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This isn't new.
Many years ago, I noticed that I had to downshift my Evo to get over the Rockies...never had to do that with my Shovel. Of course, the Shovel was a 4-speed, as opposed to the Evo's 5-speed, but still...
After some headwork, and cam, etc. (done on my own, not the dealer), that Evo pulled noticeably harder than the Shovel. They are what they are, The government EPA notwithstanding, I said way back then, that H-D doesn't sell a finished bike, they sell a starter kit.
We hope you buy one of the competitors bikes too. Make sure you have your chaps on while you're adjusting your windshield.
Who’s this “we” you speak of? Is it people who drank the kool aid and bought hundred$ in HD branded merchandise and think a motorcycle manufacturer is a lifestyle?
Funny you mention chaps because the only dealerships that I see people wearing chaps is at HD dealerships.
I dig the bikes and love the big twin power delivery, but the marketing strategy seems messed up. I’d like to be a fly on the wall during one of the upper exec corporate strategy meetings.
Does HD think either their customers are blind loyalists who would gladly grab their own ankles instead of buying a better product or too dumb to notice that they’re being conned?
Nobody is putting a gun to your head forcing you to buy a Harley. You either like it enough to buy it or dont.
I understand that no one is putting a gun to their head when they pay $80 for a sweatshirt or thousands for a $creaming Eagle Upgrade kit for their brand new, performance downgraded bike, but you can say the same for people who fall for the Nigerian cashiers check scam or Amazon gift card scam.
No one put a gun to their head either, but its still elderly abuse.
Whos this we you speak of? Is it people who drank the kool aid and bought hundred$ in HD branded merchandise and think a motorcycle manufacturer is a lifestyle?
Funny you mention chaps because the only dealerships that I see people wearing chaps is at HD dealerships.
I dig the bikes and love the big twin power delivery, but the marketing strategy seems messed up. Id like to be a fly on the wall during one of the upper exec corporate strategy meetings.
Does HD think either their customers are blind loyalists who would gladly grab their own ankles instead of buying a better product or too dumb to notice that theyre being conned?
I understand that no one is putting a gun to their head when they pay $80 for a sweatshirt or thousands for a $creaming Eagle Upgrade kit for their brand new, performance downgraded bike, but you can say the same for people who fall for the Nigerian cashiers check scam or Amazon gift card scam. No one put a gun to their head either, but its still elderly abuse.
This is HARLEY DAVIDSON forums. Not polaris ball washer forums.
Really, compare everything between the two brands.
Disclaimer, I hate the pirate harley bikers just as much as the Indian **** too so don't confuse me for one of the die hard 1k mile a year knuckle draggers.
A perfect fitting harley touring sissy bar with pad is $270 brand new for bar and pad. Same setup from polaris is nearly $800 and I have firsthand experience of the "fit" and "finish"(utter garbarge fit when 2 grown men have to force a trunk into place, sum-ting-wong) . I've witnessed this on 2 brand new touring polarii. Installing the "quick" release stuff requires removing the ****ing saddlebags AND using a socket/wrench, hammer idk what ever those polaris clowns use to pull the bolts, yes BOLTS, out of the sissy bar to unlatch it. Once it's unlatched it's a rodeo to remove it. Lol hopefully no paint is damaged in this fiasco. Lol
Harleys aren't race bikes. I can't for the life of me understand why people can't understand that. It's their simple thought process that suggests a motorcycle is automatically associated with racing and performance. If you look at motorcycle sales world wide the performance bikes are a fraction of bikes made for transportation.
The metric touring bikes are better performing bikes too but you rarely see them on forums flapping their beak about how harleys suck, because the metric guys actually ride their ****. Especially BMW fanatics. And BMWs are the epitome of ugly.
Building on others analogies...HD isnt holding a gun to your head to make you spend $2K for a mere 15% power increase, that most riders wont even notice.
Edit:
So, giving this some more thought. We know from posts on this forum, that the majority of riders rarely take their bike over 3,500 rpms. In that range, the power gain is negligible ( < 5%) Per the highlighted area in the following attachment.
Last edited by TriGeezer; May 26, 2020 at 11:26 AM.
It's all about post sales dealer installed mods profit + profit for the parts.
I made the same comments in another thread and you're right it has nothing to do with the EPA since Screaming Eagle upgrades are 50 state legal and EPA compliant. Harley could easily use a better cam, air cleaner, exhaust and tune right from the factory but doing so will eat into the post sale earning potential for the dealers and the MoCo.
I don't agree that some people don't want more power. The correct statement is that some people don't want to pay extra for more power after the sale... If our bikes came stock with equal the power of a stage 2 no one would complain about them having too much power and not buy one.
But thye would have to make better cranks to handle all that stock power. Better Lefty bearings, beter clutches, better swing arms, better everything down the line from the piston.
"Stock" is just good enough to last maybe two years of light summer riding.
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