Thread 28551539

Artie Stars, Former CEO of Pizza Hut and Top Golf and former investment banker, will be assuming control of the Bar and Shield in October.

This comes as Former CEO, Jochen Zeitz, has faced criticism and a lengthy battle over who takes over after him.

>Statement From Artie Starrs: "It's a huge privilege to be joining Harley-Davidson as President and CEO, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help steward this incredible company. I have long admired the unique position Harley-Davidson has in the hearts of its riders and fans; there is no brand that brings the same level of community and rebellious spirit as Harley-Davidson. I'm excited by the tremendous potential to both drive growth and further enhance the H-D experience for all, and I look forward to working with the dedicated Harley-Davidson employees and dealer network as we start this journey together."

From Puma to Pizza Hut, HD picks another CEO that has no previous experience in the vehicle space. It also comes days after Zeitz announced new, lower-cost bikes and a shift in strategy from the last couple of years.
How will this go for them and what's everyone's thoughts?

Didn't Pizza Hut go under I don't recall the last time I saw one.

>>28551539 (OP)
>Former CEO of Pizza Hut
imagine this but now it's a harley. this will be the greatest pizza automotive tie in since dominos amd chevy

>>28551539 (OP)
He seems like the right demographic for harley leadership, given who rides their bikes.

>>28551539 (OP)
I think the new cheap entry level bike they're working on was a great idea. Weird they axed that guy before seeing how it plays out. They aren't going to survive without major change. Motorcycles are too dangerous these days, the people riding now don't have 30k for a bike that is inferior to jap and euro tourers.

All HD needs to do is come out with something cheap enough, then advertise that it's cheaper than owning a car. Something like a phone-filmed ad asking people what they did with the money they saved by buying a motorcycle instead of a new car

>>28551616
>cheap HD
Breaks their business model.
Game over. DESU If I bought one it would be in another country within a week.

>>28551616
It's not about price, not really. Harley can't attract new buyers because nobody wants to be associated with their existing customer base, and frankly I think their brand image is unfixable since they've leaned into it for so long.

>>28551539 (OP)
>ceo public relations/corporate buzzword bingo speech
i don't know why or how people still do this or buy into it. i'd pay a lot more attention if they just spoke like normal people

>>28551644
They have a large potential market of people who don't think about the HD brand image, who want something they can use to commute to work and back, and who are susceptible to vacation/yolo/adventure/experiential advertising
>>28551634
How's that working out for them?

>>28551634
That's one of the reasons why the previous CEO got canned, he wanted to turn Harley into a "luxury" brand, he got rid of all the cheap models and focused on the CVO's. They priced out all of the new and beginning riders.

>>28551608
>why aren't young people buying $40,000 motorcycles as weekend toys?
How about we make a good bike that young people can afford to bring them into the brand and hopefully a repeat buyer
>you're fired
I wonder if I could just fuck my resume up enough to become a CEO, do very little, get a $26mil payout, then apply to other companies to do the same thing until I feel like I have enough money to stop scamming people.

Here's their whole hair. They lean into the elderly. It's a single generation club that pushes one look instead of an attitude. Pay a recent grad 60k a year to make sure young women in jeans and branded jackets show up instead of a guy taking a break from his oxygen tank
Have shoots with lazy Instagram filter editing, shaky quick cuts, and people under the age of 30. Sell a 10k bike

>>28551664
>Sell a 10k bike
Do you even know what motorcycles cost at a dealership?

>>28551668
Nope, idgaf about motorcycles, total outsider perspective. The exact target demographic they should be advertising to, someone who doesn't know what makes a bike good or bad, who doesn't know what's cheap or expensive

>>28551687
>who doesn't know what's cheap or expensive
Are you aware of the widegligfatboblowbagger for $40,000?

>>28551539 (OP)
Harley sucks because no one wants to be around boomers. They've damn near ruined jeeps too but thankfully there's enough young blood to stave it off.

I'm not into swinging or discussing t supplements and dick pills so the brand has absolutely nothing to offer me.

