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Hey Yam, you've got a number of people that have been trying to contact you via your support email and phone number to no avail about continuous charging for already cancelled subscriptions. You should check on that before someone ends up going a more litigious route considering the hundreds of dollars that you've snagged from that rather bad business practice.
I've been riding for 51yrs, the last 40 on Harley's, and I ride them because I like them, I like to work on them, and I like to customize them, not because they're a "status" or "badass" symbol. I've been "boycotting" Harley since the '80s, when they went "boutique" and ran all of the mom and pop shops outta business, and I've never bought one new. The two I have now are 25 and 50yrs old, and I've always done my own work. I appreciate all motorcycles, but I prefer Harley's, so I don't play any of those kid games. I don't care if it's a scooter, if you're brave enough to get out there in traffic, you have my respect.
Good for you. I'm impressed by Harley Davidson's clever but simple marketing. Since its inception, Harley Davidson has marketed an image that targets the insecurities and vulnerabilities of some men by presenting a product that gives those men the illusion of personal power, ruggedness, strength, toughness, coolness, masculinity, virility, and rebellion. These are primal traits that some men want more of, and Harley Davidson knows how to provide illusions that convince those men to buy Harley Davidson products. Loud pipes, black leather, chains, "interesting" costumes and accessories, tattoos, boots, beards, and beer don't embody greater power, but they give some men the hallucination of it. The more insecure and needy the man, the more attracted he will be to the image. You will read what real power is later in this post. Harley riders are rolling advertisements to the men whom Harley Davidson marketers want to target, and those marketers have engineered this brilliantly, as explained below. Some Harley riders might believe that the riders, themselves, created the lifestyle, the attitude, and the identity that make up the image, but the image was actually engineered by Harley Davidson, the company that sells the products and that engineered the seed for all of the aftermarket ideas and mods. Want someone to fall for an idea? Then make them think they came up with the idea themselves. Any sense of individuality or rebellion that Harley riders have is actually conformance to Harley Davidson's long-term marketing plan. Harley Davidson has put its customers exactly where they want them. What about men who use products that are not sold by Harley Davidson, like Indian or aftermarket suppliers? Sorry. The image, identity, and lifestyle were still engineered by Harley Davidson's marketers. A man who is represented by who he truly is rather than by an illusion or image of himself is a powerful man, because an illusion or image is not only artificial, it's weak. A powerful man is independent of props, façades, and groups. Some men are attracted to an image to the level that the image becomes a significant part of his identity, and some men lose the ability to clearly distinguish between the image and himself. This is what Harley Davidson counts on. And because the image has become his identity, abandoning the image becomes a kind of death for him, and there's no better way to control a man than by fear of death (and by not letting him realize that you're controlling him). The degree to which some men have reacted to Harley Davidson's recent proposed actions and decisions reveals the degree to which these men have felt threatened, yet these men don't realize the real reason why they feel threatened. Riders' reactions to Harley products and the engineered image are what Harley Davidson wants to know, because the marketing team plays off of those reactions to adapt their marketing strategy. "Go Woke, Go Broke?" Remember, Harley Davidson isn't a person, even though the business might have been named after real people. It's a company, and executives at Harley won't be harmed if they are fired or resign or if Harley goes broke. Not only have they already banked their salaries and bonuses, they'll just move to another company. Their success (yes, success) with Harley will still stand in their favor. When a company goes broke or executives leave, it doesn't mean the executives lose their shirts. When a single person, a board of directors, or other C-suite executives at a company can provoke such a dramatic response from thousands of customers via a decision, action, or other flick of a pen, that's not only success, that's power. When they can cause an uproar without breaking a sweat, that's power. Whom do they have power over? The followers. Genuine strength, power, and identity aren't traits of followers. Genuine strength, power, and identity stand independently on their own and don't need to be displayed for validation. As for freedom, followers aren't free, they're bound. Harley Davidson's marketing tactics are absolutely brilliant. And proven effective.
@@komtar7457 O can't disagree with you, and it must be terrible to have to try to make up for feelings of inadequacy with material possessions. I caught the Harley bug when I was about a year old, in 1959 because a cousin who was like a big brother to me used to put me on the gas tank of an old blue knucklehead he had, and I remember the white ball tank shifter and what to me at the time was a huge dashboard. He got killed I'm Nam in 1967, but for the past 51yrs, every time I've hit the road, he was riding right alongside me. Ride safe, my friend.
I will not buy a Harley- I’ll get an Indian or Triumph over a Harley. Harley is just not my vibe… good looking bikes; but I don’t like the culture of it.
For the price of an indian you can get a brand new ducati that can smoke it every day of the week and it's also more comfortable. The problem with american bikes is that they are too expensive for no real reason. Even the Indian ftr is waay more expensive than most other nakeds on the market! Again for no reason!
Also check out Moto Guzzi. They have some nice offerings for those who like air cooled v twins and classic styling. Well built and reasonably priced too.
@@ccclll987who cares if the Ducati smokes an Indian, if you like cruisers, it’s like trying to convince someone who wants to eat a burger to get sushi instead because it has seaweed on it
Exactly I had a 95 electraglide with EFI. I had to replace the starter and with that bike no dealer support (not even for an oil change)and non uniformed parts.
I was a Japanese buyer and bmw rider for 30 years, now in my 50's I've moved to Harley. For me, they fit my riding lifestyle perfectly, and I do over 30,000 km a year riding. I just bought my last bike and they will see me through to the end of my riding days. Glad I tried them. Glad I bought one. Simple, fun and has character.
Been a Harley-Davidson boi for decades. Owned many and still own two. And, yes, got the closet full of tees from all over the world. But this is spot on. They are moving steadily toward irrelevancy as their fan base ages and dies off. And it is a shame. They could turn it all around if they could see past the next quarterly earnings statements. Sad.
They're stuck between their one demographic of followers or none at all if they change. If H-D changes into the times, they lose their cult followers and will not gain new followers from the newer generations because of high prices.
I with you. I love my Harley but I don't like Harley corporate. It felt like they were finally going in the right direction until they changed CEOs in 2020. Now they're going backward but the prices sure aren't. If they don't change their ways in the next decade, they are going to render themselves extinct.
@@hollywoodboggie, I have, and I wish I could say it made a difference. They're pretty nice, for sure, but IMO not innovative enough and not worth the ask.
With you 100%. This is a problem Levatich saw coming years ago. He saw that Harleys core demographic was aging out and if you don’t attract newer riders to your brand, it won’t be long before you won’t have a brand at all. His “All roads to Harley” was a great place to start, but it cost money. Well the people on Wall St. that probably don’t own a bike and have somebody drive them around in a German car couldn’t have that. So in come Zeitz to turn Harley into an apparel company that makes motorcycles. Harley builds a quality motorcycle, I own two myself. But if you’re going to try and be the Rolex of motorcycles, be happy with MV Agusta sales numbers.
A couple years ago i got a phone call from my Harley dealer and the guy said he wanted me to come in and check out the first new nightster that came out. I went in and thought about it until they told me the msrp is $13,000 they will give it to me for $19,000 cause there are already a few people who want the bike. I said ok well sell it to one of those few people. Instead i got a 2023 Indian scout rogue and im so much happier i went with Indian instead of Harley.
@@LodicatMotovlogs that's very true! It was literally the first new nightster on the showroom floor so I guess they thought they could pump the price up like that. What's even crazier is I was waiting for my girlfriend to graduate with her master's degree in social work before I got my second bike and the salesman told me that I could always buy a storage unit and hide the bike from her.
@@axelfoley5155 Lol. They want you to ruin your relationship just to sell. They should know at that point that they sound like they only think about the money and never about the customers. Good thing you stayed away from them.
That's more than I got my M8 softail for in 2019. I like the nightster, it's on my short list of HD bikes I would buy, but it's too expensive. Around 10k is where it should be.
New rider, bought a brand new RE for under $4k. Functional, practical, inexpensive and use for commuting whenever weather allows. Cheaper than most e-bikes. Reliable. Around 80 mpg. Never even considered a HD
I also bought an RE, the Super Meteor 650 with a bunch of premium upgrades for less than $8k and I'm loving it. With the money I saved I was able to also buy an old, used Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Nomad with 34k miles for $3k. Both together cost me less than a brand new HD.
And my personal favorite, HD prints posters and distributes to dealers for their 100 year anniversary. The print is of a flat track rider to celebrate their heritage on America’s dirt ovals when the XR750 and names like Parker and Springsteen dominated the sport. Except the picture they chose was of a Triumph flat tracker and they had to recall all the posters. Classic.
😮😅😂 rotflmao my friend had a himalayan.we found Himalayan beside it with a broke leg when the whole front end snapped of on the trail one day,then we googled it and turns out the whole front end falling off is a common issue with them.😮😅😢😂
Does anybody else think it’s ironic how Yammie is talking about how out of touch Harley are because people can’t afford their products in a cost of living crisis but is suggesting you spend up to $250 on a weeks worth of underwear?
Can't even go on a single ride with neighbor since he bought a Harley-Davidson. Forget the wobble, he loses his throttle, has to coast, reset, restart, go 10 miles, fail, coast, reset, restart, repeat 10 more times, finally decides to have it trailered home. Meanwhile on my 2019 BWM R1250GSA, 1st bike ever, bought new, climbing close to 40,000 miles, couldn't be happier. He finally gave up, gave his HD to his kid, project bike. That HD experience broke him so badly he now prefers an imported e-Bike as his daily ride, poor guy.
I grew up on Japanese machines, worked for Yamaha as a district sales manager in the 80's. Went thru the Harley phase in the 90's and early 2000's. What really pissed me off was when you twist the throttle on a stock machine NOTHING HAPPENS. Pathetically slow. So I had to spend thousands more for a motor kit. Been back on Japanese machines since 2010 and will never own a Harley again. They will be bankrupt in 10 years or less.
I worked at a shop where they made superchargers for Harleys. They knew all about Harleys manufacturing problems. Their laugh line was … “If Harley Davidson made an airplane, would you fly in it? ‘’
To me, the biggest failure is price. Nothing they sell is a good value. Also, the used market is delusional. Every dingbat wants the same price he paid for it 10 years ago. Also, I've seen a version of this video since 2008 and nothing has changed.
H-D should have been thinking about new models and engine designs when the Japanese invasion came in the 70's. I bought an '05 Buell because I wanted an American made sport bike and was happy with it. My XB12 SCG was the 2nd gen of Buell and at $10,495 was a pretty good bang for buck bike. The 1200 sportster based engine actually redlined at 7K instead of a measly 4800 and put out about 113 BHP with the factory ECM and pipe. It came with features like steel braided lines and oil cooler stock when H-D makes everyone buy that on their own for all the other models. The real problem was the H-D dealers treated Buell owners like step children and never let EB take the bike to higher levels of performance so he had to leave them. The last bike I bought just to putt around town is the Honda XR150. Sometimes it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
no they shouldnt have, thats the whole point of the brand. you pay for a “brand new old bike” which is aircooled and rugged. the point is the heritage. its like the people who want car manufacturers to remake legacy cars, but we can do it since motorcycles have no real safety restrictions. harleys problem is that 10 years ago indian stepped back into the game. every bike indian offers is a straight copy of a harley while costing 5k less, being more reliable, and outperforming its hd equivalent. look at the scout and the sportster for example. the scout outperforms the sportster in every single spec other than weight and indian dealerships are selling them for 3k under msrp where i live. the difference between the prices of the 2 bikes is a whole other bike
@@parsatayebi They could have still had their old style cruisers and sport bikes at the same time. Had they never built Buell's I would have never owned a Harley product as I was never really into cruiser bikes. The Sportser and Scout would have never been an alternative for my Buell.
