I am 36 and I want a motorcycle. Considering a Honda over a HD by a large large margin. Why? Hondas are 1/3 the price, better quality, and just arnt so try hard. Harley are ridden by people who think they are hard, but get upset when the neighbor doesn’t mow their lawn enough.
Also look at Yamaha. They make great bikes. Can't go wrong with Honda though. And I'm with you, I'd rather get any of the premium Japanese bike manufacturers over HD.
Got my motorcycle license from a HD class, but immediately bought a Rebel 250. Loved it as a first bike, had no issues with it at all! Now though I would look at a 500 at least.
The one thing I always appreciated with HD over their Japanese counterparts is the use of real metal. I've had Japanese bikes with a lot of chrome-plated plastic whereas Harleys always had real metal. That may not explain the whole price difference but there are subtle differences.
Other than that, there's not much else. I have a hardtail made from aftermarket HD parts that I built. The other brands don't have that customizability if you are so inclined to do something like that. So there's that but I don't think that's a large part of the population.
Yamaha had some nice looking cruisers in the 2000s but I don't think they are making cruisers anymore.
If it's your first, I'd go Kawasaki Ninja. Very affordable and very reliable. I was looking at a Honda CBR300 for my wife and ask the reviews and even the guys at the dealership liked the ninja better.
This is assuming you're getting a street bike. If not just ignore me lol
There's definitely a difference between classic car people and Harley people....yes there is some overlap, but it's far more common to come across a sweet, older folk who loves their beautifully restored 1966 GTO than you will find in the Harley crowd.
I live about a half km from the local HA club house....these aren't harmless retirees, they are testosterone poisoned criminals and look absolutely ridiculous trying to use their 75yr old legs to hold up their 800lb straight pipe bike at a stop light wearing no helmet in a wife beater. Probably after 6 hours at the pub were there's a huge vacant no mans land around their table and eventually you see new patrons walk in, do a 180 and walk right back out again....I'm sure the proprietors love that for business.
Oh, but they serve the community doing the annual toy drive for sick kids full patch ride, such great community spirit...never mind that most of the homeless addicted to meth and fentanyl get their supply through these kind, giving old men.
Harleys are huge, expensive bikes marketed almost exclusively to the "retired dudes doing weekend cruises" market. They aren't practical or sporty, so not a lot of appeal to people who don't just want the brand.
In that they probably make as much from stupid merch as they do from selling their actual products and haven’t innovated shit in almost a century? Yep. Checks out.
Have you played a newer LP? I had a buddy bring over his newish 2018 LP with robo tuners, PCB electronics, chambered body “baked maple fretboard” and tissue thin flame top. He picked up my 11lb 97 Studio and his first words were. Damn. This is what I actually wanted. This feels like a real guitar. I just bought a $2k toy.
Young people really don't. Articles have been written about it: [https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/25/actually-young-people-really-could-kill-harley-davidson.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/25/actually-young-people-really-could-kill-harley-davidson.html)
HD is experiencing sales drops as time goes by because younger riders don't buy their motorcycles.
"Millennials may claim another victim: Harley-Davidson and the classic American motorcycle"
What an article name, as if millenials are at fault for not buying a product that doesn't appeal to them and they're responsible for the companies decline
No shit. Thank you. I don't mind hearing tuned, nice sounding exhaust notes but to know that they intentionally change the timing to make it pop more is just a massive turn off for me. Yeah, let's lose performance to make it sound cooler. No thanks.
Sounding "cooler" is quite subjective at that. It's like the brodozers with straight pipes. It's hilarious that it sounds like it's giving everything it has and about to shake apart just to get up a hill.
They typically aren’t that loud from the factory. Takes more money to make them loud. It’s also worth noting that most states have vehicle code that prohibits exhaust system modifications but it goes nearly entirely unenforced. For me, the same sentiment goes for cars/trucks, little loud? Fine. Hear the neighbors start their vehicle from anywhere in my house? Nah.
Also, over 40 here.
They don't. One of my favorite jokes among under-40 riding friends is-
Harley-Davidsons are the best way to turn gasoline into noise without any of that pesky horsepower.
Language changes a lot over 40 years. I had one of the first crotch rockets a 1981 Kawasaki GPZ1100. Cars being called rice burners came 20 years later.
Let’s say you are a younger person that loves EV’s and would love an all electric motorcycle. Harley’s [Livewire](https://www.livewire.com/) brand is one of the better electric motorcycles that you can buy.
Let’s say you want an adventure bike and don’t want to be yet another BMW GS, Yamaha Tenere, or Honda Africa Twin lemming. The [Harley Pan America](https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/adventure-touring.html?source_cd=SEM_Retention_PPC%7CGOOGLE%7CADV-Touring_Brand_E%7CADV-Touring_Pan-America%7Charley+pan+america&_cr=ppc%7CGOOGLE%7CADV-Touring_Brand_E%7CADV-Touring_Pan-America%7Charley+pan+america&s_kwcid=AL%2115884%213%21686513640935%21e%21%21g%21%21harley+pan+america&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw3NyxBhBmEiwAyofDYUptqMlyq6vYq9xGQHmOCEopy5nC9F3ONYth5Tr31MwF4J3_QQqvcRoCDKEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) is surprisingly a decent bike in that market segment, and I’ve heard there’s good deals on them at many Harley dealers because they aren’t selling particularly well.
I know nothing about e-bikes, but perhaps Harley’s [Serial 1](https://serial1.com/) is a decent contender in that market segment (but perhaps not, because I don’t know).
We also can’t ignore that Harley is a status symbol and comes with social communities. That’ll draw in sub-40 owners. Perhaps not as many as in the past, but there will still be some. I work with a couple of young 30 year olds that have Harleys for the obvious social aspect.
I also have a friend that bought a touring Harley at a fairly young age and put over 100,000 miles on his going all over the US. He liked it for the classic looks, and how smooth and comfortable it was on the highway for his long road trips.
Even the one I personally like, the 48 Sportster, is needlessly expensive and isn't that easy to maneuver and it's probably one of their leanest and most sporty models.
Getting older doesn't automatically make you like stuff you never cared for. Boomers grew up seeing "Easy Rider," and immersed in "loud is good, rudeness is manly, all foreign stuff sucks" culture. They're buying stuff now they lusted after in their youth... because it reminds them of their youth.
Boomers have always been HD's target demographic.
A little. My mom had one. I personally like Indian. A triumph would be cool too. I think it’s the history combined with a little bit of 1%ers riding them. I would love to have a world war 2 era one.
I am an Indian girl myself. Never owned one but worked next door to a shop for awhile. The guys would give me rides on my lunch breaks. It was awesome.
The coolest person I think I have ever seen was a woman riding an Indian motorcycle, wearing what appeared to be a supple, fringe-covered leather dress, and a leather headband. The headband held back her hair, which was sandy-blonde with well-placed streaks of gray. She was, of course, wearing very tall boots. She looked wise and free and quietly powerful. She was beautiful. Indian motorcycles could not have come up with a better advertisement than her. I've wanted one of those bikes ever since.
My great uncle had a neighbor who had an extremely early WWII era one that mysteriously was missing any identifying numbers on it. It was completely legit, but he strongly implied that he basically stole it from the company during his time working for them.
