Question For Harley Owners Not Living In The U.S.A.
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Question For Harley Owners Not Living In The U.S.A.
How are Harley riders viewed in your country? What's the reputation of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in your country? Are Harleys viewed as 1%er bikes where you live? Thanks for your input.
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 950
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From: ENGLAND
hi from England ,
were all good here , not the most popular bike but still the ones that draw the onlookers , general perseption is , they dont go , they dont stop , and they dont go round courners , but apart from the cournering which is pretty poo , im o.k with it , ive only had mine since may , i bought a nightster as a starting point but think ill stick with it , it gets loads of people round it when i park at the biker type places , which my friends hate , they got jap sports , but so has everyone . people want to chat about them , seems most would like one but are put off by the bad rep and price , i am fairley impressed with harley in gereral there well made and for a real bike with lots of metal i think they are o.k for the money . the police arround here (essex countryside) tend to go after the speed freaks and are not much interested in harley,s or other cruisers , so all in all they seem to be well thought of but there not very common , so maybe 1-2 % market share , as for the riders , most are weekend riders , men not kids and are veiwed with higher regard than the racers that scream around the country lanes , i ride mine to work as often as the weather allows and my workmates love the look of it , so pretty pleased all round
were all good here , not the most popular bike but still the ones that draw the onlookers , general perseption is , they dont go , they dont stop , and they dont go round courners , but apart from the cournering which is pretty poo , im o.k with it , ive only had mine since may , i bought a nightster as a starting point but think ill stick with it , it gets loads of people round it when i park at the biker type places , which my friends hate , they got jap sports , but so has everyone . people want to chat about them , seems most would like one but are put off by the bad rep and price , i am fairley impressed with harley in gereral there well made and for a real bike with lots of metal i think they are o.k for the money . the police arround here (essex countryside) tend to go after the speed freaks and are not much interested in harley,s or other cruisers , so all in all they seem to be well thought of but there not very common , so maybe 1-2 % market share , as for the riders , most are weekend riders , men not kids and are veiwed with higher regard than the racers that scream around the country lanes , i ride mine to work as often as the weather allows and my workmates love the look of it , so pretty pleased all round
Last edited by MADDOG187; Nov 12, 2010 at 04:43 AM.
Cruiser
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 140
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From: England
Ditto to above. I think the numbers of Harleys you see on the roads depends on how close to dealerships you are. At weekends I usually see a couple round the Portsmouth area, we have 2 dealerships within 50 miles.
They do carry a bit of a rep as a "bling" bike ridden by people who wear every leather accessory available
Last week on a 3hr ride I stopped off at a well know biker cafe. Guy walks in and asks "is that your Harley out there? Just we don't see them around much this time of year, aren't they ridden for an hour and cleaned for 5!" When I pointed out it was my daily drive and I've put 3500+ miles on it since Jun he replied "nice bike" and gave me an accepting nod. Even the dealers accept that a lot of the bikes they sell will be "garage queens" coming out for the odd ride in good weather. When I took the Fat Bob back in for its 1000mile service under 6 weeks of purchase they did say "Back already!", the service guys admitted they do an annual service on some bikes that have only done a couple of 100 miles since the last.
I get plenty of ribbing from all the bikers where I work, but when I first brought the bike in, they all came round for a look and complimented it.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Massachusetts
I can speak for Germany and France. It is either 1%ers, rich people or hardcore wrenchers. The average rider will most likely get a japanese/italian/german bike. Prices are wayyyy higher then here in the US. Almost nobody I know buys dealership chrome, it's kinda frowned upon. You would be amazed what people over there do to their bikes, there are some really talented wrenchers out there, and they even manage to make their mods TUV compliant, wich is an accomplishment in itself.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Pirmasens Germany
I am an American living in Germany and the brand is highly respected. A Harley here is definitely considered a luxury item and very expensive. I am lucky because I work for the Department of Defense so I get to buy mine tax free with a healthy discount. I have bought three new ones in three years and the German neighbors think I'm nuts. What they don't know is that I just bought a brand new FLTRX and paid less than a German buddy did for a 3 year old RKC.
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From: Rolla
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From: Calgary
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 361
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From: Alexandria, Va
Great question. I live in the ROK and was told by a ROK Officer, "Motorcycles are for juvenile delinquents. Since you ride Harley Davidson we think you are a juvenile delinquent. We think you are trouble maker. Since we work with you, we like you. You're okay." I looked at him and said, "Thank you".
Korean HD riders tend to go a bit over board with the biker apparel, bling, and attitude. I think this over shadows the rest of us HD riders in the ROK. Ultimately, when they find out I'm a Marine, they become very respectful and friendly.
Korean HD riders tend to go a bit over board with the biker apparel, bling, and attitude. I think this over shadows the rest of us HD riders in the ROK. Ultimately, when they find out I'm a Marine, they become very respectful and friendly.
