Jump to content
IGNORED

Oh my, Harley has an adventure bike


fourteenfour

Recommended Posts

fourteenfour

At least it looks like they are going to tubeless spoked rims (that is good feature) but with that LOW mounted

short front fender it isn't going very far off-road in the mud.

Link to comment

Looks a little Rokon-Ish. :dontknow::clap: them for the effort though. Now that streetfighter is something sexy! :thumbsup:

 

Harley-Davidson-Pan-America-Announce.jpg

 

Pat

Link to comment
Dennis Andress

So, does it weigh, like 900 lbs?

 

 

And that face! It may be uglier than the R1200 ST!

Edited by Dennis Andress
Link to comment

Hey my 1966 XLCH was advertised as "off road capable" :rofl:

My old boss rode his in the Jack Pine off road enduro in Michigan with little more that a higher front fender.

In fact he rode it to the event and home again. Real times, real men, real bikes.

Link to comment

Looks like they are trying to stay in business.

 

As off-road capable as my 1970 Honda 160 "Scrambler" with the high pipes. :grin:

 

 

Edited by Bud
Link to comment

I can picture a Harley adventure rider on that bike wearing a do-rag, wraparound sunglasses, fringed chaps, leather vest, holstered sidearm, and smoking a Lucky Strike. :)

Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday

 

Harley's sense of style just doesn't light my fire. Somehow I find myself thinking of "The Homer:"

 

ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=6968&filename=TheHomer.png

6968.png.0f4fb7d21fc326f3d4fe91e8a33bb7b7.png

Link to comment
fourteenfour

Got to admit, that Streetfighter is just amazing, even more so considering whose badge is on the tank

Link to comment

As someone already pointed out, both of these are years late to the market. The street fighter with the Vrod motor a few years ago would have been something I might have gone for. I fear the ADV wave may have passed them when they are still paddling out. We'll see.

Edited by bwpsg42
Link to comment

 

You have to assume they've done extensive market research, but I just don't see a big demand in the US for either of the two being discussed here...maybe the overseas buyer is the real target?

Link to comment

I'm watching that Livewire electric bike more. If the price isn't absurd (and I expect to be ridiculously over priced), I would consider it as my next bike.

Link to comment

Keith, can get ya a two for one right here. :thumbsup: Little steep but ripping up the neighborhood at midnight, priceless! :grin:

 

 

2019-Alta-Redshift-EXR-Side-shot.jpg

 

Pat

Link to comment
Dennis Andress

Aside from the hipster styling the Streetfighter could have the basics of what I've always wanted: An American made sport touring bike. Harley could compete with the RT, if they wanted to.

Link to comment

I love that Harley is trying to move forward and out of the stereotype Harley product line. Let's face it if Harley succeeds it is just good for motorcycling.

 

I like the Live Wire and would be interested in that ADV bike.

 

And no one can touch the Harley dealer network.

Link to comment
Lone_RT_rider
They had a two stroke back in the '70's; it didn't farewell.

 

Rick, if you are talking about the dirt bike that Pat posted and you look really close you will notice that's an Alta electric bike. If I missed what you were getting at, I apologize in advance.

 

Shawn

 

Link to comment

I'm just happy to see they are finally going to make a bike with the foot pegs in the right place.

I have never been comfortable riding with my legs stretched out in front of me...

Maybe I'll consider Harley when I'm ready for my next bike. (in ten years...) :)

Link to comment
Bill_Walker
And no one can touch the Harley dealer network.

 

Except that they were utterly terrible at selling Buells. It's going to take a lot to get their hidebound sales force to come around to selling non-cruiser bikes. Of course, this time around, the future of the MoCo may depend on their doing so, so that might provide a little added incentive to broaden their outlook.

 

Link to comment
Bill_Walker

You have to assume they've done extensive market research, but I just don't see a big demand in the US for either of the two being discussed here...maybe the overseas buyer is the real target?

 

Based on another of their press releases (as interpreted by MO), you would seem to have it right:

 

"The new adventure-touring and streetfighter/standard models are a recognition of the strong demand these segments have in Europe, and will be a key element of Harley-Davidson's plans to grow overseas. Harley-Davidson estimates this segment accounts for sales of 273,000 in 2017 model sales in Europe, none of which currently bear the bar and shield."

 

More Roads to Harley-Davidson

 

 

Link to comment
Still needs a bunch of conches and streamers in the handgrips.

 

Not to worry I am sure Touratech will provide them

 

Link to comment
Lone_RT_rider
Still needs a bunch of conches and streamers in the handgrips.