>>28551539 (OP)
Gas bikes are kill.
Anyone who wants a bike buys a little E-bike.
Boomers aren't buying shit like they used to.
Looks like the absolute cheapest HD is $10,000.
It's over.
It's so over

>>28551782
>I didn't know how much motorcycles cost
>so I think $10,000 for a toy is a lot
>horley derversin is bad!
Noin bikers leave the thread you absolute moronicals.

>>28551782
>Looks like the absolute cheapest HD is $10,000.
Not for long with the Sprint. Looks like sub-$6k Harley's will be coming soon, along with something priced around $8k, probably a reworked Evo Sportster (but I hope it's the Bronx).

>>28551539 (OP)
Doesn't matter. There is no longer a need for HD to exist since the entire motorcycle market is now permanently saturated and smart people only buy used motorcycles because we do our own wrenching. Americans barely ride what they buy so today anyone interested has decades of low mileage bikes to choose from.

Motorcycling would be in a better place if everyone who refused to learn to wrench died today. I've taught real enthusiasts to wrench as I was educated by my predecessors. Serious bikers will ride. The vintage, antique, chopper and racing scenes are still self-gatekeeping and likely to remain so.

>>28551746
The entire new motorcycle market is tanking because there are so many better toys competing for the billions people who didn't fail at life have to spend. For example my local Honda dealer barely sells motorcycles any more but quads fly out the door. This may be difficult for morons who don't seriously follow the industry to understand. When motorcycling was self-gatekeeping it was better just as computers and the internet were better before eternal summer.

Motorcycle culture (very much including Harley culture) used to require mutual support because the US had a much smaller population with far fewer motor vehicles.
That situation chased away most helpless dumbfucks. The death knell of US motorcycle culture was reliable motorbikes which needed nothing from the owners so the more motorcycle factories go out of business the better. The aftermarket will provide and the hardcore will make our own custom parts. Some Anons are already well ahead of the game.

>>28551539 (OP)
well this will definitely be a disaster. pizza hut is basically in last place when it comes to pizza companies and top golf will be lucky if it doesn't go bankrupt in the next few years.

>>28551737
No, can I have sex with it and not need to clean it up after?

>>28551886
I guess you can if you've bought it. Strange thing to do with an automobile.

>>28551539 (OP)
Saw this post and RAN to hdforums

Those boomers love to shit and piss on Harley's graves - kinda surprising. They all want it to hurry up and die.

>>28551789
>>28551798
>Buy my $7,000 bike Zoomers!
I know people who use bikes as a primary transportation.
They arn't considering a Harley
They are spending $1,200 on a E-bike and doing 7-10 mile round trips to work or school.

Anons, I know you like bikes and don't want the hobby you enjoy to die.
But it's over.

>>28551616
They can't compete in the ~400CC market. There's just too much on offer that you can get pretty much exactly the bike you want in that range, and nothing that Harley can bring to market will be any better at any one thing than any of the current offerings.
They're already doing the cheap thing in India and it's not going well for them.

>>28551956
yeah, trying to compete with Royal Enfield as the cheapest bike on the market (other than e-bikes, scooters, and chinesium) is monumentally stupid. It'll be low quality, reject any future buyers because your brand is only as good as your worst product.

>>28551956
>But it's over.
Two more weeks and Harley and every other bike manufacturer will go bankrupt, trust the plan!

Doubt this guy has ever even rode a bike. Why don't these companies ever hire someone who knows and understands the product?

>>28551961
>There's just too much on offer that you can get pretty much exactly the bike you want in that range, and nothing that Harley can bring to market will be any better at any one thing than any of the current offerings.
Except marketing to potential new riders. Mindshare is sales volume in the US

>>28551661
The return of the sprint predated zeitz, who pursued a strategy of electrification (live wire only loses money) and “leaning into our core competencies” I.e. focusing on selling more expensive tourers and baggers instead of branching out. The major success Harley has had with the pan America also traces back to the last CEO and his “many roads to Harley Davidson” initiative, which was only partially continued under zeitz, including the infamous axing of the Bronx

>>28552003
Because that worked for them previously with the buel blast, and that weird 30hp 500 beetle looking bike they had...
Actually I think the 500 whatever kinda worked, iirc a lot of women bought them. I see them up for sale every now and then with incredibly low miles.

