How are the 500 & 750cc HD selling?

[lorazepam]

I looked at one of the 750's at a local dealer when I was shopping for a bike, and was pretty much steered toward the larger displacement bikes. The sales person was amazed that I was even slightly interested in the bike.
Harley is a strange place to go buy if you are looking for something "different"  When I bought my Ulysses, it was the same deal, "are you sure you don't want want this nice shiny bike over here?" When I told the salesman the complete lack of chrome on the Uly appealed to me, the look on his face was not unlike I just let rip with giant wet fart that was running down my leg.
I don't think they want to sell them.

[LowRyter]

I looked at one of the 750's at a local dealer when I was shopping for a bike, and was pretty much steered toward the larger displacement bikes. The sales person was amazed that I was even slightly interested in the bike.
Harley is a strange place to go buy if you are looking for something "different" When I bought my Ulysses, it was the same deal, "are you sure you don't want want this nice shiny bike over here?" When I told the salesman the complete lack of chrome on the Uly appealed to me, the look on his face was not unlike I just let rip with giant wet fart that was running down my leg.
I don't think they want to sell them.

I went the the local Harley store and wanted to see the then new wet frame Buells.  The saleslady told me that anyone that was looking a Buells drives 100 mph with their ass in the air.  I said "Yes, do you have one?"

[Arizona Wayne]

I looked at one of the 750's at a local dealer when I was shopping for a bike, and was pretty much steered toward the larger displacement bikes. The sales person was amazed that I was even slightly interested in the bike.
Harley is a strange place to go buy if you are looking for something "different"  When I bought my Ulysses, it was the same deal, "are you sure you don't want want this nice shiny bike over here?" When I told the salesman the complete lack of chrome on the Uly appealed to me, the look on his face was not unlike I just let rip with giant wet fart that was running down my leg.
I don't think they want to sell them.

Our biggest MC dealer here sells Harleys, Yamahas, Hondas, quads, jet skis.  You go inside and 95% of the bikes on display are Harleys.     If you want most Hondas, Yamahas,  they're going to have it delivered.    As soon as you walk in you get the sense if you want a REAL MC it has to be a Harley. 

[Guzzistajohn]

The pics here are the 1st I've seen of this bike. But I really don't even turn my head to look at cruiser/cookie cutter looking bikes, unless it's a Cali, and that doesn't happen much.

[bradjarv]

I work part time at a Harley dealership. I believe we've sold 3 or 4 of them so far. The owners are very happy with them. I was thinking about buying one for my wife, but after really looking at it, it looks to be pretty cheaply built. Crappy fasteners and wiring, apparently lousy brakes. I bought her a used Suzuki for 1/2 the price. However, even the mechanics say the engine is great.

[Yeahoo Whoyah]

Yesterday in Nevada City I did see one of these new H-D's riding through town.  I don't know if it was the 500cc or the 750cc.  A minute before I'd gotten a glimpse of the new Ducati Scrambler.  Neither one had I seen on the road up until that moment.  I suspect in the future will see more Ducati Scramblers than the little H-D's.

[Perazzimx14]

I have not seen any but to be honest I don't go to Starbucks.

[redrider]

As others have said, with the Sportster relegated to chick bike status, who will buy the Street bikes? I tested a 500 in late 2013 and thought it was a great beginner bike or one to learn on as there are a lot of tuning and ergo adjustments. The 500 handles way better than the Honda 750. Neutral handling with a smooth, linear power delivery. Just not much of it.

[krglorioso]

I drive a lot on CA roads for my job and have yet to see a Street.  Maybe H-D should re-name it the "Pothole".  I have seen only one of the new Indians, a red Chief, last year.  I see H-D "Big Twins" covering the highways like ants, which means they not only sell, but their riders roll up the miles on them.  One Guzzi I see regularly is a late model V-7 "Racer" sitting on the West side of Divisadero Street in San Francisco, looking very tired.  Jeez, fella,can't you afford a cover for it?

Ralph

[ITSec]

I drive a lot on CA roads for my job and have yet to see a Street.  Maybe H-D should re-name it the "Pothole".  I have seen only one of the new Indians, a red Chief, last year.  I see H-D "Big Twins" covering the highways like ants, which means they not only sell, but their riders roll up the miles on them.  One Guzzi I see regularly is a late model V-7 "Racer" sitting on the West side of Divisadero Street in San Francisco, looking very tired.  Jeez, fella,can't you afford a cover for it?

