Sun City

[bottomofthehill]

15. Thats what Buell's are for

[noonwitch]

16. My uncle and cousin have Harleys that aren't overly loud

My cousin had a Kawasaki before he had enough cash to buy a Harley. If I was buying a cycle, and had enough money, I'd get a Harley.

My uncle has one of those jobs that cost twice as much as my car. It is sweet, but it is an old man's bike.

My grandpa had a Harley when he was a teen. He, my uncle and cousin were interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor and the local Traverse City alternative paper a couple of years ago, when HD celebrated their 100th anniversary, because it was 3 generations of Harley owners. Grandpa is 92 and doesn't ride anymore.

[ET Awful]

18. If I had the money, I'd buy a bike with a V-twin engine, but it wouldn't

be a Harley :P

[leveymg]

33. Ducati or MV Augusta? See post 29, above.

[ET Awful]

39. Nah, something more like this

http://www.saxonmotorcycles.com/black_crown.php

:evilgrin:

[leveymg]

49. That would be like riding a giraffe. My arms aren't long enough.

But, then again, one's lower back would probably be just fine after five hours. One can't say the same about riding a bike with low handlebars (clip-ons), like the MV.

Is that a hard-tail? Yer butt might be a bit sore on that saddle with no swing arm and coil-over to absorb the bumps.

To each his own - pick yer poison.

[ET Awful]

69. I just like that classic look, what can I say?

Kind of a nice blend of old and new school.

Believe it or not, it's got a hidden shock rear suspension, so it'll have a much smoother ride than it looks like it would.

I just like the subdued look, not super flashy, but it looks like it'd be a FUN bike :)

[MsUSA]

19. Women are the buyers now......they all want their own bikes.

My husband and I just sold our 3rd and last Harley two years ago......we're into water now, live by the Mississippi river.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

21. Their bikes are WAY too expensive

...and I haven't really trusted them since they tried to sell their souls to AMF. They were too eager to sell out, and they put out a generation of crap bikes. It nearly destroyed them then, and they lost me as a potential customer.

[XOKCowboy]

30. 33Gs for a Ultra Classic Electra Glide

Where do they come up with those names? That's about $90000 more than any other bike in it's class. If you think that for that kind of money you're getting the best bike in the class, you'd be wrong. The Gold Wing and Beemer tourers are faster, more comfortable, have better brakes and offer more features and protection than the HD.

What is funny is that there are people who are into the "mystique" of HD that wouldn't think of buying a better bike and end up paying a premium just to say they ride a Harley.

[DainBramaged]

83. Are you the same type of person who holds a grudge

because the Mustang you owned 35 years ago wasn't perfect, so you swore off anything built in America because you thought everything made in America was crap?

What a shit-ass reason NOT to own a Harley. Dude, grow out of it. It wasn't a "generation" of crap bikes. Look up the history of HD sometime. Oh wait, you believe rice is right. Never mind.

[Maiden England]

24. My husband and I could probably singlehandedly keep them afloat

With the $$$$ we spend at our local dealer.

You buy a bike and it takes over your life. Of course I wouldn't have it any other way

:evilgrin:

[BiggJawn]

27. If they'd drop the price back to 1977 levels...

I was making $18,000 a year then. My Electra-Glide cost me $4100.
Now I make $39,000. Willy G's dealers get $25,000 PLUS for a Dresser.

And what's this "Bone-shaking" bullshit? My bro's Goldwing Aspencade wasn't ONE BIT smoother than my FLH. I had a Honda that made my hands and feet tingle after 30 miles, a short-wheelbased '72 BMW that was a harsh ride, and a '78 KZ-750B that put my nuts to sleep after 15 minutes.

They were wonderfull machines! Oh, I almost forgot-I could get 44 MPG out of mine, so comparing an H-D to a fucking Hummer is bullshit.

I hope it killed the fuckers who boosted it off my front porch those oh-so many years ago.

[DrGonzoLives]

32. The problem is

most people here can't see past the stereotype of a Harley owner, and see them all as souped-up choppers for macho men compensating for small manhood.

[BiggJawn]

53. well, that pretty much describes their current desired demographic.

Yeah, it's not the machine's fault. Law of Supply and Demand. Malcolm Forbes first had H-Ds named Sunday, Monday, Tuesday... Then Leno started buying his, then AHH-Nuld, and woosh, overnight, they found they had a WHOLE new client base, with LOTS of disposable spendage.

"Hell's CEOs", the guys who are all Brooks Brothers M-Th and take Friday off so they can have a presentable chin-scrub for Sunday's run with their trophy-Ol' Lady on the P-Pad...

Women liked my Harley. They'd run over me on my Kawasaki...

