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Nice to see them make improvements and additions in new bikes. But its not like we need to buy every year and we'd all be whining if they didnt do any changes. But with just buying my 7 year warranty and really am happy with my present bike, it will be a few years til I upgrade.
Agree I am keeping my '09 FLHX. I am interested in what the "integrated" oil cooler is. I want a cooler but am concerned of leaks. Hopefully HD invented a good product and is available for older bikes.
I finally saw the illlusive 2012 today at the dealership, it was a Street Glide in Metalflake Cosmic Menstrual Red, or whatever the hell they call it. Anyway sadly the integrated cooler is not a new gee wiz product, it is a plain ol' HD accessory cooler kit, "integrated" into the standard base model package. The good news is that it is available for older bikes, and has been for many years.
I like the new bikes, but I don't like them ten thousand dollars better than my bike. Take the money you would have spent on the upgrade bike and put it into your motor. You'll run rings around any of the new bikes, and when your bike is paid for, it's even sweeter.
Just for kicks I actually got a price on trading-in on a '12 model, and $10k was indeed the difference. I would get ABS, a more-solid frame, and the opportunity to spend even more money getting the new bike up to the level of the old. I would also need to spend about a day removing about 20 valuable accessories from the old bike, which I could easily sell, instead of handing them to the dealer who will give me nothing in trade. The new bike should run about the same (103 Stage 1 vs. 96 + cams), but trading at this time just doesn't add up for me either, especially since the old bike is running exceptionally well and I'm kind of getting attached to the old gal.
I'm waiting for the 2018 models to come out. I hear they will have jet engines and be able to climb to an altitude of 35000 feet. I want to park mine at the top of Mount Everest and have a hot beer. Kewl.
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Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.