>>28551980
He looks like a tremendous faggot so he at least understands the average HD buyer.

>>28551869
As somebody that has ridden quads and bikes, dirt bikes/dual sports are vastly more fun than quads. Don't understand the appeal, to be honest. I can understand a UTV if you have a ranch or a farm or something.

>>28552015
I do not know what the fuck anything you just said.

HD has been dead for quite some time. Boomers were their demographics and they're not buying HD's anymore. I hope this guy redefines the brand.

>>28552017
The Street 500/750 bikes seemed almost spitefully engineered, like they didn't want them to sell. Same with most Buells and the nu-Sportster.

>>28552047
they're not buying them out of lack of necessity, harley boomers legit hate the company right now and are effectively boycotting it

>>28552102
Type III diabetes isn't a boycott.

>>28552102
Even the most retarded of boomers cannot overlook the fact that their current "real motorcycle" is just a way to get rid of garage space and no matter the delusion they couldn't even get their bike on a trailer to take it a dealer to trade it in for the newest waste of space.
They're beautiful machines, they've just found their way into a weird affordable collectors circle owned by people that want little to do with them besides wearing the aparel and plastering the Harley Davidson sticker on their new 2027 F150.

>>28552091
This too.
I'll never understand, if the purpose of buying into the brand was supposed to introduce new riders to the Harley fit and finish, then why on earth did they then go and put them together like dodge neons on a friday.
The XR1200 also got the same treatment.

>>28552091
Because they were, minus the Buells since those were a lot of Erik Buell's decisions. I'm convinced the top brass only makes bad decisions to create a self-fufilling prophecy. In what world did they actually approve the Sportster S, but axe the Bronx other then they didn't want it to sell.

>>28551539 (OP)
Build this with a Harley Davidson badge and price it to compete with the Slingshot. Maybe give it a roll cage for 'safety' that doubles as a way for elderly HD buyers to get in and out more easily without it being an obvious old-age add-on.

The Bronx exists they put 17" street tires on a Pan America.
Harleys are pretty fun to ride honestly but they're short people bikes

>>28552155
>The Bronx exists they put 17" street tires on a Pan America.
The ST is not the same as a dedicated naked. It's still an ADV and it feels that way.
>they're short people bikes
Well the Pan-Am is the most accessible ADV for shorter people, and cruisers are traditionally closer to the ground, the width of touring models doesn't work for a lot people 5' 8" or under. Even with most models having seat heights around 28", their overall width means guys with under a 30" inseam aren't going to be able to flat foot.

>>28552155
>hey're short people bikes
they're not. At least i didn't find them to be, the seat on the uh... bunch of letters... was like straddling a dinner table chair.

>>28552159
>>28552163
You're probably thinking of the Ultras the police bikes are the same way.
Heavy and really tall for what they are.
They made special runs of shorter Ultras and touring bikes, the problem is all of their models get dropped and reinvented whenever HD feels like it.
The Breakout is up on the chopping block imo.
I also don't see a lot of Road Kings anymore.
I think they fucked up when they started dropping the "classic bike" look when the M8s started coming out.
They modernized them and made them look like gay alien spaceships last model year...

>>28551539 (OP)
the pizza hut in my town became a chicken sandwich place run by arabs. before that I think it was a fried chicken place.

hopefully he finally kills the company for good and boomer faggots seethe forever.

>>28552154
HD engine was too slow for that application, Morgan had to go down the S&S route.

>>28552169
The Road Glide has always looked weird. Batwings have always looked goofy, too. The Road King pretty much has to stay the same because it doesn't use as much bodywork.

>>28551539 (OP)
>How will this go for them and what's everyone's thoughts?

They've got to figure out a way to sell to someone other than boomers. They need a cheap bike that young people can afford.

>>28552352
They can't seem to design a cheap bike that doesn't look like shit and/or is inherently flawed in some way. I unironically think the XR1200 would have been a much bigger hit if it just had six gears and/or a 17" front wheel.