@@billbonu1639 in terms of class. the scout is indians sportster. the chief is their lowrider. the challenger is their roadglide. what i mean is that every bike harley makes, indian makes better
@@RedBud315 but youre not the target audience for harley then. their entire brand was based on old school cool. they threw that away and now they have nothing
My brother is a registered HD mechanic here in Canada. He took the course in Daytona Beach. He rides a Suzuki Marauder and swears that he will NEVER own a Harley Davidson for 2 simple reasons and I quote... "The bikes are overpriced and outsourced pieces of shit and the people who ride them are complete f*cking assholes."
But…I’m not an asshole. I just like the sound, comfort, and reliability of the late twin cams. We’re not all bad 😂 every sportbike, scooter, and can am gets a wave.
That's just 'Murika for you brother! The only thing that I've found to be true universally about motorcyclists is that we're all just big nerds. Man, I dig Canadians across the spectrum. 2 big Canadian youtubers I dig are AVE and Zip Ties and Bias Plies. Scotch-Canadians really trip me out sometimes.
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 I agree to a certain point. As a Harley rider, most of the Harley riders on the road are just normal guys now. But there are still some idiots stuck on the idea of being “cool bikers.” Those people just ruin it for the rest of us.
As an Indian rider, I am curious what a "Downsides of Indian Motorcycles" video would look like to see if I'm missin the forest for the trees. Don't get me wrong I love my bike and feel like I've gotten a lot of support from my local dealership, but it'd be interesting to see the brand from an outside perspective.
I've been on the planet for ¾ of a century and if I didn't know any better, I would say that the current WOKE CEO of HD was trying to destroy the company. Just my opinion.
As a Harley fan, I’m extremely pissed at them after the last 2 weeks. But I can’t believe you haven’t brought that up. Talk about betraying a customer base…
HD is not a premium brand. They just decided one day to call themselves as such. They already had the high prices, so I guess it made sense. But having an inferior product compared to the metric cruisers of old and current European bikes, does not a good deal make.
Their current CEO said he wants to make it a more premium, more exclusive brand. He wants to sell less and make more. Looking at all meaningful metrics, it is in fact a premium brand. I mean, you would consider BMW a premium brand, right? Well, they have a failure rate of 40%, which is double that of H-D. Ducati and Triumph also have a higher failure rate than H-D. Not sure what you're trying to say here, but yeah...........
@@hollywoodboggie I've already read several of your Harley fanboi comments for this video and noticed you have consistently missed the whole point of the video. Sure, Harley has stepped up their game quality-wise recently, but they have also stepped up their prices. Sure, their quality might finally be up to par with the Japanese and European bikes, but they cost WAY more money. The bottom line is, for what you're actually getting, THEY'RE NOT WORTH THE ASKING PRICE. Not by a long shot.
@@barrybukowski3743 the only bike I own at the moment is a HD. A little more than half of the bikes I’ve owned were HDs. The rest were all Triumphs. I like the character of the Harleys but they are objectively NOT a premium product. They leave the showroom filled with defects. Just because those defects are “supposed to be like that” doesn’t make them premium or even good. They are unbelievably overpriced. That being said, I’ll keep riding mine. 🤷♂️
Out of touch with customers but high resale value? Both of those things cannot be true. I am not a Harley guy but Yammie’s view of the brand is more emotional than rational.
Slowly? Between bad marketing decisions, financial mismanagement, and trying to commit suicide with this DEI crap - they decided to eat a gun and loose market share overnight.
About a month ago I went to a dealership and looked at a 2016 iron 883, about 6k miles on the bike. Price was 6,995. I was going to pay for half of the bike with cash and just finance the rest. After the dealer ran me, the sales manager comes back with a 12,000 dollar finance figure on the quote sheet. It literally blew my mind, they had so much bs crap added to it. A 650$ "theft" fee, a 700$ tire fee, a 955$ assembly fee (for a used 2016 bike), and 2,500$ warranty fee. They wouldn't budge on anything, nothing. So I walked away from it. Such a terrible deal they tried to push on me.
It's a crock that they can advertise a price, and then when a customer comes in, refuse to sell if for that price. That's deceptive marketing. But no worries, you didn't want that bike anyway.
Very well stated I’ve been riding motorcycles since 1982. I’ve never owned a Harley will never own a Harley because I’m not going to pay a premium price for an inferior product. End of story.
I too began in 1982 on street bikes, never had a problem finding killer deals on used Harleys. Never bought a new one. Even in the late 90's, when used were insane prices, come winter deals were plum.
Been riding since 1966 and bought 3 new HD's in the 90's and early 2000's. Those were EVOs and the best bikes I ever rode. I won't buy a new one because HD put too much computerized BS in them, and made the cost go up . The only HD I'd consider now would be the old ones I rode in the 1970's like my 49 and 51 Pan. Those bike had about 12 wires on them and no computer junk and are still running today
That X-350 was the bike they used at my MSF class - they were heavy, clunky, imprecise controls, and generally made the class harder than it needed to be. As a new rider, I was kinda horrified. The only other bike I'd ever been on prior to that MSF class was my beloved 2024 KTM Duke 390. I may have actually hugged my bike upon my return home from that class.
I wanted to get a Harley and went to the dealership to sign up for the msf course and check out the bikes in person. As soon as they found out I didn’t want to walk out the door with a 16k nightster, they were treating me like shit. I’m taking the msf at a community college now
We went the HD dealer and got a quote to change one tire. $700 no B.S. guess they can get away with this when dealing with boomers who don't want to leave anything to their grandkids. But like he said boomers literally dying off which is good if you're in the market for mid '00 bagger. Lol..
58 y/o. Used to believe the Harley propaganda. Then I tried a Honda cruiser. Whoa cheaper, better performance, more reliable?!?! The spell was broken. Started riding other Japanese and European bikes, never looked back.
They're not faster tho😂 a Honda goldwing is a heavy pile thats slow and can't cut lanes without smacking a car, a sporty 883 will out perform a Honda gw in every way shape and form. Road and owned a shadow 1100 and it's the slowest pile you can get, doesn't even go over 85, cant climb hills unless it's at 55 meanwhile a sporty will cruise up them at 100 plus no problem. I like all bikes but in the whole cruiser game harley has that down, Hondas don't have trq, or hp, compare cruiser to cruiser and harley just does it better. If a bike can't go 90 plus in thus day and age you're more than likely to be hit, don't forget gws have serious carb issues, and a driveline instead of chain or belt, lower to the ground ya can't even go off a curb
@@kugangles9860 dead serious, has nothing on a nightster 1200, nothing on a streetbob 114, stock for stock that bikes got a 1800 cc that only makes 100ft lbs of torque, not even 100 hp. Check 0-60s gw is 4.17 seconds meanwhile a tiny little nightster 1200 has a 3.5 second 0-60 and a streetbobs is faster than the nightster. Run one in the corners let's see that, it'll get shit on by a sportster 883. Mind you 23k for something slower than a harley and doesn't out perform one in anything other than "smoothness" and there's plenty of other Harleys that are faster🤷♂️take your shitter honda and know some facts before saying anything😂😂good day to you and God bless
Id argue prime harley was at the end of the twin cams. The 96, 103, and 110 were great motors. Easy to fix, not full of electronics, enough torque to keep you happy, lots of aftermarket support. I have a 2014 fat boy. Its comfy & roomy enough for long trips, sounds lovely with just slip ons, looks beautiful (before they dropped the bullet hole solid wheels) and reliable so long as you do routine maintenance & dont build it to make big power. Ive owned a 2021 bmw gs, sv650s, gsxr 750, daytona t595, r3, multiple dirt bikes. I think ill be keeping my harley for a very long time.
5-10 years HD will be just a boutique company making order only very expensive bikes, unless they change, which will cause a loss of every current HD owner in exchange for every new HD owner, and now we are back to that boutique thing.
You are correct on many of your points and dead wrong on a few. Current Harleys are way over priced due Harley corporate, especially the CEO, having lost their way and becoming completely WOKE. I have a friend that owns a Harley dealership and he is done. He is in the process of converting to other brands due to Harley corporate policies I would bet there are other dealers doing the same. As to your love of sports bikes, they just do not perform the same functions not meet the needs of those of us that prefer to tour on cruiser style laid back bikes. You cam buy a low mileage, sometimes less than 2000 miles, XL 1200 C for $4000 or less if you shop and have a very dependable bike. You can turn that bike into a very comfortable touring machine for about $2000 or less by changing the bars, putting on a Russell day long seat, and putting on a decent suspension (Progressive 412 13" shocks and adjustable preload front springs) it will ride better than most of the bigger bikes and still handle great in the twisties. I will never buy a new Harley but I love my Sportster. Just rode it from Washington to Colorado and back. Try that on any crotch rocket and then tell me about your pains. You have to buy a bike for the I tended.purpose. Harley no longer even understands their purpose. Fir real comfort in touring try a low mileage Victory. There is still no problem with parts fir them.😮
42 this year, bought a HD in ‘22 - love the bike, even with its limitations. HD is capable of making some great bikes, if the brand dept and corporate would let them, the PanAm and the Revmax engine are proof that they are capable, if corporate would just let them do their jobs. Aside from the PanAm, I can’t see myself buying another HD.
I bought a '22 Street Bob and couldn't be happier with the bike. That being said, it will more than likely be the last HD I ever buy. Other manufactures just offer a better product for the money.
Guy on the "other" side of the Reagan admin here; Harley-Davidson was what got me into the bikes and keeps me in them. All the "performance", "modernization" and "efficiency" issues go out the window for me - I want a bike that has the (as FortNine has stated so clearly) SOUND, FEEL and STYLE I'm after. Leaving the '69-'81 Bad Old Days out of the equation (XLCR as a MAJOR exception to this rule), I'll stick with H-D and leave others to their own predilections. Otherwise, appreciate the commentary.
@@SidneyMcGriff Yep, and that's EXACTLY the point of this video. Harley owners are old, stubborn, set in their ways, and have consumed so much Harley kool-aid they absolutely refuse to look at facts and only care about made up shit like "but...but...my bike has soul!" 🤦♂️ In the next 20 years or so once their main fan base finally does off, and/or gets too old to ride anymore, the company will go bankrupt. Consumers these days are becoming too smart and educated to fall for Harley's fairytale bullshit.
HD culture is what keeps the brand alive. Have you ever been to Sturges? Or Street Vibrations? Or the countless of other HD motorcycle rallies? HD has more of a culture that people rally to and sells. Especially family clubs or outlaw clubs that further that HD is just a badass bike to get for any type of person out there.
I really wish they could come out with a 650cc liquid cooled series with a reasonably priced cruiser, naked, and adventure bike. That's the class I think could really grow the brand. If there is a competitive American-made motorcycle, I'd choose that over a European or Japanese counterpart.
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 I like the Pan America a lot especially after I took the CVO version on a test ride. It’s even a good deal compared to the BMW Boxers. But it’s too expensive for normal people. I don’t hate Harleys I ride one.
I don't get Harley at all. Many of us Xennials are choosing Indian Motorcycles. Scout Bobbers are small and fun. They are cheaper, more reliable, look cooler, perform incredibly well and they don't have the biker gang stigma/stain that Harley will never be able to erase/expunge. Maybe Harley caters to bikers with self-image problems. I don't like them.
When I was originally looking for a bike to ride, I initially looked at electric options (never did get one). HD was one of the only few companies that weren't Kickstarters to have an option (I think Honda had one too), but it was hella expensive. I talked to a guy who rode bikes all his life and I mentioned that I wasn't about to drop 30 grand on a bike, especially an electric one, unless I wanted to drop 30 grand on a Harley and he was all smug when he said "no Harley costs $30K". Then I bought a Honda.
I'll take my 2003 honda shadow that runs like champ and I bought for 2700 with less than 10k on it. I'm not spending 40k on a boomer bike that isn't fun to ride anywhere but a highway.
3 years ago, I bought a 2012 Concours 14. 18 months ago my coworker bought a Harley. I've changed my oil a few times in the last 3 years, and his bike has been in the shop for expensive repairs 4 times already.
@BlazingCoolant I got me a 83 gs1100 that I got for 650 not running. Put 550 into it. Including tires and it's been riding for 3 months I've put over 1000 miles on it.