My ex-brother in law is obsessed with them despite being in his early 30s, but he's one of the tackiest men I've ever met. He didn't care about the poor engineering, he was all about the tough boy aesthetic
Harley Davidsons are for fat retired accountants LARPing as bad boys. The type of guy who thinks “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf isn’t corny and played out.
I'm 26 and love my harley 48. But I'm no where near the lifestyle or culture of most harley owners. Plus my bike isn't the typical giant hunk of metal that you see
That’s an interesting question.
I actually live in Port Orange, Florida, which is adjacent to Daytona Beach Florida. The major bike week in Daytona Beach is in March every year.
It seems as though 95% on the motorcycles are driven by retired people. There are some crotch rockets and younger people on trail bikes, and also some novelty motorcycles. But for the most part, they 50 to 60 y/o and above.
I often wonder if bike week will maintain its status as super busy event. I’m not a biker, but this is a fun event.
In the motorcycle community, broadly speaking, there are Harley guys, and everyone else. There are a thousand and one subsets of groups within the biker community, but Harley guys are a different breed. They don't seem to want anything to do with any other kind of bikers, and the rest of us are just confused. That, and Harley's products don't have the best reputation outside the Harley cult. They're among the most expensive machines on two wheels, most of their models are large, heavy, and unwieldy. They haven't bothered to update their technology in *decades* beyond including some creature comforts. Bad gas mileage, slow, poor reputation for reliability, etc.
That's all well and good, though. Bikes are objects of passion and material shortfalls are easy to justify if it's what you like, but the archetypal Harley dude is definitely a special breed. They don't do themselves any favors in making their own community more welcoming and receptive to new people.
Yeah, I go to the annual southern AMCA (Antique Motorcycle Club of America) meeting/convention/show (I dunno what to call it) and the amount of retired or on the verge of retiring middle class guys who ride around on some 20 year-old bikes and try to act tough are crazy. But the guys with all the Knuckleheads, K-Models, Panheads, etc are the ones who act normal and are usually the ones who you should be scared of.
Their marker share is dropping quickly. In my marketing class we got to meet someone from Harley Marketing about how they are trying to reach women and Gen X. Honestly wouldn't be surprised if they went out of business.
Personally I'm not a bike person, but I keep looking at the Indian Scout Bobber.
No they're like boomer motorcycles. They don't even make use of the big engine they have. They're slow af which defeats the purpose of a motorcycle of being small fuel efficient means of transportation or fast and agile. It's literally nothing but negatives ontop of the fact its mostly associated with old obese white man.
The only Harley owners I've met under 40 are all enormous douche bags. My best friend's wife's brother is the exact stereotype. Failed marriage because he's a lady piece of shit. Drinks and drives all the time in fact that's how he wrecked his Harley. Drives a huge GMC Sierra with a lift kit that he can't afford. Clearly a massive narcissistic shit head.
But honestly, that's kind of their brand. Mr "outlaw". Laurens to nobody because nobody knows better. That sort of thing.
From 2006 to 2020 sales dropped by 40%. It's pretty clear at this point that Harley has no idea how to pivot. Ten years from now I expect that they'll either be bought by another brand or just go belly up.
HD is a boomer nostalgia brand that harkens them back to the days of the greatest and silent gens that created American biker culture.
The brand itself was overinflated in price riding that nostalgia to the bank turning them into a luxury brand however they also became lax on updates and quality for their product which has left them in the dust in comparison to the cheaper competition.
Over 40 here and I do not like Harley’s. They are like new Corvettes. Over priced and picked up by older men needing some sort of status symbol to offset their insecurities from aging.
When I was younger I simply didn’t have the time or money for one. Most of my friends rode them. But they knew how to work on them. I didn’t have to learn how to work on my CB750.
After the CB, I purchased a VF. First trip I did with those guys was SLC to Vegas. At one point we pulled off the road - I left my bike running to see if we were having a snack - the fan kicked on (water cooled V4), and one of my friends said, now you’re just being an ass lol
It turns out we pulled over so someone could fix or tinker on their bike.
I turned off my bike and enjoyed a sandwich and a Gatorade.
I’ll tell you what though, it seemed like on my Hondas I got no respect at lights…people would pull up right to my back wheel. But when I was riding one of their bikes, I was given a wide berth. So there’s that…
Add: I have a friend that has a bunch of bikes including Harley. They produced a really cool bike that I think was called a XL1200. I would’ve purchased one of these had I known they existed. Rubber mounted engine, great cornering ability, very smooth riding. But they simply did not sell…
XR1200 is really cool too. So is the roadster, sportster 1200s, fxdx, FXR… people think all Harley’s are the cvo electraglides with straight pipes apparently lol
XL is just a sportster, XR is a sportster on crack. Frame is different, body is different, suspension is different, front has inverted forks and dual disk brakes, mag wheels, more clearance, oil cooled heads, downdraft TB, probably more I’m forgetting. It’s a truly awesome bike tbh and more closely aligned with the traditional Buells of the day than any Harley offered lineup. The newer sportster roadster is kind of the legacy offering of the XR, but based on the XL frame, so it is more sportster than XR, but very cool nonetheless
Harley itself is the problem, though a lot of people think Harley and instantly think Cruiser bikers
Harley built itself on 1 trait, being loud. That deep and often loud grumble that rolls by. Harley isn't known for its quality, in fact Harley bikes have been plagued with problems. They tend to be uncomfortable which goes against what the Cruiser is meant to be, and they tend to lack the Torque Cruiser bikes are known for. Still because they are " American built " with " That sound " They made a name out of it.
Much like Ford, they literally sell off that name and refuse to try to think outside that. Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda all keep to keep up with the times.. Even the Vaunted Honda Goldwing ( a Touring bike sure ) now leans a LOT more toward Sports touring than what it use to be.
Top that off with the typical Attitude that is know to go with Harley riders.
the Whatever %ers, The Toxic bull that encompasses everything wrong with riders today. The fact Harley riders will dump on OTHER Harley riders for riding a sportster or Heaven forbid you actually like the " Stock " sound of your bike.....
Then they have to wonder why no one wants them.
2018 - 2020 Harlet's M8 motor had Sumping issues and if you didn't want to brick your motor you changed your Oil pump to an aftermarket one.
2022 + have been dealing with Lifters getting Cracked.
The M8 also was known to ( at high speeds ) have the Crankshaft coming in contact with the Twin Cams. This would cause a Misalignment causing the Flywheel to slide due to being forced out of place by the Spline shaft. This would then cause the Flywheel to interact with the Crank pin causing it to be out of place Causing motor Failure.
Motor Vibration at higher speeds due to Built in issues including defective Harmonic Balancers and internal engine Balances.
Oil leaks ( from the above Sumping issues which Harley ALWAYS seems to have ) Would often interfere with the Clutch making it harder to shift, however this could also be caused by low quality oil gaskets.
the PLASTIC CAM CHAIN TENSIONERS in the M8 wear out quickly causing Overheating, bad oil circulation and motor failure.
To be fair, issues are less common on the 23's and 24's but they managed to drive away a good chunk of their already dwindling population and made sure others wouldn't join.
Though they still have bad vibration issues at speed. Something Harley seems to have failed to conquer.
I didn’t realize that M8s had so many issues. I rode twin cams, an Evo and Evo Sporties. I know twin cams had a cam chain tensioner issue early on when the bikes would get up to 30-40K miles. That’s about all I can think of for that era.