I came here to read the same uninformed memeshit opinions about Harleys from nobikes and squidlets that I've been hearing for years and I was not disappointed.

>>28552361
They've painted themselves into a corner and there is no way out. They absolutely own their niche, but that market is dying and they likely cannot support their operation on reduced sales volume in the coming decades. That is not uninformed, nor an opinion.

Harley's problem is a classic Americanism
>muh tradition
>muh brand
The idea that they would have continued a reputation, and god forbid competed in the market, if they actually updated their technologies and offered different market segments is anathema to that kind of boomer.
I mean we can't have classic type Harleys -and- cheap starter bikes (isnt that what Harley gained recognition for...?) -and- competitive sport bikes it just isn't Harley anymore right?

Why should I pay Apple product type prices when a Japanese 750cc cruiser works better costs less is easier to use, is just as fast, uses less gas and has more options?

>>28552364
Ah before anyone replies I guess explanation:
I meant decades ago. If Harley stopped that bullshit and kept with the times they'd at least have something spanning across the decades. I know they have a lot of options -now- but it was far too late. They needed that strategy in the fucking 80s. Not the 2010s.
Forgetting price/competition, most everyone younger than 50 sees HD and the association is
>bro never

Could have all been different.

>>28552375
>>28552364
You're basically describing Triumph. They kept making Bonnevilles and yet innovated with their triples at the same time. Now they gave a killer lineup of excellent, cutting edge bikes and the Bonnevilles still look great yet have modern engineering perks/models.

>>28552364
>when a Japanese 750cc cruiser works better costs less is easier to use, is just as fast, uses less gas and has more options?
Because none of that is true.

>>28552379
Triumph died. The Bonneville was still bing made by diehards as Bloors Triumph Company started making over-engineered Kawasakis.
I'm pretty sure the die hards will make you another Bonneville if you ask nicely.

>>28551580
Kek

>>28551644
/Thread

>>28552022
Kek

>>28552403
Spotted the braindead retard

Motorcycle owners are in a suicide cult. The end goal is to get t boned by a car going 60

>>28552352
>They need a cheap bike that young people can afford.
Young people already have bikes they can afford.
Harley needs to offer better value than what is currently on the market, and they're just pathologically unable to.

>>28552608
>60
Try double that, faggot.

>>28552375
>They needed that strategy in the fucking 80s
They did. That's when Willie G. assumed control and brought out a modern engine, the Evo, and expanded and designed bikes people wanted. Pre-84 Harley was on death's door and was saved.

>>28551539 (OP)
100% guaranteed this guy's job is to put the last nail in the coffin.

>>28551580
yeah EF is a giant faggot

>>28552403
Guys literally think it’s the AMC years

>>28551961
They also have a Chinese built 350 that doesn't seem as shit as the Indian 440, but doesn't really set itself apart from the competition either.

>>28552897
It is kinda silly how they declare themselves an American brand, but the only way they can make a bike affordable is by farming out labor elsewhere.

>>28552897
>Chinese built 350
Take a rider's course and you'll get to ride one. They're weird little bikes. Not a good bike for the market. I hope the sprint isn't just one of these.

>>28552154
Would kill the trike market that Harley has a stranglehold on.

>>28551539 (OP)
What does he ride?
>>28551961
>india
lmao kill yourself shitskin

>>28552364
Again more lies that lean on Japan as a crutch

Your 750cc nip cruiser is THAI MADE

the only way for harley to compete with them is to also go to thailand

They did that, and everyone hates it.

>classic americanism
As opposed to Nouveau Thai-ism? You're argument is warped and has no substance, you likely have a shitty life.

>>28557007
That's just the image for all the 400 class bikes out there. They're the same we get in the US, albeit some are equipped with more premium features as base models like KTM putting WP on all the 390's.