And it’s just a Harley rip off at the end of the day. I have a 2010 sportster 1200 I got when it had 2k miles on it for $5k. No reason to buy a new Harley when the new ones aren’t much different from the old ones.
Was gonna get a shadow but it got snatched up from under me on the market place. However, I found a 92 Virago in great shape for only 1200 two months ago. It’s my first bike and I’m loving it!
I got into motorcycling during the pandemic. I did the MSF course and rode a Honda 250. I bought a 79 Honda CB 750 as my 1st bike. In my 40+ yrs I saw Harley as a Cool brand but always saw oil leaks under parked bikes. Been actually looking to grab an older cheap HD off FB Marketplace as I embark on becoming a Moto mechanic. This bike should give me all the practice possible.
Sporty 1200 or 883 is a good starting bike for harley, oils leaks are caused by too much oil so they throw excess out, streetbobs are sweet and you'll love the power, Harleys are different bikes and you'll see why, doesn't get better than hearing a nice chop and a bike that can do it all
I just bought a Harley at 24. It’s a 2009 heritage with 33k miles for 6k cash. All original, and it’s beautiful and simple. Can’t imagine ever wanting to buy a new one for more than everything else I own combined.
Some of the newer bikes have a Buell influence. The Sportster S is what Buell would have wanted the old V-Rod to be. The Pan-America the old Ulysses. HD has upgraded speed on all of their bikes. HD stole a lot from Buell.
Remember the xr1200, the last time they decided to make a bike that you could argue was worth the price. Or how they had buells around to try to capture a new market but then underfunded the division and treated those bikes in showroom like a pariah. I still have a hard time deciding what's worse about the brand; their depressing product offerings, the lack of quality, or the attitude of their shops and owners.
I have a 2020 Lowrider FXLR. I bought it in early '21 with 5k miles for $14k during the c_vid hysteria. I've put 10k miles on it with zero issues. Added an S&S intake and exhaust and couldn't be happier. However, I have an issue with maintenance costs. Got a quote from the dealership of $550 for three hole service and $800 for tires. When I questioned paying $1350 for this basic maintenance for a motorcycle they scoffed at me for calling out their BS. I've noticed the dealerships are a bit snooty. Needless to say, I found a local mechanic and paid $299 and $400 (different brand tires).
I remember when you had to get on a waiting list to buy a Sportster. I think the Bronx would have been like that. Sportster S and Nightster just sit on the floor for months. People have also heard of their problems which is not helping sales.
My 1999 Honda vulcrae that I bought for about $4,000 a couple of years ago is capable of going 400,000 miles and was made in Marysville Ohio. I had to consider the value for the $ spent balanced with the fun factor and the functionality for daily driving. Did months of research just like you said. I think I made a good choice!
And the "FIRST Time on a Cruiser" video he made is 2016 had him giggling and shouting "this makes all kinds of sense" multiple times. Yammie has some really great videos, but he sadly also has a tendency of gatekeeping and confusing personal taste for abject fact. Luckily the tone of the video is usually clear from the title or first few seconds, so I'll just skip those negative ones.
when you learn to accept rejection you'll be more successful in all things because the fear won't loom over you. ANd you also won't care what a bunch of doofus MC club larpers do on the street.
BINGO! One that makes billions selling merch but claims they are broke ALL THE TIME! Why is that? How can you sell Boots, Jeans, T-Shirts Jackets, Coffee Mugs, Shot Glasses, Hats, and tons of bike accessories... and still be broke? How can you be broke when you sell bikes that are 1/3 over priced? How is that? Now they want to move production overseas to save money! Good luck doing that. FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT!
@@exexpat11 I think mismanagement was the goal the entire time. The letter from HD blames everyone but themselves for recent events. When politicians complain about the Thailand move they will say it was the consumers fault. Those in power will say guess so. HD made themselves a cover story. Overseas could work for them but out of more arrogance instead of cutting prices they'll raise the price another 10K while blaming shipping, lack of skilled mechanics to take out of box, ect.
As a HD FXLRST owner...I wish you were wrong...but you're probably not. You nailed it when you talked about the warranty process and how HD very intentionally sells bikes with crappy stock parts and then refuse to honor the warranty when you swap a cam. They could win a lot of hearts if they just kept up with the technology. I heard someone say one time that Harley's motto should be, "Yesterday's Technology at Tomorrow's Prices...".
I would agree with this video EXCEPT for the Pan America. You can get used ones stupid cheap considering they’ve only been made for a few years and the tech on them is pretty good. I’m going to seriously consider one once I get tired of my Tiger.
Well said sir. We watched a “MC” at a coffee shop yesterday. They were absolutely pathetic. Typical old men in pirate outfits and they all stood so close together I’m certain their menstrual cycle had sinked up.
Was looking to buy a cruiser after my MSF course. Local Harley Davidson dealership would hide the prices on over half of their online inventory and not post a single price on their used bikes. Tried clicking on the button to request a quote and then received a call from the dealership. I told him I’m trying to make an informed decision and was exploring a lot of different options and was curious about the price. He basically started yelling at me from the minute i picked up the phone saying “YOU NEED TO GET IN HERE IF YOURE READY TO RIDE ON TWO WHEELS” and didn’t tell me the prices I was looking for. They followed that up with emails and phone calls everyday for the next week that didn’t tell me anything about the price. Did my research looking at hundreds of videos and found myself a used 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 (despite Yammie disliking the Vulcan S). Loving life on a metric cruiser so far!
@@johnstone7697it means if you invest in selling all electric brick bikes for too much money to people who dont want them it costs your business massivly
In Melbourne, Australia, many of the young in the inner urban area are avoiding motorcycles and riding hotwired electric bikes. They cost around US $1,300, are reliable, cheap to run, can be ridden either on the road or bike paths and do not require a licence either for the bike or rider.
Hands down, one of the worst videos Yammienoob has ever made. I have ridden many motorcycles over the years, my most recent being a Triumph Tiger, and recently bought a Road King. This bike is the best bike I have ever owned in build quality, fit, and finish. This is the first HD I've ever owned because of the usual stereotypes. But I'm glad I bought it b/c it's been a blast. Not to mention I can ride for hours without getting fatigued. Playing on stereotypes and hashing out old cliches about the brand is unoriginal. It makes Yammienoob look as tired and unoriginal, as the brand he's claiming to be, for a few clicks.
I wanted a Harley. I finally bought a 2002 Electra Glide last year. It cost me less than $6K. I spent about a grand going through it and fixing everything. Runs and looks like new. No need to spend $35K, unless you have money to burn. New Japanese bikes ain’t exactly cheap either. Plenty of cheap used bikes out there for everybody.
My boss bought a used 2008(?) Harley Davidson touring bike, from a dealer. Since then he has: >Had the engine rebuilt/replaced. >Had the transmission rebuilt/replaced. >Rear axle/tire (wire spoke) rebuilt/replaced. >The entire bike wire harness replaced. >Replaced the stereo system. To be fair, his extended warranty paid for it all. That still doesn't pay time back though. Then he hit a patch of ice riding early in the spring, and low sided the bike. It has been sitting since. At the pandemic, I bought myself a 1983 Honda Goldwing Aspencade. Since then I have: >...Put fuel in it?
@@yevrahhipstar3902 Thanks. However, I will eventually need a new ignition switch, and this is a one year only part that isn't available anymore. So I'll have to fabricate something.
@@theprairietinkerer congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 You don't spend big money for tractor bike performance and go-cart Handling..... HD is just like "tomorrow's price with prehistoric technology"
What a totally impartial video(not). I am 58 so I know I’m their demographic for their bikes. I have own many rice burners from trail bikes, three wheelers, quads, road bikes from Honda, couple Kawasaki’s and all of them have been a very good bike for me. But I did just buy a Harley a few months ago. I have had a few waves of emotions over the bike. Maintenance recommendations is much higher than the other brands that I’m use to. Price is higher than the others. Build quality seems much better than other makes so far. I do love the raw feel of the motor. I haven’t had any issues yet and I’ll see over time how it works out. The material used in the bike feels much better. Most of the bike is steel( fenders ,side covers, all of the engine) with painted strips and designs, not stickers. I have been blown away by the service department’s of a few different shops. I’ve had a few questions about noises I’ve heard and stopped in to a shop and without hesitation a mechanic took it for a ride right then on the spot and let me know what I was hearing, stopped in to check on getting oil changed and they said pull in and did right then on the spot. I was so surprised by that because of what I had ran into with my last bike. I had put a pebble through the drive belt and wanted it replaced for peace of mind. Finding parts was a challenge, getting it put on in a timely manner was crazy, the shops just say drop it off and we’ll fit you in in a few weeks. Had to make many phone calls to find a shop that would let me drive in and put tires on even with buying their tires and making an appointment. I have liked all my bikes of all makes and will see how this Harley holds up.
One of the big benefits of a Harley is the huge dealer network. I use my Sportster as a Daily and I know that there will always be parts and expertise for it when it needs repairs. I didn't have that peace of mind with my Japanese bikes. Once they got old and worn, it was much harder to repair them.
I bought a running project Road King Classic, '06 TC 88, with my tax return in May. I've HD parts strowed everywhere right now. I looked at bikes at the dealer. There were tons. I was ready to sign up and make payments on an old used ($8K-ish) bagger, but the bikes they showed me were all out of my range. I liked a '16 Road King with 12,000 miles, but they wanted $17K. High sales pressure. Marcus called me for months. He messaged in July and said that they still have that RK. Harleys are kind of cool but impractical to ride compared to most bikes IMO. I think you're spot on YN. My other bikes/projects are a Bandit 1200, RF900RV, Kawi ZR-7, WR450F, DR350SE, & an RM 125. I kind of just worked up my curiosity about the HD brand and decided it was time to try one out and see what I thought about it. I think HD is in trouble and they have been for years. They needed to find a way to make sportsters cheaper and to market them better. IDK how their marketing strategy works.
Buying a sportster was a financial mistake. 2017 and have to replace to many parts already at 24000 miles. Honestly looking back on it would have bought a rebel. Bought a RE as a back up. I’ve had to use it to much. Almost matched the miles as the sportster
I think the latest contentious decision by Harley was their aggressive dei policies. There are rumblings of treating them like bud light. That is the rumblings amongst riders
As a 40 year old that bought his first hd (22 low rider st) I agree and don’t. Overpriced? Absolutely especially when you need to immediately replace half of it with vastly superior aftermarket parts to make it comfortable/not fall apart on you. Now than mines actually running good I love the hell out of it. I agree you get more bang for the buck with imports. I went hd because I preferred the looks, sound, dealership network for longer trips if I need it, and vastly vastly larger aftermarket support.
That is my very favorite bike... daily driver. I got a 2023 Triumph Rocket 3 GT in June and that may be topping my VTX as the favorite. But it's a hard call. Amazing bike and years of adventures.
I just cant come to like it for some reason things like the kawasaki vulcan 900 custom look way better and they hagent scaled it up so you cam get the bigger sngine enless you go all the way to their touring they used to have like a 1300 a 1600 and a 2000 now they got a 650 thats not like the other vulcans and they got 900s and 1700 voyager but nothing tjat fitd into like the softail standard / indian cheif type of area anymore
I agree with a lot of the things you said, considering I rode sport bikes and super sports for 20 years before I bought my 1st Harley; I can’t agree with your “50 mile ride on the weekends” statement. So far I’ve taken my Harley through 38 states, 3 Canadian provinces, and did it complete comfort and reliability.