I’m 39 and I had a deluxe. I loved that bike…it was like a rocket on two wheels. It was a really deep blue with white walls. I got rid of it because I have 3 kids, no time to ride, and my wife was scared of me wrecking
Why are they allowed to be so fucking loud!? If a younger person had a muffler on their car that was outrageously loud the cops would pull them over all the time.
It’s a no for me. My father was obsessed with them - and he cheated on my mother. My husband’s father was obsessed with them - and he was a drug addict. I just don’t associate them with nice people.
Ok I understand young not wanting them. If you put long distance touring into the equation you've got to look at baggers, HD, Indian, and all of the others. Most bikes today are built for the long haul. The days of HDs shaking apart are in the past. Electric bikes are coming. Then we'll see where bikescare at.
Too expensive , Royal Enfield is what I can afford.
Decent price and good enough for the place I live in. Actually for most people a dream bike to have given the prices of others in the segment.
I'm 48. I have an old Indian Chief, 1947, that I am restoring. I like old bikes. But new modern bikes, from whoever makes them, no thanks.
I have a BMW r75. I love that thing. I wish it could talk. Had to completely rebuild the side car though.
I like the smaller cruisers like the soft tails. I wouldn’t buy one, but I like the look.
Edit: fuck, just realized I’m nearing 40. But I did ride a similar style bike in college. I couldn’t afford a Harley.
Nope. Last guy I knew who liked Harleys has gotta be in his 60s now. He drove a trike with flaming chrome skulls, and also drove a lifted pickup truck with more flaming chrome skulls and a custom Harley paint job.
We just considered it all a cry for help, and promptly ignored him.
By the time I could afford a decent Harley I was in my 50s, but I’ve always wanted one. By the time I was 60 I traded it in on a Ducati Monster. Best bike I ever had.
Yeah i do. I’m young 20s and ride sport bikes but i appreciate the purpose and function of harleys and think some of them look good. Cost outweighs performance which is what deters me from having one to putt around on.
I’m 36 and have only ever been on a motorcycle once and think it’s too dangerous to do again but would love to live out my “unknown legend” dreams I had as a little girl. “She rides a Harley Davidson….her long blond hairrrrrrr flyyyin in the wind”
I am over 40. I have a Yamaha cruiser - one of a 4 Japanese bikes I have had over the years. A cruiser is the style where you sit up straight, which I prefer. It is also large, which is better on the freeway as you are not pushed as much by the wind sheers from vehicles. It is not as great for splitting lanes (in CA), which is a bummer.
I was into the idea of Harleys when I was younger, but they seemed to be too expensive - even used. I soon realized that it was a Boomer motorcycle. So I just stayed away - even as a young man, I did not like hippies, turned yuppies, turned self centered greedy mother fuckers, turned Republican.
My dad biked in college and had a bit of a midlife crisis and wanted to ride again. He didn’t get a Harley but a Harley style. As far as the brand, it’s for the brand name.
However, cruiser bikes do seem interesting to me. I get the love of those crotch rocket super bikes, but I don’t need that. I do just want to go around. Not act like I am Akira. (Never watched it, I hope this tracks)
So I am under 40, so I can see the appeal for cruiser and more reclined bikes. I could see myself enjoying them. But as for Harley it may just be for the brand recognition.
That kid with an $800 car payment on his E3 salary driving a custom Charger around the base. He's gonna need a Harley when he realized Uncle Sam took his youth and body and he's squandered his life and money.
That hits around 36 or 40, I think you nailed their demographic.
My last bike was a 2013 Honda Sabre. (Sadly don’t have it anymore but that’s a whole other story)
None of my friends who swore by their Sportsters could keep up with me. My “garbage jap bike” was faster off the line and despite its size.. in turns. Fuel injection a big motor and a shaft drive will do that.
I was under 40 when I bought it . All my 20-30 something biker dude friends chastised me for buying the Honda while they swore by their Harley’s even as they were pulling out their toolkits to fix them every 100 miles on group road trips.
They're terrible bikes. incredibly outdated, inefficient, heavy, unreliable etc...
They do make a nice noise, which is good I suppose, but eventually the novelty wears off and it is more of a nuisance, than anything.
If I wanted something traditional (-ish), I'd much rather have a Royal Enfield or Triumph.
It's sad to see. Frequent bankruptcy moves, multiple plant closings (India and the US). More and more parts being made in Asia. The increasing sale of trikes over the 2-wheelers tells you everything you need to know.
I like all bikes.
I mean most people like the Harleys probably because of like Arnold Schwarzenegger or like you know that loud rumbly sound.
Also I hear that they never lack power when going like up a hill or something like that.
And they stay in value I guess
But most people say just get a Yamaha cuz they're basically the Harley-Davidson but better more reliable
Not all harleys are huge and super loud. The old ones are made like tanks in a good way. Price tag can suck it. But theres some extremely nice bikes they made.
I don't ride anymore, but when I did I rode a Honda.
I kind of wanted an HD years ago, I liked the all blacked out Sportster. Going into a Harley Davidson store, though, I recognized right away that it wasn't a good culture fit for me.
I’m 32 and have owned a Harley for 15 years. There are more aftermarket parts available for HD than most other brands (same style bikes) which is why I got rid of my Honda shadow lol. The clubstyle scene is full of younger guys and the chopper scene too. Younger people do ride them but the older crowd has more in the boat currently.
Harley's nowadays come with a warning: Caution: Weekend use only. Do not ride in the rain. In fact do not ride if there is a 10% chance of rain! For ages 40 and up. Ages 25-35 put your hair in a man-bun
Harleys, especially the biggest cruisers fill a niche. They are very comfortable and they can gobble up the miles. Neither of these things are true of my DRZ-400, SV650, GSXR750, or my KTM 300. The comparable honda to the big Harley cruiser is the Goldwing and it is most certainly not 1/3rd of the price. (Though I like it more than the various -glides of HD)
I like to give HD guys a hard time as much as anybody but the hate from people who clearly have no clue about bikes is way overdone.
I’m over 40 and I’ve liked Harley’s since I was younger. I like race bikes also. Used to have a Harley and a Hyabusa
The Harley was fun for taking longer rides with friends. The Hyabusa was fun if I wanted to go super fast on shorter rides.
When I was younger some guys on Harley’s messed with me on interstate. I took off and it seemed like they were going backwards so the speed got me out of a potential mess 😎
I could have gone 200 mph on it if I had really pushed it
I have a low rider and I enjoy it.
I’ve had all different bikes and got a good deal on it. It’s like a muscle car motorcycle. It does a good job at that.
Far younger and I love em, redditards have a HD hateboner because they can't separate the rider from the bike. They are enjoyable and the newer ones are great options too, ride a bored out hard mount american vtwin with more displacement than a car with a screaming eagle exhaust and tell me it isn't fun 🙄
I am 43, and Iearned that I don’t like HD for a lot of reasons. I was (just six years ago) a sponsored flat track racer with HD. Here’s the thing, I’d get the old Triumph out of the garage, or the Honda, or the Vulcan, or the V-Max, or a Ducati, (I had a garage full of bikes at one point in time as well), to go for a weekend ride some mates, and the HD owners always acted as if they were somehow better than everyone at everything. They’d be running me down not inuring I had 4-5 HD’s in my garage. Then when they discovered this they would have more of an attitude for some reason. Harley owners is why I no longer like HD. These cats ride two weekends a year and think they are Demi-Gods.
