Harley is doing a fantastic job of pricing itself out of existence.

Harley Davidson represents the pinnacle of engineering when it comes to converting gasoline into noise.

Worst with Harleys is that you risk having to talk to Harley riders.

I enjoy my Honda Sabre 1100. metric cruisers for life. doesn't leak oil, or leave me stranded. only very basic maintenance. Great bike.

Im not a millennial, as I'm 51, but I was looking for a new bike and decided to look at the Harleys. I found one that I liked and asked a salesman about it. He shot a smart comment at me about the high price and noted that he's not going to waste his time with someone that can't afford it. That right there killed any chance of me ever buying a Harley ever. I ended up getting a BMW M1000RR and I couldn't be more happy. If Harley wants to sell, they might want to clean up the sales staff just a little.

Motorcycles used to be the cheap trills, now they are a luxury item and a status statement 😢

Born in 64. Last 3 bikes were a Yamaha Bolt, Suzuki M109R Boss, and a Hayabusa. I never did like the sound of a Harley.

Never understood why anyone would pay 25k+ for a motorcycle thats not hitting 200mph

Harley has fallen into the same catch 22 trap as Levi's. The fewer they sell the more they have to charge. The more they charge the fewer they sell. I walked into a clothing shop the other day and was utterly shocked to see an £120 price tag on a pair of Levi's 501 jeans. I walked a few doors down into another shop and paid £20 for a nearly identical, just as good quality, jeans without the brand logo. Vanity is a very expensive mistress!!!.

Living in Italy, I see many beautiful motorcycles, including a lot of Harleys. The point is that Harleys are not only expensive but also not practical. Riding a 350 kg beast through mountain passes isn’t satisfying, and maneuvering a bike as wide as a small car through traffic on the way to work is inconvenient. Then, I look at Triumphs and understand that when a brand wants to evolve while staying true to its heritage, it finds a way.

Gen x 51, I've had 11 motorcycles so far never even considered a harley ever

They shouldn't have killed Buell. It was a very short sighted decision. That was their entry level, their sports/sports touring division and the brand that gave them cachet outside the cruiser market. The Pan America is nice but it's about a couple decades late. I agree with this video, but I'd highlight that it's a real thing that HD was made for American roads. If you want the big, torquey, comfortable v-twin that eats up cross continental highway miles, you're always going to look at a HD bike. And that kind of bike is just fundamentally always going to make sense in the US market.

The last time I was at a Harley shop the owner yelled very rudely at some guy that sat on one of his bikes in the showroom. Never went back there and that’s the only Harley dealership in the area.

I'm a millennial (40) and I considered a Harley. I really liked the road king. My dad always wanted a Harley. My uncle, his brother, road Harleys. So there would be something about carrying on that tradition that appeals to me. At the end of the day, I couldn't justify it. The dealerships all felt like used car lots with ridiculously inflated prices. The BMW 1250 GS had so much more to offer for a similar price and with my BMW dealership, what you see is what you get. No BS Market adjustments, markup, assembly fees, etc. The price online is what I paid. Even aside from the price, the Harley just couldn't compete. My 1250 GS adventure has heated grips, electronically adjustable suspension, Cruise control, traction control, Customizable ride modes, TFT with Bluetooth connectivity, an 8 gallon tank, tons of top end power, and on and on. The Harleys selling point was basically "come on. It's a Harley."

I have a favorite biker bar. 99% of the attendees roll in on their Harley's on bike night. Everyone turns around when a new bike enters the parking lot and looks to see what's coming... when it's just another Harley, they look for a half a second and then turn back to their beers. But when someone rolls in with a different kind of bike, everyone looks and keeps looking, and if it's a cool bike, they gather around it and check it out. So the bottom line is - you can't stand out when you buy the same "ME TOO!" Harley that everyone else has.

100% agree with the video. Hit everything spot on. I'm a millennial and it pretty much read my mind for the past 3 years. I own a Harley, but for the exact reason mentioned in the video, used = cheaper ... and I'm aware that I'm out preformed by others on similar metric bikes.