I'm 47 so I'm some ways in that HD demographic, but when I went looking for a bike I never even considered HD. The first thing that pisses me off the most about them is that even when they do make smaller bikes they don't being them to the US. The second issue I have is that there are more engine layouts available than the V-Twin. Seriously. Keep making them, but maybe try something different once in a while. The third thing that really pisses me off has more to do with their culture. I'm a huge fan of the classic Japanese UJM. Back in the 70's you had tiny little four cylinder bikes from Honda, big triples from Yamaha, lots of different P-Twins, the Goldwing boxer, two and three cylinder 2-strokes, all on basic looking bikes with an upright posture and lots of chrome that just looked like a bike should to me eye. Now the big four only put three or four cylinders on big sport and naked bikes and they all make V-Twin cruisers to cater to the Harley douche on a budget. I want my UJM's back. Harley culture even managed to infect the Japanese so that instead of going their own way and making something that looks like a cruiser but it's truly superior in every way they just stick as closely as possible to the bland V-Twin aesthetic and every new rider under 40 seems to think that there are only two different kinds of motorcycles, sportbikes and cruisers. I'm hoping the competition from CFMoto when they being the new 500cc four to more countries will light a fire under the Japanese companies assess and get them to innovate again themselves.
When I was going around looking for my first bike I figured I'd test ride a few before I paid and just to be fair I was going to test a HD street 500 (New Aussie riders are restricted to less than 660cc), I passed a bloke riding a HD on the on the way there and made a U turn back to the kwakka dealership the second I passed him. I don't mind the sound of Harleys, but no way in hell do I want to put up with it for hours a day every day. The only time I drive is when it's absolutely freezing cold, other than that my bike is my daily.
Honestly same for a long time i thought i inly had the option to choose between the mobile homes on wheels people call harley davidsons and the fast and maneuverable Japanese bikes, after watching numerous videos i wish we still had the creative minds that honda employed back in the 80’s and 90’s
@@SidneyMcGriff I find it especially funny that people seem to think there's only those two kinds of bikes when adventure bikes are outselling both of them. Perception is a weird thing.
That's the worst part. The new bikes are great and the stories about pricing are exaggerated. In 2021 I bought a streetbob which is the sport version cruiser. It is the nicest bike I've ever owned and I've owned dozens. Lifetime warranty. It was $16,000 out the door. Financed at 3% simple interest with HD financial and insured by HD full coverage for $300/year. I believe HD will straighten out after being exposed just like John Deere and Tractor Supply.
So I guess you don't drink Coke cause they got a DEI policy and support pride events Seriously bro a stupid reason because every large corporation has a DEI policy.
@@metcruza5536 I dont drink Coke cause its poison. But yes I try to not support big corporations. Buy local, grow as much food as I can and so on and so on. Wokeness, in lack of a better word will fundamentally destroy western civilization and all the progress its made. Anyway off to bed I go. Goodbye.
I’m 60 years old and have owned 11 street bikes over the years, never had a Harley, always kinda wanted one, but now it’s easy to say I’ll never buy one.
I personally don't like how loud and obnoxious HD bikes are, and even more so, their riders. I straight up disrespect every patched rider that tries to block my lane by blasting by them at 100+ mph 😂 its funny how they get pissy when they try to control the road.
Sold my 2020 BMW R1250GSA because it was so good at everything I found it boring. Bought a 2009 HD Nightrain for $7500 and it is the most soul stirring bike I have ever owned in 50 years. One of the best bikes Harley ever made!
@@jmh4gggHarleys don't just break, especially sportsters, could've got yourself a sporty 1200 for less than 3k usd with less than 10k on it. When you ride one you'll see it's just a different machine that is reliable and plenty capable of anything you want it to do, main issues with them is the owners not taking care of them.
@@kirbytrees127 There are alot of stories with these Yamaha Roadstars going 150-200k miles without anything but tires, brakes, oil, and belts (belt drive) done. If that were prevalent with HD I wouldn't hear the end of it. I'm a truck driver, own my own truck and trailer and work on 90% of it myself. I bought my bike to have fun and be a reliable mode of transport. I don't want to get done working on my truck, then work on my bike or drop it off at the shop before I enjoy myself. Bike was $3700, and I didn't want a sporty one, I want a bagger cause me and my wife will be going on 500 mile trips, until I get my Goldwing (also reliable) and push it to cross country/2000+ mile trips.
I was a sport bike rider, starting with '95 900RR, ending with 2020 GSXR-1000R 100th Anniversary. I dismissed Harley and Indian because, slow. ...that is until 2024 Road Glide with its liquid-cooled heads on 117CI motor. The torque is in-friggin-sane. I've been converted to being a performance "bagger".
I always want to reply to stuff in these videos when they come up, but there's just so much to reply to, that I just go about my day. So much of it is opinion and not based in facts, which is all good, everyone's entitled to their opinion. But when opinion is presented as fact, that kills credibility.
They hired a german to make a bike that isn't supposed to be perfectly polished, and the company culture doesn't match the culture of their customers its pretty simple
The problem with harley davidson is they make very niche bikes (nobody cares about cruisers), they're about £20,000 more expensive than they should be, only old people think it's a cool/premium brand, only old people can afford to have expendable income after bills. When you can buy a Royal enfield with similar performance and that retro style for 30% of the price, why would anyone buy HD?
11:25 that's actually not true, they can no longer void your warranty for using aftermarket parts or having work done outside of a Harley dealer. From a lawsuit that Harley lost: "As of October 2023, Harley-Davidson is no longer allowed to void the official H-D limited warranty if the owner installs an aftermarket part or gets the motorcycle repaired by a third-party service center. This includes using third-party parts." They basically have to prove that the aftermarket part caused the problem which 9 times out of 10 it didn't or they cant prove it. To make a long story short, I bought a house in 2023. Then when the 2024 models came out, I bought a 24 street glide after I test rode it with my wife we both liked it a lot more than my 09 softail custom. I was already looking at street glides towards the end of 2023 but my wife wanted to wait until she graduated college before we made another big purchase. We live comfortably and pay a mortgage, truck payment, and motorcycle payment, It's partly how you budget for things and partly the area you live in. we live in Florida in an area that's on the more expensive side, but we also aren't out buying crazy things at the store or have every streaming service known to man.
As everyone's talked about, Harleys look good but only some of them do. They're big, they're loud, they're heavy, and these days (esp in LA), they're ridden by somewhat aggro old fat dudes who straight pipe their bikes and are just mean. They never wave back to you on the road, and they give off this sensation of being an old fart who thinks he's better than you. Some of the bikes I do like the look of, like the Sportster, are too powerful for me and too heavy as a beginner rider. I also can't really trust their reliability, compared to my Kawasaki. I find them to be ugly, and attached to the arrogant stereotype. I wish I didn't -- I like being patriotic and made from american companies. But Harley is different ... they feel like a single side of America, and one of the worst ones. I was so excited for the livewire and I even testdrove one -- what a cool bike..! The bigger Harleys get the uglier they get. With bigger bags and those really ugly front dashboards with the big faring to block the wind, they just look .. stupid. And I have no incentive as a regular person to buy one. I'd love a Goldwing though :P
Go to www.sheathunderwear.com/ and get the most comfortable underwear you’ll ever wear. If you use the promo code "YAMMIENOOB" and you’ll also get twenty percent off your order.
Hey Yam, you've got a number of people that have been trying to contact you via your support email and phone number to no avail about continuous charging for already cancelled subscriptions. You should check on that before someone ends up going a more litigious route considering the hundreds of dollars that you've snagged from that rather bad business practice.
I've been riding for 51yrs, the last 40 on Harley's, and I ride them because I like them, I like to work on them, and I like to customize them, not because they're a "status" or "badass" symbol.
I've been "boycotting" Harley since the '80s, when they went "boutique" and ran all of the mom and pop shops outta business, and I've never bought one new.
The two I have now are 25 and 50yrs old, and I've always done my own work.
I appreciate all motorcycles, but I prefer Harley's, so I don't play any of those kid games.
I don't care if it's a scooter, if you're brave enough to get out there in traffic, you have my respect.
Agreed. The brand or size doesn't matter. If you're a rider, you have my respect.
@@rarebreed9208 I like the dealer network, the parts availability, torque and sound.
Good for you. I'm impressed by Harley Davidson's clever but simple marketing. Since its inception, Harley Davidson has marketed an image that targets the insecurities and vulnerabilities of some men by presenting a product that gives those men the illusion of personal power, ruggedness, strength, toughness, coolness, masculinity, virility, and rebellion. These are primal traits that some men want more of, and Harley Davidson knows how to provide illusions that convince those men to buy Harley Davidson products. Loud pipes, black leather, chains, "interesting" costumes and accessories, tattoos, boots, beards, and beer don't embody greater power, but they give some men the hallucination of it. The more insecure and needy the man, the more attracted he will be to the image. You will read what real power is later in this post.
Harley riders are rolling advertisements to the men whom Harley Davidson marketers want to target, and those marketers have engineered this brilliantly, as explained below.
Some Harley riders might believe that the riders, themselves, created the lifestyle, the attitude, and the identity that make up the image, but the image was actually engineered by Harley Davidson, the company that sells the products and that engineered the seed for all of the aftermarket ideas and mods. Want someone to fall for an idea? Then make them think they came up with the idea themselves. Any sense of individuality or rebellion that Harley riders have is actually conformance to Harley Davidson's long-term marketing plan. Harley Davidson has put its customers exactly where they want them.
What about men who use products that are not sold by Harley Davidson, like Indian or aftermarket suppliers? Sorry. The image, identity, and lifestyle were still engineered by Harley Davidson's marketers.
A man who is represented by who he truly is rather than by an illusion or image of himself is a powerful man, because an illusion or image is not only artificial, it's weak. A powerful man is independent of props, façades, and groups. Some men are attracted to an image to the level that the image becomes a significant part of his identity, and some men lose the ability to clearly distinguish between the image and himself. This is what Harley Davidson counts on. And because the image has become his identity, abandoning the image becomes a kind of death for him, and there's no better way to control a man than by fear of death (and by not letting him realize that you're controlling him).
The degree to which some men have reacted to Harley Davidson's recent proposed actions and decisions reveals the degree to which these men have felt threatened, yet these men don't realize the real reason why they feel threatened.
Riders' reactions to Harley products and the engineered image are what Harley Davidson wants to know, because the marketing team plays off of those reactions to adapt their marketing strategy. "Go Woke, Go Broke?" Remember, Harley Davidson isn't a person, even though the business might have been named after real people. It's a company, and executives at Harley won't be harmed if they are fired or resign or if Harley goes broke. Not only have they already banked their salaries and bonuses, they'll just move to another company. Their success (yes, success) with Harley will still stand in their favor. When a company goes broke or executives leave, it doesn't mean the executives lose their shirts.
When a single person, a board of directors, or other C-suite executives at a company can provoke such a dramatic response from thousands of customers via a decision, action, or other flick of a pen, that's not only success, that's power. When they can cause an uproar without breaking a sweat, that's power. Whom do they have power over? The followers.
Genuine strength, power, and identity aren't traits of followers. Genuine strength, power, and identity stand independently on their own and don't need to be displayed for validation. As for freedom, followers aren't free, they're bound.
Harley Davidson's marketing tactics are absolutely brilliant. And proven effective.
@@komtar7457
O can't disagree with you, and it must be terrible to have to try to make up for feelings of inadequacy with material possessions.
I caught the Harley bug when I was about a year old, in 1959 because a cousin who was like a big brother to me used to put me on the gas tank of an old blue knucklehead he had, and I remember the white ball tank shifter and what to me at the time was a huge dashboard.
He got killed I'm Nam in 1967, but for the past 51yrs, every time I've hit the road, he was riding right alongside me.
Ride safe, my friend.
I work with a real stupid kid who’s making $900 a month payments on a $43k Harley.
That's higher than any car payment I've ever had lmao goddamn he got buried
@@yammienoob That's over half my house payment
There goes rent..
Let's hope that in the future he learns something from it.
May he never regret it.
I will not buy a Harley- I’ll get an Indian or Triumph over a Harley. Harley is just not my vibe… good looking bikes; but I don’t like the culture of it.
Indian is just as over priced. but they do tend to offer a better bike, compared to harely.
For the price of an indian you can get a brand new ducati that can smoke it every day of the week and it's also more comfortable. The problem with american bikes is that they are too expensive for no real reason. Even the Indian ftr is waay more expensive than most other nakeds on the market! Again for no reason!
