In particular the effect on our Texas Hill Country backroads over the 30 plus years I've been here have been simply unreal. Its been seven years now since I last rode cross-country on a motorcycle (I do bicycles now ), but everywhere I went (including the Tail of the Dragon and Marcus Dairy), same story.
Without providing numbers for Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ducati, Triumph, etc., it's tough to claim the younger crowd doesn't ride or like bikes.
It could be that a lighter, faster, better handling, quieter andless expensive bikeis what the younger generation is purchasing.
I think that this hits the nail on the head. Millenials don't have the cash to buy expensive MCs many lack jobs, have crushing loan debt, and a whole different set of priorities. HD does not have a very good reputation for reliability. A few months back I read an article that listed the biggest complaint from owners was reliability. My son bought a 2006 Sportster over a year ago. Looked to be in very good shape, well taken care of and not many miles. Spent more time at the dealer repairing glitches then was ridden the first 6 months.
Ed
A person who asks a question is a fool for 5 minutes the person who never asks is a fool forever.
The worst slaves are those that put the chains on themselves.
I see lots of millennials riding bikes. Bikes that don't cost $24k and don't leave them stranded or need to be trailered. Yeah, trailered. Can't count the times I've watched Harleys headed to Sturgis or headed south in a trailer.
Dual Sport does seem to be the current "thing" with young riders. The crotch rockets are still popular. Young people don't generally have the time to cruise on a Goldwing, but they still ride. Harley likes to make people think they have a sporty model, but no....
I can't fault someone for wanting something that works and costs less at the same time.
I don't think you know much about the newer Harleys.......................except maybe the price.
MM
You're right. I don't know much about the new ones. I lost interest in even looking at them years ago. I keep hearing that they've improved reliability, but the few I know who have recent models seem to all have failure stories. OTOH, There are literally tons of old Hondas on the road with 100K+ trouble free miles - and they just about all outhandle any Harley you can put them next to.
Harley sells an image. Most young riders....most riders in general....are more interested in the ride than the sound or the look. It ain't just millennials not buying Harleys.
At $50.00 for a Harley tee shirt, I ain't buying Harley either.
An unemployed Jester, is nobody's Fool.
the only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker, is observation. all the same data is present for both. The rest, is understanding what you're seeing.
I dunno why anyone would buy s friggin Harley anyway. They tout the American made crisp but it's really just American assembled. And the price you pay is simply for a name
You are a moron. Get your facts straight.
Good luck with that one.
First of all let us dispense with some of the more egregious accessories:
Official Harley Davidson boots - China HOG Leathers - S. Korea Official Harley-Davidson lingerie, t-shirts, bandannas, gloves, raingear, jeans etc etc - various Third World sweatshops.
As to the bikes themselves, Harley is understandably vague on the topic, stating that the 'amount of foreign-sourced parts varies between models and model years' (are the recent 500 and 750 "Street" models really assembled in India?). But as for those regular Harleys assembled here, its been awhile since I looked into it but I'm recalling....
Keihin and Mikuni carbs- Japan Arai wheels - Japan Showa forks - Japan Nippon Denson electronics/wiring - Japan Virtually all bolts and fasteners - Taiwan
Thirty years ago the rumor was that Gold Wings, by then assembled in the US, incoporated more domestic parts than the average Harley.
Feel free to correct me where I err.
Birdwatcher
Sure, 1- Official Harley Davidson boots - China HOG Leathers - S. Korea Official Harley-Davidson lingerie, t-shirts, bandannas, gloves, raingear, jeans etc etc - various Third World sweatshops.
That's bling and crap. It has nothing to do with the motorcycle.
2- Keihin and Mikuni carbs- Japan
Dude, Harley hasn't put out a big twin with a carburetor in 12 years, 10 on a Sportster. Modern throttlebodys are cast and made in the USA. the components are Delphi as it the ECM.
