Harley-Davidson idles 5,400 workers

The old Kawi 454 LTD shamed all the Sportsters in its day and IMO the Softails as well.

You're dreaming. My Honda 450 Rebel took my buddy's Kawa 454 on multiple occasions, and the Rebel wasn't even close to a Sporty. You've bought into the myth that HD machines are powerless.

They don’t have to out sell HD in cruisers to be taking a lot of HD’s potential revenue.

You're back pedaling. You said initially that they were "eating Harley's lunch" which would indicate that they're not only outselling HD, but doing so by a wide margin. Now we're down to the fact that they aren't actually pulling ahead, bu ttaking a small piece of the market share.

There are those that equate having a Harley with being a man.

And those of us that don’t.

Can’t see spending premium bucks for a so so product and a true herd image that says that I’m a follower....like you!

Why is it that you can read the classifieds and see so many HD for sale, ‘low miles, garage kept’? Another wannabe bassass buys a Harley, thinks he’ll buy an image with it, then finds out it ain’t all that? LOL

Overspending for an inferior product has never been cool. Or smart. And dumb ain’t cool.

There’s one around town with a vanity plate “MyTherapy”.

“My Therapy”

I love it!

Your ignorance of harleys is embarrassing. The people that truly appreciate the harley machine are the ones that work on their own machines. Until you’ve had the pleasure(or displeasure) of working on a variety of machines, you won’t ever understand it. I know machines. I can fix things. I can look at a machine and instantly tell if it is one with good materials that won’t piss me off everytime I have to take something apart on it. Granted, harleys are getting less and less “american” as time goes by and more and more “throw away” just as the jap machines are. But they are still so much more rebuildable than any jap bike around. Gold wings may be somewhat of an exception.

Now, there are the “posers” that you, in your embarrassing ignorance, believe all harley owners to be. These are the people that buy a harley like I buy hats. They trade them off or throw them away and get the new ones and don’t care about money or even about riding for that matter. They care about the harley image and the sound of the exhaust and the prettiest paint job.

You see, if you had any sense, you’d realize that there is no such thing as a perfect motorcycle. Everyone has different needs and different tastes. No manufacturer can satisfy that wide variety of demand. You have to taylor your own bike to suit your tastes and needs. Harleys are the best bikes on the planet for this. You don’t have to fabricate your own parts, in most cases. The aftermarket parts manufacturers are so diverse for harleys that you can get most of what you need off the internet or a swap meet. The things that are not available you can hire someone to make if you don’t want to make it your own self. There is a whole sub culture out there just for harleys. There are machine shops that do nothing but fabricate parts for harleys ONLY. And I mean custom parts. Not mini factories churning out cookie cutter parts for a catalog. Although there are a plethora of shops doing that as well.

The reason you see so many harleys for sale in classified adds is that harleys have nearly become a form of currency. Pawn shops are heavy in guns and jewelry for a reason. These items are more liquid than other merchandise and hold their value better than other merchandise. Harleys are the same way. Jap bikes are crap when it comes to liquidity and depreciation.

Here’s another example. Compare a 4X4 3/4 ton american pickup to a volvo or a bmw car. These european cars are definitely more advanced than an old half used up pickup. But look through the thrifty nickel and see what you see more of. The pickup is infinitely more available. They are not cheap either. Trucks are more liquid and depreciate way more slowly. Why? Because they are more rebuildable and more useful. They are also WAY MORE CUSTOMIZABLE. You can change the tires, the suspension, the bed. You can put a topper on it. You can put a tow package, a toolbox bed, a flat bed, or a camper on it. You can add a snow plow, a roll bar, a custom grill, change the differentials, change the transmission, change the engine...it’s infinite what you can do to a good old american pickup.

Same with the american harley-davidson motorcycle.

Now, get your head out of your ass, get a clue and quit talking like a dam lesbian with a serious case of penis envy.

Yeah, you’re right, I’ve never even sat on a Harley. So I have to go buy what I read and what I hear about them.

So why is it that all the Harley mags spend their time apologizing for poor stock performance, inability to hang at highway speeds, and how important the mystic is? Yes, I’ve read enough of them to get a chuckle about how they all apologize for their products.

Why is it that many Harley owners have to resort to bragging about how much work they have to perform on their bikes in order to enjoy them, and I’m not talking about customizing either?

Funny that you don’t hear Roadstar owners talking about how much time they have to spend working on their rides to keep them on the road or how they can’t hang in the long haul at 85 mph.

You think you know all about me based on my comments to someone else? Ha! Back when Easyrider magazine was still in its first year, I was staying with a 1%er and his old lady. And back then I wanted a panhead, shovelhead, or knucklehead, too. Most were extremely high maintenance items and that they ‘marked’ their territory with oil was a given.

And AMF HD’s were considered junk.

So when my turn came to buy a new bike, HD wasn’t even a consideration. I opted for a Yamaha Heritage Special that took me on thru town, down the highways and back and forth into the Colorado mountains with lots of pleasure.