Also check out Moto Guzzi. They have some nice offerings for those who like air cooled v twins and classic styling. Well built and reasonably priced too.
Plus Harleys sponsor ship of the other type of "drag" race probably not sitting too well with their customer base.
@@ccclll987who cares if the Ducati smokes an Indian, if you like cruisers, it’s like trying to convince someone who wants to eat a burger to get sushi instead because it has seaweed on it
As a mechanic, I serviced and repaired Harley cycles for many years. That’s why I ride a Yamaka
I beg to differ my Yamaha vstar has been the death of me fixing wise lol
@@aedanhickey5264I think he’s referring to the R1
Exactly I had a 95 electraglide with EFI. I had to replace the starter and with that bike no dealer support (not even for an oil change)and non uniformed parts.
I would like a motorcycle with a side car. What should I get?
@@swampwillow a four wheeler
I was a Japanese buyer and bmw rider for 30 years, now in my 50's I've moved to Harley. For me, they fit my riding lifestyle perfectly, and I do over 30,000 km a year riding. I just bought my last bike and they will see me through to the end of my riding days. Glad I tried them. Glad I bought one. Simple, fun and has character.
Been a Harley-Davidson boi for decades. Owned many and still own two. And, yes, got the closet full of tees from all over the world. But this is spot on. They are moving steadily toward irrelevancy as their fan base ages and dies off. And it is a shame. They could turn it all around if they could see past the next quarterly earnings statements. Sad.
They're stuck between their one demographic of followers or none at all if they change.
If H-D changes into the times, they lose their cult followers and will not gain new followers from the newer generations because of high prices.
I with you. I love my Harley but I don't like Harley corporate. It felt like they were finally going in the right direction until they changed CEOs in 2020. Now they're going backward but the prices sure aren't. If they don't change their ways in the next decade, they are going to render themselves extinct.
Ride the new 2024 Street or Road Glide and I believe your love will come back. HD have knocked this one out of the park
@@hollywoodboggie, I have, and I wish I could say it made a difference. They're pretty nice, for sure, but IMO not innovative enough and not worth the ask.
With you 100%. This is a problem Levatich saw coming years ago. He saw that Harleys core demographic was aging out and if you don’t attract newer riders to your brand, it won’t be long before you won’t have a brand at all. His “All roads to Harley” was a great place to start, but it cost money. Well the people on Wall St. that probably don’t own a bike and have somebody drive them around in a German car couldn’t have that. So in come Zeitz to turn Harley into an apparel company that makes motorcycles. Harley builds a quality motorcycle, I own two myself. But if you’re going to try and be the Rolex of motorcycles, be happy with MV Agusta sales numbers.
If you have a 40k to buy a cruiser motorcycle, first you have to answer yourself a one question. Why not buy a Honda Goldwing?
Because it looks like a grandpa bike
@@WestEndNABand Harley baggers are thee quint essential dad/grandpa bike.
harley people only want a harley same as jeep cultists
“I have to be a member of a community” is why. Never underestimate the power of group think, heck look at MC member rules 😂
@@girthquake9655 - All depends on what people want/like. Not everyone wants a huge bagger, some just like that muscle cruiser look (Harley Breakout)
A couple years ago i got a phone call from my Harley dealer and the guy said he wanted me to come in and check out the first new nightster that came out. I went in and thought about it until they told me the msrp is $13,000 they will give it to me for $19,000 cause there are already a few people who want the bike. I said ok well sell it to one of those few people. Instead i got a 2023 Indian scout rogue and im so much happier i went with Indian instead of Harley.
Man, what the heck. Pumping up the prices just because other people want it. They made it like an auction.
@@LodicatMotovlogs that's very true! It was literally the first new nightster on the showroom floor so I guess they thought they could pump the price up like that. What's even crazier is I was waiting for my girlfriend to graduate with her master's degree in social work before I got my second bike and the salesman told me that I could always buy a storage unit and hide the bike from her.
@@axelfoley5155 Lol. They want you to ruin your relationship just to sell. They should know at that point that they sound like they only think about the money and never about the customers. Good thing you stayed away from them.
@@LodicatMotovlogs Yeah seriously and I'm glad I stayed away after that cause I love my Indian scout!
That's more than I got my M8 softail for in 2019. I like the nightster, it's on my short list of HD bikes I would buy, but it's too expensive. Around 10k is where it should be.
New rider, bought a brand new RE for under $4k. Functional, practical, inexpensive and use for commuting whenever weather allows. Cheaper than most e-bikes. Reliable. Around 80 mpg. Never even considered a HD
My local HD dealer also sells RE, where I bought mine.
The most expensive RE was almost half of the cheapest HD.
I also bought an RE, the Super Meteor 650 with a bunch of premium upgrades for less than $8k and I'm loving it. With the money I saved I was able to also buy an old, used Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Nomad with 34k miles for $3k. Both together cost me less than a brand new HD.
You're very fortunate. RE dealers around here tack on $1000 over MSRP by the time it's out the door. AND a $600 first service a couple weeks later.
And my personal favorite, HD prints posters and distributes to dealers for their 100 year anniversary. The print is of a flat track rider to celebrate their heritage on America’s dirt ovals when the XR750 and names like Parker and Springsteen dominated the sport. Except the picture they chose was of a Triumph flat tracker and they had to recall all the posters. Classic.
Relationship with Harley-Davidson has ended, now Royal Enfield is my best friend
😮😅😂 rotflmao my friend had a himalayan.we found Himalayan beside it with a broke leg when the whole front end snapped of on the trail one day,then we googled it and turns out the whole front end falling off is a common issue with them.😮😅😢😂
Yikes
Does anybody else think it’s ironic how Yammie is talking about how out of touch Harley are because people can’t afford their products in a cost of living crisis but is suggesting you spend up to $250 on a weeks worth of underwear?
Lol, I wouldn't have released it had you not said something.
He's just paying the bills
You're going to get more comfort, support, and reliability out of the underwear.
Lol yeah I guess everybody just trying to make a buck
Lmao frrrr
Bought my 13 Heritage new. Love it. Don’t care about what other people think or do.
Can't even go on a single ride with neighbor since he bought a Harley-Davidson. Forget the wobble, he loses his throttle, has to coast, reset, restart, go 10 miles, fail, coast, reset, restart, repeat 10 more times, finally decides to have it trailered home. Meanwhile on my 2019 BWM R1250GSA, 1st bike ever, bought new, climbing close to 40,000 miles, couldn't be happier. He finally gave up, gave his HD to his kid, project bike. That HD experience broke him so badly he now prefers an imported e-Bike as his daily ride, poor guy.
Can’t blame him surrons are ten times more fun than a 100000 pound HD that looks like it came straight out a vhs tape?
I grew up on Japanese machines, worked for Yamaha as a district sales manager in the 80's. Went thru the Harley phase in the 90's and early 2000's. What really pissed me off was when you twist the throttle on a stock machine NOTHING HAPPENS. Pathetically slow. So I had to spend thousands more for a motor kit. Been back on Japanese machines since 2010 and will never own a Harley again. They will be bankrupt in 10 years or less.
They have been on the edge of bankruptcy since before I was born
Whoa! With 100ft-lb of torque at 2,500 rpm something does happen. I don't know what world you live on.
I don't think bankrupt but will have to significantly downsize to a small niche brand. Their customers are dying off and they treat them like shit.
Hell I'm 60, I rejected H-D at 20.
HD is so terribly fallen. Theres some hope but they made a lot of mistakes
I'm 61. I rejected them aged 15.
I worked at a shop where they made superchargers for Harleys. They knew all about Harleys manufacturing problems.
Their laugh line was …
“If Harley Davidson made an airplane, would you fly in it? ‘’
What supercharger company???
To me, the biggest failure is price. Nothing they sell is a good value. Also, the used market is delusional. Every dingbat wants the same price he paid for it 10 years ago.
Also, I've seen a version of this video since 2008 and nothing has changed.
Spoiler: This video could've been published at any point over the past two decades.
H-D should have been thinking about new models and engine designs when the Japanese invasion came in the 70's. I bought an '05 Buell because I wanted an American made sport bike and was happy with it. My XB12 SCG was the 2nd gen of Buell and at $10,495 was a pretty good bang for buck bike. The 1200 sportster based engine actually redlined at 7K instead of a measly 4800 and put out about 113 BHP with the factory ECM and pipe. It came with features like steel braided lines and oil cooler stock when H-D makes everyone buy that on their own for all the other models. The real problem was the H-D dealers treated Buell owners like step children and never let EB take the bike to higher levels of performance so he had to leave them. The last bike I bought just to putt around town is the Honda XR150. Sometimes it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow.
no they shouldnt have, thats the whole point of the brand. you pay for a “brand new old bike” which is aircooled and rugged. the point is the heritage. its like the people who want car manufacturers to remake legacy cars, but we can do it since motorcycles have no real safety restrictions.
harleys problem is that 10 years ago indian stepped back into the game. every bike indian offers is a straight copy of a harley while costing 5k less, being more reliable, and outperforming its hd equivalent.
look at the scout and the sportster for example. the scout outperforms the sportster in every single spec other than weight and indian dealerships are selling them for 3k under msrp where i live. the difference between the prices of the 2 bikes is a whole other bike
@@parsatayebi They could have still had their old style cruisers and sport bikes at the same time. Had they never built Buell's I would have never owned a Harley product as I was never really into cruiser bikes. The Sportser and Scout would have never been an alternative for my Buell.
@@parsatayebihow is it a straight copy if it's more reliable? something HAS TO BE different.
@@billbonu1639 in terms of class. the scout is indians sportster. the chief is their lowrider. the challenger is their roadglide.
what i mean is that every bike harley makes, indian makes better
@@RedBud315 but youre not the target audience for harley then. their entire brand was based on old school cool. they threw that away and now they have nothing
My brother is a registered HD mechanic here in Canada. He took the course in Daytona Beach.
He rides a Suzuki Marauder and swears that he will NEVER own a Harley Davidson for 2 simple
reasons and I quote...
"The bikes are overpriced and outsourced pieces of shit and the people who ride them are complete f*cking assholes."
One Canadian mechanics opinion. Great.
But…I’m not an asshole. I just like the sound, comfort, and reliability of the late twin cams. We’re not all bad 😂 every sportbike, scooter, and can am gets a wave.
That's just 'Murika for you brother! The only thing that I've found to be true universally about motorcyclists is that we're all just big nerds.
Man, I dig Canadians across the spectrum. 2 big Canadian youtubers I dig are AVE and Zip Ties and Bias Plies. Scotch-Canadians really trip me out sometimes.
Registered. Bahahahaha!!!!
@@stephenharriau1406
Sorry...for those that are too stupid to understand, I should have said "certified".😉
Got rid of my Ultra Limited and bought a Goldwing. Absolutely the best thing I've ever done. The GW is far far superior in every way.
lol
Gold wings are gay. 😂
Id rather have a indian cheif or springfield with the thunderstroke.
that may be so ,,,but it aint a Harley,,,
My favorite thing to tell people is "Love the bikes, hate the brand and the owners"
Yep
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 30% on earth you wish, check your facts hahah
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 I agree to a certain point. As a Harley rider, most of the Harley riders on the road are just normal guys now. But there are still some idiots stuck on the idea of being “cool bikers.” Those people just ruin it for the rest of us.
What do you think they say about you? You wouldn’t know because you’re scared to park your sissy bike in the same lot.
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 Not even 30% in the United States.
As an Indian rider, I am curious what a "Downsides of Indian Motorcycles" video would look like to see if I'm missin the forest for the trees. Don't get me wrong I love my bike and feel like I've gotten a lot of support from my local dealership, but it'd be interesting to see the brand from an outside perspective.
Victory I have 2 and will by more.
I've been on the planet for ¾ of a century and if I didn't know any better, I would say that the current WOKE CEO of HD was trying to destroy the company.
Just my opinion.