If I’m buying a motorcycle, it should do what they’re supposed to do. Go, stop, and corner spectacularly. Bonus points for keeping its fluids inside.

I’m a baby boomer and have owned nearly 30 bikes, mostly Triumphs and Ducatis. I’ve never found a Harley I was interested in owning, and don’t expect that to change. The old adage about yesterday’s technology at tomorrow’s prices always rang true with me.

I'm a Millenial, i'm a Gal, and i just bought a Harley. Mind you, a second-hand Sportster 883 Iron from 2012, but as far as second-hand motorcycles are concerned, there wasn't a huge difference in price between the brands. There might have been before Covid, but now any half-decent second-hand will set you back at around 8000€ easy. I know for a fact that i'm probably not going to stick with my Sportster forever though, i'll want to upgrade eventually, but when i look at the current prices, whether new or second-hand, i'm having trouble imagining dunking twice the price of my car in a motorcycle.

I grew up in Chicago and we have a HUGE polish community. I recently moved to Kentucky and there a growing polish community here as well lol. You guys love your motorcycles too! I really love your channel, you have great honest content. Thank you

As a young Gen X'er I'm considerably worse off than my boomer parents, so I can only imagine how bad it is for Millennials. I started riding bikes *because* I wanted a Harley. Not anymore. I can't relate to the brand, the style, and definitely not the price. As a consequence, I drifted away from cruisers and now I'd rather have a Japanese naked, and my aspirational bike is now a sport touring. Hell, at this point, for the price of a Harley I can buy two of them.

The only bikers that do not " nod" at me when I'm on my bike are HD riders and those that have just started riding in their middle age, I've been riding 44years since I was 16.

Dang man, great video! Born in 83, I'm an elder Millennial, and really agree with your economic points. I'm also a career salesperson and the only thing in your vid I question is the knowledge base of Harley salespeople. I agree they only know their brand, but that's all they NEED to know to get paid. Plus, I'm pretty sure Harley dealerships are exclusive stores, so no other brand in the showroom to sell. Unlike basically any other brand where you may be selling two or more manufacturers in the same store which would demand the cross product knowledge.

Great video mate. Like you said, they are too expensive to buy and many people say that HD is only a Name of IT former self. Nothing behind it. Other manufacturers like BMW with the R18 model are 50 ahead.

Millennial here - during the summer of 2020 I was 34 and spending my time at home researching toys to treat myself too when the world to returned to a bit of normalcy. I grew up on the back of my dad's 81 Low Rider and I have been on Moto Guzzis for 20 years. I was all ready to go lay myoney down on a new Bronx and then at the end of that summer Harley gave it the ax and told me they didn't want me as a customer. I went with a new 2020 Triumph Speed Twin in the spring of 21 and never looked back.

Harleys are best at converting fuel to noise, without the side effect of horsepower.

My Mum always said " if you cant say something nice about a company, then tell the truth !!!"

My last two dealer purchases were a Ninja 400 for $3150 and a Bandit 1200S for $5500, both with zero miles. Harley has these kinds of deals, right?

You nailed it with this video. Overweight, overpriced, dealer attitude and rider culture will keep me away from Harley even though I could afford one. Many Japanese and European brands to consider instead.

*"it comes with a sticker for your forehead that says: sucker."* Hahahah!

Biggest consideration for me when I bought my current bike is service. There is no service within 100 miles from here for anything but a few brands. Local Harley shop has a good reputation. Lots of other shops around that will work on a Harley. Once I picked the brand then I browsed online to know what I wanted and walked into the shop and bought what I wanted and nothing more. Lots of features I could have gotten on some other brand, but having quality service in town was more important. 134,000 miles and still going.

Unfortunately for the idea of a housing bubble, vacancies are near record lows. After the 2008 recession, construction levels fell off a cliff, and construction companies found it difficult to build their crew sizes back up again, with the result being that someone working in the construction industry often starts off getting paid $105k per year, in comparison to someone starting out at Goldman Sachs for $110k per year. Of course, all of this makes construction more expensive and more difficult, meaning that there is less construction even as the population grows and households get smaller, on average.