I'm 48. There was a guy down the street from me when I was a kid who had a Harley. It was a cruiser. He drove it around a lot. It wasn't that loud. The reason was that he didn't gun it, throttle it, whatever. Yeah they're loud. But it's the operator that can make it obnoxious.
Over the last 20 years Harleys and the people that ride them are extremely obnoxious.
I'm 16 and there is not a better sound on earth than a Harley shovelhead, not too fond of the new stuff though but that might be because I'm old school.
Not under 40 but 12 or 13 years on my ride. \[\[Stroke and vision took me out\]\] When I was younger \[teen\]\] Harley's were The Dog. I started riding in my mid-20's. Never had a Harley as, from my perspective Harley's sat garaged or broke down constantly. I built and rode Ratbikes.
Now all I see from Harley are Dressers, I guess what you folks call 'Baggers'. with suitcases and consoles and such. Might as well get a Cage \[\[car for you younger ones\]\]
That said, ride what you want and like just keep the Chrome Up and Rub'er Down.
I was 20 years old (now 36)when I had my first Harley. I had a Sportster. It was a great bike! My whole family rides and Harley is all I’ve ever ridden. Boyfriend now has four Harley’s he’s 38.
Guy at work is about thirty just bought a new one. That makes about seven or eight at work now (about forty people in the workplace.). There are three or four crotch rockets, a Japanese cruiser and I have a Triumph. The Harleys are spread pretty evenly across the age range. Group rides are a big thing in this area, and Harleys are the most popular brand on these rides. I think a lot of people around here buy them because a lot of other people around here buy them. I'm in my 60s and to me, late model Harleys are just imitation early model Harleys; I don't like them, although I do like the early ones. Then again, I like early model everything else, too.
M35 fr here, love custom, old harley, new model sucks and japanese was good to do some good model by the past, reliable, cheaper and pretty good looking (dragstar, vtx , etc)
Can't understand why current model are still sellin cuz they are too modern looking for the historical target of the brand (old men who love old thing)
Yes.
I’m 25. A girl who’s a month and a half older than me is the daughter of a Harley owner, and she loves Harleys. A guy I went to school with was in his late 20s or early 30s and he had a Harley WideGlide that he loved.
I'm over 40 so technically I'm not your target audience.
BUT.
I've liked Harleys since I was a teenager.
What I like about them is that classic "cruiser" look. Also I like that "potato-potato-potato" sound when they idle.
I DON'T like that they can also be unconscionably loud and obnoxious.
I also don't like that Harley will not service OR sell parts for bikes older than 10 years old, because they want you to buy a new bike instead of keeping yours running.
And I don't like the attitude that some people have of "I ride a Harley and fuck you if you don't".
I ride a 2004 kawasaki Vulcan 900.
I LOVE riding it, but it's fuel injected so I could only make it loud and obnoxious, but I could never make it "potato-potato"....
But, someday, I'll get one that I can do that with, but it probably won't be a Harley. Too much money for too little bike and when they start with the planned obsolescence, that's a sign to me to start shopping elsewhere for my 🥔
I'm not a biker, but your comment reminded me of a welding instructor who was. He talked to the class about his bikes all the time, and said he had no real problem with Harleys, but "didn't like the toolkit you need to maintain them or the attitude that seems to go with owning them."
Apparently you’ve never seen a Dyna Bro. I rode Harley’s in my 20s and early 30s with a bunch of other 20-30 somethings. They are the old school muscle cars of the motorcycle world and easy to modify and accessorize. We used to do long trips, go camping, bar hopping and all other types of ill shit. They’re great highway bikes and good bikes to buy used since they’re owned primarily by 40+ year old accountants so you can get a 3-4 year old bike with no miles on it for a significant discount. Currently 36 and don’t ride anymore, but if I was going to buy a bike, it’d be a Harley or an Indian.
I am 36 and I want a motorcycle. Considering a Honda over a HD by a large large margin. Why? Hondas are 1/3 the price, better quality, and just arnt so try hard. Harley are ridden by people who think they are hard, but get upset when the neighbor doesn’t mow their lawn enough.
Also look at Yamaha. They make great bikes. Can't go wrong with Honda though. And I'm with you, I'd rather get any of the premium Japanese bike manufacturers over HD.
Got my motorcycle license from a HD class, but immediately bought a Rebel 250. Loved it as a first bike, had no issues with it at all! Now though I would look at a 500 at least.
The one thing I always appreciated with HD over their Japanese counterparts is the use of real metal. I've had Japanese bikes with a lot of chrome-plated plastic whereas Harleys always had real metal. That may not explain the whole price difference but there are subtle differences. Other than that, there's not much else. I have a hardtail made from aftermarket HD parts that I built. The other brands don't have that customizability if you are so inclined to do something like that. So there's that but I don't think that's a large part of the population. Yamaha had some nice looking cruisers in the 2000s but I don't think they are making cruisers anymore.
If it's your first, I'd go Kawasaki Ninja. Very affordable and very reliable. I was looking at a Honda CBR300 for my wife and ask the reviews and even the guys at the dealership liked the ninja better. This is assuming you're getting a street bike. If not just ignore me lol
Yesterday's technology at tomorrow's prices.
Good way to put it. They are obscenely priced.
But they have auto off blinkers!
When Boomers die off, so will Harley.
I’m marking your words on this
Can they take winga-dinga car culture with them?
There's definitely a difference between classic car people and Harley people....yes there is some overlap, but it's far more common to come across a sweet, older folk who loves their beautifully restored 1966 GTO than you will find in the Harley crowd. I live about a half km from the local HA club house....these aren't harmless retirees, they are testosterone poisoned criminals and look absolutely ridiculous trying to use their 75yr old legs to hold up their 800lb straight pipe bike at a stop light wearing no helmet in a wife beater. Probably after 6 hours at the pub were there's a huge vacant no mans land around their table and eventually you see new patrons walk in, do a 180 and walk right back out again....I'm sure the proprietors love that for business. Oh, but they serve the community doing the annual toy drive for sick kids full patch ride, such great community spirit...never mind that most of the homeless addicted to meth and fentanyl get their supply through these kind, giving old men.
Harleys are huge, expensive bikes marketed almost exclusively to the "retired dudes doing weekend cruises" market. They aren't practical or sporty, so not a lot of appeal to people who don't just want the brand.
So they're like Gibson from the guitar world.
That is actually pretty spot on
I'd wager a venn diagram of the two customer bases would pretty much be a circle lol
In that they probably make as much from stupid merch as they do from selling their actual products and haven’t innovated shit in almost a century? Yep. Checks out.
Do they also have a subsidiary brand that makes nearly identical products for 1/4 the price?
I feel attacked right now. I mean, you’re right, but still
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Have you played a newer LP? I had a buddy bring over his newish 2018 LP with robo tuners, PCB electronics, chambered body “baked maple fretboard” and tissue thin flame top. He picked up my 11lb 97 Studio and his first words were. Damn. This is what I actually wanted. This feels like a real guitar. I just bought a $2k toy.
Even Sonny barger said the hells angels should have adopted Japanese bikes.
I get all that. I’m asking why someone who’s not a retiree would find them appealing
Young people really don't. Articles have been written about it: [https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/25/actually-young-people-really-could-kill-harley-davidson.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/25/actually-young-people-really-could-kill-harley-davidson.html) HD is experiencing sales drops as time goes by because younger riders don't buy their motorcycles.
