Quote Originally Posted by bob109 View Post
Harley has always been about Image! Doo Rags, glistening chrome parts and loud pipes with that unmistakable "rattling", "air cooled" V-Twin has been a mantra for those wanting to be "cool". The marketing ploy for Harley has been written in stone for so long that it will eventually turn into a "headstone"! Any attempts by HD to improve its engines has been EPA driven. True innovation in engine technology isn't within the grasp of management/engineering! The reality of trying to sell the "same old", "same old" time and again is finally taking its toll on the "bottom line". Attempts by HD to enter the 20th Century, i.e. V-Rod, have come and gone! HD's Obituary is in the making by its own accord. The once baby boomer's market is on the decline, taking with it a mentality of "image above all"
Yep.

They created a market targeted to s single group and now that they are dying off, all of the other doors have closed. I do still own a Softail Springer, but it is more of a novelty than a motorcycle but I love it anyway-- 01 with a carb and one of the better years for a Harley. Got it so cheap, I could not believe it. P paid less than the accessories cost----then sold off about $600 in extras that came with the bike that I will never use (windshield, extra seats, grips, etc).

That would never have happened just a few years ago. The demand is drying up for a certainty.

BTW---I test rode a few in Daytona in March. The new bikes are cushy and soft. It is about as different from my 01 as a bike can be and still have the same logo on the tank.