RVUSA
Orlando, FL, USA
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Joined: 01/04/2005
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Good Sam RV Club
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Quote:About 180 employees will lose their jobs, mostly in December.
You know, with all the money harley has taken from the market (you know, us) selling their bikes and portraying itself as "the" americon icon, you would think they would actually care enough to absorb these folks than to toss them out.
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Skid Row Joe
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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lesmore49 wrote:HD dealer here has also been offering two grand off the price..to move these things. That's pretty much the norm around the states I travel - dropping in on them and inquiring.
I have a sweet tender nature, however I enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions. 
Fulltiming RVer & homeowner.
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Skid Row Joe
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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RVUSA wrote:Quote:About 180 employees will lose their jobs, mostly in December.
You know, with all the money harley has taken from the market (you know, us) selling their bikes and portraying itself as "the" americon icon, you would think they would actually care enough to absorb these folks than to toss them out. Not unless they can figure out a way to keep them - by earning more money. If HD set their minds to it, there's not much they couldn't manufacture to cover most needs and wants of any potential buyer - IMO.
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Nolan
Full-timing
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Joined: 04/15/2001
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Sorry to hear about Buell. But if I was going to buy a crotch rocket it won't be a Buell.
Nolan and JoAnn
2000 Kenworth T600. (The Little Blue Truck)
2004 NuWa Hitchhiker Champagne 33LKTG
2003 Kawasaki Nomad. The Cow. (mine)
2004 Harley Road King. The Hog. (hers)
http://community.webshots.com/user/2ontheroad
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colliehauler
Mc Pherson KS USA
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Joined: 01/27/2004
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I would not buy a HD or a Buell. Neither make a bike for what I want it for, Duel Sport riding. I do feel bad for the people losing their jobs.
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vfrmarc
Ohio
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Joined: 01/11/2009
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I'm sorry to hear of this. As a motorcyclist for more than 40 years (currently own no bikes), I have owned many different brands but never a Harley. My most recent was a Triumph.
I'm sure I will take some flack from Harley owners, but I have always felt they never attacked the main reason I won't buy a Harley, lack of water cooling on their cruisers. Back in the day, nobody had water cooling, but in 2010 it is ridiculous to not offer it. My last cruiser was a honda VTX1300, my next bike will be another water cooled cruiser. Why? simply because they don't have the heat issues the air cooled bikes do.
When I was younger and we would ride to the AMA races in places like Road America, the drive through Chicago on a particularly hot early June Friday happened to co-inside with the 95th anniversary of Harley-Davidson. The ride was stop and go and the temps were in the 90's. We were all on either water or oil cooled bikes and the only thing that got too hot was us. But the Harley riders were another story. We started to see large groups of them on the side of the road. Some where trying to start their bikes others were revving them to try and keep them running. In a nut shell they were over heating. That taught a valuable lesson. If I am ever going to buy a Harley, it will have to be water cooled.
Having said all that, one of my favorite bikes is the Road King - the look as absolutely classic. Now if they were to offer a water cooled version... Untyil then I will have to settle for my next bike being something from the Japanese.
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Skid Row Joe
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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vfrmarc wrote:I'm sorry to hear of this. As a motorcyclist for more than 40 years (currently own no bikes), I have owned many different brands but never a Harley. My most recent was a Triumph.
I'm sure I will take some flack from Harley owners, but I have always felt they never attacked the main reason I won't buy a Harley, lack of water cooling on their cruisers. Back in the day, nobody had water cooling, but in 2010 it is ridiculous to not offer it. My last cruiser was a honda VTX1300, my next bike will be another water cooled cruiser. Why? simply because they don't have the heat issues the air cooled bikes do.
When I was younger and we would ride to the AMA races in places like Road America, the drive through Chicago on a particularly hot early June Friday happened to co-inside with the 95th anniversary of Harley-Davidson. The ride was stop and go and the temps were in the 90's. We were all on either water or oil cooled bikes and the only thing that got too hot was us. But the Harley riders were another story. We started to see large groups of them on the side of the road. Some where trying to start their bikes others were revving them to try and keep them running. In a nut shell they were over heating. That taught a valuable lesson. If I am ever going to buy a Harley, it will have to be water cooled.