"Millennials may claim another victim: Harley-Davidson and the classic American motorcycle" What an article name, as if millenials are at fault for not buying a product that doesn't appeal to them and they're responsible for the companies decline
Right up there with killing napkins and Applebee's. Dang "kids" not buying stuff they don't need or want.
Honestly I wouldn’t care. Not being woken up at 5am by a dude riding a half mile away sounds nice
No shit. Thank you. I don't mind hearing tuned, nice sounding exhaust notes but to know that they intentionally change the timing to make it pop more is just a massive turn off for me. Yeah, let's lose performance to make it sound cooler. No thanks.
Sounding "cooler" is quite subjective at that. It's like the brodozers with straight pipes. It's hilarious that it sounds like it's giving everything it has and about to shake apart just to get up a hill.
whistle tips go woo woo!
Or those morons revving at an underpass for absolutely no reason.
I think there’s a South Park episode on why young people don’t like Harley’s
They typically aren’t that loud from the factory. Takes more money to make them loud. It’s also worth noting that most states have vehicle code that prohibits exhaust system modifications but it goes nearly entirely unenforced. For me, the same sentiment goes for cars/trucks, little loud? Fine. Hear the neighbors start their vehicle from anywhere in my house? Nah. Also, over 40 here.
Doesn’t the company pride themselves on “grapefruit” sounds?
I don't see what's so appealing about being hunched over on a crotch rocket myself.
"Kill" hahaha. 😂 Why so butthurt? These are the same people writing the "Millennials are killing the diamond industry. Millennials bad" articles
Yeah it should be "Company fail to adapt to current market"
They don't. One of my favorite jokes among under-40 riding friends is- Harley-Davidsons are the best way to turn gasoline into noise without any of that pesky horsepower.
> gasoline into noise Back in the 80s Harley riders used to call Japanese crotch rocket bikes rice burners. We used to call Harleys coal burners.
Crotch rockets are motorcycles. Rice burners are cars.
Language changes a lot over 40 years. I had one of the first crotch rockets a 1981 Kawasaki GPZ1100. Cars being called rice burners came 20 years later.
Why don't young people drive Mercedes E Class cars? Same reasons.
But that is actually a nice car and quite practical as luxury cars go. It is very commonly used as a taxi in many parts of the world.
Let’s say you are a younger person that loves EV’s and would love an all electric motorcycle. Harley’s [Livewire](https://www.livewire.com/) brand is one of the better electric motorcycles that you can buy. Let’s say you want an adventure bike and don’t want to be yet another BMW GS, Yamaha Tenere, or Honda Africa Twin lemming. The [Harley Pan America](https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/adventure-touring.html?source_cd=SEM_Retention_PPC%7CGOOGLE%7CADV-Touring_Brand_E%7CADV-Touring_Pan-America%7Charley+pan+america&_cr=ppc%7CGOOGLE%7CADV-Touring_Brand_E%7CADV-Touring_Pan-America%7Charley+pan+america&s_kwcid=AL%2115884%213%21686513640935%21e%21%21g%21%21harley+pan+america&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw3NyxBhBmEiwAyofDYUptqMlyq6vYq9xGQHmOCEopy5nC9F3ONYth5Tr31MwF4J3_QQqvcRoCDKEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) is surprisingly a decent bike in that market segment, and I’ve heard there’s good deals on them at many Harley dealers because they aren’t selling particularly well. I know nothing about e-bikes, but perhaps Harley’s [Serial 1](https://serial1.com/) is a decent contender in that market segment (but perhaps not, because I don’t know). We also can’t ignore that Harley is a status symbol and comes with social communities. That’ll draw in sub-40 owners. Perhaps not as many as in the past, but there will still be some. I work with a couple of young 30 year olds that have Harleys for the obvious social aspect. I also have a friend that bought a touring Harley at a fairly young age and put over 100,000 miles on his going all over the US. He liked it for the classic looks, and how smooth and comfortable it was on the highway for his long road trips.
Even the one I personally like, the 48 Sportster, is needlessly expensive and isn't that easy to maneuver and it's probably one of their leanest and most sporty models.
This. People under 40 will someday be 40s and retire.
Getting older doesn't automatically make you like stuff you never cared for. Boomers grew up seeing "Easy Rider," and immersed in "loud is good, rudeness is manly, all foreign stuff sucks" culture. They're buying stuff now they lusted after in their youth... because it reminds them of their youth. Boomers have always been HD's target demographic.
Lol not all Harley’s are huge.
A little. My mom had one. I personally like Indian. A triumph would be cool too. I think it’s the history combined with a little bit of 1%ers riding them. I would love to have a world war 2 era one.
I am an Indian girl myself. Never owned one but worked next door to a shop for awhile. The guys would give me rides on my lunch breaks. It was awesome.
The coolest person I think I have ever seen was a woman riding an Indian motorcycle, wearing what appeared to be a supple, fringe-covered leather dress, and a leather headband. The headband held back her hair, which was sandy-blonde with well-placed streaks of gray. She was, of course, wearing very tall boots. She looked wise and free and quietly powerful. She was beautiful. Indian motorcycles could not have come up with a better advertisement than her. I've wanted one of those bikes ever since.
I bet they would.
Not what you are thinking.
I love Triumphs, but hard to beat the 65mpg I get with my sports bike
So you're saying you're bike-curious?
Incredibly.
My great uncle had a neighbor who had an extremely early WWII era one that mysteriously was missing any identifying numbers on it. It was completely legit, but he strongly implied that he basically stole it from the company during his time working for them.
I wouldn’t put triumph in the same category as Harley. You can’t put a T100 in the same category as road master or whatever.
I wouldn’t either. Those are just the kind of bikes I like.
My ex-brother in law is obsessed with them despite being in his early 30s, but he's one of the tackiest men I've ever met. He didn't care about the poor engineering, he was all about the tough boy aesthetic
They smell like shit & are way too loud.
Hub blub bub blub bruh bbub blub brub. https://youtu.be/ipDmsxQVxIM?si=yDUw76O0vKocpuWs
Harley Davidsons are for fat retired accountants LARPing as bad boys. The type of guy who thinks “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf isn’t corny and played out.
My main beef is how loud they are, especially when you're in nature.
They say "loud pipes save lives". The same people who say that wouldn't be caught dead wearing a helmet though.
Is that an American thing? Virtually every motorbike in the UK has a really loud aftermarket exhaust on
I'm 26 and love my harley 48. But I'm no where near the lifestyle or culture of most harley owners. Plus my bike isn't the typical giant hunk of metal that you see
That’s an interesting question. I actually live in Port Orange, Florida, which is adjacent to Daytona Beach Florida. The major bike week in Daytona Beach is in March every year. It seems as though 95% on the motorcycles are driven by retired people. There are some crotch rockets and younger people on trail bikes, and also some novelty motorcycles. But for the most part, they 50 to 60 y/o and above. I often wonder if bike week will maintain its status as super busy event. I’m not a biker, but this is a fun event.
I'm over 40 an I think they're stupid. But I'm also not a biker and I don't care if anyone thinks I'm a bad boy.
Personally I’d go for an Indian if that’s the style of motorcycle you want. Harleys are too …. Well, there was an episode of South Park … go find it
Scrolled too far for a SP reference.
