Now here me out. First of all hello everyone, this is my first post but I have been lurking here for a while. I own a 1996 Baby Blue Carbureted Sportster Hugger that I have transformed into a cafe racer! I love the bike to death and it is my "FOREVER" bike meaning, many bikes will enter and leave my stable but the Sporty will stay put forever!

That being said I also have a Kawasaki ZZR600 Super Sport which is my "Track Bike" (I don't trust myself doing triple digit speeds on the streets I keep it on the track) and the thrill is intoxicating. I was thinking one day towing my bike home, why doesn't the United States of America make a Sport Bike? Americans, born and raised in the United States who like to race have to do it on Japanese, Italian and European machines! How awesome would it be for AMERICANS to race and compete with AMERICAN bikes! Do you think Harley will make a killing if they created a full fledge race bike to challenge the Japanese, Italians and Europeans?

Please feel free to chime in!

 

They used to. And that was the predecessor to the vrod. Harley actually did quite well.

I would love to see black and orange in MotoGP. The problem is that I don't think they have the engineering capability or the capital to go get any.

 

That was my suggestion. Broader appeal. I see 10 sport bikes to every Harley on the road (or more). Just bought one myself.

 

That could be nice. BTW, feel free to show off your Sporty in Sportster sub-forum.

 

They would have to really bring their A game. It could be done but right now they can't even beat Indian in racing. Ducati is a 2 cylinder racing bike. Can they out do them? Would HD come out with a 3 or 4 cylinder motor?

The sneaker CEO appears to not want to doing anything more than what the core customers want. We have no sport bike core customers.

I would have liked a more powerful lighter weight water cooled cruiser for a reasonable price but it will never happen.

Think about a 2003 Harley Davidson Vrod is still one of the fastest motorcycle they made. 13 years later and it's still the fastest.

 

Buell
hmmm?


I would prefer a more upright big twin based “gentleman’s express” that channeled styling cues from the long dead Hesketh and Vincent

edit : perhaps mix in a bit of older sport tour Ducati’s? Moto Guzzi?

use your imagination

 

No. They had a shot a blew it. So no.

 

Harley has the money to surround themselves with the best engineers in the world. If they wanted to they could. Honda was lucky in the 80's if they could muster up tenth place in a race until they decided to just make something they were capable of doing all along. They built the RC30 in 87 and changed the sport bike world in an instant. Harley had the VR1000, they can do it again but better this time around.

 

Around here it’s just the opposite. I see ten Harleys for every sport bike.

Problem with sport bikes is the buyers of them have no brand loyalty and will jump ship in an instant when “brand X” makes a faster bike. Harley-Davidson has always been interested in fostering brand loyalty.

 

cost has a lot to do with that...