[MadHound]

28. Well, if Harley started making a good bike again

Perhaps they would sell more. But the quality of HDs went to hell back in the day when AMF bought them out, and it still hasn't recovered even after all this time out from under AMF. I'll take a fifty year old Harley over a new one any day.

And now, rather being the symbol of rebellion and the open road, they're quickly becoming the symbol of the middle aged yuppie trying in vain to recapture their youth(a youth, ironicly enough where they were either too chicken to ride a Harley, or they couldn't afford one).

One of these days, I'll probably buy an old Harley, back when quality was built in. But you will never catch me on a bike made after 1965, the quality has just gone downhill.

Oh, by the by, for those of you who don't like the sound of a Harely, well, it isn't going to go away. Harley trade marked that sound long ago, and they build each and every bike to make that rumble.

[misternormal]

45. How do they sound like that you might ask???

The cylinders fire on the same turn of the crank, not on opposite ones like the Rice-Burners do.

Just thought someone might like to know.

[Obamanaut]

46. I think the sound is not trademarked. HD abandoned their quest

and decided they had won in the court of public opinion

http://www.wptn.com/back00/tmrk_012_sep00.html

Harley-Davidson of US abandons sound trademark
Customers find engine sound distinctive

Harley-Davidson, the largest motorcycle maker in the US, had decided to abandon its application for registering the distinctive roar of its V-Twin engine as a trademark, after 6 years of facing oppositions. The application filed in 1994, …<snip>

Abandoning the application to register the trademark, the Company has reasoned that, "If our customers know the sound cannot be imitated, that good enough for ... Harley-Davidson."

[KansDem]

60. Hmmm. Thanks for this information!

I listened to a radio program a few years ago (I think it was on NPR) that talked about trademarked sounds. If I remember correctly, there are only about 19 or so sounds that are trademarked. Apparently, it is extremely difficult to do so.

The program stated that Harley-Davidson had trademarked it's motorcycle sound. Other trademarked sounds included the MGM lion roar and the NBC chimes.

I must have heard the program incorrectly, though.

An afterthought: I googled and found this:

Harley's Roar May Become Trademark

The roar of the famous Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine may become a trademark according to company officials. "harley has ... likened the sound made by its V-twin engines to music, "sweeter than you'll hear from any stereo." One of its more inspired ads claimed that Harley's engines produced " the most famous song (song?) since the national anthem."

According to this article anything which is "...capable of identifying the source of goods and services can be a trademark. It can be a design, a word, a number or, yes, even a sound. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, 23 sounds have been trademarked. The most famous are the NBC chimes and the roar made by the MGM lion."

The key requirement of a trademark is "... that it be distinctive, that it not be capable of being mistaken for another trademark. Distinctiveness will be key to Harley's argument in support of its trademark application."

Note: If you want to hear the Harley sound you can download it from their web page: http://www.hd-stamford.com/hd.html

Look for the image of a speaker in the background field and click on it to play the roar of a Harley motorcycle.

http://interact.uoregon.edu/MEDIALIT/wfae/ecoacoustics/summary05.html

I sit corrected...

[Obamanaut]

75. A short story about HD sound

I was in a parking lot, being staged for a charity ride with about 1800 other bikes in Gainesville, FL. Staged along side me was a pleasant young couple on a shiny HD V Rod, me on my Honda VTX 1300. The word was passed to start engines, and we did. The young lady on the back of the V Rod leaned over and asked sweetly if mine was running yet. The next weekend I ordered different exhausts.

[KansDem]

76. LOL!

That tickled me! :D

[jmowreader]

31. Harley's problems...

They make one basic product: big, expensive two-cylinder cruiser motorcycles. They bought Buell so they could make big, expensive one-cylinder cruisers.

Which means that if two-cylinder bikes aren't popular this year, Harley's in trouble. Same deal with big bikes, or expensive ones.

If the bottom drops completely out of the motorcycle market, Harley's in serious trouble. Honda (small engines, outdoor power products, cars) and Yamaha (watercraft, generators, electronics, musical instruments) aren't so constricted.

I started doing a neat little experiment at the store. When I'm helping a customer who's wearing a Harley garment, I ask them what kind of a Harley they have. Most of them don't own Harleys at all.

If I was running Harley, I'd be worried.

[DainBramaged]

82. I think these boys would like to talk to yous

Licensing, it's what makes people multi-multi millionaires. And so what if people enjoy the clothes. Got a problem with that?

Harley Davidson, AMERICAN MADE BIKES that don't burn sake.

[jmowreader]

84. Yeah, I got a problem with that

And it's the same problem I got with freepers who won't join the army driving Hummers.