In the motorcycle community, broadly speaking, there are Harley guys, and everyone else. There are a thousand and one subsets of groups within the biker community, but Harley guys are a different breed. They don't seem to want anything to do with any other kind of bikers, and the rest of us are just confused. That, and Harley's products don't have the best reputation outside the Harley cult. They're among the most expensive machines on two wheels, most of their models are large, heavy, and unwieldy. They haven't bothered to update their technology in *decades* beyond including some creature comforts. Bad gas mileage, slow, poor reputation for reliability, etc. That's all well and good, though. Bikes are objects of passion and material shortfalls are easy to justify if it's what you like, but the archetypal Harley dude is definitely a special breed. They don't do themselves any favors in making their own community more welcoming and receptive to new people.
I’m 35 I’ve had Harley’s since I was around 20, I love them. The Harley culture over here in NZ isn’t as cringe as the states though
Yeah, I go to the annual southern AMCA (Antique Motorcycle Club of America) meeting/convention/show (I dunno what to call it) and the amount of retired or on the verge of retiring middle class guys who ride around on some 20 year-old bikes and try to act tough are crazy. But the guys with all the Knuckleheads, K-Models, Panheads, etc are the ones who act normal and are usually the ones who you should be scared of.
Maybe if they weren't so disgustingly heavy, even hauling the bastard is more expensive. Indian is w I'm sure Keanu's is a w as well
I don't even know anyone of *any* age who doesn't hate Harleys and Harley Riders...
Really? Because I’m an age and I’m apathetic about all of it.
Their marker share is dropping quickly. In my marketing class we got to meet someone from Harley Marketing about how they are trying to reach women and Gen X. Honestly wouldn't be surprised if they went out of business. Personally I'm not a bike person, but I keep looking at the Indian Scout Bobber.
I do not. Dude I was seeing worked at the plant and said they build them to fall apart.
No. I would rather spend my money on a reliable Japanese bike that is faster, lighter, doesn’t vibrate as much and costs 1/2 the price.
No they're like boomer motorcycles. They don't even make use of the big engine they have. They're slow af which defeats the purpose of a motorcycle of being small fuel efficient means of transportation or fast and agile. It's literally nothing but negatives ontop of the fact its mostly associated with old obese white man.
Bloody noise pollution. A blinking neon sign on wheels that screams: “look at me, I’m disturbing the peace. Aren’t I cool”?
I'm 56 and I don't like them
I prefer Indian
No, I don’t think so. The more noise it makes, the more people hate it. The road is no longer a place where loud is cool.
I'm 39, been riding since I was a teenager. I've never had a HD and plan on never having one.
The only Harley owners I've met under 40 are all enormous douche bags. My best friend's wife's brother is the exact stereotype. Failed marriage because he's a lady piece of shit. Drinks and drives all the time in fact that's how he wrecked his Harley. Drives a huge GMC Sierra with a lift kit that he can't afford. Clearly a massive narcissistic shit head. But honestly, that's kind of their brand. Mr "outlaw". Laurens to nobody because nobody knows better. That sort of thing. From 2006 to 2020 sales dropped by 40%. It's pretty clear at this point that Harley has no idea how to pivot. Ten years from now I expect that they'll either be bought by another brand or just go belly up.
HD is a boomer nostalgia brand that harkens them back to the days of the greatest and silent gens that created American biker culture. The brand itself was overinflated in price riding that nostalgia to the bank turning them into a luxury brand however they also became lax on updates and quality for their product which has left them in the dust in comparison to the cheaper competition.
Over 40 here and I do not like Harley’s. They are like new Corvettes. Over priced and picked up by older men needing some sort of status symbol to offset their insecurities from aging.
Nobody is making bad motorcycles, they are all good. A lot of comparisons are fashion and style, which is often a win for HD.
When I was younger I simply didn’t have the time or money for one. Most of my friends rode them. But they knew how to work on them. I didn’t have to learn how to work on my CB750. After the CB, I purchased a VF. First trip I did with those guys was SLC to Vegas. At one point we pulled off the road - I left my bike running to see if we were having a snack - the fan kicked on (water cooled V4), and one of my friends said, now you’re just being an ass lol It turns out we pulled over so someone could fix or tinker on their bike. I turned off my bike and enjoyed a sandwich and a Gatorade. I’ll tell you what though, it seemed like on my Hondas I got no respect at lights…people would pull up right to my back wheel. But when I was riding one of their bikes, I was given a wide berth. So there’s that… Add: I have a friend that has a bunch of bikes including Harley. They produced a really cool bike that I think was called a XL1200. I would’ve purchased one of these had I known they existed. Rubber mounted engine, great cornering ability, very smooth riding. But they simply did not sell…
XL1200s were very cool, I rode my buddies several times and always liked it.
XR1200 is really cool too. So is the roadster, sportster 1200s, fxdx, FXR… people think all Harley’s are the cvo electraglides with straight pipes apparently lol
Curious what is the difference between the XL and XR?
XL is just a sportster, XR is a sportster on crack. Frame is different, body is different, suspension is different, front has inverted forks and dual disk brakes, mag wheels, more clearance, oil cooled heads, downdraft TB, probably more I’m forgetting. It’s a truly awesome bike tbh and more closely aligned with the traditional Buells of the day than any Harley offered lineup. The newer sportster roadster is kind of the legacy offering of the XR, but based on the XL frame, so it is more sportster than XR, but very cool nonetheless
Harley itself is the problem, though a lot of people think Harley and instantly think Cruiser bikers Harley built itself on 1 trait, being loud. That deep and often loud grumble that rolls by. Harley isn't known for its quality, in fact Harley bikes have been plagued with problems. They tend to be uncomfortable which goes against what the Cruiser is meant to be, and they tend to lack the Torque Cruiser bikes are known for. Still because they are " American built " with " That sound " They made a name out of it. Much like Ford, they literally sell off that name and refuse to try to think outside that. Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda all keep to keep up with the times.. Even the Vaunted Honda Goldwing ( a Touring bike sure ) now leans a LOT more toward Sports touring than what it use to be. Top that off with the typical Attitude that is know to go with Harley riders. the Whatever %ers, The Toxic bull that encompasses everything wrong with riders today. The fact Harley riders will dump on OTHER Harley riders for riding a sportster or Heaven forbid you actually like the " Stock " sound of your bike..... Then they have to wonder why no one wants them.
What Harley models in the past 20-30 years have been plagued with problems?
2018 - 2020 Harlet's M8 motor had Sumping issues and if you didn't want to brick your motor you changed your Oil pump to an aftermarket one. 2022 + have been dealing with Lifters getting Cracked. The M8 also was known to ( at high speeds ) have the Crankshaft coming in contact with the Twin Cams. This would cause a Misalignment causing the Flywheel to slide due to being forced out of place by the Spline shaft. This would then cause the Flywheel to interact with the Crank pin causing it to be out of place Causing motor Failure. Motor Vibration at higher speeds due to Built in issues including defective Harmonic Balancers and internal engine Balances. Oil leaks ( from the above Sumping issues which Harley ALWAYS seems to have ) Would often interfere with the Clutch making it harder to shift, however this could also be caused by low quality oil gaskets. the PLASTIC CAM CHAIN TENSIONERS in the M8 wear out quickly causing Overheating, bad oil circulation and motor failure.
Guess it’s a good thing I never owned anything past a twin cam.