Its been awhile since I looked into bikes but I'm happy to see that the strategy of selling yesterday's technology at tomorrows prices is alive and well at this company

You summed up why I still haven't purchased a Harley after over 40 years on 2 wheels... Price and attitude. Twice in the last 2 years I have been only a signature away from buying an HD, only to walk away because the value just wasn't there in my opinion.

Not a milenial but I'll share my experience. I bought the Street 750 few years ago, traded a very loved Sprint ST 955i for it and paid bit extra on top. At first I was overjoyed, finally had a Harley and all that... very proud. Then I realised that any little item was priced premium, service stuff and add ons. I thought ok, understandable. Then a minor electrical fault happened, bike kept flashing hazards and would not start. Took it to a dealership, turned out to be a loose wire within the ECU connection tab. They fixed it within 10 minutes... I came out with a 250 pound bill. Next thing I did was sell the harley and buy another triumph... never again.

I've been riding a 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan 800A cruiser since I bought it used in 2004 for $3600 and it has been very reliable bike I've put 38000 miles on it and it still looks and runs great and has only dropped a thousand dollars in value of what I paid for it. I'm pretty happy to be in the wind with not a lot of money spent.

A guy I worked with rides his Sportster to our monthly luncheon. When he saw my Triumph Bonneville, he said “That’s almost a Harley.” I laughed. Lots of non riders think they have something important to say to owners/riders of non HD riders. I enjoy having a reliable, oil tight, easy to maintain and paid off Triumph.

Personally, I ride because I love the feeling of being one with my machine and flying free down the road. I don't ride to look cool. Harley feels like more of a fashion statement than a passion for riding.

New rider and millennial here. I dont think id ever go for a brand new Harley. Used, sure, if I i found one I like at a good price point.

Im 29 and have owned 3 evos, 1 twin cam, 1 panhead, and 3 m8s. Love the rumble of the harley twins. Ive got an m8 and the panhead currently.

I'm 40, you hit the nail on the head. Owner and dealership attitudes soured me on HDs, even though they're beautiful bikes. When I was a kid, a Road King style motorcycle popped into my head when I thought of a motorcycle. I learned to ride in my early 20s on a beat up 1980 Kawasaki LTD 1000. The decade I spent riding that bike, I got lots of comments from old heads on HDs about "when are you gonna buy a REAL BIKE?". It was also usually the HD riders that wouldn't wave back to me since I obviously wasn't on a REAL BIKE. I was taught how to ride by an old head biker I worked with, but he rode a modified Yamaha VMax. Those attitudes chased me around for years, discouraging me from going to meets and group rides. I would just ride around alone. Fast forward to 2014 and I was looking to buy a brand new bike. I looked at Road Kings since they were a childhood fixture for me, but I got attitude from the sales people at my local HD dealership about finally upgrading to a REAL BIKE. Cue Triumph. I always liked their bikes, but I wanted a big cruiser, and up until then, they didn't have much in that vein besides the America, and it wasn't all that interesting to me. That year, they launched the Thunderbird LT and I was in love with it. It was cheaper than a Road King, but had the same look, and already came factory equipped with crash bars, highway pegs, a taller windshield, white-walls, spoke wheels, and beautiful paintwork. However, even when I went to my local Triumph dealership, they were a multi-brand dealership that also sold HDs and the salesman was obviously disinterested in selling me a Triumph. He had almost nothing to say about the bike while I was looking at it in the showroom. When I asked for a test ride, he said sure, let me show you around while we get the bike pulled out and ready for you. We immediately went into the HD showroom and he talked for almost 20 minutes about the new Project Rushmore HDs with the new at the time infotainment systems. I ended up buying the Triumph and love the bike, but I never went back to that dealership. I service my bike myself and I didn't have any warranty problems with my Triumph. I'm not in the market to replace my Thunderbird, but if I were, I'd go straight back to Triumph and buy the Speedmaster. Even though it's a smaller bike that my Thunderbird, it's still a looker. I'd kit it out similar to my Thunderbird, with bags, crash bars, and a windshield. Harley-Davidson just isn't on my radar and probably never will be at this point in my life.