>>28557045
>They did that, and everyone hates it.
Everyone hated it because they off-shored American manufacturing to thailand or malaysia or some place and raised the prices. Mentally balanced people don't really care where a product is made so long as its good and has good perceived value. Royal Enfields and most Triumphs are made somewhere in that same region, they're excellent bikes and have great value. Nobody cares they're not made in Ye Olde Engerlund.
Same goes for some Fords made in Mexico. The truggers love seeing made in 'Murica so they do that, Nancy driving the kids to soccer practice simply doesn't care their SUV is made in mexico with globally sourced parts.

>>28552449
Meriden Bonnevilles ceased production in 1983 before Bloor bought the name and had Racing Spares build a few from 1985-1988 but by then they were completely obsolete.

>>28552659
Poorfags were never a serious market and no US maker can make cheap motorcycles as well as Japan.

Harley can simple shrink to suit its market which is now so saturated that no one needs a new one. 4chan being retarded wrenchlets for the most part think new offerings matter to serious motorcyclists. They do not.

>>28552664
Good. Mass adoption by wrenchlet filth ruined HD culture. Better it die so the barrier to entry is restored to real motorcyclists who made the old culture great.

>>28552716
You mean AMF (who rescued HD from the family thus saving it then sold it to the same executives who presided over past fuckups, a brilliant plan as they retired even wealthier than otherwise.

>>28558114
>hogger is retarded.
You do understand we're discussing the company, right?

>>28558021
>Mentally balanced people don't really care where a product is made so long as its good and has good perceived value.
Right, so you're just bullshitting then. You know as much as you hate harley, you should still wash your face with cold water and look at their sales numbers. The idea that people don't like made in america is willful ignorance, at best. But we all know you're just taking the piss because your life quality is sub par and you likely have an assortment of sexually transmitted diseases. Right there when you said that statement, I stopped reading, because I don't deal with freaks that get their kicks from being online. Kill yourself with your choice of method, but soon.

>>28558671
>You know as much as you hate harley
I don't hate harley. But I'm excited to read the rest of this fanfiction post
>just look at their sales numbers
Yeah, another year and another crop of boomers (retired dentists) wanting a $40,000 motorcycle to put 800 miles on before deciding to sell it. Or, you have the guys that have smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day since they were 14 finally able to afford such a toy. And if you're trying to point at sales numbers, point at all the bike brands blowing HD out of the water. HD sells more clothing than it does bikes, does that make them a clothing company?
>The idea that people don't like made in america is willful ignorance, at best.
It isn't. Notice how few brands are still "made in America"? Ever notice the blatant lies of "assembled in america" or "designed in America"? Consumers want a quality product at a reasonable price, like I said before. If you can get the EXACT same product at the EXACT same price but made in America, then yes obviously Americans will likely skew towards the American made one. That simply doesn't exist though. The American made stuff always costs more and is often worse quality depending on the specific product.
>But we all know you're just taking the piss
Listen Nigel, you're portraying the meme of "let me tell you about your country" a little too well.
>your life quality is sub par and you likely have an assortment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Straight outta left field. Great. Also wrong.
>I don't deal with freaks that get their kicks from being online
Where do you think we are, currently?
>Kill yourself with your choice of method, but soon.
No you.

>>28558671
>>28558724
Its like I have some sort of arcane knowledge:
>Top selling bikes of 2024
>1 Kawasaki Z650: 45,000 units sold
>2 Honda Rebel 1100: 40,000 units sold
>3 BMW 1250 GS: 33,000 units sold
>4 Yamaha MT 07: 30,000 units sold
>5 Harley Davidson Sporster S: 25,000 units sold
>6 Honda CB 500X: 22,000 units sold
>7 Indian Scout Bobber: 20,000 units sold
>8 Suzuki VStrom 650: 18,000 units sold
>9 KTM 390 Duke: 15,000 units sold
>10 Triumph T-120 Bonneville: 11,000 units sold
The best selling HD is #5. And it doesn't look like the conventional Harley. You take the badge off and it looks like an Indian, Yamaha, or any other modern muscle cruiser.

>>28551539 (OP)
>has no previous experience in the vehicle space
Harley Davidson has no interest in making real hardware improvements to improve their bikes. They just want to sell their branding lifestyle and the boomers that are still alive and able bodied to ride a motorcycle only want to buy the shitty performing bikes that they’ve been making since their first motor was designed with, they love that shitty vibration and low performing engine.
They tired to appeal to the younger generation but it didn’t catch on and it backfired against the boomers. Harley is in a bad spot when the boomers are all gone.