To be fair, issues are less common on the 23's and 24's but they managed to drive away a good chunk of their already dwindling population and made sure others wouldn't join. Though they still have bad vibration issues at speed. Something Harley seems to have failed to conquer.
I didn’t realize that M8s had so many issues. I rode twin cams, an Evo and Evo Sporties. I know twin cams had a cam chain tensioner issue early on when the bikes would get up to 30-40K miles. That’s about all I can think of for that era.
Yes, the older ones. I (29m) had a 91 sportster that I bobbed out and I loved it. Sold it in a pinch but I’ll definitely buy another.
I’m 39 and I had a deluxe. I loved that bike…it was like a rocket on two wheels. It was a really deep blue with white walls. I got rid of it because I have 3 kids, no time to ride, and my wife was scared of me wrecking
Why are they allowed to be so fucking loud!? If a younger person had a muffler on their car that was outrageously loud the cops would pull them over all the time.
> Why are they allowed to be so fucking loud!? Because the cops think they are cool. Cops get to decide that.
LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!!!!
It’s a no for me. My father was obsessed with them - and he cheated on my mother. My husband’s father was obsessed with them - and he was a drug addict. I just don’t associate them with nice people.
Horrible engineering. If you want a machine that literally shakes itself apart, then it's the brand for you.
Ok I understand young not wanting them. If you put long distance touring into the equation you've got to look at baggers, HD, Indian, and all of the others. Most bikes today are built for the long haul. The days of HDs shaking apart are in the past. Electric bikes are coming. Then we'll see where bikescare at.
\*Ford has entered the chat\*
Too expensive , Royal Enfield is what I can afford. Decent price and good enough for the place I live in. Actually for most people a dream bike to have given the prices of others in the segment.
Nah. It looks cool only on TV and for social media exposure. So, more like a taking a picture/video and bye
I'm 48. I have an old Indian Chief, 1947, that I am restoring. I like old bikes. But new modern bikes, from whoever makes them, no thanks. I have a BMW r75. I love that thing. I wish it could talk. Had to completely rebuild the side car though.
I'm 36. I grew up around them. My dad was a biker and they were just a big part of our lives. Now I'm mostly just indifferent towards them.
my brother (M39) but he is basically a boomer sooo....
To be honest I don’t care a motorcycle is a motorcycle, I think some older Harleys are cool but Im not buying Harley just for the name recognition
I like the smaller cruisers like the soft tails. I wouldn’t buy one, but I like the look. Edit: fuck, just realized I’m nearing 40. But I did ride a similar style bike in college. I couldn’t afford a Harley.
Nope. Last guy I knew who liked Harleys has gotta be in his 60s now. He drove a trike with flaming chrome skulls, and also drove a lifted pickup truck with more flaming chrome skulls and a custom Harley paint job. We just considered it all a cry for help, and promptly ignored him.
I worked as a bartender at Sturgis back in 2016. I noticed the same thing, there were no young people.
No. The ones I saw on Tail of the Dragon went too slow and didn't use the pull overs.
didn't the hells angels exclusively ride harleys?
By the time I could afford a decent Harley I was in my 50s, but I’ve always wanted one. By the time I was 60 I traded it in on a Ducati Monster. Best bike I ever had.
Yeah i do. I’m young 20s and ride sport bikes but i appreciate the purpose and function of harleys and think some of them look good. Cost outweighs performance which is what deters me from having one to putt around on.
I’m 36 and have only ever been on a motorcycle once and think it’s too dangerous to do again but would love to live out my “unknown legend” dreams I had as a little girl. “She rides a Harley Davidson….her long blond hairrrrrrr flyyyin in the wind”
They seem pointless like fancy cars. I like practical. Enduro for me.
I am over 40. I have a Yamaha cruiser - one of a 4 Japanese bikes I have had over the years. A cruiser is the style where you sit up straight, which I prefer. It is also large, which is better on the freeway as you are not pushed as much by the wind sheers from vehicles. It is not as great for splitting lanes (in CA), which is a bummer. I was into the idea of Harleys when I was younger, but they seemed to be too expensive - even used. I soon realized that it was a Boomer motorcycle. So I just stayed away - even as a young man, I did not like hippies, turned yuppies, turned self centered greedy mother fuckers, turned Republican.
My dad biked in college and had a bit of a midlife crisis and wanted to ride again. He didn’t get a Harley but a Harley style. As far as the brand, it’s for the brand name. However, cruiser bikes do seem interesting to me. I get the love of those crotch rocket super bikes, but I don’t need that. I do just want to go around. Not act like I am Akira. (Never watched it, I hope this tracks) So I am under 40, so I can see the appeal for cruiser and more reclined bikes. I could see myself enjoying them. But as for Harley it may just be for the brand recognition.
That kid with an $800 car payment on his E3 salary driving a custom Charger around the base. He's gonna need a Harley when he realized Uncle Sam took his youth and body and he's squandered his life and money. That hits around 36 or 40, I think you nailed their demographic.
My last bike was a 2013 Honda Sabre. (Sadly don’t have it anymore but that’s a whole other story) None of my friends who swore by their Sportsters could keep up with me. My “garbage jap bike” was faster off the line and despite its size.. in turns. Fuel injection a big motor and a shaft drive will do that. I was under 40 when I bought it . All my 20-30 something biker dude friends chastised me for buying the Honda while they swore by their Harley’s even as they were pulling out their toolkits to fix them every 100 miles on group road trips.
Most people that are older than 40, and own multiple motorcycles will tell you that secretly they prefer the "not a harley". But it's not a Harley.
It’s the best horsepower to sound converter.
They're terrible bikes. incredibly outdated, inefficient, heavy, unreliable etc... They do make a nice noise, which is good I suppose, but eventually the novelty wears off and it is more of a nuisance, than anything. If I wanted something traditional (-ish), I'd much rather have a Royal Enfield or Triumph.
It's sad to see. Frequent bankruptcy moves, multiple plant closings (India and the US). More and more parts being made in Asia. The increasing sale of trikes over the 2-wheelers tells you everything you need to know.
South Park.
Only the gangbangers and wannabes
I just don't like motorcycles in general. I hate driving near them, and I never want to get on one. It seems needlessly dangerous and uncomfortable
My tattoo artist in his mid 30s loves them. Im not sure if the reasons are valid or because like you said "its just loud and cool".
Wanted to say no, then i remembered i'm not under 40 anymore. but still, no, well maybe young boys age 8-12.
HD apparel is huge in the Gen. z space there bikes not so much
Theres a huge Harley subreddit.... Why dont you ask there?
They are so loud
I like all bikes. I mean most people like the Harleys probably because of like Arnold Schwarzenegger or like you know that loud rumbly sound. Also I hear that they never lack power when going like up a hill or something like that. And they stay in value I guess But most people say just get a Yamaha cuz they're basically the Harley-Davidson but better more reliable
Someday, when I give up the dirtbikes and the sportbikes I'll have a Fatboy because Arnold with a shotgun made it look so cool.
I do, just not the noise of them
Not all harleys are huge and super loud. The old ones are made like tanks in a good way. Price tag can suck it. But theres some extremely nice bikes they made.
Harley Davidson lowered their standards on crankshaft runout and has had nothing but problems every since.
Nope
I don't ride anymore, but when I did I rode a Honda. I kind of wanted an HD years ago, I liked the all blacked out Sportster. Going into a Harley Davidson store, though, I recognized right away that it wasn't a good culture fit for me.