I've been to my local Harley dealership multiple times, and the sales staff (and the grizzled old guys who just hang out there) were all nice and polite. It's too bad buying a Harley has never crossed my mind. Working class millennials like myself can't possibly afford it. That dealership just happens to be our local Royal Enfield distributor and I'm buying one of those instead.

My first custom motorcycle was a Drag Star and as I walked and traveled and saw Harley's like many others have done, I was also enchanted and exchanged my Drag Star for a Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Classic...After a few years of use, I was in trouble for maneuvering a motorcycle that is so heavy and that it heats up our legs and balls when we are riding in city traffic, I discovered that I was happy and I didn't know it with the Drag Star that I had, so I changed bikes again and became happy again. Happy with a Drag Star like the one I had before Harley.

Here in Brasil HD started building bikes in the early 00's,. When they introduce the 883 was a best seller, simply for the price being just right for our market. Now as you said the prices skyrocket, and the got rid of their entry line. I always wanted a HD but it simply don't make sense for me to have one. So I bought a RE, way less powerful for sure but compensate by being affordable.

I am 83 years old and still ride my 2002 Road King that I bough new for around $17,000. Harleys are heavy, but when you are rolling it doesn't seem to be a problem. I love it. But I agree, the main problem with the Harleys is the price.

As a late millennial (95) Harleys were the motorcycles I grew up around and when I finally decided to get one they announced they were killing the air cooled sportsters so I bought a used one. The biggest problem is the price like you said 32k for a street glide is more then I have payed for all of my vehicles and just isn't realistic for my age group.

I liked Harleys for what they look like. I like the feeling of riding these bikes. Now, BMW came along with their R18 Classic. I know many people don't like this bike for what it looks like, but it offers me what I really need. A mixture between feeling like driving around on a cruiser while still being able to get on the motorway for 6 hours straight in order to visit family. This is why I never bought and probably never will buy a Harley...

I have rode motorcycles for 26 years. The only Harley I ever likes was the V-Rod and they quit making them. Another turn off of Harleys is reliability. So non Harley bikes are cheaper, more reliable, and the owners of non Harley bikes are friendlier. To me there never has been a draw to buy Harley

as a 40 year old who just learned how to ride a motorcycle this year, I too had the distaste for the harley brand elitism that typically accompanies the bikes. When I was shopping for a bike I did look at a few at a dealership but the large bike just didn't appeal to me. After looking at several styles of bikes I ended up with a Royal Enfield Interceptor. It fits my needs extremely well and has a style and a price that fits me. If I were to end up buying a Harley at this point it would be something from the 50s-80s, I do also Daily drive a 1967 C20 that I've had now for 17 years.

All my life I have ridden two brands, Harley and Honda. I think you are spot on in your assessment. HD made a huge mistake dropping the air cooled sportster like they did.

I think you’re spot on with your analysis. The situation here in the UK is very similar, getting rid of the traditional entry level models has cut off potential new customers here at the knees! I bought a new Sportster in 2004, plus extras, and could afford the repayments. The same would not be true now, plus culture has changed, America doesn’t seem quite such a cool nation as it did twenty+ years ago………mind you, neither does England!

I bought a used Heritage Classic recently and got great treatment at the dealer although i bought a brand new 2022 Triumph T120 and it's still the best bike ive ever owned! 😊

I visited a gathering of Harley enthusiasts 10 years ago. The motorcycles were amazing in their beauty, but in the parking lot there were groups of Harley-Boys walking around and fighting with each other. I was attacked by a strong feeling of disgust that has not passed since.

Honestly, I've bought two Kawasaki's. Honestly I just see no reason to buy a slower, heavier motorcycle that is also more expensive.

