Like every other business....if your not moving forward your failing. Harley needs to do what they need to do to attract new riders. Not my cup of tea this bike but it has some good qualities that should appeal to younger riders. The last thing any of us should want is to see is Harley fail.

 

It's really too bad they're always late to the party by several years..... sometimes decades

 

I dunno... It seems like Harley's plan is that over the next 2 to 5 years their lineup could consist of the following:

-Traditional cruiser style bikes based on the new Softail frame
-Premium touring bikes
-"Power Cruisers" like the FXDR
-Middleweight streetfighters
-Full size adventure bike
-Viable electric offerings

If they find a way to add more "cool factor" to the Street platform, that could fit in well (Naked? Cafe? Bobber?).

It doesn't sound like a terrible plan to me... But execution of course will be everything.

 

I think if you took the rrar fender off moved the taillight to under the seat and got rid of that intake and put a Road rage exhaust it would look pretty sharp.
But it goes back to the buying price for me and it being to high. I would much rather stick the difference between my LR and that bike into my LR and have a better bike when done.

 

Hmmmm. Not i love with that tumor on the intake.

 

This guy gets it

 

Sport bikes are far more popular.

 

I guess I'm in the minority, I like it! It's the kind of styling H-D needs to attract the younger riders to the brand. As we know, as us older riders "age out", Harley's market share will continue to decline unless they can bring in new blood. I thought that dropping the V-rod was a huge mistake. I was waiting & hoping Harley would enlarge the engine, install a 6th gear and fit it into some type of touring chassis. How many times has someone posted here that any Harley is just a blank slate to make your own? Don't like the exhaust? Then change it! How many on this forum are running stock exhaust or intake? Not many I bet. At least the MOCO is trying rather than just sticking their heads in the sand.

 

Complete dogshit

 

As an engineer, I get this bike. Maybe the styling is over the top, but that huge air intake is there to provide the lungs a motor this big needs. Same with the exhaust.

My 'other' street bike is a Suzuki Hayabusa. Pop the tank up on that thing and the air box is positively huge, sort of like on this new FXDR, except there's no place to hide it on the Harley.

This bike was built for performance within the confines of the big HD engine design. It's the 'normal' Harleys that are compromised for performance to keep the aesthetics.

Said another way, form follows function.