New fortine video

Today’s Harley is not the same as the vintage bike, they have the same technology as any new bike, they are every bit reliable as any bike on the market

As far as power, Haley’s aren’t made to be burning off the rear tire they are made for comfort and cruising and touring

i have an 05 electra glide that has no problem running down the road at 80mph all day and damn comfortable doing it,

no i got no oil leaks, no i got no parts falling off
I didn't mention reliability. They are big, expensive and making very little power compared to other engines of similar displacement. Assuming that 49 hp is sufficient for the intended use, others can get that from 400 cc's (obviously less torque, more revs) or 750cc in cruiser form. In my mind, needing 1200 cc to get there is just embarassing.

If I wanted to sell a bike for a premium price, I would want a bike comparable to the competition and let history/sound/packaging drive the premium price. Currently, by almost every objective measure, they are inferior and relying solely on history/sound to drive the sale. That has obviously worked for them, but in my mind is a path that will lead to failure. I like the dyna, it's a cool bike. That doesn't mean I think 67 hp out of 1450 cc in a 700 lb bike is acceptable in a premium priced product. Much of that is personal preference as I know I have strong disdain for the all show, no-go market that HD targets.
 
This Ryan dude seems to have a hate on for Harley
I don't think he does at all.

Just telling it like it is. He does state HD knows how to get more power out of the engine (they should know being at it this long, Vrod was mentioend) but they decided not to for historic reasons. Same reasons Indian has somewhat limited the power from their engine with the transmission and other design features.

That's what I got from the video.

I think HD should bring back and updated Vrod, instead of this slow progressive changing of their bikes.
 
Today’s Harley is not the same as the vintage bike, they have the same technology as any new bike.
Harleys have the self cancelling signals, heated grips, electric windscreens, adjustable traction control, rider modes, 6 axis IMUs, cornering headlights and adjustable electronic suspension?

Seems like the value is there for the most part.
 
IMO, all the electronic gizmos play second fiddle to only 67 hp out of 1450 cc on a bike weighing 700 lbs (statistics quoted from a previous post in this thread)
 
Harleys have the self cancelling signals, heated grips, electric windscreens, adjustable traction control, rider modes, 6 axis IMUs, cornering headlights and adjustable electronic suspension?

Seems like the value is there for the most part.
You forgot the stereo system, which some riders go nuts for, more than that other stuff.
 
You forgot the stereo system, which some riders go nuts for, more than that other stuff.
Right.

Obligatory renditions of Thunderstruck by ACDC everytime they pull up at a light with me.
 
You forgot the stereo system, which some riders go nuts for, more than that other stuff.
That does bring up a very good point. Maybe the typical Harley owner (although not all) wants the most stares per hour. That makes the loud pipes, stereos etc highly coveted options while actually wanting lower hp so you can make noise for longer without gaining too much speed. Just different priorities.
 
i like comfort when I ride
 
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i like comfort when I ride

You're missing the point. The truth of the V-Rod wasn't about ergonomics, it was about the promise of modern engine technology seeping into the Harley Davidson line-up. No more air-cooling, no more pushrods. That engine could have been dropped into a more comfortable package quite easily, but the Faithful didn't buy the V-Rod not because of comfort, it was because they just simply won't accept a post-war engine design.

Without a doubt it is a better bike but I still think they would have trouble selling them. I'm not sure if the problem was only the buyers or if a dealer network that was actually on board could bring success.

Both. Not-A-Real-Harley attitude is deeply ingrained in both owners *and* salespeople.

I remember going into a dealership to look at a V-Rods. They had one that was pushed to the back in a dark corner next to the washroom. Meanwhile up by the front door, they had 15 Road Kings in every imaginable configuration and customization all lined up.
 
You're missing the point. The truth of the V-Rod wasn't about ergonomics, it was about the promise of modern engine technology seeping into the Harley Davidson line-up. No more air-cooling, no more pushrods. That engine could have been dropped into a more comfortable package quite easily, but the Faithful didn't buy the V-Rod not because of comfort, it was because they just simply won't accept a post-war engine design.



Both. Not-A-Real-Harley attitude is deeply ingrained in both owners *and* salespeople.

I remember going into a dealership to look at a V-Rods. They had one that was pushed to the back in a dark corner next to the washroom. Meanwhile up by the front door, they had 15 Road Kings in every imaginable configuration and customization all lined up.
When I see the Indian's it just makes me think they are new bikes with VRod style engines. I don't see why Harley can't do the same today, besides that HD attitude, which is dumb. They had this almost 20 years ago, now look at the hole they are in. They could probably offer a Ultra with a choice of Vrod style engine, classic twin cam, or M8 engines. ?‍♂️ Instead they shelved something ahead of it's time.
 
Not bringing the front up on every shift

not bent over like you’re f,ing a football, not filling the tank every 150k
If you are lifting the front wheel accidentally on every shift you're a moron.

Bent over has nothing to do with very very low hp/displacement. That is a design choice. Other companies sell cruisers where you aren't balled up.

A sportster gets ~200 km per tank. Again, that is a design choice. Arguing that you can get more km per tank because your bike makes so little power is pretty damned hilarious. Fit a big tank, keep the throttle hand under control and you have a lot of range. Put a small tank and/or use lots of power and range suffers. Not magic. Nothing to do with HD.

Are you going to argue next that a single front disc is sufficient because you should just dump the bike and ride the slide if you are going to hit something anyway?
 
Not bringing the front up on every shift

not bent over like you’re f,ing a football, not filling the tank every 150k
You're not asking for much really, many bikes from many segments can hit all these requirements. The issue is, many don't ask for 30 grand and then ram sub par performance numbers down your throat.

Do you need 100+hp? Certainly not. But I'm not on board with charging more then the competition and offering less value just because.
 
If you are lifting the front wheel accidentally on every shift you're a moron.

Bent over has nothing to do with very very low hp/displacement. That is a design choice. Other companies sell cruisers where you aren't balled up.

A sportster gets ~200 km per tank. Again, that is a design choice. Arguing that you can get more km per tank because your bike makes so little power is pretty damned hilarious. Fit a big tank, keep the throttle hand under control and you have a lot of range. Put a small tank and/or use lots of power and range suffers. Not magic. Nothing to do with HD.

Are you going to argue next that a single front disc is sufficient because you should just dump the bike and ride the slide if you are going to hit something anyway?
I was answering the question that was asked about comfort.

I own a few bikes, every one of serves a different purpose of riding.

I bought and enjoy the one I’m riding at the time, as far as my Harley i didn’t buy it for the HP

but i can see the argument about it being low HP being the engine advanced by other bikes over the years
 
Just telling it like it is. He does state HD knows how to get more power out of the engine (they should know being at it this long, Vrod was mentioend) but they decided not to for historic reasons. Same reasons Indian has somewhat limited the power from their engine with the transmission and other design features.

Step 1: Sell low HP motorcycle. Sign on the dotted line. Thank you sir!
Step 2: Profit.
Step 3: Sir, before you go, you'd like more power, right? (Insert Tim Taylor engine noises)
Step 4: Stage 1, 2, or 3 sir? Just sign here, we can roll that into your original financing, no problem!
Step 5: Even more profit!

i like comfort when I ride

Then buy a Goldwing. Far more comfortable vs any cruiser out there and significantly outperforms pretty much all of them too.

I ride a cruiser, I know there's compromises to achieve the style, so there is form before function going on. I do ride pretty damned hard however and there's been times I've questioned whether I should buy a Wing, but I'll admit I do like the appearance of a cruiser, so I've found a happy medium in a full dresser.
 
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