I think one has to go a lot deeper. Who made the decisions that turned America's economy from a manufacturing one into a service economy? Many good paying blue collar and middle class jobs in manufacturing died. I listened to our illustrious politicians in both major parties extolling the virtues of free markets etc. This was years ago when the average Chinese factory worker made about 62 cents an hour. How in hell does America compete in a world economy with that? I am 75, a student of history and a Navy veteran which means I have seen a lot in my time. It is hard for me to believe that this deeper reality and deliberate sabotage of my country by our own politicians and big wheels in banking and finance. I remember when Harley built a 350 cc bike that was affordable. But you are right about the new culture of inclusiveness being part of it. I despise racism and bigotry and always have. I don't know what the answers are but you have hit the nail on the head!

I've always been a Harley man. Got my first 883 Sportster at 22 and was proud of it. Now I got a 1450 Softail Springer. I really hope they figure something out, to make it more affordable! I'll always ride Harleys

Millennial here and just bought my first bike this past year. At first I wanted a Harley and had my eye on the Nightster but just couldn't justify the 13k + price tag. Like you said, even the pre-owned inventory was expensive. Eventually I bought a Royal Enfield Interceptor and I really love it. Looks great and lots of fun at a fraction of the price. When I decide to upgrade, not sure Harley will even be a consideration after exploring the options from Europe and Japan.

Well done video. 🙏🏻 As a Gen Xer myself, I have incredible sympathy for Millennials and the generations behind them. The wealth gap is real--and an absolute tragedy.

The reason I would never owned a Harley with a real Harley motor is they can't be internally balanced they can only be between two RPMs rangers. That's why I love the V-Rod well design well-balanced motor.

Im 34 and was looking at a 2023 street glide. I was laughed out of the delarship and had 7k ready for a down payment. I ended up just buying a buddy's 06 Hornet 919 he just bought a street glide. Had straight pipes clipons the bike runs great. Hevent looked back. Im the one laughing now. I havent riden in 12 years and this $900 cb is making me pleanty happy.

I actually prefer heavy bikes, but the Japanese have perfected that too, and that's why i love my 97 Honda Valkyrie. It will run circles around any HD and an excellent value

Im 32, and will stick with my 1st gen klr thank you very much

A couple decades ago, Harley dealers required buyers who already owned a Harley to offer a trade in before they would sell them a new one. They were selling big twins for an average of $5k over MSRP, PLUS forcing trade ins that they ALSO profited heavily on. I have owned two Harleys, I like them, but they have been digging their own grave for at least 20 years.

The one mechanic at my Indian dealership said he switched to Indian 4 years ago when his Harley-Davidson's engine blew up at 55,000 now he has 68,000 Miles on his Indian and it still runs great. He's been riding for 40 years. He said after the engine blew up he had enough with Harley and those are the bikes he rode before going to Indian.

I walked in to a Harley dealership ready to spend and got insulted by the salesman for wearing a full face helmet. I left with no bike and then bought used one owner Harley from a retired man for a lot less...

I bought a Big Dog after my youthful fun on race bikes. I turned in my chromed out TL1000R Superbike for a black cherry 117 C.I. Pitbull. Its a hardball, never rode one that big before but I have never had more looks and highway fun as I do now. Riding is about expression and although most of my friends ride HDs, we all believe its not what you ride..... its the fun and comraderie that comes with being 62 and still enjoying what I do for 35 years. Keep the rubber down ppl!

Back in the early 80s. I was 14 maybe 15 years old. No drivers license yet. One of the neighbors was given a wrecked Harley Davidson dirtbike. The forks were bent backwards so far that the tire was touching the frame or the engine. We’re just a bunch of teenagers , kids if you will. Anyway we pulled the forks with the rim on it far enough so it was rideable. And that’s the way it was ridden . For a long long time. Just a bunch of us learning to ride a bike. Man that thing was beat up. But it ran. And it was cool. I’d love a reasonably priced Harley Davidson dirtbike.