How does focusing on only what the oldest customers want qualify as woke? Just curious
Yep, the merchandising is such a strong enterprise and the irony runs deep for younger people
As a Harley fan, I’m extremely pissed at them after the last 2 weeks. But I can’t believe you haven’t brought that up. Talk about betraying a customer base…
Harley is struggle busing right now for sure they make all the wrong decisions still in my opinion
HD is not a premium brand. They just decided one day to call themselves as such. They already had the high prices, so I guess it made sense. But having an inferior product compared to the metric cruisers of old and current European bikes, does not a good deal make.
Their current CEO said he wants to make it a more premium, more exclusive brand. He wants to sell less and make more. Looking at all meaningful metrics, it is in fact a premium brand.
I mean, you would consider BMW a premium brand, right? Well, they have a failure rate of 40%, which is double that of H-D. Ducati and Triumph also have a higher failure rate than H-D. Not sure what you're trying to say here, but yeah...........
New 2024 Glides have a fit and finish comparable to anything the Europeans of Japanese produce. Ride on and see.
@@hollywoodboggie I've already read several of your Harley fanboi comments for this video and noticed you have consistently missed the whole point of the video. Sure, Harley has stepped up their game quality-wise recently, but they have also stepped up their prices. Sure, their quality might finally be up to par with the Japanese and European bikes, but they cost WAY more money. The bottom line is, for what you're actually getting, THEY'RE NOT WORTH THE ASKING PRICE. Not by a long shot.
@@barrybukowski3743 the only bike I own at the moment is a HD. A little more than half of the bikes I’ve owned were HDs. The rest were all Triumphs. I like the character of the Harleys but they are objectively NOT a premium product. They leave the showroom filled with defects. Just because those defects are “supposed to be like that” doesn’t make them premium or even good. They are unbelievably overpriced. That being said, I’ll keep riding mine. 🤷♂️
Metric cruisers just arent as good as you play them up to be either dude
Out of touch with customers but high resale value? Both of those things cannot be true. I am not a Harley guy but Yammie’s view of the brand is more emotional than rational.
Southpark was the nail in the coffin that confirmed i’ll never buy a Harley. If i ever get a cruiser i’ll go with a Rebel.
"cough cough, VROOM VROOM VROOM VROOM VROOM"
I'd get a triumph roadmaster
Or a Shadow
Funny episode and unfortunately pretty spot on.
@@stevecrawford7814 it goes deeper now. CEO in hiding, embracing get broke mantra of corporate policies
Harely isn’t evolving the brand, their lineup, or clientele. They will slowly loose market share.
Slowly? Between bad marketing decisions, financial mismanagement, and trying to commit suicide with this DEI crap - they decided to eat a gun and loose market share overnight.
Young people won’t pay $80 for a t shirt with a skull or an eagle on it but they will spend $500 on a t shirt with the word supreme printed on it .
About a month ago I went to a dealership and looked at a 2016 iron 883, about 6k miles on the bike. Price was 6,995. I was going to pay for half of the bike with cash and just finance the rest. After the dealer ran me, the sales manager comes back with a 12,000 dollar finance figure on the quote sheet. It literally blew my mind, they had so much bs crap added to it. A 650$ "theft" fee, a 700$ tire fee, a 955$ assembly fee (for a used 2016 bike), and 2,500$ warranty fee. They wouldn't budge on anything, nothing. So I walked away from it. Such a terrible deal they tried to push on me.
It's a crock that they can advertise a price, and then when a customer comes in, refuse to sell if for that price. That's deceptive marketing. But no worries, you didn't want that bike anyway.
Sounds like you visited a 'Stealership'.
Was at Ft. Worth Harley on highway 820, Texas. Large dealer.
I'd walk too. It's just an 883. Pick up a different one. They are thousand of them for 2/3 that price used out there.
That is the game at most dealers. Buy from an individual.
Very well stated I’ve been riding motorcycles since 1982. I’ve never owned a Harley will never own a Harley because I’m not going to pay a premium price for an inferior product. End of story.
I too began in 1982 on street bikes, never had a problem finding killer deals on used Harleys. Never bought a new one. Even in the late 90's, when used were insane prices, come winter deals were plum.
Been riding since 1966 and bought 3 new HD's in the 90's and early 2000's. Those were EVOs and the best bikes I ever rode. I won't buy a new one because HD put too much computerized BS in them, and made the cost go up . The only HD I'd consider now would be the old ones I rode in the 1970's like my 49 and 51 Pan. Those bike had about 12 wires on them and no computer junk and are still running today
That X-350 was the bike they used at my MSF class - they were heavy, clunky, imprecise controls, and generally made the class harder than it needed to be. As a new rider, I was kinda horrified. The only other bike I'd ever been on prior to that MSF class was my beloved 2024 KTM Duke 390. I may have actually hugged my bike upon my return home from that class.
I can buy a Beemer for less, and enjoy it as much and more.
Yeah, BMW's have a 40% failure rate. Twice that of H-D. I laugh at people on BMW's.
BTW, I ride Japanese bikes. Not a Harley guy, just stating facts.
@@barrybukowski3743 Have you gotten any BMW or just typed fictional numbers? State true facts no BS!
You know the worst thing about wearing Sheath underwear? Having to tell your dad you’re gay.
Who has a dad anymore?
lol if they came In rainbow he’d buy them all for himself!
I wanted to get a Harley and went to the dealership to sign up for the msf course and check out the bikes in person. As soon as they found out I didn’t want to walk out the door with a 16k nightster, they were treating me like shit. I’m taking the msf at a community college now
Was this M&S Harley in Chambersburg, PA?
We went the HD dealer and got a quote to change one tire. $700 no B.S. guess they can get away with this when dealing with boomers who don't want to leave anything to their grandkids. But like he said boomers literally dying off which is good if you're in the market for mid '00 bagger. Lol..
58 y/o. Used to believe the Harley propaganda. Then I tried a Honda cruiser. Whoa cheaper, better performance, more reliable?!?! The spell was broken. Started riding other Japanese and European bikes, never looked back.
Oh grow up
They're not faster tho😂 a Honda goldwing is a heavy pile thats slow and can't cut lanes without smacking a car, a sporty 883 will out perform a Honda gw in every way shape and form. Road and owned a shadow 1100 and it's the slowest pile you can get, doesn't even go over 85, cant climb hills unless it's at 55 meanwhile a sporty will cruise up them at 100 plus no problem. I like all bikes but in the whole cruiser game harley has that down, Hondas don't have trq, or hp, compare cruiser to cruiser and harley just does it better. If a bike can't go 90 plus in thus day and age you're more than likely to be hit, don't forget gws have serious carb issues, and a driveline instead of chain or belt, lower to the ground ya can't even go off a curb
@@kirbytrees127Are you for real? The latest gen of Goldwings will smoke any factory HD available.
@@kugangles9860 dead serious, has nothing on a nightster 1200, nothing on a streetbob 114, stock for stock that bikes got a 1800 cc that only makes 100ft lbs of torque, not even 100 hp. Check 0-60s gw is 4.17 seconds meanwhile a tiny little nightster 1200 has a 3.5 second 0-60 and a streetbobs is faster than the nightster. Run one in the corners let's see that, it'll get shit on by a sportster 883. Mind you 23k for something slower than a harley and doesn't out perform one in anything other than "smoothness" and there's plenty of other Harleys that are faster🤷♂️take your shitter honda and know some facts before saying anything😂😂good day to you and God bless
@@kirbytrees127 Yes, to "cruise" up at 100 plus, is what i dreamed about my whole life.
Id argue prime harley was at the end of the twin cams. The 96, 103, and 110 were great motors. Easy to fix, not full of electronics, enough torque to keep you happy, lots of aftermarket support. I have a 2014 fat boy. Its comfy & roomy enough for long trips, sounds lovely with just slip ons, looks beautiful (before they dropped the bullet hole solid wheels) and reliable so long as you do routine maintenance & dont build it to make big power. Ive owned a 2021 bmw gs, sv650s, gsxr 750, daytona t595, r3, multiple dirt bikes. I think ill be keeping my harley for a very long time.
I also ride a Fatboy, and it’s been a great bike since I bought it. I don’t see myself getting ride of it anytime soon.
5-10 years HD will be just a boutique company making order only very expensive bikes, unless they change, which will cause a loss of every current HD owner in exchange for every new HD owner, and now we are back to that boutique thing.
It's like being stuck in quicksand. The more they struggle, the faster they sink. The smart thing to do is to do nothing.
You are correct on many of your points and dead wrong on a few. Current Harleys are way over priced due Harley corporate, especially the CEO, having lost their way and becoming completely WOKE. I have a friend that owns a Harley dealership and he is done. He is in the process of converting to other brands due to Harley corporate policies
I would bet there are other dealers doing the same. As to your love of sports bikes, they just do not perform the same functions not meet the needs of those of us that prefer to tour on cruiser style laid back bikes. You cam buy a low mileage, sometimes less than 2000 miles, XL 1200 C for $4000 or less if you shop and have a very dependable bike. You can turn that bike into a very comfortable touring machine for about $2000 or less by changing the bars, putting on a Russell day long seat, and putting on a decent suspension (Progressive 412 13" shocks and adjustable preload front springs) it will ride better than most of the bigger bikes and still handle great in the twisties. I will never buy a new Harley but I love my Sportster. Just rode it from Washington to Colorado and back. Try that on any crotch rocket and then tell me about your pains. You have to buy a bike for the I tended.purpose. Harley no longer even understands their purpose. Fir real comfort in touring try a low mileage Victory. There is still no problem with parts fir them.😮
42 this year, bought a HD in ‘22 - love the bike, even with its limitations.
HD is capable of making some great bikes, if the brand dept and corporate would let them, the PanAm and the Revmax engine are proof that they are capable, if corporate would just let them do their jobs.
Aside from the PanAm, I can’t see myself buying another HD.
I bought a '22 Street Bob and couldn't be happier with the bike. That being said, it will more than likely be the last HD I ever buy. Other manufactures just offer a better product for the money.
Guy on the "other" side of the Reagan admin here; Harley-Davidson was what got me into the bikes and keeps me in them. All the "performance", "modernization" and "efficiency" issues go out the window for me - I want a bike that has the (as FortNine has stated so clearly) SOUND, FEEL and STYLE I'm after. Leaving the '69-'81 Bad Old Days out of the equation (XLCR as a MAJOR exception to this rule), I'll stick with H-D and leave others to their own predilections. Otherwise, appreciate the commentary.
And unfortunately if harley continues to ONLY cater to people like you they will be out of business in the next 10-15 years
@@SidneyMcGriff Yep, and that's EXACTLY the point of this video. Harley owners are old, stubborn, set in their ways, and have consumed so much Harley kool-aid they absolutely refuse to look at facts and only care about made up shit like "but...but...my bike has soul!" 🤦♂️
In the next 20 years or so once their main fan base finally does off, and/or gets too old to ride anymore, the company will go bankrupt.
Consumers these days are becoming too smart and educated to fall for Harley's fairytale bullshit.
People have been saying that for years and yet HD is over 100 years old now. Still going strong
HD culture is what keeps the brand alive. Have you ever been to Sturges? Or Street Vibrations? Or the countless of other HD motorcycle rallies? HD has more of a culture that people rally to and sells. Especially family clubs or outlaw clubs that further that HD is just a badass bike to get for any type of person out there.
I really wish they could come out with a 650cc liquid cooled series with a reasonably priced cruiser, naked, and adventure bike. That's the class I think could really grow the brand. If there is a competitive American-made motorcycle, I'd choose that over a European or Japanese counterpart.
It wouldn’t be as good as the Kawasaki 650 series. I really like the Versys 650; my daughter has one.
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 and also because it's overpriced by about $5000
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 I like the Pan America a lot especially after I took the CVO version on a test ride. It’s even a good deal compared to the BMW Boxers. But it’s too expensive for normal people. I don’t hate Harleys I ride one.