Fast forward to present and my friends that have HD are normally steadfastly loyal to their brands in true “Sweet Lemons style (the more one gets screwed the more one denies it and smiles as he says it).

To say that HD builds the best bikes isn’t true.

To say that HD builds the only Amerincan bikes is not true.

So why does a person buy a new Harley?

It is about image.

And when I commute my 45 miles into town in office attire, it isn’t about image, it is about the ride.

I could be happy with a Kawasaki Concourse. Or a Honda Valkyrie. Or my Roadstar.

And I’d never ever ever buy an 883 just so I could have a Harley.

Even my Harley friends call it a girls bike.

For this post, I’ll just respond to your 883 remark. I’ll respond to the rest in later posts. I fully intend to win you over to the harley brand, so be patient with me.

The die hard harley boys that put down the sportster are idiots. If you do a little research and compare all new bikes on a dollars per displacement basis, you will find that the harley sportster is very near the top. I don’t count the huge bikes like the triumph rocket 3 or the boss hoss.

I don’t ride a sportster.

Sportsters actually have superior motors compared to the big twins. The sportster motor is just smaller. If harley made a large displacement version of the sportster motor and put it in the electra-glide/road king, it would be a huge success.

See my post number 11 and note the model mentioned at the end of my list.

>>There are those that equate having a Harley with being a man.
And those of us that don’t.
Can’t see spending premium bucks for a so so product and a true herd image that says that I’m a follower....like you!
Why is it that you can read the classifieds and see so many HD for sale, ‘low miles, garage kept’? Another wannabe bassass buys a Harley, thinks he’ll buy an image with it, then finds out it ain’t all that? LOL
Overspending for an inferior product has never been cool. Or smart. And dumb ain’t cool.”

Ladies and gentlemen....my point made. Classic Harley envy. You see how strongly this fella reacted. That frustration just comes pouring out, all because he had to settle for a jap pos.

Hey man....you only live once, spend a lil bit of that doe your sittin on and buy ya a hog. Your blood pressure will improve almost immediately.

You're dreaming. My Honda 450 Rebel took my buddy's Kawa 454 on multiple occasions, and the Rebel wasn't even close to a Sporty. You've bought into the myth that HD machines are powerless.

Having owned several HDs in that era, I haven't bought into any myth, but I have experienced that the low end torque does not equate to a wide power band. I also know their handling limitations, especially in that time frame.

On smaller bikes, its more the rider than the machine. If you took your buddy, then it was most likely you. I've never lost to an HD when on a rice bike...never. I have had HD riders try and keep up, but its not what their bikes are made for. Boulevard cruisers are not going to keep up on the twisties or be competitive in terms of speed.

I've never lost to an HD when on a rice bike...never. I have had HD riders try and keep up, but its not what their bikes are made for. Boulevard cruisers are not going to keep up on the twisties or be competitive in terms of speed.

Without a doubt. They're (cruisers in general) just not built for speed or high speed handling. That said, my Sporty will walk away from most of my friend's Japanese cruisers of comparable (1000cc to 1200cc) size. Now in fairness, I'm not running stock and have about 20 more ponies in the frame than they do. Which was a waste of time on my part actually. Even in it's toned down version it's faster than anyone needs a cruiser to be. My 105hp build was a belt breaker. It kinda sucked actually.

By the same token, I could watch my neighbor's Honda 600 tail lights disappear over the horizon. Personally, and this is strictly opinion, I believe that those bikes have as much business on public streets as a Formula 1 race car.

My 105hp build was a belt breaker.

Hello....knock knock...:-)

I soooooo knew that was coming.

By the same token, I could watch my neighbor's Honda 600 tail lights disappear over the horizon. Personally, and this is strictly opinion, I believe that those bikes have as much business on public streets as a Formula 1 race car.

I tend to concur with that when it comes to the race replica bikes, but those are a narrow market. The Ninja 650 and GSXR family to me are legitimate street bikes.

My main ride these days is Concours 1K, considered by many to be an old mans bike. I am yet to find any cruiser of any marque that can keep up in the twisties or in terms of distance. There was this one 1200 Sporty rider who used to try...

This is bad news. A harley is a luxury good. When people stop buying those things, you know the economy is on the brink.

Expensive toys, second homes etc are the first to fall of the list of things needed.

lol! :-)

HELL YEA!

There was this one 1200 Sporty rider who used to try...

It sure wasn't me. Mine is slammed to the ground with a lowering kit up front and Progressive 10.5" shocks in the rear. I probably lost 6 degrees of lean from stock.

LOL!

The dollar is at a all-time low...and still Harley has to idle those employees? I don’t think they are going to last that long...wouldn’t surprise me if a Russian or Chinese company comes up to buy them at a cheap price....and move the company out of the US.

Caption: a laid-off Harley=Davidson worker finds a new outlet for his love of "loud pipes."