Overpriced Motorcycles or What

[daytonageo]

I don't post much but you guys are cracking me up! Paying for pub? Indian has em beat? Pretty delusional stuff here, but not exclusive to this forum by any means. Harley doesn't have to pay for pub. Ever. Every MC forum in the world, including this one, gives them all the pub they need! I can go to any forum and there is ALWAYS someone crying in their beer about Harley. They get plenty of pub, and free too! Courtesy of all the whiners in MC land. As for Indian? Indian will have them beat when they sell more motorcycles then Harley. That will be never in my estimation. Indian has a much better chance of going the way of Victory. Remember that Victory had Harley beat too.......right up until they went belly up. Daytona Beach PD went to Victory for their Motors Division bikes. They are not so happy with their choice now. If anyone has the balls to admit it, Harley nailed this game long ago. They know what their customers want and meet their needs. Period. End of story. Everyone else is playing catch-up, and will continue to play it. Trying to beat Harley at the game they invented is going to end in failure. Book it. I can say that I actually rented a new Harley and went in skeptical as hell. I came out impressed as hell. The new ones are a finished product in every sense of the word. Add in dealers every 2 blocks and plenty of aftermarket, and there it is folks. That is why they sell 10 to 20 times more bikes than everyone else. My Rocket is a great bike, but when the two closest dealers closed up shop, it didn't make me smile. Mail ordering parts sucks, and if I need warranty work, I have to go 90 miles to get it. I am not trading the Rocket, but there are certainly many reasons to go with Harley. Now carry on the bashing. Harley will appreciate it!

 

[RKTNMYPKT]

Well, to be a little bit fair, the top of the range models from both Harley and Indian do have a lot of equipment that you can't get on any Triumph out of the factory. The Harleys do charge extra for "heritage", yada yada.

However, the Roadmaster Elite from Indian for $37 grand has a standard equipment list that can make an R3 Touring owner light green with envy. One might argue that this has nothing to do with the ride, but much of it would sure come in handy while touring. Overpriced still? Sure, but not outrageously so.

ABS; Cast Aluminum Frame with Integrated Air-Box; Cruise Control; Highway Bar; Keyless Ignition; Horizon Power Shield; Genuine Leather Seats; Remote Locking Hard Saddle Bags; Remote Locking Trunk; Tire Pressure Monitoring; 300 Watt Stereo with AM/FM, Bluetooth, USB, Smartphone Compatible Input, and Weatherband; Heated Rider & Passenger Seats; Heated Grips; Adjustable Passenger Floorboards; 36.2 Gallons of Storage.

Pathfinder LED Lights (headlight, driving lights, turn signals, tail light trunk, tail light, trunk interior light, and headdress fender light.)

Fairing mounted instrument cluster featuring analog speedometer and tachometer, with fuel gauge, range, odometer and current gear. 15 LED telltale indicators; cruise control enabled, cruise control set,neutral, high beam, turn signal, ABS, check engine, low tire pressure, battery, low fuel, security system, low engine oil pressure and MHP or km/h unit designation

7" Indian Touchscreen including realtime clock; ambient air temperature; heading; audio information display; vehicle trouble code readout; Vehicle Status (tire pressure, voltage, engine hours, oil change); Vehicle Info (speed, fuel range, RPM, gear position); Dual Trip Meters (fuel range, miles, average fuel economy, instantaneous fuel economy time, average speed); Ride Data (heading, moving time, stop time, altitude, altitude change); Bluetooth connectivity for phone and headset; Map/Navigation

My 2016 Indian roadmaster has all that
Except for the new ride command sytem that came out in 2017.

I paid 26K, The elite for 32K has a killer paint job and the ride command system, but I'm not sure if that justifies the difference in price

 

[mexican]

I visit most dealers in Tulsa just to see what is new, including the Harley dealer, the multi brand dealers always have a bunch of people rooming around the Honda dealer same way, BMW is a very lonely place and Harley has the occacional customer walking in, bear in mind this is during week days, will have to start visiting on weekends to see if there is a difference

 

[Steel]

I have no problem with the Motor Company itself. If someone is willing to pay the price they ask, good on em. I know if someone offered me twice the pay for what I do, I'd certainly take it.
What I do take issue with is the attitude of a small percentage of the owners, and definitely the sales people. Seems every time I'm in a dealership and the sales person asks which bike I want, I politely say that I'm just looking today, I already have a bike. When they ask what I ride, it always seems to get the same response, why don't you get a real bike? (Not what I consider a professional comment to make to a potential customer) So I smile and say, if you have a bike in here that will outrun mine, I'll buy it. They point at the VROD, and I say grab a helmet and meet me outside. Sadly none have yet.

 

[IMFASTTOO]

Indian charges what they charge because they really want Harley customers and think they can get them. If they charged what the bikes were worth they'd get folks like us who actually ride our bikes and wear them out. That's no way to retain value! Frankly, I like what they are selling, I just aren't ever going to pay for one. Well maybe a Springfield......and fact is, I am one of the market that is dying off. I don't have all that many purchases left in me. They lost the millennials already, so they really want my nephew who I am molding into a rider. But he is going to be a lot more ecumenical in his choices than a committed HD rider. Money is going to be an early issue for him and he will choose what he can afford. He may get a fondness for it, and he'll ride that brand forever. But I won't stop him, I just want him to ride.

THE young guys dont like the Indians they attract the older riders with the retro styling so they will have to make some sportiy models with better performance to attract the younger riders .

 

[sonny]

I like Harley's and Harley riders. They make me feel fast even on a almost stock Rocket.

 

[sonny]

I have no problem with the Motor Company itself. If someone is willing to pay the price they ask, good on em. I know if someone offered me twice the pay for what I do, I'd certainly take it.
What I do take issue with is the attitude of a small percentage of the owners, and definitely the sales people. Seems every time I'm in a dealership and the sales person asks which bike I want, I politely say that I'm just looking today, I already have a bike. When they ask what I ride, it always seems to get the same response, why don't you get a real bike? (Not what I consider a professional comment to make to a potential customer) So I smile and say, if you have a bike in here that will outrun mine, I'll buy it. They point at the VROD, and I say grab a helmet and meet me outside. Sadly none have yet.

I just ask them if they have any bikes that are American made for sale instead of the Chinese knocks offs on the showroom floor. May be an American company but most of the bikes is made elsewhere.

 

[TorontoRider]

My point was that the full dresser cruisers are way overpriced for what they offer compared to cars. I can never comprehend $44K Canadian for a motorcycle when a fully loaded technological marvel of a car with a tristar badge costs 48K.

 

[instant]

100% agree, with all the goodies listed they still are heavily overpriced. All the extra electronics and USB ports cost a fragment of those 15-20k extra charge. And they actually do age about 10x quicker than solid build old school motorcycle.. But this is beyond one brand, works across the market. People no longer ride 300k miles on their 35.000$ bikes, and vendors know it. This revolution came to cars two decades earlier, now it is here for us, bikers. Downsize, expense, waste, recycle.

As HD, I would completely skip all this **** with buying Ducati or anyone else. Keep HD evolutionary, milk the cruiser segment with evolution of the V twin until it makes money, and put money into hig tech electric motorbikes. Electric Buell? Shut up and take my money..

 

[baadactor]

I personally like Harley styling and loved how my roadglide handled.

I do too, usually; I just don't want to pay for one. I came awfully close to buying a real party Sporty Custom in the great shade of yellow a few years ago, but somehow ended up on the Rocket. Never looked back.