Ralph

I will say I see a lot of Indian Chiefs here in Las Vegas - but then we had the #1 dealership in the world for them following introduction (I know, I sold them there). I left when a big outfit bought out our place, and from what I hear, the shop has dropped to the 30s or 40s in its ranking - quelle surprise! I haven't seen any Scouts and only one of the new trikes on the road since I left that store.

[Kev m]

From an acquaintance on the XL forum.

I suspect they are like VRods, and will sell well enough with dealers who understand more than just the typical Harley BS.

Seems to me that they sell quite well in South Africa, always a waiting list for them! Couple of weeks back 25 Street owners came together for a ride...

[leafman60]

I believe a big impetus for the new "Little Harleys" was the foreign markets.  India, China etc etc.

In fact, I think I'm correct in saying that even the current VRod series that sells poorly in the USA has better sales in foreign markets like Europe.

In the domestic USA market, The Real Harleys are what sell.  I'm an example of that myself. I bought and enjoyed the ill-fated Street Rod back in '06. It was a fabulous haulin-ass bike. In the end, I ended my affair with it and returned my attention to the Big Twin. I like the 45 degree, single-throw crank that has been around forever. I don't want them altering it very much.  Leave the sumbich alone and make it sound and feel like it has for generations.  Nothing in motorcycling like it.

I feel the same way about BMW.  I don't want a straight four or six-cylinder BMW.  I want an opposed twin, boxer.  Problem nowadays is that  I also want one that is reliable and that seems to be a excessive expectation of BMW. I do love the BMW singles and they seem to be reliable a year or two after BMW makes a revision.

Frankly, I feel the same way about Guzzi.  I want a 90 degree V twin Guzzi with finned cylinders (hybrid water would be okay).  I don't want a four-cylinder, smoooooth Guzzi.

Harley is trying to sew some seeds with the young with the 500/750 series.

[kirb]

I have not seen a street HD that I could spot out on the road. I have seen them at the HD riding classes when I drive by.

I have not been to a HD dealer since they dropped Buell except for buying a bottle of Novus from time to time. I suspect a typical dealer will treat the Street versions like they did Buell- try to upsell you to a sporty or big twin. You usually know more about the bikes than the sales people if you do 5 min of reading before you go in. That is how it was with Buell and I doubt it's any different with the Street versions. It might be, but budget selling isn't HD's mainstay.

I laugh when I hear HD's base is dying off. There are plenty of boomers to take their place as well as younger. The younger market is HD's biggest growth area.

[cruzziguzzi]

I have not seen a street HD that I could spot out on the road. I have seen them at the HD riding classes when I drive by.

I have not been to a HD dealer since they dropped Buell except for buying a bottle of Novus from time to time. I suspect a typical dealer will treat the Street versions like they did Buell- try to upsell you to a sporty or big twin. You usually know more about the bikes than the sales people if you do 5 min of reading before you go in. That is how it was with Buell and I doubt it's any different with the Street versions. It might be, but budget selling isn't HD's mainstay.

I laugh when I hear HD's base is dying off. There are plenty of boomers to take their place as well as younger. The younger market is HD's biggest growth area.

For what it's worth, Buddy Stubbs (big dealer) here in Phoenix has them first bikes in the door when you walk in. Can't speak to sales staff enthusiasm or knowledge but at least they're not hiding them. I hope they do well enough to demonstrate the market segment significance to HD and are slowly developed into a seller on par with Sportsters or better.

They certainly are in desperate need of individual style like the little Indians. Like 'em or not, it's fairly difficult to mistake a lower-case indian for a Star, Vulcan or Shadow. Brand identity is EVERYTHING to HD... time to demonstrate it in their off-line and not let it die on the vine like Buell.


Todd.

[Graham UK]

They don't seem to be available here in UK, but I saw one in a group of bikers that had come over from Europe and were travelling around Scotland.  I thought it looked good and the (female) rider seemed happy with it.

I agree that the dealers seem focussed on the big twins.  A couple of years ago I was wondering about a Sportster, but the dealer was pushing me towards at least a Fat Bob.  Then a low mileage '99 Cali came up and I immediately knew that that's what I really wanted to enjoy alongside the Breva.