>>28558724
>>28558730
Thanks for the long double reply, mind if I don't read them? Have you picked out a method of suicide yet. Let me know. Thanks

>>28558763
You poor thing, the rozzers are gonna get you for posting inflammatory language without a license.

>>28558730
>>5 Harley Davidson Sporster S: 25,000 units sold
It did? My local dealership has a 24 they're still trying to get rid of.
>>28558760
>Harley Davidson has no interest in making real hardware improvements to improve their bikes.
Now that's just retarded to say. They wouldn't have done the massive 24-25 upgrades to specifically respond to and one up what Honda, Indian, and BMW were doing. That's why they've been working to shave weight, redo infotainment, remake the entire cooling system to make it smaller and more efficient, and rebalance the whole bike to make it feel lighter and handle better to compete with the K1600 and Goldwing. Something they've done quite well. The whole Revolution Max range is proof Harley is at least trying to do something different. Harley is certainly set in its ways in regards to design, even when it's retarded, but they do genuinely try to improve the product constantly.

Ive been riding sport bikes for 12 years, got a Harleys last year and I ride it almost exclusively these days.
It's not fast but its fun as fuck and I get way more "respect" on the road if that makes sense.
It's like driving a huge truck for the first time.
They might be scared, but they give me SPACE and that's the big thing.
This idiot better not fuck it up, HD is already irredeemably fucked but whatever.
These bikes are fucking great man.

>>28559046
>"Competiting"
That's the problem
They should bother
If I wanted a Honda I'd buy a fucking Honda
More chrome shit, the kids on electric bikes and str8 hipsters always give me complements.
Because it LOOKS AND SOUNDS SO GOOD

>>28559063
This much chrome, the whitewalls, and that fender are from a different time. Something like the Low Rider is styled more in line with capturing the imagination of younger guys today. Mags > spokes. Dual disk shows the bike takes itself seriously.

>>28559184
Mag wheels are gay I can tighten my spokes with fucking bicycle tools.
Stop trying to make Harleys wheelie bikes.
You can't replicate the feel of dragging expensive ass floorboards and parts on a fucking wheelie bike.
800lb steel bike with fucking chrome SPOKED wheels and 2.5" of ground clearance.
The fucking thing doesnt even have abs.
If I wanted a fucking wheelie bike I'd buy a used Ninja for $3k

>>28559184
Also the Wide Glide is what the people really want.
The real halo bikes are the touring models.
The real performance and parts catalogs all pander to the Road Glide and the Street Glide.
Look at the heavily modified Road Glides.
That's the performance bike for Harley right now.
Also buy an aircooled sportster, they will be worth even more in the future if you don't fuck up the paint too bad and keep it relatively clean.
Right now a lightly used aircooled Sportster is less than a brand new water cooled Sportster but soon that gap will close.
Fund one that was owned by a woman, women HD riders are always on top of all maintenance and keeping their bikes nice.

>>28559213
I'm too tall for a Sportster and my XSR700 is close enough to the same thing for its actual intended purpose of being a small kinda-fast cheap playbike. I'm buying a Dyna because I want something that fits me without going to the full on old-man touring chassis. I can buy one of those when I'm over 50.

>>28559275
>I'm too tall for a Sportster
I'm 6'4 and I make it fit

>>28559279
I'm 6'3 with disproportionately long legs. I put lowering pegs and/or taller seats on everything, even dirtbikes. A 1200 sporty would be a side grade at best from my cheap little XSR that has never let me down, and more likely a downgrade.