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 I like it too. I just don't want something that big and heavy (same with a 1300 GS). I'd prefer a midsized adventure bike
A baby Pan-America would be pretty sweet. It's one of the better looking ADV bikes, but it's just so darn big and expensive.
I don't get Harley at all. Many of us Xennials are choosing Indian Motorcycles. Scout Bobbers are small and fun. They are cheaper, more reliable, look cooler, perform incredibly well and they don't have the biker gang stigma/stain that Harley will never be able to erase/expunge. Maybe Harley caters to bikers with self-image problems. I don't like them.
Do you get a scout optioned up or like a cheif with no options
I find it ironic that the commercial plug was so long it was actually interrupted by a commercial.
When I was originally looking for a bike to ride, I initially looked at electric options (never did get one). HD was one of the only few companies that weren't Kickstarters to have an option (I think Honda had one too), but it was hella expensive. I talked to a guy who rode bikes all his life and I mentioned that I wasn't about to drop 30 grand on a bike, especially an electric one, unless I wanted to drop 30 grand on a Harley and he was all smug when he said "no Harley costs $30K".
Then I bought a Honda.
I'll take my 2003 honda shadow that runs like champ and I bought for 2700 with less than 10k on it. I'm not spending 40k on a boomer bike that isn't fun to ride anywhere but a highway.
I got a 1984 Honda magna 500 I’ve put 4,500 miles on this year
$1,300 🤣
3 years ago, I bought a 2012 Concours 14. 18 months ago my coworker bought a Harley.
I've changed my oil a few times in the last 3 years, and his bike has been in the shop for expensive repairs 4 times already.
@BlazingCoolant I got me a 83 gs1100 that I got for 650 not running. Put 550 into it. Including tires and it's been riding for 3 months I've put over 1000 miles on it.
And it’s just a Harley rip off at the end of the day. I have a 2010 sportster 1200 I got when it had 2k miles on it for $5k. No reason to buy a new Harley when the new ones aren’t much different from the old ones.
Was gonna get a shadow but it got snatched up from under me on the market place. However, I found a 92 Virago in great shape for only 1200 two months ago. It’s my first bike and I’m loving it!
I got into motorcycling during the pandemic. I did the MSF course and rode a Honda 250. I bought a 79 Honda CB 750 as my 1st bike. In my 40+ yrs I saw Harley as a Cool brand but always saw oil leaks under parked bikes. Been actually looking to grab an older cheap HD off FB Marketplace as I embark on becoming a Moto mechanic. This bike should give me all the practice possible.
Sporty 1200 or 883 is a good starting bike for harley, oils leaks are caused by too much oil so they throw excess out, streetbobs are sweet and you'll love the power, Harleys are different bikes and you'll see why, doesn't get better than hearing a nice chop and a bike that can do it all
Interesting timing of this video, considering it recently got exposed that they sold out to DEI/ESG
You only found out Harley got sold out to DEI/ESG? Where have you been?
@@miketran4289 It only recently blew up on them, though
@@miketran4289 I've also been living under a rock there. Can you please explain the details?
I just bought a Harley at 24. It’s a 2009 heritage with 33k miles for 6k cash. All original, and it’s beautiful and simple. Can’t imagine ever wanting to buy a new one for more than everything else I own combined.
My biggest issue with harleys especially modern ones aside from the gobshite owners is that you pay a super premium price for a budget product
Harley should have kept Buell
Some of the newer bikes have a Buell influence. The Sportster S is what Buell would have wanted the old V-Rod to be. The Pan-America the old Ulysses. HD has upgraded speed on all of their bikes. HD stole a lot from Buell.
Remember the xr1200, the last time they decided to make a bike that you could argue was worth the price. Or how they had buells around to try to capture a new market but then underfunded the division and treated those bikes in showroom like a pariah. I still have a hard time deciding what's worse about the brand; their depressing product offerings, the lack of quality, or the attitude of their shops and owners.
I'm still eyeing off the XR12. I'm in Australia. They're pretty good value for money, here.
I have a 2020 Lowrider FXLR. I bought it in early '21 with 5k miles for $14k during the c_vid hysteria. I've put 10k miles on it with zero issues. Added an S&S intake and exhaust and couldn't be happier. However, I have an issue with maintenance costs. Got a quote from the dealership of $550 for three hole service and $800 for tires. When I questioned paying $1350 for this basic maintenance for a motorcycle they scoffed at me for calling out their BS. I've noticed the dealerships are a bit snooty. Needless to say, I found a local mechanic and paid $299 and $400 (different brand tires).
The Bronx could’ve been the best selling Harley ever. But it would’ve been 20k plus
I remember when you had to get on a waiting list to buy a Sportster. I think the Bronx would have been like that. Sportster S and Nightster just sit on the floor for months. People have also heard of their problems which is not helping sales.
My 1999 Honda vulcrae that I bought for about $4,000 a couple of years ago is capable of going 400,000 miles and was made in Marysville Ohio. I had to consider the value for the $ spent balanced with the fun factor and the functionality for daily driving. Did months of research just like you said. I think I made a good choice!
You make alot of Harley videos for someone who doesnt like Harley.
And the "FIRST Time on a Cruiser" video he made is 2016 had him giggling and shouting "this makes all kinds of sense" multiple times.
Yammie has some really great videos, but he sadly also has a tendency of gatekeeping and confusing personal taste for abject fact. Luckily the tone of the video is usually clear from the title or first few seconds, so I'll just skip those negative ones.
Notice the complete lack of videos by Harley riders pouring scorn on Yamaha riders.
I agree with much of what you say, son. But you seem to miss the entire point of H-D.
I don’t like Harley’s because I give them the biker wave and they ignore me… well, it just crushes my soul every time
when you learn to accept rejection you'll be more successful in all things because the fear won't loom over you.
ANd you also won't care what a bunch of doofus MC club larpers do on the street.
@@skippypeanutbutter9136 Thanks. It’s all good, I know they are all just jealous of all the gear I have on
I legit think those old Harley Guys are too terrified to take a hand off the bars for the wave.
@@HOJUX11 because Harley can't smooth like Japanese bikes and vibrates like earthquakes.... lmao
A clothing company that happens to sell bikes.
BINGO! One that makes billions selling merch but claims they are broke ALL THE TIME! Why is that? How can you sell Boots, Jeans, T-Shirts Jackets, Coffee Mugs, Shot Glasses, Hats, and tons of bike accessories... and still be broke? How can you be broke when you sell bikes that are 1/3 over priced? How is that? Now they want to move production overseas to save money! Good luck doing that. FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT!
@@exexpat11 I think mismanagement was the goal the entire time. The letter from HD blames everyone but themselves for recent events. When politicians complain about the Thailand move they will say it was the consumers fault. Those in power will say guess so. HD made themselves a cover story. Overseas could work for them but out of more arrogance instead of cutting prices they'll raise the price another 10K while blaming shipping, lack of skilled mechanics to take out of box, ect.
As a HD FXLRST owner...I wish you were wrong...but you're probably not. You nailed it when you talked about the warranty process and how HD very intentionally sells bikes with crappy stock parts and then refuse to honor the warranty when you swap a cam. They could win a lot of hearts if they just kept up with the technology. I heard someone say one time that Harley's motto should be, "Yesterday's Technology at Tomorrow's Prices...".
HD should be studied in business school, as what not to do to destroy an iconic brand. HD is killing it to the 10th power.
The irony is that I’m going to the Harley Davidson school to get my license but 🤷🏾♂️
I would agree with this video EXCEPT for the Pan America. You can get used ones stupid cheap considering they’ve only been made for a few years and the tech on them is pretty good. I’m going to seriously consider one once I get tired of my Tiger.
Well said sir. We watched a “MC” at a coffee shop yesterday. They were absolutely pathetic. Typical old men in pirate outfits and they all stood so close together I’m certain their menstrual cycle had sinked up.
Was looking to buy a cruiser after my MSF course. Local Harley Davidson dealership would hide the prices on over half of their online inventory and not post a single price on their used bikes. Tried clicking on the button to request a quote and then received a call from the dealership. I told him I’m trying to make an informed decision and was exploring a lot of different options and was curious about the price. He basically started yelling at me from the minute i picked up the phone saying “YOU NEED TO GET IN HERE IF YOURE READY TO RIDE ON TWO WHEELS” and didn’t tell me the prices I was looking for. They followed that up with emails and phone calls everyday for the next week that didn’t tell me anything about the price.
Did my research looking at hundreds of videos and found myself a used 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 (despite Yammie disliking the Vulcan S). Loving life on a metric cruiser so far!
NUMBER 1 REASON ~ Get WOKE = Go Broke
If only you had a clue what that term even means.
@@johnstone7697 ask harley, they are catching on.
@@johnstone7697it means if you invest in selling all electric brick bikes for too much money to people who dont want them it costs your business massivly
In Melbourne, Australia, many of the young in the inner urban area are avoiding motorcycles and riding hotwired electric bikes. They cost around US $1,300, are reliable, cheap to run, can be ridden either on the road or bike paths and do not require a licence either for the bike or rider.
Hands down, one of the worst videos Yammienoob has ever made. I have ridden many motorcycles over the years, my most recent being a Triumph Tiger, and recently bought a Road King. This bike is the best bike I have ever owned in build quality, fit, and finish. This is the first HD I've ever owned because of the usual stereotypes. But I'm glad I bought it b/c it's been a blast. Not to mention I can ride for hours without getting fatigued. Playing on stereotypes and hashing out old cliches about the brand is unoriginal. It makes Yammienoob look as tired and unoriginal, as the brand he's claiming to be, for a few clicks.
If you really loved harley as much as you say you do you would know their approach will lead to them filing for bankruptcy 😂
I wanted a Harley. I finally bought a 2002 Electra Glide last year. It cost me less than $6K. I spent about a grand going through it and fixing everything. Runs and looks like new. No need to spend $35K, unless you have money to burn. New Japanese bikes ain’t exactly cheap either. Plenty of cheap used bikes out there for everybody.
My boss bought a used 2008(?) Harley Davidson touring bike, from a dealer. Since then he has:
>Had the engine rebuilt/replaced.
>Had the transmission rebuilt/replaced.
>Rear axle/tire (wire spoke) rebuilt/replaced.
>The entire bike wire harness replaced.
>Replaced the stereo system.
To be fair, his extended warranty paid for it all. That still doesn't pay time back though.
Then he hit a patch of ice riding early in the spring, and low sided the bike. It has been sitting since.
At the pandemic, I bought myself a 1983 Honda Goldwing Aspencade. Since then I have:
>...Put fuel in it?
'83 Aspencade....oh yeah baby!
@@yevrahhipstar3902 Thanks. However, I will eventually need a new ignition switch, and this is a one year only part that isn't available anymore. So I'll have to fabricate something.
@@theprairietinkerer congratulations 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
You don't spend big money for tractor bike performance and go-cart Handling..... HD is just like "tomorrow's price with prehistoric technology"
What a totally impartial video(not). I am 58 so I know I’m their demographic for their bikes. I have own many rice burners from trail bikes, three wheelers, quads, road bikes from Honda, couple Kawasaki’s and all of them have been a very good bike for me. But I did just buy a Harley a few months ago. I have had a few waves of emotions over the bike. Maintenance recommendations is much higher than the other brands that I’m use to. Price is higher than the others. Build quality seems much better than other makes so far. I do love the raw feel of the motor. I haven’t had any issues yet and I’ll see over time how it works out. The material used in the bike feels much better. Most of the bike is steel( fenders ,side covers, all of the engine) with painted strips and designs, not stickers. I have been blown away by the service department’s of a few different shops. I’ve had a few questions about noises I’ve heard and stopped in to a shop and without hesitation a mechanic took it for a ride right then on the spot and let me know what I was hearing, stopped in to check on getting oil changed and they said pull in and did right then on the spot. I was so surprised by that because of what I had ran into with my last bike. I had put a pebble through the drive belt and wanted it replaced for peace of mind. Finding parts was a challenge, getting it put on in a timely manner was crazy, the shops just say drop it off and we’ll fit you in in a few weeks. Had to make many phone calls to find a shop that would let me drive in and put tires on even with buying their tires and making an appointment. I have liked all my bikes of all makes and will see how this Harley holds up.