Being one from the millennial generation. I have always wanted a Harley personally. I have almost bought a brand new Harley several times in recent years. The dealers and their sales tactics trying to overcharge over msrp and other fees has turned me away everytime.

I think you hit the nail in the head with both reasons. As a millennial, I don’t want to be associated with those exclusivity clubs. It also doesn’t help that Harley riders DON’T WAVE BACK!!!

Im happy having my Vulcan Voyager, never felt the need to favor a brand

Look I remember when the wait list was in full effect. I seen an iron head for $6,000. Some of these sporty prices aren’t too bad compared to the $7,500 I paid for my used sportster back in 2003.

Gen X Harley Street Glide lover here. I spend half my time in South America, (Work in oil and gas) and the only option down there was a Honda XR150. It was 2,000 usd, light as a feather, perfect for dirt roads or street. Perfect for lane splitting, and a lot of fun. I looked at some new CVO's at home, 50,000-60,000 dollars. I got three boys-- going to buy three Honda XR-150's for their first bikes.

I’m on the old end ofmillennials at 40. I have a Yamaha v star 650. It was my first road bike. Decades on dirt bikes but never got into road bikes until my late 30s. Honestly I thought I would one day “upgrade” to a Harley, but never will. Grew up reading easy rider etc, and now a days I think metric chops are what most fit the spirit of the 70s chopper scene. Making the most out of what you got and what your capable of. The v star puts a smile on my face, is easy to tinker with, 20 years of cheap parts, and I’ll likely ride it until I can’t ride anymore.

I bought a 4k USD 2000 used sportster 12 years ago, and I love so much my harley, old, pretty well cared and all maintainance done always. Thinking about buying a new one its nice, but I dont really feel the urge.

Great video buddy, we bought a brand new Road Glide Ultra in 2016, sold it after a year, lost 10k and went back to my DR650. Worst bike I've owned yet was the Harley over $40k out the door with zero extras. My Dr650 was $8500 out the door with a 5 year warranty added for $450ish. Harley has sold out to greed decades ago, if not for those who still love to dress up in cosplay on the weekends Harley would be done for.

I still have my first and only Harley. A 1995 fxstsb springer softail that I bought used in 98. With routine maintenance and always being garage kept it still runs and looks as good as the day I bought it. For me it’s been a fun bike to own. With a large aftermarket and its mechanical simplicity it’s an easy bike to work on for the diy owner. It’s not fast and doesn’t stop on a dime but I still get a grin whenever I throw a leg over it. There’s a few newer Harley’s that I like. The Breakout, Fatboy and the Street Glide look great but after owning the Springer for 25 years I could never get rid of her. She’s part of the family

15 or 20 years ago, Harley made the decision to move away from their blue-collar base and become an exclusive brand. I remember the c e o using that word. Old dealerships were forced to modernize or leave the business and prices shot up. I don't understand how they could wish to be an exclusive brand and have mass appeal.. Harley is likely to become a small production brand selling to very wealthy clients.

ive been riding dirtbikes since i was a kid. Decided to go out and buy a cruiser last year, so naturally went and checked out a few HD dealers. Experienced nothing but rude and condescending sales people that didnt even want you to sit on a bike. Indian, triumph, and metric dealers were always polite and trying to get you to take one out for a ride. Ended up saving a ton buying a metric privately. Bike runs great.

"Whatever HD can do, a motorbike can do better"

Great video. I'm an older millennial that owns two cheap second hand bikes, an old K100 and a KLR. Hard to beat German and Japanese engineering. My dad owns a HD. The only way I'll ever own a HD is if I inherit it. But I'd sell it immediately. Zero appeal to me. I'd rather buy second hand Japanese old bikes and fix them up these days over buying new. I've decided to work less in my life than have new shiny expensive things.