3-Arai wheels - Japan
WTF are you talking about? Maybe in the 70's mags under AMF Harley spoke wheels are hand made in WI with USA parts (except bearings) Mag wheels are cast in the USA
4- Showa forks - Japan
Yeah? So what? No motorcycle manufacturer makes their own suspension unless you count Honda owning Showa and Kawasaki Heavy Industry's owning KYB. Harley Buells had White Power suspension. Made in USA
5-Nippon Denson electronics/wiring - Japan
Wrong, Nippon Seiki does make a lot of the gauges. Tell me a manufacturer of anything that makes their own gauges. All wiring harness are manufactured in the USA. The components like Molex, AMP and Deutsch are standard in any car or motorcycle.
6- Virtually all bolts and fasteners - Taiwan
Pure BS, all grade 3,5,7 and 8 bolts and hardware are USA made and are of the highest quality in the industry. Better quality than anything I have seen on any Jap bike.
I'll add that the frames are made here with USA steel. Heads,cylinders,crank and trans cases, rocker,cam,trans,primary covers are cast aluminum cast and finished in the USA. Crank,rods transmission gears and shafts, Some are forged here and some are forged in Mexico but they all are machined and finished here in the USA. Sheetmetal-USA ABS Plastic body parts are made in USA.
The % of import parts gets distorted when you have 350 import electrical pins and sockets along with the connectors. When it gets down to the meat and potatos everything of importance is made in the USA by hard working Americans.
Excellent informative post, thank you..
There's so much BS in these other posts that it's taken me a while to stop laughing...
I've never cared who rode what bike, as long as they do so responsibly.. The biggest offenders - BY FAR - are the crotchy riders... Talk about TT wannabes...
LMAO...
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69 Pro-Constitution. LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
I wouldn't say they have little interest i see tons of younger folks on bikes. My kids prefer dirt bikes. He wants an adventure bike after that. Id say HD sales are down because they sell a $15K bike for $35k.
Yeah, right...
Quote
I'd have one in a heartbeat if the cost wasn't so nuts.
Buy a 2-3 year old used bike with under 15K on the odometer and save about 10 grand.
Quote
I can buy 40ac of land for $35k. .
LMAO.. Not around here you can't.. You might be able to buy 5-8A for that, tops.....and probably only if it was swamp or forest..
I'm not buying land around there. Anywhere I deer hunt I am but land for that price. And yes, it's a forest.
And sure I can get a used one but this thread isn't about used ones.
Dave's comment on a Corvette has me wondering. The story is police hate Corvettes, red the worst, how about motorcycles? Does riding a cycle make you ripe for a ticket?
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
I'm not buying land around there. Anywhere I deer hunt I am but land for that price. And yes, it's a forest..
I wonder where it is you hunt that you can find land at that price/acre? For example - a 45A piece east of Minong, WI was listed at $140K (this was about 4-5 years ago).. I asked around at a few real estate places in NW WI and everything ran about $3K/A..
Around here (literally) land brings $4-7K/A - and that's arable bare land.. MN is that much cheaper?? In any case, if you can find 40A for $35K, you better buy up all you can possibly afford, because you should be able to flip it in a year or two for double/triple the price...
Best wishes...
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69 Pro-Constitution. LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
Dave's comment on a Corvette has me wondering. The story is police hate Corvettes, red the worst, how about motorcycles? Does riding a cycle make you ripe for a ticket?
I believe it can... I bet the crotchies bring the most attention - because the riders on top always love to push 'em to the max.. At least, around here they do..
Ex- USN (SS) '66-'69 Pro-Constitution. LET'S GO BRANDON!!!
I covered the back of a leather jacket with chainmail, and had dozens of riders try to buy it off my back. So I bought a couple of $100.00 leather jackets, covered the rectangular back section only, with chainmail, and sold them for $800.00 each. If it didn't take so long to weave, I would have made it a business.
An unemployed Jester, is nobody's Fool.
the only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker, is observation. all the same data is present for both. The rest, is understanding what you're seeing.
I dunno why anyone would buy s friggin Harley anyway. They tout the American made crisp but it's really just American assembled. And the price you pay is simply for a name
You are a moron. Get your facts straight.
Good luck with that one.
First of all let us dispense with some of the more egregious accessories:
Official Harley Davidson boots - China HOG Leathers - S. Korea Official Harley-Davidson lingerie, t-shirts, bandannas, gloves, raingear, jeans etc etc - various Third World sweatshops.