[JeffOlson]

Aren't these new 500 and 750 cc Harley Davidsons made in India? That would turn me off, the way it has with Triumph Modern Classics made in Thailand.

I have nothing against India or Thailand, but when I get around to buying a Harley Davidson, I am going to get one made in 'Murica; and when I get around to buying another Triumph Modern Classic, I am going to get one build in merry old England...

[yackee]

I sat on one at Summerfest in Milwaukee earlier this month, the cruiser model. HD had a display there. It looked *really* small, and the seat was crazy low. I wasn't impressed at all. I think they would have done better by making a small bike that didn't look like a full-size harley got shrunk in the wash.

The cafe-racer version is aesthetically more pleasing, but not nearly as cool as the 1977 XLCR that I was drooling over yesterday during a visit to the Harley museum. That was a cool-looking bike (though from the reviews of it from the era, it sounds like a highly unpleasant thing to ride). The museum was actually really interesting and well-done. I highly recommend it. They even had a section devoted to the notorious AMG years. My wife and kids loved the Harley "shortster", a two-stroke mini bike.  They also had an emotionally moving display of a Harley that floated over the Pacific in a container after the 2012 Japan tsunami. The bike turned up, rusted out, on a beach in Alaska. The military Harleys were interesting as well. I hadn't realized they built a boxer-engined bike for the war.

[Rough Edge racing]

 They look like clones of the Japanese clones of Harley big twins...My worthless opinion...

[rocker59]

I laugh when I hear HD's base is dying off. There are plenty of boomers to take their place as well as younger. The younger market is HD's biggest growth area.

It's the 'boomers who are aging out and will cause all the sellers of expensive luxury items to begin working the GenXers and younger demographics.

[Crusty]

I bet Hardley is selling more Street 500s and 750s in the US alone than Guzzi sells total worldwide.

[rocker59]

Aren't these new 500 and 750 cc Harley Davidsons made in India?

Yes.

They are also made in Kansas City, which is where the North American market machines are built.

If you buy a Street in The USA, it will have been made in Kansas City.

[rocker59]

I drive a lot on CA roads for my job and have yet to see a Street.  Maybe H-D should re-name it the "Pothole".  I have seen only one of the new Indians, a red Chief, last year.  I see H-D "Big Twins" covering the highways like ants, which means they not only sell, but their riders roll up the miles on them.  One Guzzi I see regularly is a late model V-7 "Racer" sitting on the West side of Divisadero Street in San Francisco, looking very tired.  Jeez, fella,can't you afford a cover for it?

Ralph

Look, HD owns The USA motorcycle market.  No one disputes that.  50% of the big street bike market is theirs.  They certainly are well represented out on the road, but what percentage of HDs that are sold in The USA rack up more than a few thou a year?  What percent of riders travel cross country?  The numbers are large, but the percentages are low.

I've not seen a Street on the road, that I'm aware of, but I don't really look.  The bike is a "world bike" and really intended to sell in Asia and India.  Bringing production of the Street to The USA was a last-minute decision by HD.  Primarily to support Rider's Edge schools, but also to offer an entry-level bike below the Sportster.  I would imagine the bike sells in the thousands in The USA, which means it probably exceeds Guzzi's worldwide production.

I've been seeing quite a few Indians.  For a new, relatively low production machine, it really seems to be catching on.  There was on riding the Colorado Classic 1000 with us back in June.  I regularly see them here in The Ozarks, and I've seen them "out on the road".  Polaris has a home run with that bike, and it will become more common as production is able to be increased.

Guzzi is currently selling the V7s at the rate of about 50% of thier sales.  Like you, over the past couple years, I've seen more V7s out in the wild than all other Guzzis combined.  I see them in my town, and have met one guy who rides a Racer.  Otherwise, Guzzis are a rare commodity around here.  Even at Guzzi campouts, the V7 seems to be growing in popularity.  Most of the campouts in this part of the country will have a couple of V7s that have been ridden to the event with gear for camping.  And that's a true testament to the all around usability of the V7s.

[Kev m]

They certainly are well represented out on the road, but what percentage of HDs that are sold in The USA rack up more than a few thou a year?  What percent of riders travel cross country?  The numbers are large, but the percentages are low.

1. Point?

2. Evidence?

3. Screw it, who cares?

[bad Chad]

Pretending I'm r59 for a moment,

"Wait, wait I'm pulling something out of my azz"   

Just having fun!