42 here and I can't imagine being able to afford a new harley. Love my 02 road king though

I was born in 1984. I got my first Harley at 19. I have had 5 Harleys and have never even road another brand on the road. However this will be my last Harley for a lot of the reasons you mentioned and I can't help but to feel taken advantage of every time I go into a dealership. There was a time where I truly believed I would ride Harleys till the day I died and it still kind of hurts me to say it but I'm am done with Harley-Davidson.

As a millenial, I definitely like Harleys. They seem like great bikes and I love the way the touring chassis bikes move. For 28k out the door though, that price is disgusting for something that has a fraction of the performance of my Concours 14 I got for $6,500 used. They are cool bikes, but I totally can't justify spending that amount of money on a bike like that.

I totally agree. Im a 64 yr old old school biker who's just bought his last bike. I bought a 2021 Harley Davidson Fat Bob 114 that was ridiculously expensive. It a real pleasure to ride but after customizing it a little it came out the door at over $30,000.00 with all its warranties. I could have bought two Japanese bikes and still had enough for a box of beer.How many 20 - 35 yr olds have 30K laying around to put out on something they only put a few miles on every year? Everybody loves my bike until I tell them what I've got into it. WTF everybody says !

12/22, I bought a 2006 Dyna Street Bob from a guy on FB Marketplace. He was looking to unload it, because he didn't want his soon to be x-wife to get half. $3900. I'm a 52 year old empty nester that gave up riding when my kids came along. This scratches the itch nicely without having financially crippling motorcycle payment. I hit the button and it makes loud noises, and goes fast, for a tiny fraction of the price of a new one.

In Europe, it feels like cruiser segment is having some problems, not just HD, but it affects them (and Indian) the most as they haven't had anything until Pan America came out. I see them less on the roads, less online (although they tend to do their own thing often so one doesn't meet them that much), and even Japanese manufacturers few years ago (I think it was '18) dropped most of their cruiser models (except for Rebel 500 and Vulcan S). (Many other vendors have scaled back a bit too, Triumph dropped Thunderbirds etc.) They have since rebounded a bit but it may not be enough. Many people opt for the adventure bikes instead, which are as comfortable if not more, more fitting for spirited riding, better on bad roads and all that for lower price.

Exactly why I didn't buy a Harley when I started riding again in 2007. I wanted to wear a helmet, and I didn't buy into the "badass" persona. I bought a Victory and loved it. Since then I've moved into ADV bikes and won't look back. I think if Harley wants to survive, they should start building dual sports and start widening their focus.

As a new rider many years ago, I aimed to get a HD, I didn’t, I got my car licence and went 2 decades on 4 wheels. I had an urge to get on two wheels again. I did look at the Sportster and the 48 but tbh, the cost new, then depreciation and thought I’d give it a miss. I got a pre owned 883 Sportster ultra low mileage, saved thousands, used it, hated it, got rid of it! Went Triumph route instead 👍

I would absolutely love to own a Harley and I am young. Currently 29 but have wanted one since I was a teenager. Unfortunately I've never been in a place where I could purchase one and now they and everything else are just too expensive these days.

I've owned mostly harley's and still do. I'm a millenial as well. I think one of the bigger issues is Harley needed to start to diversify their range back in the 90's. They needed more entry level offerings at affordable prices, as well as incorporating more modern tech. They did try to do something like that with the v-rod, but it was still expensive, and definitely not an entry level bike. Had they made some cheap 5-700 CC bikes that were affordable, but still had the Harley look, feel, and sound, I think they may have grabbed more people with brand loyalty, instead of listening to the boomer crowd thumbing their nose at anything new Harley tried to do, because it didn't "go with tradition". That and the constantly increasing prices hasn't helped.