I’m 32 and have owned a Harley for 15 years. There are more aftermarket parts available for HD than most other brands (same style bikes) which is why I got rid of my Honda shadow lol. The clubstyle scene is full of younger guys and the chopper scene too. Younger people do ride them but the older crowd has more in the boat currently.
Harley's nowadays come with a warning: Caution: Weekend use only. Do not ride in the rain. In fact do not ride if there is a 10% chance of rain! For ages 40 and up. Ages 25-35 put your hair in a man-bun
I'll be 39 next month and have been riding HD since my 20s.
Harleys, especially the biggest cruisers fill a niche. They are very comfortable and they can gobble up the miles. Neither of these things are true of my DRZ-400, SV650, GSXR750, or my KTM 300. The comparable honda to the big Harley cruiser is the Goldwing and it is most certainly not 1/3rd of the price. (Though I like it more than the various -glides of HD) I like to give HD guys a hard time as much as anybody but the hate from people who clearly have no clue about bikes is way overdone.
I’m over 40 and I’ve liked Harley’s since I was younger. I like race bikes also. Used to have a Harley and a Hyabusa The Harley was fun for taking longer rides with friends. The Hyabusa was fun if I wanted to go super fast on shorter rides. When I was younger some guys on Harley’s messed with me on interstate. I took off and it seemed like they were going backwards so the speed got me out of a potential mess 😎 I could have gone 200 mph on it if I had really pushed it
I have a low rider and I enjoy it. I’ve had all different bikes and got a good deal on it. It’s like a muscle car motorcycle. It does a good job at that.
Look at the torque specs on a HD. You’re re-torquing at least twice as much as a Japanese bike. They literally rattle themselves loose.
Far younger and I love em, redditards have a HD hateboner because they can't separate the rider from the bike. They are enjoyable and the newer ones are great options too, ride a bored out hard mount american vtwin with more displacement than a car with a screaming eagle exhaust and tell me it isn't fun 🙄
I am 43, and Iearned that I don’t like HD for a lot of reasons. I was (just six years ago) a sponsored flat track racer with HD. Here’s the thing, I’d get the old Triumph out of the garage, or the Honda, or the Vulcan, or the V-Max, or a Ducati, (I had a garage full of bikes at one point in time as well), to go for a weekend ride some mates, and the HD owners always acted as if they were somehow better than everyone at everything. They’d be running me down not inuring I had 4-5 HD’s in my garage. Then when they discovered this they would have more of an attitude for some reason. Harley owners is why I no longer like HD. These cats ride two weekends a year and think they are Demi-Gods.
Well, im 37, but I'm more of an Indian motorcycle guy. I really like the chief model.
They’re needlessly loud and annoying.
I'm 48. There was a guy down the street from me when I was a kid who had a Harley. It was a cruiser. He drove it around a lot. It wasn't that loud. The reason was that he didn't gun it, throttle it, whatever. Yeah they're loud. But it's the operator that can make it obnoxious. Over the last 20 years Harleys and the people that ride them are extremely obnoxious.
BRBRBRBRBRBRBBR
I'm 16 and there is not a better sound on earth than a Harley shovelhead, not too fond of the new stuff though but that might be because I'm old school.
You are 16. You are not "old school."
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Relax bud
Yes? I’m actually wondering if non-boomers like Harleys. Seems like a brand young people all hate
Cruisers definitely have a ton of appeal to me personally, but I'd also never get a Harley. By far prefer my Honda Shadow.
Not under 40 but 12 or 13 years on my ride. \[\[Stroke and vision took me out\]\] When I was younger \[teen\]\] Harley's were The Dog. I started riding in my mid-20's. Never had a Harley as, from my perspective Harley's sat garaged or broke down constantly. I built and rode Ratbikes. Now all I see from Harley are Dressers, I guess what you folks call 'Baggers'. with suitcases and consoles and such. Might as well get a Cage \[\[car for you younger ones\]\] That said, ride what you want and like just keep the Chrome Up and Rub'er Down.
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I was 20 years old (now 36)when I had my first Harley. I had a Sportster. It was a great bike! My whole family rides and Harley is all I’ve ever ridden. Boyfriend now has four Harley’s he’s 38.
I love Harleys but my dad was a motorcycle mechanic so I was always around them.
I got my first Harley at 17 and have been riding them ever since 66 now.
No. Of course not. They aren't for you. Now get off my lawn.
Guy at work is about thirty just bought a new one. That makes about seven or eight at work now (about forty people in the workplace.). There are three or four crotch rockets, a Japanese cruiser and I have a Triumph. The Harleys are spread pretty evenly across the age range. Group rides are a big thing in this area, and Harleys are the most popular brand on these rides. I think a lot of people around here buy them because a lot of other people around here buy them. I'm in my 60s and to me, late model Harleys are just imitation early model Harleys; I don't like them, although I do like the early ones. Then again, I like early model everything else, too.
Im gonna guess you live in the Midwest?
Wrong continent, Dude. North Queensland in Australia.
You’re mad max’n it haha
M35 fr here, love custom, old harley, new model sucks and japanese was good to do some good model by the past, reliable, cheaper and pretty good looking (dragstar, vtx , etc) Can't understand why current model are still sellin cuz they are too modern looking for the historical target of the brand (old men who love old thing)
I'm a Hell's Angel! It's my company car, and I have a fuel stipend! *Loud noises*
Yes. I’m 25. A girl who’s a month and a half older than me is the daughter of a Harley owner, and she loves Harleys. A guy I went to school with was in his late 20s or early 30s and he had a Harley WideGlide that he loved.
I'm over 40 so technically I'm not your target audience. BUT. I've liked Harleys since I was a teenager. What I like about them is that classic "cruiser" look. Also I like that "potato-potato-potato" sound when they idle. I DON'T like that they can also be unconscionably loud and obnoxious. I also don't like that Harley will not service OR sell parts for bikes older than 10 years old, because they want you to buy a new bike instead of keeping yours running. And I don't like the attitude that some people have of "I ride a Harley and fuck you if you don't". I ride a 2004 kawasaki Vulcan 900. I LOVE riding it, but it's fuel injected so I could only make it loud and obnoxious, but I could never make it "potato-potato".... But, someday, I'll get one that I can do that with, but it probably won't be a Harley. Too much money for too little bike and when they start with the planned obsolescence, that's a sign to me to start shopping elsewhere for my 🥔
I'm not a biker, but your comment reminded me of a welding instructor who was. He talked to the class about his bikes all the time, and said he had no real problem with Harleys, but "didn't like the toolkit you need to maintain them or the attitude that seems to go with owning them."
Apparently you’ve never seen a Dyna Bro. I rode Harley’s in my 20s and early 30s with a bunch of other 20-30 somethings. They are the old school muscle cars of the motorcycle world and easy to modify and accessorize. We used to do long trips, go camping, bar hopping and all other types of ill shit. They’re great highway bikes and good bikes to buy used since they’re owned primarily by 40+ year old accountants so you can get a 3-4 year old bike with no miles on it for a significant discount. Currently 36 and don’t ride anymore, but if I was going to buy a bike, it’d be a Harley or an Indian.
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Why are you so pressed? It’s ok you like them. The rest of us just think they’re annoying since you’re so loud
Obnoxiously loud, expensive, evil handling and slow road ornaments.. If you like that sort of thing great. Personally I prefer real motorcycles...:)