I got an even bigger problem with people like this idiot freeper woman I used to work with. She had a Harley. (Note: "had" not "rode.") She and her husband did Daytona, Myrtle Beach and Sturgis every year. They had two $40,000 custom motorcycles...which they kept in this special little room in their house. When it came time to go to the rallies, they pulled the bikes out of the special room, changed the oil, started them to make sure they ran, loaded them onto the special little trailer, hooked up their Harley-Davidson Special Edition Ford F-350, and went to the rally. Once the bikes were at the rally location, they pulled them off the trailer, parked them in the line next to the people who rode to the rally, went in and started partying. Every so often they'd start the machines so people could hear the Super Expensive Custom Engines they paid so much money for...and once the rally was over, they'd load the bikes back on the trailer and go home. These bikes were six years old and not only did they still wear the rubber that was on them at delivery, the tires weren't even scuffed. Now let me ask you: What's the fuckin' point of owning a bike like that and never, ever riding it? For $40,000 you can get a real nice trailer queen plus a good daily rider and actually BE a motorcyclist. I can understand not wanting to ride a $40,000 motorcycle in Fayetteville, the NDMF capital of the South, but why in HELL would you own a motorcycle you refused to put any miles on, not even to ride it to a rally? I know they weren't fooling anyone at the rallies; anyone can look at the odometer and the tires and think "poser!" no matter how little experience on a bike they had. And it's not like they were so much fun to be around that you could overlook their obvious character flaws; these were seriously grating people.

Now! Exactly what part of "Harley's problem is it makes only one style of motorcycle, and it's both huge and expensive" does "it's made in the US" change?

(And licensing HAD to make Orange County Choppers' owners multi-millionaires, because selling $45,000 motorcycles wasn't going to do it.)

[DainBramaged]

89. Just a wonderful story, wonderful, glad they enjoyed themselves

if you don't plan on owning a new HD any time soon, why get upset about them making one bike? I just don't understand why people (you are a perfect example) get pissed when a company's business model isn't acceptable to them.

Buy rice, stay happy, you'll never be happy with one bike. Especially (apparently) an American bike. And if it's "Hog" envy we're talking about here, maybe a little lightweight is better for some riders.

Goodbye.

[jmowreader]

91. I'll answer that question

Trends in motorcycling are cyclical. (Pun not intended.)

Right now, big choppers and big cruisers are popular. In that environment, Harley does well because it's all they make. (Let's leave customs out of the equation--you can build a whole custom chopper without giving Harley-Davidson a nickel.)

But what happens when combination dirt/street bikes like the BMW GS get popular again, or cafe racers make a huge resurgence? Right now that's happening in Fayetteville--you see a LOT more new 650cc and 750cc faired sportbikes than you do new Harleys, especially among the unmarried-soldier crowd whose only vehicle is a motorcycle. If I was in the market for a new bike, that's probably what I'd wind up with. Right now, Suzuki seems to be the market leader here.

That Harley offers only expensive cruisers is a big disadvantage when expensive cruisers aren't popular. It is possible that the Harley garages could start to go out of business, which means we've got to figure out what to do with the employees and with the property.

And if Harley-Davidson itself goes out of business, which is always possible, it leaves a hole that really shouldn't be.

I would love to see Harley start a new brand dedicated to making American inline-four sportbikes. They'd be real good, I think. Don't put the name "Harley" on them--look what happened when the VRSC came out and everyone thought Harley was going to dump the Evolution engine.

Why do I care? Because Harley has a place in America, supplying motorcycles to people who like Harleys. I don't WANT them to go, even though I would never in a million years buy a Harley. But fuck it, man, we're in George Bush's America and nothin's sacred no more.

[Uben]

34. They are no longer bone-shakers

HArley came out with the EVO rubber-mounted engines in the early eighties. This greatly reduced the amount of vibration. I own about $50,000 worth of Harley stock. While the past year hasn't been one of their better ones, their stock has been the best I have owned for the last 12-13 years.
I bought one last year at age 50. It is by far the best bike I have ever owned. Don't kid yourself, this American company will be around for a long time!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

42. Think Harley's are bad? Try a BSA.

I owned one in the service. B/astard S/topped A/gain. (Actually, B/irmingham S/mall A/rms). Lotta fun when it ran though. Much like the TR3(car) that I decorated with anti-war stickers in college.

[leveymg]

62. Same Lucas electrics

LUCAS, Lord of Darkness, we pray tonight, just get us home. We'll change your points and condenser tomorrow, we vow.

And, always carry a spare coil, wire, and fuses. That test light is your best friend, if you've run out of virgins to sacrifice.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

64. Yeah, and all that creative wiring they provided.

Red to green. Blue to yellow. Change the plugs and the windshield wipers stopped working.

[leveymg]

66. At least you could still change the plugs, and figure out why it died.

Have you taken a peek under the hood of a new BMW or Mercedes? Everything's covered with plastic panels. The message is, "If you don't have access to the factory service codes, don't even think about it. Just bring it into the dealer, and we'll check your oil and filters. That'll be $800. Visa, MC or AMEX?"

