Yesterday was a beautiful day so I decided to ride to my local dealer (Harley Davidson of Bowling Green KY) to see what was going on there.

First, I was overwhelmed by the number of bikes for sale Outside were probably thirty used bikes. Inside was the same. Bike after bike after bike. I didn't count but it looked like fifty or sixty motorcycles. Some were used, others new. There was a 1990's bike that looked like it had never been ridden.

The first thing I noticed was that my 2013 Ultra Limited looked very dated. The new bikes have unbelievably beautiful paint and the most modern appointments. The instruments seem all replaced with digital screens. I still like my steam gauges and air-cooled bike, but it now looks very dated.

Overall, the dealership looked healthy. There were a number of bikes in the shop for service/repair and the sales room was well staffed.

 

Compared to the new bikes my 09 Road King looks "dated" but I like it that way. To me it's basic and beautiful.

 

I bought my 2019 FLHTP on purpose. Happy with it.

 

I was recently in the market for another bike. Checked out the new Harleys and even took an F900R for a ride. Couldn't see myself on a computer with two wheels and frankly, the electronic nannies and screens BS is lost on me.
I went the other way and got a 2003 FXDWG.
If someone says the bike looks dated I'll take it as a compliment

 

My 2024 FLHP seems like a dinosaur compared to new bikes, but I love it.

 

I was at my local dealer (Texas Harley-Davidson, Bedford TX) for a Pit Pass party. It was nice. We got some nice sliders and a few beers. I also had some maintence issues on my 2021 FLHTK. These were minor so I made and appt for Tuesday to look at these issue and do a 20K service. When I got home on Saturday I quickly noticed my bike was pissing coolant fluid on the ground. AGAIN. It appears I may hove lost another water pump. The first one went out at around 16K on the Blueridge Parkway in Virginia. The dealership has had the bike for two days and I haven't heard anything. I miss my 2009 Street Glide sometimes. It was aircooled.

 

My `22 isn't quite as computerized as the newest ones, but being an IT manager, I'm not scared of all the electronics. I've had both flavors, dumb and smart bikes, both have their purpose.

 

I got a red light and a green light, what more do I need? Oh, and a blue one for high beams.

 

Same. Had my eye on the off lease cop bikes while in vacation in the Daytona area for the last 4 or 5 years. Finally moved on one a couple months ago and made the 1300 mile trip to buy a 2024.
I've had the winter to make most of the changes and upgrades I had in mind. Now it just makes it seem like forever that riding season will arrive. But I'm hanging on to my 2002 Fat Boy that I bought brand new.
Wife has a 2005 Deluxe that I got her in 2010. Offered to update bikes for her and she's not interested. She says the Deluxe was her engagement ring.

 

I prefer the look of the older Harleys. To me the early twin cam years were the last Harleys I truly like the looks of except for the touring bikes, I liked their style a little longer. For me the Rushmore series lost a little of the old school style on the fairing bikes and the new iPad screen bikes killed off any style that I really liked. My 23 FLHTK is about as fancy electronic wise as I can stand. The more complicated any vehicle is, the more things can and WILL go wrong. With the hippies insisting on lead free solder in electronics the failure rates went through the roof. They did get better, but any modern electronics is on borrowed time.

I guess the easiest way to put it is there will probably be no more old Harleys. IMHO these new Skyline bikes are too complicated for the aftermarket to keep them going forty years from now. I remember when the twin cams first came out they were rocket science, but in reality they are just simple enough (particularly the carbed bikes) to keep going just as long as an evo or a shovel.

I do wish Harley the best though. Hopefully one day there will be a global reckoning on over complicated vehicles, but the big manufacturers want planned obsolscence and have lobbied for it to continue.