Harley Davidson stock prices fall

[Lannis]

Darned old POS Harleys....
Loose parts
$hit falling off all the time

I think it's amazing (and relevant to the Original Topic) how much your bike (nice picture) and its great-grandpa look alike 50 or 60 years later:



That's part of the reason why it all works all this time, I'm betting.

Lannis

[canuck750]

I have to ask.... and I am being serious, but I have never seen or heard of a 'get back whip', do folks actually swing this thing at other vehicles?? 

I would think that some drivers may take a little offense to having an object striking their car / truck and 'nudge' the offending rider with a couple thousand pounds of steel.

Ok back to the thread, there seems to be a secret black box that analysts consult that determines the 'value' of a stock, and the variable are endless. Every other day there is a news story about some blue chip company failing to meet a quarterly profit indicator and the stock value drops immediately. Apple has to be one of the most successful gadget makers in recent history but it almost dropped off the planet prior to the amazing run of I phones and is constantly seeing stock value fluctuations related to market share variables, minor delays to product launches etc, but valued over time appears to be continuing to increase share value. Apple spent years trying to get the MAC to become 'the' dominant PC. Not that Apple gave up on the PC market but they turned their focus and have dominated the phone and tablet sector.

Harley is the dominant motorcycle brand in North America and at or near the top in many other markets. The capital in the name alone has to be worth a lot, so like Apple what if they developed a whole new product, keep the heritage line but drop the V twin platform and the big road bike styling and turned to a smaller displacement bike, not entry level but lighter, quieter, with all the tech of a Honda?

Like the high end German car brands, Honda offers smaller motorcycles that bristle with performance, tech and comfort. Mercedes was a  pretty staid line and then about ten years ago they jumped on the Sports image and brought out a whole line of sportier cars that have had BMW and Audi scrambling to keep up. Mercedes did not bring out a line of sub-compact or cheaper cars for the North American market but focused on attracting younger buyers while keeping the big flagship S model for the older / well heeled traditional buyers.

[kballowe]

That one picture explains a lot of things Kevin 

 Dusty

You know that I just can't help myself.
Don't ever leave your bike here for more than a couple of days.
I cannot be held responsible......

[Kev m]

I'm not a member or contributor in any Harley forums, but I would expect discussions about Moto Guzzi's to be biased against Mandello and wouldn't take offense by that, because, hey it's a Harley forum.

Not for nothing, but I don't think we SHOULD expect that... I mean, I understand why there is likely a trend that way with any brand. But being a bit of an idealist I don't think we should expect, or at least HOPE for that.

Also, there are definitely exceptions that might surprise you.

Here are some examples:

http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2071898

http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2071169

http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2006185

http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1939545

And there's more.

Plus the ADV rider forum has a number of Moto Guzzi threads frequented by Harley and other brand riders with appreciation and curiosity about Guzzi.

If find most of the threads at ADV (At least in the Road Warriors) segment are frequented by riders who are enthusiasts of multiple brands.

[kingoffleece]

Agree 100%.
And, are not all chaps "assless" by definition?  If not, are they not then called pants?  Just thinking out loud, mind.

[Lannis]

I have to ask.... and I am being serious, but I have never seen or heard of a 'get back whip', do folks actually swing this thing at other vehicles?? 

I would think that some drivers may take a little offense to having an object striking their car / truck and 'nudge' the offending rider with a couple thousand pounds of steel.

We had a whole thread on them a little while back, it may or may not be worth searching for or reading.   My opinion is that they're symbolic, and that they get used as often as the legendary ball bearings or spark plugs through the windshield of a car, or kicking a door in.  If get-back whips or ball bearings actually got used, it would be in the paper, for the reason you suggest, and I've never seen it.

 But there are quite a few of them about these days.

Lannis

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

We had a whole thread on them a little while back, it may or may not be worth searching for or reading.   My opinion is that they're symbolic, and that they get used as often as the legendary ball bearings or spark plugs through the windshield of a car, or kicking a door in.  If get-back whips or ball bearings actually got used, it would be in the paper, for the reason you suggest, and I've never seen it.

 But there are quite a few of them about these days.

Lannis

But Lannis, are you supposed to unclip it from the bar & brandish it like Zorro? Or is the action of the wind blowing it about while attatched to the handlebar supposed to be the deterrent????

[Shorty]

    

[bigbikerrick]

I have seen the get back whips used at "biker rallys" in the field events, to knock a beer bottle off a table as the motorcyclist rides by. Sometimes the co rider on back uses it to knock down the bottle. I have seen a couple bikes get real wobbly, as the pillion yanks the whip from the front brake lever!
Rick.

[oldbike54]

I have seen the get back whips used at "biker rallys" in the field events, to knock a beer bottle off a table as the motorcyclist rides by. Sometimes the co rider on back uses it to knock down the bottle. I have seen a couple bikes get real wobbly, as the pillion yanks the whip from the front brake lever!
Rick.

 What has happened to the biker in this country , we had events like tire pull races where a car tire was attached by a rope to a motorcycle and ridden by a brave passenger . Usually the races consisted of two teams of competitors racing out around a tree . Knocking bottles off a table with a get back whip is , er , well , kinda wimpy .

 Dusty

[Ncdan]

I don’t intend to ever get myself into a situation where any biker Harley or otherwise would feel the need to wack me with, whatever that goofy looking rope hanging off the handle bar is, however if some unfortunate soul finds a need to preform such a feat, it’s at his own risk and  peril. My throttle lock is for a specific reason and that’s to free my right hand,  not to scratch my ARSE. 👌

[twowheeladdict]

What has happened to the biker in this country , we had events like tire pull races where a car tire was attached by a rope to a motorcycle and ridden by a brave passenger . Usually the races consisted of two teams of competitors racing out around a tree . Knocking bottles off a table with a get back whip is , er , well , kinda wimpy .

 Dusty

Well, they used to have a hot dog or banana hanging on a string and the passenger had to get a mouth full while they rode by. 

Daytona Beach has or had the Cabbage Patch where true bikers partied.  Coal Slaw wrestling.  Corn Hole had a whole different meaning back then.  Sturgis has some wile area for the uninhibited as well.

When I lived in Daytona Beach as a teen and young adult, Boot Hill Saloon was only for real bikers.  I went in there once as a guest to a real biker and this girl walked up to me and grabbed a handful of nuts!  Man, was I an unworldly young man.