Harley continuing to dig their own grave is so frustrating to watch.
I love to see it.
@@BSpenceTravelsmaybe when you fall we will love it also
One of the big benefits of a Harley is the huge dealer network. I use my Sportster as a Daily and I know that there will always be parts and expertise for it when it needs repairs. I didn't have that peace of mind with my Japanese bikes. Once they got old and worn, it was much harder to repair them.
Hardley’s cost too much 😅
I bought a running project Road King Classic, '06 TC 88, with my tax return in May. I've HD parts strowed everywhere right now.
I looked at bikes at the dealer. There were tons. I was ready to sign up and make payments on an old used ($8K-ish) bagger, but the bikes they showed me were all out of my range. I liked a '16 Road King with 12,000 miles, but they wanted $17K. High sales pressure. Marcus called me for months. He messaged in July and said that they still have that RK.
Harleys are kind of cool but impractical to ride compared to most bikes IMO. I think you're spot on YN.
My other bikes/projects are a Bandit 1200, RF900RV, Kawi ZR-7, WR450F, DR350SE, & an RM 125. I kind of just worked up my curiosity about the HD brand and decided it was time to try one out and see what I thought about it.
I think HD is in trouble and they have been for years. They needed to find a way to make sportsters cheaper and to market them better. IDK how their marketing strategy works.
Honestly if they put that revmax engine in the sportster with a tft dash and modernized the look a touch they would sell like hit cakes
Buying a sportster was a financial mistake. 2017 and have to replace to many parts already at 24000 miles. Honestly looking back on it would have bought a rebel. Bought a RE as a back up. I’ve had to use it to much. Almost matched the miles as the sportster
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 😅😂🤣
BarbellB is not wrong. This story is hard to believe. Missing details?
What parts man?
Rode 5 different Harleys motorcycle shopping. Ended up spending half as much on a Kawi😅
I think the latest contentious decision by Harley was their aggressive dei policies. There are rumblings of treating them like bud light. That is the rumblings amongst riders
One say sanity will have to come back in there
As a 40 year old that bought his first hd (22 low rider st) I agree and don’t. Overpriced? Absolutely especially when you need to immediately replace half of it with vastly superior aftermarket parts to make it comfortable/not fall apart on you. Now than mines actually running good I love the hell out of it. I agree you get more bang for the buck with imports. I went hd because I preferred the looks, sound, dealership network for longer trips if I need it, and vastly vastly larger aftermarket support.
*laughs in honda vtx 1800
That is my very favorite bike... daily driver.
I got a 2023 Triumph Rocket 3 GT in June and that may be topping my VTX as the favorite. But it's a hard call. Amazing bike and years of adventures.
I just cant come to like it for some reason things like the kawasaki vulcan 900 custom look way better and they hagent scaled it up so you cam get the bigger sngine enless you go all the way to their touring they used to have like a 1300 a 1600 and a 2000 now they got a 650 thats not like the other vulcans and they got 900s and 1700 voyager but nothing tjat fitd into like the softail standard / indian cheif type of area anymore
I agree with a lot of the things you said, considering I rode sport bikes and super sports for 20 years before I bought my 1st Harley; I can’t agree with your “50 mile ride on the weekends” statement. So far I’ve taken my Harley through 38 states, 3 Canadian provinces, and did it complete comfort and reliability.
I'm 47 so I'm some ways in that HD demographic, but when I went looking for a bike I never even considered HD.
The first thing that pisses me off the most about them is that even when they do make smaller bikes they don't being them to the US.
The second issue I have is that there are more engine layouts available than the V-Twin. Seriously. Keep making them, but maybe try something different once in a while.
The third thing that really pisses me off has more to do with their culture. I'm a huge fan of the classic Japanese UJM. Back in the 70's you had tiny little four cylinder bikes from Honda, big triples from Yamaha, lots of different P-Twins, the Goldwing boxer, two and three cylinder 2-strokes, all on basic looking bikes with an upright posture and lots of chrome that just looked like a bike should to me eye. Now the big four only put three or four cylinders on big sport and naked bikes and they all make V-Twin cruisers to cater to the Harley douche on a budget. I want my UJM's back. Harley culture even managed to infect the Japanese so that instead of going their own way and making something that looks like a cruiser but it's truly superior in every way they just stick as closely as possible to the bland V-Twin aesthetic and every new rider under 40 seems to think that there are only two different kinds of motorcycles, sportbikes and cruisers. I'm hoping the competition from CFMoto when they being the new 500cc four to more countries will light a fire under the Japanese companies assess and get them to innovate again themselves.
When I was going around looking for my first bike I figured I'd test ride a few before I paid and just to be fair I was going to test a HD street 500 (New Aussie riders are restricted to less than 660cc), I passed a bloke riding a HD on the on the way there and made a U turn back to the kwakka dealership the second I passed him. I don't mind the sound of Harleys, but no way in hell do I want to put up with it for hours a day every day.
The only time I drive is when it's absolutely freezing cold, other than that my bike is my daily.
Honestly same for a long time i thought i inly had the option to choose between the mobile homes on wheels people call harley davidsons and the fast and maneuverable Japanese bikes, after watching numerous videos i wish we still had the creative minds that honda employed back in the 80’s and 90’s
@@SidneyMcGriff I find it especially funny that people seem to think there's only those two kinds of bikes when adventure bikes are outselling both of them. Perception is a weird thing.
@@MotorcycleEnjoyer01 I don't disagree.
Harley is dropping the black and orange and going rainbow! That should boost sales! LMAO
Also they are going full woke/DEI...
That's the worst part. The new bikes are great and the stories about pricing are exaggerated. In 2021 I bought a streetbob which is the sport version cruiser. It is the nicest bike I've ever owned and I've owned dozens. Lifetime warranty. It was $16,000 out the door. Financed at 3% simple interest with HD financial and insured by HD full coverage for $300/year. I believe HD will straighten out after being exposed just like John Deere and Tractor Supply.
@@hodedo7803 lets hope so =)
So I guess you don't drink Coke cause they got a DEI policy and support pride events
Seriously bro a stupid reason because every large corporation has a DEI policy.
@@metcruza5536 I dont drink Coke cause its poison. But yes I try to not support big corporations. Buy local, grow as much food as I can and so on and so on. Wokeness, in lack of a better word will fundamentally destroy western civilization and all the progress its made. Anyway off to bed I go. Goodbye.
@@metcruza5536Everyone's doing it, so you might as well join in, right?
I'm happy with my sportster S. Literally nothing like it...
how much hp / weight / cost? just curious
@@deze0158120hp. Just under 500 lbs. About 18k out the door. From the factory at least.
@@deze0158 google is your friend.
@@deze0158
They're virtually the same specs as the V-Rod. I was looking to snatch one up but I went with a GSX-8R instead.
@@deze0158not enough, too much and too much
I’m 60 years old and have owned 11 street bikes over the years, never had a Harley, always kinda wanted one, but now it’s easy to say I’ll never buy one.
I personally don't like how loud and obnoxious HD bikes are, and even more so, their riders. I straight up disrespect every patched rider that tries to block my lane by blasting by them at 100+ mph 😂 its funny how they get pissy when they try to control the road.
Sold my 2020 BMW R1250GSA because it was so good at everything I found it boring. Bought a 2009 HD Nightrain for $7500 and it is the most soul stirring bike I have ever owned in 50 years. One of the best bikes Harley ever made!
And here I am, with my Yamaha XV1900 sitting in the garage, after I got it used with 10k kms on it for 6000 € - both of us laughing at Harley bros.
I just got my Roadstar 1700 last week. I can't afford to spend money on something that breaks all the time and will leave me stranded.
@@jmh4gggHarleys don't just break, especially sportsters, could've got yourself a sporty 1200 for less than 3k usd with less than 10k on it. When you ride one you'll see it's just a different machine that is reliable and plenty capable of anything you want it to do, main issues with them is the owners not taking care of them.
@@kirbytrees127 There are alot of stories with these Yamaha Roadstars going 150-200k miles without anything but tires, brakes, oil, and belts (belt drive) done. If that were prevalent with HD I wouldn't hear the end of it. I'm a truck driver, own my own truck and trailer and work on 90% of it myself.
I bought my bike to have fun and be a reliable mode of transport. I don't want to get done working on my truck, then work on my bike or drop it off at the shop before I enjoy myself. Bike was $3700, and I didn't want a sporty one, I want a bagger cause me and my wife will be going on 500 mile trips, until I get my Goldwing (also reliable) and push it to cross country/2000+ mile trips.
I was a sport bike rider, starting with '95 900RR, ending with 2020 GSXR-1000R 100th Anniversary. I dismissed Harley and Indian because, slow. ...that is until 2024 Road Glide with its liquid-cooled heads on 117CI motor. The torque is in-friggin-sane. I've been converted to being a performance "bagger".
I always want to reply to stuff in these videos when they come up, but there's just so much to reply to, that I just go about my day. So much of it is opinion and not based in facts, which is all good, everyone's entitled to their opinion. But when opinion is presented as fact, that kills credibility.
They hired a german to make a bike that isn't supposed to be perfectly polished, and the company culture doesn't match the culture of their customers its pretty simple
Bmw makes bikes. If we wanted them, we would buy them
The problem with harley davidson is they make very niche bikes (nobody cares about cruisers), they're about £20,000 more expensive than they should be, only old people think it's a cool/premium brand, only old people can afford to have expendable income after bills. When you can buy a Royal enfield with similar performance and that retro style for 30% of the price, why would anyone buy HD?
Youre outta your mind man. Indian scout indan cheif and springfeild. Roadking and softail standard? You think a royal enfield is as good no way man
@@TheAnnoyingBoss I've never seen an Indian Scout in my whole life. Royal enfields are a lot better at a lot of different things
Harleys are for old men who need three wheels
Wrong
Nope, Honda makes a better trike as well.
11:25 that's actually not true, they can no longer void your warranty for using aftermarket parts or having work done outside of a Harley dealer. From a lawsuit that Harley lost: "As of October 2023, Harley-Davidson is no longer allowed to void the official H-D limited warranty if the owner installs an aftermarket part or gets the motorcycle repaired by a third-party service center. This includes using third-party parts." They basically have to prove that the aftermarket part caused the problem which 9 times out of 10 it didn't or they cant prove it.
To make a long story short, I bought a house in 2023. Then when the 2024 models came out, I bought a 24 street glide after I test rode it with my wife we both liked it a lot more than my 09 softail custom. I was already looking at street glides towards the end of 2023 but my wife wanted to wait until she graduated college before we made another big purchase. We live comfortably and pay a mortgage, truck payment, and motorcycle payment, It's partly how you budget for things and partly the area you live in. we live in Florida in an area that's on the more expensive side, but we also aren't out buying crazy things at the store or have every streaming service known to man.
As everyone's talked about, Harleys look good but only some of them do. They're big, they're loud, they're heavy, and these days (esp in LA), they're ridden by somewhat aggro old fat dudes who straight pipe their bikes and are just mean. They never wave back to you on the road, and they give off this sensation of being an old fart who thinks he's better than you.
Some of the bikes I do like the look of, like the Sportster, are too powerful for me and too heavy as a beginner rider. I also can't really trust their reliability, compared to my Kawasaki.
I find them to be ugly, and attached to the arrogant stereotype. I wish I didn't -- I like being patriotic and made from american companies. But Harley is different ... they feel like a single side of America, and one of the worst ones. I was so excited for the livewire and I even testdrove one -- what a cool bike..!
The bigger Harleys get the uglier they get. With bigger bags and those really ugly front dashboards with the big faring to block the wind, they just look .. stupid. And I have no incentive as a regular person to buy one.
I'd love a Goldwing though :P
The roadking is good looking