Rant: "Harley, you're only paying for the name"
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 9
From: Connecticut
+1 with sixr, when I bought mine I had a guy at work trying to talk me into a honda vtx which he owns. I just couldn't bring myself around to buy one they look like the cheap imatation they are. Good for some just not for me.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,763
Likes: 371
From: North of Hell, South of Heaven
It's true. I heard from a reliable source that the Harley name adds 5% to the cost of the bike. However, they deduct 7% for all the Chinese parts. But then they add back 3% for the American parts. After all this, they add "tax" to the MSRP, which is directly related to the 5% they already added for buying the name. Confusing huh? 
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 911
Likes: 3
From: Venice, FL
I had no preconception of buying a “Harley”; in fact I was aggressively looking at metric bikes that would pacify my taste for a cruiser and save me some money. After looking all day, we ended up at the Harley dealership and there was no comparison to the beauty and awe of a Heritage.
This last week two more friends bought bikes (Yamaha Raider & Victory Eightball). As I was “oooo’ing” and “awwww’ing” over their bikes, another close friend (has a VTX1300) comes out of the blue and announces that, “You are only paying for the name when you buy a Harley”.
I have never thrown out that I have a “Harley”, because I did not buy it to belong to a fraternal or elite group of riders, I just wanted a beautiful and comfortable bike to ride…and it happened to end up being a Harley.
I did not have an intelligent comeback, other than, “You know, I have never swung my ‘Harley’ d!ck around, but I can take it out and start swinging it if you like!”
I guess it just felt like a hit me below the belt when a close friend (of 18 years) would try to belittle and embarrass me like that.
RANT OVER.
Feel free to share any similar stories, but I don’t want this to become a “metric vs. Harley” thread (because I don’t think anything is wrong with metric bikes)
This last week two more friends bought bikes (Yamaha Raider & Victory Eightball). As I was “oooo’ing” and “awwww’ing” over their bikes, another close friend (has a VTX1300) comes out of the blue and announces that, “You are only paying for the name when you buy a Harley”.
I have never thrown out that I have a “Harley”, because I did not buy it to belong to a fraternal or elite group of riders, I just wanted a beautiful and comfortable bike to ride…and it happened to end up being a Harley.
I did not have an intelligent comeback, other than, “You know, I have never swung my ‘Harley’ d!ck around, but I can take it out and start swinging it if you like!”
I guess it just felt like a hit me below the belt when a close friend (of 18 years) would try to belittle and embarrass me like that.
RANT OVER.
Feel free to share any similar stories, but I don’t want this to become a “metric vs. Harley” thread (because I don’t think anything is wrong with metric bikes)
Point to your freind's bike and say "Cubic Zirconia".
Point to your bike and say "Diamond".
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: Peterborough, Canada
When a metric owner tells me me I just paid for the name, I polity say, no I didn't, I also got a hell of a nice bike as well. I do understand why some metric owners get a little pissy, nobody pays any attention to there "ride" if there's a Harley within 200 yards, and they just don't get it, and never will.
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Joe Kucinski
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 7,217
Likes: 3
From: Southern Ohio
Had a client who owns a Shadow break my ***** about my Harley. "I can't believe you paid all that money for a Harley. My Shadow looks just like it and cost half as much...". I was sitting at his kitchen table with him and his wife, we were writing a new policy. I reached across the table and grabbed his wife's left hand. Looking at her wedding ring I asked if it was a diamond. He acted insulted and said "Of course". I responded with "Why not buy her a cubic zirconia? It looks just like it and cost way less..." He had no comeback, and his wife started laughing at him. She wanted him to buy the Harley, but he's too cheap.
Point to your freind's bike and say "Cubic Zirconia".
Point to your bike and say "Diamond".
Point to your freind's bike and say "Cubic Zirconia".
Point to your bike and say "Diamond".
Had a client who owns a Shadow break my ***** about my Harley. "I can't believe you paid all that money for a Harley. My Shadow looks just like it and cost half as much...". I was sitting at his kitchen table with him and his wife, we were writing a new policy. I reached across the table and grabbed his wife's left hand. Looking at her wedding ring I asked if it was a diamond. He acted insulted and said "Of course". I responded with "Why not buy her a cubic zirconia? It looks just like it and cost way less..." He had no comeback, and his wife started laughing at him. She wanted him to buy the Harley, but he's too cheap.
Point to your freind's bike and say "Cubic Zirconia".
Point to your bike and say "Diamond".
Point to your freind's bike and say "Cubic Zirconia".
Point to your bike and say "Diamond".
I love catching people off guard with remarks like this.