>>28551539 (OP)
The new tiny Harley is going to sell like hotcakes

>>28551549
They're actually starting to expand again, I hadn't seen any for over a decade but something like 4 have popped up in the last few years near me. I should probably move away, I think it's a sign like dollar general

>>28551634
business model already broken. chasing an ever smaller group of buyers who

>have money
>ride motorcycles
>of the social class that would ride Harleys

Harleys are not everyman's bike. They aren't a bike of the people. and they're of the price class to compare to the social group of buyers who have alot more disposable income than their primary demographic, so they lose out on the top end too

>>28559193
>Wheels that don't require tubed tires and an actually adequate braking system for a 700lb behemoth is a "wheelie bike"
I could already tell you were retarded based on how you've set up your Softail, but thanks for confirming it for us anyway.

>>28551539 (OP)
Yep, because
>Management is Management
and other bullshit lies, that managers tell each other. HD's fucked.

>>28559447
Yeah you can stunt out your Low Rider and it will work and be cool.
The Heritage and Deluxe is not a bike you want to stunt out or set up for anything too crazy.
Low Rider, Sportster and the Road Glide can all be set up to be pretty nimble bikes for wheelies and stunting.
>brakes
You don't need those, the engine braking is very intense

>>28559193
Your objection to mags is merely esthetic as spokes facilitate tubeless tires which leak down when punctured rather than blow out like tubes.

>You can't replicate the feel of dragging expensive ass floorboards and parts on a fucking wheelie bike.

I don't defile my Harleys with floorboards.

>800lb steel bike with fucking chrome SPOKED wheels and 2.5" of ground clearance.

Mine are ~610lbs because I don't need a two-wheeled Winnebago. I run FXRT forks because lack of ground clearance sucks.

Chrome pits which is why wise builders who need spokes for older bike esthetic/restoration choose stainless (with a dab of anti-seize before running down their nipples.

The fucking thing doesnt even have abs.
If I wanted a fucking wheelie bike I'd buy a used Ninja for $3k

>>28559275
> I can buy one of those when I'm over 50.

Common mistake because old people gradually become less enthused with wrasslin' a garbage wagon in their garage. It's wiser to go lighter not heavier like the posers do (who barely ride so their HDs saturate the used market).

Sportsters with tall suspension are common and make nice extremely simple ADV/scramblers. Bar choices are near infinite and pegs are easy to reposition given basic fab if you prefer mids as I do, but you already have a motorcycle so no need.

>>28559601
>You don't need those, the engine braking is very intense

Engine braking doesn't address weight transfer to the front wheel under braking which deloads the rear. The only reason it used to be popular is drum front brakes are heinously bad and early discs were designed with diehard morons in mind who thought a front brake could spit you over the bars on the street.

>>28551550
>150cc v twin
Yes, please.

>>28559977
The heaviest Ultras are always the bikes I see come in with 50k-100k miles...
If they know how to ride a motorcycle and own one how are they "posers"
The real thing killing HD is the fucking elitism.
It's a fucking cast iron shitwagon.
The stainless pits far worse than chrome btw, I'm surrounded by these fucking things 5 days a week I know what Im talking about.

>>28559993
>Yes, please.
Why? Because you want an anemic engine making 12 horsepower but weighs as much as a 500cc?

>>28551539 (OP)
He looks mildly retarded with downs syndrome

>>28559291
In two more weeks

>>28559056
>I get way more "respect"
It's because most people see Harley riders as the village idiot and no one wants to see an actual retarded person get hurt.

>>28560043
Sportsbikes just piss people off.
You don't notice it because you're going too fast for cars to fuck with you.

>>28560043
this
it's not respect it's "oh here comes this fucking retard on his shitty boomercycle what kind of absolute faggotry will he pull in front of me today?" they're getting out of your way because they don't wanna be near you. they don't wanna deal with any potential bullshit you might bring, and at worst they think you're a criminal simply because of the bike.

>>28560069
sportbikers are ok because they tend to not hold up traffic
harley riders tend to either be
a. old men who ride really slow
b. 30 y/o boomer types with something to prove but no skill to back it up and the wrong bike

no exceptions.