 

Not to worry I am sure Touratech will provide them

 

At three times the current going rate.

 

Link to comment
Still needs a bunch of conches and streamers in the handgrips.

 

Not to worry I am sure Touratech will provide them

 

At three times the current going rate.

 

Only those with the HD logo on them. But they will come only in orange and black :-)

Link to comment

Man-o-man. The fairing nose on the adventure bike looks like an mini version Road Glide shark nose, but even a bit uglier! It seems that the boat tail gene lives on at the design center!

http://www.sporty-ironheads.com/ironhead_1971/1971_Harley_XLH_Boattail_Sportster_by_Jim.php

 

Street fighter looks promising. But I can't help but wonder how much further HD would along to already be in the EU market with a top tier sport bike if they hand't killed off Buell. Wonder how POed Erik might be to see that after HD killed growth in his division by forcing him to use Sportster motors until it was too late, put a fork in him in the last resession and now have this new grand strategy to create a sport bike by co-opting his designs and wrapping it around their low cost Chinese made unitized water cooled motor. We'll never know what might have been, but I can imagine it would be a darn worthy offering if they actually nurtured the Buell division

 

And no one can touch the Harley dealer network.

 

Except that they were utterly terrible at selling Buells. It's going to take a lot to get their hidebound sales force to come around to selling non-cruiser bikes. Of course, this time around, the future of the MoCo may depend on their doing so, so that might provide a little added incentive to broaden their outlook.

 

+++1

HD never properly promoted Buell and most dealers just pushed them into a corner and hoped they would sell themselves. There was only one dealer I know of in the area that did a credible job and that was because they had a number of employees that raced bikes working in sales and service functions.

Link to comment
Man-o-man. The fairing nose on the adventure bike looks like an mini version Road Glide shark nose, but even a bit uglier! It seems that the boat tail gene lives on at the design center!

http://www.sporty-ironheads.com/ironhead_1971/1971_Harley_XLH_Boattail_Sportster_by_Jim.php

 

Street fighter looks promising. But I can't help but wonder how much further HD would along to already be in the EU market with a top tier sport bike if they hand't killed off Buell. Wonder how POed Erik might be to see that after HD killed growth in his division by forcing him to use Sportster motors until it was too late, put a fork in him in the last resession and now have this new grand strategy to create a sport bike by co-opting his designs and wrapping it around their low cost Chinese made unitized water cooled motor. We'll never know what might of been, but I can imagine it would be a darn worthy offering if they actually nurtured the Buell division

 

And no one can touch the Harley dealer network.

 

Except that they were utterly terrible at selling Buells. It's going to take a lot to get their hidebound sales force to come around to selling non-cruiser bikes. Of course, this time around, the future of the MoCo may depend on their doing so, so that might provide a little added incentive to broaden their outlook.

 

+++1

HD never properly promoted Buell and most dealers just pushed them into a corner and hoped they would sell themselves. There was only one dealer I know of in the area that did a credible job and that was because they had a number of employees that raced bikes working in sales and service functions.

 

I totally agree! Most Harley dealers viewed Buells as the red haired stepchild.

 

Today I can only hope that Harley dealers understand their survival depends on their ability to embrace the change in their brand and product line.

Link to comment

When I was in Mt. Vernon, IL last week, I noticed the HD dealer had a banner about test rides. Big change from their previous sales practice. A sign that they are trying to figure out a way to stay viable in a changing marketplace.

 

 

Link to comment
roadscholar
wondering what 45's tariffs will do to all these plans...

 

 

Who cares, if 40 hadn't enacted substantial tarriffs on Japanese bikes over 700cc there's an even chance Harley wouldn't have made it out of the 80's, it wasn't the only thing that helped but it gave them a jump-start they needed. They were teetering on the brink. I was a Yamaha dealer in the early to mid-80's and recall the market share numbers from then. Honda 43%, Yamaha, 22%, Kawasaki, Suzuki 14-17% each, Harley 5-7%, BMW 2%, then all the others.

 

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/motorcycle-tariffs-and-harley-davidson

Link to comment

Harley has certainly been through and survived some tough times. They have always worked hard to survive and I suspect will do the same here. Back in the AMF days when the bikes were awful they started HOG and Willie G hit the road to build support. THAT was a tough time but a smart decision. Then when they bought the company back they did ask for tariffs on the Japanese bikes being dumped in the US ... BUT they also asked that the tariffs be lifted before they were supposed to be. I hope they survive as will not only be good for Harley but for the industry.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...