After 30 years on BMW's I switched to a Sportster (bike #31) and I'm glad I did it. I needed to get back to basics. You have to harden yourself up to life on a bike. It did take me 4-6 weeks to get used to it. I was riding 2 hours a day all year around and have for years. I can see why a lot of younger guys get off of a super slick Japanese sport bike and end up not liking a Harley, because for one, the never lived on the their sport bike to start with. I'm 72 and have been on bikes since the mid 60's. I went the British route first with Triumphs, BSAs and Nortons. Then went on to BMWs when all of those dealers collapsed and blew away and using a British bike for every day use was a dead end. I'm retiring next week and I wanted something easy to work on, plus parts availability. It wasn't until 2 years ago that we got a new car, so I could use the spare for bad days. I endured it all for over 50 years. Snow, icy roads, storms, wind , rain, heat , traffic, animals, things falling off of farm trucks, logs, farm animals and after it all I'm still here. 🙂

Well said. You nailed it. Rode bikes as a kid. Now I'm 50 and want a cruiser again. I could afford a Harley, just couldn't justify paying that when I believe the Yamaha Stryker is better engineered. And also much cheaper.

Back in the 70s I rode a GoldWing and my friend was a dedicated Harley rider. He once boasted, "If my Hog brakes down, I can fix it on the side of the road." My reply, "I ride a Wing, I'll never need to fix it on the side of a road." We're still friends, but he never made that boast again. Sadly, both of us long since had to trade the bikes for four wheel, family friendly craft. NOTE: my Wing never did fail or disappoint me.

For me, it's that they're a lifestyle brand. They're overpriced and under engineered they've been making the same thing for over 50 years but somehow it's gotten worse they're reliability is horrible and your maintenance schedule is ridiculous. Parts cost an arm and a leg and you end up fixing things you would never think about on any other bike

Agree with everything you said. Unfortunately, harley keeps raising prices without adding any features to justify the price increase. They will sell you a bike that has the exact same specs as it did 3 years ago for 30% more today. They lack some of the most basic electronic features that Japanese bikes offer at one-third of the price. The accessories catalog is ridiculously overpriced, and you absolutely need some options to make the bike worth your time. Harley is banking too much on their brand, and at the end of the day, my hard earned cash will not be filling up some complacent and greedy company's pockets.

Like you said a year ago, Harley should have built the Super Meteor. I do think there'd be a market for the Bronx, although whether it's big enough to fund the development is a question. Slightly overweight and underpowered would only bother spec sheet warriors. Only one in a thousand riders could actually ride any current litre bike to its potential in anything other than a drag race.

Too expensive is right! I have a Yamaha Stryker that looks like a Harley but most importantly starts every time and cost me $5000 several years ago. Also with Harley’s you forgot you need to change the exhaust right away since they aren’t loud at purchase. Why would I pay $20K to ride only several months a year?

I'm a millennial (1992, m) and have always pondered the idea of owning a motorcycle. As the most advanced thing I've ridden is a 20 mph electric scooter I'd start with getting my cycle endorsement and something in the 250cc category, preferably a dual sport. Harley-Davidson was _never_ on my list for many reasons (one of which is the unnecessary stigma of owing one.) However, after losing a close friend to a fatal motorcycle crash, I've thrown away the idea of ever riding a motorcycle and switched to boating instead. Granted it's still an expensive hobby I can barely afford, but it's something I feel safer doing.

As a millennial, I love my Harley! I bought it used but it is by far my favorite bike I've owned. Its crusty and old and by no means perfect but it puts a smile on my face.

I'm a millennial. The typical image of the Harley rider in my mind for a long time was an overweight old guy. When I was looking to get my first street bike, I wanted the Softtail Slim S in olive green. A buddy had one and I thought it was the coolest looking bike (like a WW2 throwback). Local dealer had a used one. I went back to buy it a few months after checking it out, and for no reason at all it was $2k more. Another buddy who rode Victory told me to check out Indian. It seemed like a cooler brand, had a lot of excellent performance options. So I chose the FTR Rally (wasn't even looking for that style of bike at the time, lol). It reminded me of my dirt bike growing up, so I figured it's be a good transition bike to street riding. When I go to get that big bagger, I'm already sold on the Challenger for many of the same reasons.... Don't get me wrong, I like Harley. I follow a lot of younger folks on IG doing cool things with them. I just think I found what I was looking for with Indian.