I think people are just shocked by what they used to pay

In the early 90's, msrp was roughly:

$5,000 for a Sportster
$12,000 for FXR or later on, Dyna
$14,000 for Softails
$16,000 for touring bikes such as Electra Glide

The price is roughly eight thousand dollars higher on most of those and the CVO touring bikes are more than double that, surpassing the $40K mark by a couple of thousand

Even those 500/750 Street models today are priced higher than sportsters were

Time moves on, inflation, complexity, etc.

Another thing was plastic was minimized and parts were more purposeful. There wasn't a fake gas cap for example. Fake stuff turns people off when they are paying in excess of twenty grand for something even if the fake thing is really of no consequence. I am not an M8 or new Softail hater. I am just making observations.

 

 

Many say HD is overpriced without truly checking what you actually pay OTD on comparible Makes & Models .. Yes Prices have gone up but just look around .. HD is far from the only ones that have gone up ..

 

Harley isn't gouging anyone...neither is Cadillac. Both are iconic brands known for their identities and the customers who buy them (today) tend to, well...want what they're selling. I paid $1500 for a 1969 Chevelle Malibu in 1975, but my parents bought one of the first Oldsmobile Toronados in '66 and they paid over $6,000...a large amount for a car in those days.


Speaking of price gouging: Just about everyone who sells aftermarket bike parts and accessories is doing their level best to grab as much money as possible. Klock Werks sells a set of simple ABS plastic trim-outs which fit on the bottom side of touring foot boards. They are black and appear very simple. The price for a pair of them is $75. I'd like to have a set (and can afford the money) but the price just offends my sensibilities. And having said that...I completely understand why the high prices of anything (including new Harley-Davidsons) might be offensive to some. It's just how people are built I guess.

 

I think we all wish that bikes were less expensive, and I'm not surprised that many other brands are priced similarly for equivalent bikes. I think a lot of us wish that we got more for our money compared to similar bikes of other brands, however. Harley got close by making an engine that doesn't require an additional $2500 to make it perform decently. Now I would like to see them include an audio system that doesn't suck.

And the neat freaks among us are thinking this thread really belongs in the Touring forum.

 

The problem is that wages, and retirement checks have not gone up at the same rate the prices of goods.

 

People say a lot of stuff.

 

So your ultra came with heated seats and grips,reverse,electronic locking system,and wireless?

 

I have heard about 'how much things cost these days' ever since I was a wee lad listening to my grandparents complain about the cost of eggs and bread. The time value of money plays tricks on us all and it gets worse the older we get. Yup, Sportsters used to start at 5k in the early '90's and they are 9k now. Well, 5k in 1990 is 9700 now (using the inflation calculator) and for that you get a lot of tech progress for the same money.

I am not one of those that lament the demise of the kick starter, carburetor, points, condensers, 14w 'generators', springer seats, and hardtail suspensions. Yup, the concepts were easier to comprehend but I sure hope the days of trying to choke and cold start my bike with a kickstarter are over...unless I get bitten by an early classic (like a '32) but it would not be my main travel companion....