As to the bikes themselves, Harley is understandably vague on the topic, stating that the 'amount of foreign-sourced parts varies between models and model years' (are the recent 500 and 750 "Street" models really assembled in India?). But as for those regular Harleys assembled here, its been awhile since I looked into it but I'm recalling....
Keihin and Mikuni carbs- Japan Arai wheels - Japan Showa forks - Japan Nippon Denson electronics/wiring - Japan Virtually all bolts and fasteners - Taiwan
Thirty years ago the rumor was that Gold Wings, by then assembled in the US, incoporated more domestic parts than the average Harley.
Feel free to correct me where I err.
Birdwatcher
Sure, 1- Official Harley Davidson boots - China HOG Leathers - S. Korea Official Harley-Davidson lingerie, t-shirts, bandannas, gloves, raingear, jeans etc etc - various Third World sweatshops.
That's bling and crap. It has nothing to do with the motorcycle.
2- Keihin and Mikuni carbs- Japan
Dude, Harley hasn't put out a big twin with a carburetor in 12 years, 10 on a Sportster. Modern throttlebodys are cast and made in the USA. the components are Delphi as it the ECM.
3-Arai wheels - Japan
WTF are you talking about? Maybe in the 70's mags under AMF Harley spoke wheels are hand made in WI with USA parts (except bearings) Mag wheels are cast in the USA
4- Showa forks - Japan
Yeah? So what? No motorcycle manufacturer makes their own suspension unless you count Honda owning Showa and Kawasaki Heavy Industry's owning KYB. Harley Buells had White Power suspension. Made in USA
5-Nippon Denson electronics/wiring - Japan
Wrong, Nippon Seiki does make a lot of the gauges. Tell me a manufacturer of anything that makes their own gauges. All wiring harness are manufactured in the USA. The components like Molex, AMP and Deutsch are standard in any car or motorcycle.
6- Virtually all bolts and fasteners - Taiwan
Pure BS, all grade 3,5,7 and 8 bolts and hardware are USA made and are of the highest quality in the industry. Better quality than anything I have seen on any Jap bike.
I'll add that the frames are made here with USA steel. Heads,cylinders,crank and trans cases, rocker,cam,trans,primary covers are cast aluminum cast and finished in the USA. Crank,rods transmission gears and shafts, Some are forged here and some are forged in Mexico but they all are machined and finished here in the USA. Sheetmetal-USA ABS Plastic body parts are made in USA.
The % of import parts gets distorted when you have 350 import electrical pins and sockets along with the connectors. When it gets down to the meat and potatos everything of importance is made in the USA by hard working Americans.
Fair enuff.
Well done
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
When millennials are mentioned not buying Harleys, I think mostly of urban millienals. I do know a few millennials that are bike riders and ATV riders , but don't own a Harley, because they have to finance everything.
As for tickets ...it has been a long ride on bikes . I rode hard and fast and mostly alone, and still do. I cannot ever remember getting a ticket. I have been stopped a few times. About 20 years ago i was ridding a 650 Cagiva... local cop stopped me ....I was well over the limit and very loud with the racing pipes . The cop wanted to look at the bikes and pipes. Pipes clearly had written on them some kinda disclaimer for non street use.
My Thruxton with Barnes???? pipes is very loud. When it comes on the cam you can't even think straight.
Faster and faster until the thrill of speed is overcome by the fear of death. I get scared about 45 MPH now.
The biggest surprise to me is how well they have done over the years. Absolutely nothing about them appeals to me. I can't think of a more obnoxious vehicle on the road. As an American company, I certainly want them to thrive. I just don't like them whatsoever.
I gotta make time to drive the Dragon Tail some day. I can't fathom that it turns much more nor worse than some of the back roads and hollers around here...
I found it considerably over-rated, and the Cop car parked half way down didn't help it neither. What was interesting were the bikes parked at the Tail of the Dragon store, and the fact that the store has a pump out front with ethanol-free gas
What was hairy coming in was the Tullahoma (???) Skyway, a long series of decreasing-radius turns 'Course, ride the Skyway in the other direction and its prob'ly awesome
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
), but everywhere I went (including 
![[Linked Image]](http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/97%20Heritage%20Springer.jpg)
'Course, ride the Skyway in the other direction and its prob'ly awesome