There's been some full length articles in American Iron Magazine about the "whys" and "how comes" the M8 is being so ranted over. Sure the TC is a tired but faithful engine but the HD engine engineers are being driven by the European equivalent to CARB. The emissions are getting tighter folks get used to "this is so great", but HD seems to have thumbed its nose to the faithful TC owners.

 

I buy 2 to 4 new H-D's every year. Never had any "new production problems at all". Just what the H are you talking about?

17 RGS
17.5 Street Rod
16.5 Roadster
16 Dyna S
16 Heritage Classic
16 RG CVO Ultra
15 Freewheeler
15 Fat Boy
15 Street 750
14 XL1200T
14 Low Rider
14 Road King
13 Street Bob
12V Rod
12 RGC
12 RG CVO
12 Ural Patrol - What? Well I'm allowed one mistake.

On and on. No warranty issues and rare recall. Ride over 30 to 42K per year. Ocean to ocean, Key West to the Arctic Circle, 49 States and most of Canada. Got me home without any issue ever.

Came late to H-D at age 65 and had more than 30 metrics. Most Hondas and some Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki. Never had the fit and finish of H-D and never had the overall reliability or ease of maintenance that H-D does.

Absolutely would not consider any other bike.

"HD seems to have thumbed its nose to the faithful TC owners." What an ignorant statement. H-D is giving the riders what the focus groups, surveys and interviews with owners said that they wanted.

I had 22 Hondas and Honda never solicited anything from its owners. That is why they lost a fortune on the VTX, Rune and Fury models to the extend that they made a public announcement that they would not longer design and build a bike for the US market. H-D almost to the point of pestering asks input from owners.

 

Maybe its the made in China thing.....

 

Now you know how us faithful Evo owners felt when HD came out with the TC.

 

I'm a big fan of Harley-Davidson. I am also a fan of motorcycles in general.

After 20 years of riding Harley I might look elsewhere. Not because I dislike them. My wants and needs have just shifted.

I want a very comfortable motorcycle that is UNDER 600 lbs that is adept at urban riding and equally good at touring. Harley just doesn't offer that right now.

 

I came to HD specifically for the V Rod and its mix of technology, looks, performance, and quality. Yeah, I'm a niche in HD's market, but the rest of the line-up doesn't appeal to me. Unless and until they resurrect some variant of the V Rod, "No more Harleys" for me.

 

Baka

Isn't the new Street Rod close?

 

I rode motorcycles when I was a kid and bicycles all my life. Returned to motorcycles a couple years ago and bought a few bike to ride with my kids (ages 21 and 23). I had ridden a few Harleys over the years, but at this point, I was with baka1969 and bought a Versys 650. It is a great bike. Then I traded an old truck to a friend for a 1992 Softail and that has become my favorite bike. The Versys does everything better than the Softail. Faster, smoother, more reliable, better fuel economy, able to handle more varied terrain, but be that has it may, when I walk into the garage to choose a bike to ride, the Harley calls over the others. It makes me smile.

I don't know why, it just does. The Versys is a great bike, it just has no character. I would be interested in a bike like baka1969 describes and it seems like it should not be that hard to make. The Versys is something like 475lbs. I could live with 575. Take the new roadster, give it a more upright seating position, a comfortable seat some luggage, a windshield and you would be pretty close.

Many of the new German, Italian and Japanese bikes have performance that far exceeds any reasonable need for riding on public roads. I do not think Harley should try to compete on that basis. Harley should compete on character.

In another thread somebody called it "bad *** Americana". That is not really what it is for me and I told him so. But after thinking about it a bit, it is not as far off as I thought. It is more like simple rugged quality for me. Not a lot of high tech crap. Just a simple bike that will run as long as you take care of it. I will bet that I will still have my 1992 Softail long after my 2013 Versys is on the scrap heap.

Maybe they will be forced to blend in some tech for environmental and safety regulations. They will have to do what they have to do to comply with regulations. But they do not need to go over the top with crazy tech everything.

I drive a 2007 BMW 3281i with a manual transmission. It has some tech stuff, but it is not intrusive to the driving experience. It drives like a simple vehicle. My wife has a 2015 BMW X3 with all the options. It is like driving a space ship. I would not want Harley to do that to their bikes.

After returning to motorcycle riding a couple years ago, I have accumulated 5 bike. 4 rice burners and the Harley. I will probably keep my Harley for ever but will get ride of the 4 Jap bike and replace them with one other bike. I am currently looking for that bike. It might be another Harley. But it might be something else.

I am exploring my motorcycle riding tastes and I have not completely figured out what I like. But if I could blend the character of my Harley with the versitility of the Versys, it would be an appealing bike for me. It might be the BMW R1200GS. That does not have the style of Harleys, but the old opposed twin boxer engine might have the character I am looking for. We shall see.

It must be very difficult for Harley to figure out how to hold on to what appeals to their core riders while evolving as required by changing times.

 

Been riding since 1974, probably close to a million miles on 2 wheels over 26 motorcycles. Rode metric bikes for the first 20+ years, cruisers...crotch rockets, shifted over to hogs 20 years ago. I've ridden some of the best bikes made but will never go back. Riding cross country, 2up, making friends wherever I go, Harley's are so much more than just another bike.

 

I'm 47, and only learned how to ride 2 1/2 years ago. But I had wanted a Harley since I was 7. My Slim is the perfect bike for me at the moment. Unless Harley comes out with a better version of it, or does something with the Heritage Deluxe that absolutely makes me have to have one, I'll always ride a Harley.