Quote:
Originally Posted by wheelbender6
Indian uses water cooler, DOHC engine and they are doing pretty well.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2LZ
I love all the people who have opinions on Harley's who would never buy one anyway. It's the best part.
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Bender, you're 100% correct that Indian uses modern engines in their bikes. They're doing pretty well because they're iconic to an era (coincidentally, the era that remembers the original Indians), and the target audience are now doctors, lawyers, executives, etc. and are more than happy to plop down that kind of money for nostalgia. Indian has also done a much better job of making their motorcycles
reliable. Harley was a very simple, bulletproof design, and then the quality control really started slipping. It was so bad for a few years that Harleys had Kawasaki engines. The Indian brand is very good at what they do, and they stick to it. They make no bones about who they are, and who their target buyer is.
2LZ, also a correct statement. While I wouldn't turn down an old Harley that was given to me, I certainly wouldn't spend any money on one. I think that Harley-Davidson has a very rich and interesting history, but they've been riding the gravy train for too long without doing anything to appeal to a larger market segment. Everything they do as far as new bikes or trying to break into a new market just seems half-assed to me. Like "We're going to make this bike, that does this thing, but we're only making it because we expect people to buy it because it says 'Harley' on the side. But we don't really want to make this bike that does this thing, because that's not what 'Harley' is all about..." I dunno
The entire business model and operational ethos just doesn't appeal to me. On top of that, I've met some super nice Harley riders, who were happy to sit and chat about other bikes, and even go as far as trade bikes for a section of riding. On the other hand, the overwhelming number of Harley riders I've met are fully convinced that if it's not a Harley, it's not even a real motorcycle, and they're full of conviction for that mentality as well. I'm perfectly happy to have a conversation about motorcycles (or airplanes, or motorcycles that turn into airplanes, or pretty much anything else under the sun, for that matter), and I'm not going to look down on anyone for the choices they make in motorcycle purchases. If the bike they buy makes them happy, then I'm happy for them! The happiness of a friend is a blessing. I just know that a Harley wouldn't make me happy, so I don't have one.