I think this bike was built for people like my brother. I'm 5'10" w/ a 32" inseam, and can BARELY flat foot a RK, RG, or SG. My bro is 2" shorter, with about a 29" inseam, so the tourers would be a no-go for him. The FLD would be perfect for him.

 

Amazing how much pissing and moaning in this thread. I'm normally all for knocking the MOCO mainly because of the dealerships, but goddam, they are trying something. By the time the TYPICAL rider adds all of that stuff to a Superglide, they would be well over $3000. I learned a long time ago, you will rarely make anyone happy. When this catches on, this place will be a nut hugging love fest for that bike. It's about as close as you can get to being an old school FL, which is the glory days of H-D, as far as I am concerned.

 

I was actually pleasantly surprised at the price. i figured it would be another Softail Convertible at $30 grand. I know, it's not the same, but still, I thought it would be a lot more. I really like the looks on the screen. Haven't seen one in person yet.

As for the 4.7 gallon tank - that's only a quarter of a gallon less than the 5 gallon tank the other Dynas have. As for comparing it to the 6 gallons on the touring models, well, when my hubby had a touring model and 6 gallon tank he was still more than ready and glad to stop when I was ready to fill up. So that would be the least of my concerns. I am looking forward to seeing this in person. Of course I can only look. I still owe too much on my SB for a decent trade in anyway.

 

I disagree. If you can't ride from tank to tank (or 200+ miles on a 5 gallon tank) then maybe you're butt just isn't set up quite right, or ...your're just old, like me

 

Hey, I just thought of something: if you don't like what the factory is offering, then go ahead and build your own and shut up.

 

 

I do all of the time. And when I take vacation, I run several tanks before I stop for the day. And I have found that if I maximize my MPG, I can go almost 300 miles between fill ups. It is great to go across two or three states at a time.

 

There is also almost no motel rooms for about an 800 mile stretch due to the oil boom. 3 weeks advance reservation and $200 might get you a motel 6 quality room for 1 person. (I have to work in the area on occasion)

 

That's not the point though. The MOCO knows it would cost YOU more $$$ to upgrade a 96" motor to a 103, so naturally they can get the higher price for the motor.

There once was a time when cars had options for up to sometimes 7 or more different engines in the same model. Almost always the more powerful the engine, the higher the price. Except way back then with the prices of cars, the engine option increase was only $50 to $100 more!

J

 

Yup, those waiting lists and the higher than MSRP prices lasted well into the 90's. HD couldn't meet the demand so jacked their prices up, soon dozens of other Harley type builders came on the scene to capitalize on this shortage. They offered some customized looks, with the Harley style engines and started selling them by the thousands.

I also recall HD trying to fight this new competition (in around the mid 90's) by trying to patent their potato-potato sound! They soon backed off from this silly lawsuit and increased production.

Right after HD increased production, the aftermarket manufacturers started dropping off. The smaller builders couldn't compete with HD once their bikes were actually selling for MSRP.

HD dealers definitely took advantage of the seller's market they had going for about a decade, but took a hit when they couldn't produce enough and let the smaller guys gain a threshold in their market.

Now the momentum is in HD's favor. The smaller manufactures are dropping like flies and people are going back to HD. Their prices are once again competitive and they are building bikes that the buying public wants.

Still, in rebuttal to your post, I hold firm that R&D costs and whatever else I mentioned, mostly confirming what you said, are the reasons for the FLD's increased costs.

Sorry, but I'm a bit groggy now, it's after 4:00 in the morning and I can barely keep my eyes open. I'll fight this battle another day. Or maybe not, perhaps we both agree with each other anyway. It's all in fun.