>>28560069
>Sportsbikes just piss people off.
Reasonably so. They all look nearly identical, they typically have a muffler delete or have that angry bumblebee exhaust note, they go far too fast and ignore every other rule of the road like lane splitting 100mph, passing on shoulders, wheelies in the middle of traffic, and getting pissy about the truck in front of them on a 2 lane road is only doing 10mph over the speed limit. Like calm the fuck down you're not in a race despite your gay leather onesie and fake kanji graphics on your bike. Stop revving your bike like a fucking asshole after someone changed lanes and just never fucking saw your stupid ass riding in their blind spot.

>>28560085
>Stop revving your bike like a fucking asshole
have you heard what the horn sounds like on your average sportbike? meep meep lmao

>>28560080
I guarantee I have more seat time on a sportbike going 30 over in traffic everywhere than you've been post-pubescent.
Nobody minds a cruiser going relatively close to the speed limit in a predictable manner.
All those people just want to go to work and your just another idiot fucking uo the flow as far as they're concerned.
The problem with motorcycles is you aren't that special, everybody knows how to ride a fucking motorcycle.
You aren't part of some seekrit club.

>>28560092
Yeah I have 2 bikes and both horns are weaker than an e-bike. How they haven't made a competent horn for a bike is beyond me. But revving your engine is like turning around before yeelling at someone. Its just obnoxious to everyone behind you, not the car in front of you.

>>28560007
Yes. I enjoy novelty things. An air cooled 150cc v twin will not weigh much more And a CVT will bring the weight down drastically.

>Inb4 crying over cvt
Nerd.

>>28560037
If it's a royal enfield clone that says "Harley" on the side it'll be the best selling bike in America

>>28560095
>I guarantee I have more seat time on a sportbike going 30 over in traffic everywhere than you've been post-pubescent.
>Nobody minds a cruiser going relatively close to the speed limit in a predictable manner.
that's what i'm saying you overly combative infantile faggot
those guys are fine but there's like a handful of them being courteous and respectful while every other biker is a fucking massive faggot with more horsepower than iq

>>28560096
>How they haven't made a competent horn for a bike is beyond me.
Ahooga horn.

>>28560150
>And a CVT
Just say you don't want to ride a bike without saying you don't want to ride a bike.

>>28560221
I ride my bike just fine. It isn't my problem you can't enjoy things simply because of how you think other men will perceive you.

>>28560250
You ride a scooter in a third world country.

>>28560276
I ride a scooter in the good ole U S of A. Which is arguably a third world country, yes. But it is still a bike, and I enjoy riding it.

>>28560069
I give all bikers ample room and space and distance for to do whatever they're doing on the road because I road bikes for years and know whaT it's like to be on a bike. And I'm not psychotic like most cagers apparently are and I don't want to make a riders already risky situation anymore endangered.
I like dual sports and sports bikes.
I used to like cruiser bikes but after a lifetime of seeing the degenerate looking things that typically ride Harley's, I don't have any particular 'respect' for them.
dual sport or a sport bike are the only bikes I actually like.

>>28560092
Bouncing the throttle off the rev-limiter is the universal greeting of the sport bike in their natural environment.
They're just saying 'h-hello'

>>28560167
If it actually has a classic look it will

>>28558671
>I don't deal with freaks that get their kicks from being online
you're either at level 9000 trolling mastery or your crude imitation of sentience will be surpassed by copilot in 6 months

>>28551539 (OP)
>lower-cost bikes
I'd need to see that to believe it, here the cheapest bike they sell is literally 17k euros, while most new 2025 models cost more than my fucking hybrid car.
At that point I'd rather go for an indian that cost 13k and offers more or less the same things than the harley.

>>28551668
>Do you even know what motorcycles cost at a dealership?
Don't know how's in the US, but boughted a hybrid car two years ago, and the only added cost were literally 600 euros over the price of the car + addons, I would wager since bikes are a lot simpler and quicker to setup than cars and pollute much less, the cost of licensing and setup is probably around those same 600 euros.
It's really nice to be living in a country that's not filled to the brim with fucking scammers, like how the hell do people just assume "I'd go to buy a 20k car and end paying 40k because the dealership adds 20k over the price"?

>>28562181
>It's really nice to be living in a country that's not filled to the brim with fucking scammers
What country is that? Narnia?

>>28562173
Indians are trash quality and cost the same or more than harley.