Having said all that, one of my favorite bikes is the Road King - the look as absolutely classic. Now if they were to offer a water cooled version... Untyil then I will have to settle for my next bike being something from the Japanese. You make some good points. Unfortunately - no manufacturer covers all the bases. Sometimes it is fulfilling to buy a vintage bike to re-capture many of the things you like about a certain line at a certain time of history. A buddy of mine does this and has a ball trading and collecting bikes.
Speaking of Triumphs, have you seen all the new retro Triumphs? I haven't yet, but am anious to see thye one that retros the TR4 and the 650 Bonneville bikes from the '60s. I saw two retro scrambler Triumphs out on the street in Omaha, NE., when back there a couple months ago.
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vfrmarc
Ohio
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Joined: 01/11/2009
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Skid Row Joe wrote:vfrmarc wrote:I'm sorry to hear of this. As a motorcyclist for more than 40 years (currently own no bikes), I have owned many different brands but never a Harley. My most recent was a Triumph.
I'm sure I will take some flack from Harley owners, but I have always felt they never attacked the main reason I won't buy a Harley, lack of water cooling on their cruisers. Back in the day, nobody had water cooling, but in 2010 it is ridiculous to not offer it. My last cruiser was a honda VTX1300, my next bike will be another water cooled cruiser. Why? simply because they don't have the heat issues the air cooled bikes do.
When I was younger and we would ride to the AMA races in places like Road America, the drive through Chicago on a particularly hot early June Friday happened to co-inside with the 95th anniversary of Harley-Davidson. The ride was stop and go and the temps were in the 90's. We were all on either water or oil cooled bikes and the only thing that got too hot was us. But the Harley riders were another story. We started to see large groups of them on the side of the road. Some where trying to start their bikes others were revving them to try and keep them running. In a nut shell they were over heating. That taught a valuable lesson. If I am ever going to buy a Harley, it will have to be water cooled.
Having said all that, one of my favorite bikes is the Road King - the look as absolutely classic. Now if they were to offer a water cooled version... Untyil then I will have to settle for my next bike being something from the Japanese. You make some good points. Unfortunately - no manufacturer covers all the bases. Sometimes it is fulfilling to buy a vintage bike to re-capture many of the things you like about a certain line at a certain time of history. A buddy of mine does this and has a ball trading and collecting bikes.
Speaking of Triumphs, have you seen all the new retro Triumphs? I haven't yet, but am anious to see thye one that retros the TR4 and the 650 Bonneville bikes from the '60s. I saw two retro scrambler Triumphs out on the street in Omaha, NE., when back there a couple months ago.
I haven't seen the newer Triumphs, although my last was a Sprint ST - kind of an adult sport touring crotch rocket. My first was a 1969 Bonneville, which I traded for a wife. Just kidding, it was my conquest machine and since my wife was adverse to motorcycles and we needed the money, I sold it in 1975. I've never looked back on anything I had and sold except for my Sunbeam Tiger (what an idiot I was to sell it) . I prefer the experience of new and different.
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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Joined: 10/07/2001
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Yamaha and the Suzuki dealers both closed where I'm at and the Harley dealer is still open. I guess anybody can have problems in these times.
2004 National Tropi-Cal T-350, Class A, Triple slide, 330 HP Cat DP.
2006 Dodge Dakota 4x4 or
2002 Harley FLSTF Fat Boy on a Trailer or
2004 Polaris Quad on the Trailer
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Supercharged
Az.
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Joined: 01/01/2005
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msmith1199 wrote:Yamaha and the Suzuki dealers both closed where I'm at and the Harley dealer is still open. I guess anybody can have problems in these times. Not only are the Japanese cycles faster, the dealers are smarter.
2005 Chev 5.3 Supercharged 395HP 425 T hp. Two wheels on front, 2 on back. one seat, tint windows. front and rear bumpers, headlights, windows. Door on each side. Heater, floor mats, junk behind seats, some dirt. Pulls so hard.
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