There's no point in trying to sell a practical motorcycle because there is no practical reason to own a motorcycle. It's purely an emotional decision. Do you need a 1700 cc V-Twin motor to ride to work? Or a 1400 cc race bike with lights that will tickle if not surpass 200 mph? Of course not but if we were looking for sensible we'd all be driving Honda Civics. How boring would that be? I hope this new Harley tempts some young people to try a motorcycle and live a little.
They’ve been trying to sell “practical” motorcycles for a long time, since before the 650 Honda SilverWing at least. The latest attempt is the Bergman (??). Sales of these various incarnations have always been flat.
Exactly. When I worked in a motorcycle dealership back in the 80's we couldn't give away a KZ400. Probably the very definition of practical in the greater Boston area. Kawasaki would only let us order Ninja 900's and 600's if we ordered a quantity of KZ400's. How about the Honda Nighthawk 700? It was an inline 4 cylinder with hydraulic lifters, electronic ignition and shaft drive. Probably the most trouble free practical motorcycle of the era but a real slug on the sales floor while kids were lining up to buy Hurricanes. If a factory wants to sell bikes they have to realize that practical is the death knell and instead stir the customer's emotions. Harley needs to push the performance capabilities of electric bikes. I still hope it will draw in the younger riders but when people are shopping for a Harley they want a Huge Harley. If that wasn't the case the Kansas City Sportster factory would still be operating.