Tried to jump start a coworker who has a new 3 series. Couldn't find the battery, not even in the trunk.

[ET Awful]

70. Hell, I'd like to have the first bike I ever rode back again . . .

a 1969 Triumph Trophy 250



That was a FUN bike. Not a beastly engine, but it was FUN.

[leveymg]

71. Nice. Would be great for a spin along Carnaby Street back then.

Had a friend who let me ride his Norton Commando 750:



Beat the stuffings out of my first ride, the ubiquitous 71 Honda CB750:

[snooper2]

87. My first bike was a 79' supersport...

:)

[misternormal]

44. Yeah, Harley Riders are not what they used to be but...

... Let's think about all of the toy runs for toys for tots each year, charity rides... Not to mention B.A.C.A... Bikers Against Child Abuse... These guys take the time to visit kids who are institutionalized for behavioral problems due to child abuse, and show them that not all people are bad...

So next time you see a Harley Rider, know that they are doing some good, somewhere.

www.bacausa.com

[Hubert Flottz]

55. I just wanna' be free to ride my Rascal Scooter machine...

without being hassled by the man!

"We want to be free
. . . free to ride . . .
free to ride our machines without being hassled by the man . . ."

– Peter Fonda in The Wild Angels, 1966

[fishnfla]

56. Well we just had another Bike Week here in Daytona

The Bikers are aging no doubt. record # of deaths also. But last I heard, getting a HD had a waiting period

[Bluebear]

57. Does Harley make a "Lark" scooter? =^)

[Maiden England]

63. There sure is a lot of closed minded stereotyping going on here

for a democratically minded discussion forum.

Just so you all have to fit me and my husband into your stereotyped vision:

I'm a housewife, my husband is an aircraft mechanic. I also have a professional degree. We both ride Harleys, they save a fortune in gas money - as we use them for our main ride (they get better gas mileage that any other foreign or domestic made motorcycle).
I am an active member of my local HOG (Harley Owners Group) chapter. We do a lot - a LOT of charity work, especially with the MDA, in fact we have one of the largest MDA runs in the country.
I run modified pipes, which are a little louder than the stock 94dB, but not when its running at low RPM, however, I can rev my engine to make them sing, which I only do, when the doofus driving the cage next to me with cellphone in hand is half way through a manouver that is likely to kill me. That is the reponsible way to approach pipes. Bone stock, my Harley made less noise than my Acura running.
I ride rain or shine, hot or cold, I'm a woman, a democrat, a liberal and a biker.

Now please try not to make a mess on your monitor when your head explodes.

[Hobarticus]

67. Thanks for your post! n/t

[leveymg]

68. A bad day riding a bike is better than most good days in a car.

Please indulge a little knuckle-headed jive-talk among us. It's been a bad couple days, in some ways, particularly in DC.

Now, here's an open-air machine for two that you and your husband might enjoy for a spin through the countryside.

[tabasco]

77. Ride On !

Just because you ride a Harley doesn't mean you are a mid-life crisis yuppie or contrariwise a drug-dealing criminal.

I've never owned a Harley but I like some of the newer Sportsters. I understand they are pretty reliable machines these days. And made in the USA.

:hi:

[DainBramaged]

78. Chrysler had the same problem before MB took over

Most of their customers had bought their last cars from them in the Eighties, and they had nothing a younger generation wanted. Now at least their demographic is back below 60, but the 60-70+ generation is getting huge, so the used, low millage bikes will flood the market in a couple of years and HD will have a serious problem selling full production of new bikes.

I just wish I could get this carpel fixed for free by golly, I'd be sniffin a used Hog (Honey, stop dreaming and walk away from the computer):hide:

[napi21]

80. Ohhh, I don't think I'd worry too much about Harley.

They are an extremely loyal group! And you can't count out anyone by age either. My son oas a v-rod and he lives in Sicily! They have a club with almost 1,000 members! He has always worked on cars, and now works on everybody's bike. Most suppliers won't ship to an FPO so I get all kind of stuff here, to forward to him in Sicily. Then there's my BIN, age 68 who lives in Fl. and wouldn't trade anything for his Harley.

[w8liftinglady]

81. Ok-Im a biker-Bring it on!

I also have an IQ of 160,can outlift most men,and am a very caring nurse and mother.I have degrees in biology and nursing.I am a very outspoken antiwar and labor activist in this extremely red area.I have three tattoos,and ride on the back of a 1992 heritage softail.There are no shortage of Harleys here,and the majority of the riders are middle class,middle age men and women with interests as varied as mine are.I was disappointed to see DU turn into Free Republic over this topic.I thought you guys had a few more brain cells than that.What a bunch of closed-minded snobs.

[patcox2]

85. Organ Donors.

Thats what EMTs call bike riders.