🏍️ The Motorcycle Thread

Yaj Yak

Gladys
TCG Premium
May 24, 2007
122,160
87,673
Niche score of 2,363
They’d buy Harley and do what a Harley did to Buell: just kill them off.

Indian is superior. Change my mind.

I don't doubt Indian being better at all.

Harley can't market shit as we are currently seeing, but their name is still invaluable.

polaris can market fucking anything currently. and their distribution and production channels let them hold vendors by the nuts quite easily.

i mean click that brands link, they are snatching up boat companies like nobody's business.
 

Frank Dukes

TCG Elite Member
May 5, 2009
4,528
6
Rockfordia
Harley has certainly been improving but that doesn't mean it's enough. The road glide was probably there best recent hit and it was because it was a ground up restyle. New frame. New engine. New fairing. New touchscreen radio. It worked and got people excited for a bit but that was already a long time ago at 2014. The new m8 engine I don't know enough about to say but they are continually trying to improve, but improve is not innovate and maybe that's not enough.
 

FirstWorldProblems

TCG Elite Member
Staff member
TCG Premium
Sep 6, 2006
70,443
80,074
Crown point, IN
I really crack up watching harley's continued decline. Their product is 20 years behind everyone else yet they're blaming millennials for their downfall. Complete lack of vision from this company...it's like their business model relied on people continuing to buy $20k+ bikes with no options, not even ABS, forever.

I just looked it up....a street glide base price is $22k and ABS is an $800 option on top of that. WTF do you get to justify the base of $22k?

Take your overpriced, underengineered, slow pieces of crap and GFY
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
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May 24, 2007
122,160
87,673
Niche score of 2,363
Last week, United Steelworkers Local 2-209, which represents about 730 employees at Harley’s factory on Pilgrim Road in Menomonee Falls, turned down a five-year contract offer that included a 14 percent wage increase over five years and significant pension enhancements for current employees.

Harley said the average wage for current, regular full-time bargaining unit employees under the first year of the deal would be more than $33 an hour in the Milwaukee area and more than $25 in Tomahawk.

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the reason the article states that they rejected it makes sense, sounds like they are just using temp labor to squeeze out the high dollar union labor guys.
 

Spivitz

The Throttle is ur friend
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Oct 5, 2012
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$30,000 for this pile is definitely not looking appealing








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SirMarco

of Pingree Grove
May 11, 2009
12,770
3,269
Pingree Grove
Would love an Indian Chieftain Dark Horse. Similar pricing though to a Harley Street Glide Special...is the Indian a better bike? Honestly don't know.

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If I was in the position to purchase a new bike and it was going to be a bagger of this style, I would look really hard at the Indian vs the Street Glide at this point. Both bikes are going to be great rides. You can't really argue with that. But as far as technology and advancements go, I think the Indian has a leg up on HD.
 

CMNTMXR57

GM, Holden & Chrysler Mini-Van nut swinger
Sep 12, 2008
26,148
31,262
Elgin
I think my biggest issue with Indian (and yes, I swing HD), despite Polaris owning them, is dealer network and parts (both OEM and aftermarket) availability.

It was nice when Indian of Chicago was right in South Elgin. it was just around the corner, but they closed, the next two nearest are Elmhurst and Libertyville IIRC.

One of the reasons why Harley's have the following they do is because HD has a vast dealer network, ease of parts (OEM and aftermarket), as every bike maker makes shit for them, and HD themselves openly welcomes the ownership customization experience and culture, even having their own hot rod shops within dealerships.

When I owned mine, it was one of the best dealership experiences I've had. I bought my bike from Woodstock HD and they were constantly throwing "chrome cash", motorclothes allowances and other shit at me. They always came and got my bike and returned it for any service and/or winter storage (which then they would throw more "chrome cash", "engine upgrade options, etc, if I stored with them). When I did get stranded once when the throttle cable broke, they came and got the bike and fixed it at no charge to me (even though I was out of warranty). When I inquired, they said, "yea, don't worry about it, HD took care of it..."

I'm a big Polaris nutswinger too. So I want to see them succeed, but you gotta have more than two dealerships in a large metro area like Chicago.
 

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