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Harley vs Indian. This is going to be fun to watch!

trevor

trevor

Forum Guru
Past Site Supporter
Lol....as a matter of fact I did "dream of owning a Polaris when I was a kid"! Lol....when I was 15 I bought a TX250 Polaris snowmobile....boy I loved that machine!
As for dreaming of a Harley...well my feelings on that are well documented here...:p

Harley is making a huge mistake imo trying to go toe to toe in an advertising fight with Indian.

https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/ne...7R3xtGHLxW9p010w0H1airGCp7TPk_lo2onjXfFhW1jbk

harley-davidson-indian-polaris-advertisement-1800.jpg
 
Really goes to show who they think the target audience is.
Apparently morons.

HD pretensions are sickening at the best of times.
They really have balls though!
USA USA USA!
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isleoman said:
I don't own a HD, I've never wanted an HD. Having said that if it weren't for HD riders, I'd be virtually alone on the highways and back roads of New England. I find it hard to criticize the only other players on the field.
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I hardly (no pun intended) know anyone that rides a Harley. And I have a ton of riding buddies.
 
isleoman said:
I don't own a HD, I've never wanted an HD. Having said that if it weren't for HD riders, I'd be virtually alone on the highways and back roads of New England. I find it hard to criticize the only other players on the field.
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My comment is clearly an attempt to mock the Madison Ave weasels that concocted the dreadfully foolish ad.
Harley is insulting its own clientele with this one.

Yah see they love to claim unbroken continuity to the point where they conveniently forget the AMF years.
They are an ad company hocking motorcycles
 
I have owned 3 Victory motorcycles and when I travel and rent, I always grab an Indian. My experience with both brands are all positive. The Victory bikes I have owned were problem free and I would buy another without hesitation. My last Victory was a 2012 Cross Roads....loved it.

I have only owned one Harley, a 2002 Sportster Custom. Very cool looking bike and fun to ride for a couple miles, but no fun to put miles on. I understand there have been some improvements since 2002.

Over the years I have been tempted to pick up a Harley, but others have always won out.

Everyone into HD's is aware of Polaris AKA Victory/Indian...…..I think the ad is spot on and needed by HD.
 
Huge improvements since 2002. Rubber mounted powerplant, fuel injection, pretty sophisticated electronics. The SuperLow gets more sporting size wheels and tires.

There is something special about a Harley. Yeah, the MoCo manages to tap into this better than most companies can, but if it weren't there, they wouldn't be able to draw it out. I love my Sportster and have zero problem doing 4-500 mile days on it. Most charismatic, enjoyable bike I've had in decades.
 
Actually... Yes. It being a Snowmobile or Wheeler. With Trevor I spent more time thinking about getting something like that over any HD when I was kid.

One of my dream bikes is an Indian... No HD but yes... A Polaris.
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As for HD I tried with the Street-Rod and Sportster. Just so sub par compared to my (not so anymore) New Bonneville T120. Planning my cross country trek with it this year and am excited to have a motorcycle with ABS, TCS, Cruise, Heated grips that yields 55-60mpg on a 1200cc 6-speed lump. The Triumph is not 100% reliable no but it offers 100% of the personality your looking for in a modern classic 2 cylinder motorcycle. I got hat feel from HD so yeah HD offers a unique riding experience but you can find it in other brands. Get after it and still does low 3's 0-60. Nothing a HD could do. Sad my Standard T120 is faster than my XR1200 "sport"ster was. What I wanted and promised by HD was utlimtley delivered by Indian about a year after I bought the T120. AS I do intend to ride the T120 until it doesn't anymore I want a pure weekend bike and boy oh boy after seeing and riding one; the FTR 1200 tickles my fancy and flexes the American muscles at the same time!

Truth is 2019 was another huge hit to the American MC market. They only bikes that seem to be selling well are the ones selling bikes at low prices and good value... Watch out for Royal Enfield there... They sold out twice of RE interceptors 650's last year...

HD lost it's 50% market share in 2017 and the number drops steadily for them. The liveware was a bust. They are chasing Polaris now with the water-cooled twins coming out now next year (they keep getting pushed back). I have no interest.
 
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I knew I'd be pretty much on my own in this regard. I've put 5,000 miles on the Sportster and it only gets better. I can't find anything historical or aesthetically pleasing about that "Indian," though Triumphs are still interesting in my mind, along with BMWs.
 
GS1150Pilot said:
I knew I'd be pretty much on my own in this regard. I've put 5,000 miles on the Sportster and it only gets better. I can't find anything historical or aesthetically pleasing about that "Indian," though Triumphs are still interesting in my mind, along with BMWs.
Click to expand...
I feel the same way with the 45K miles I've put on my Bonneville. If it didn't have the reliability issues in the first season it would have been the best damn motorcycle I've owned. If it holds up to the +30K miles season I have planned for it this year... It will wear that crown of best bike I've ever owned.

Really happy for you having a motorcycle you love! Glad you found a bike that works well for you! Taken me years to find that after my first FZ1.

Cheers!
 
Stopped by my Indian dealer today...asked how sales were going....they told me they took 6 Harley's on trade this week alone! Lol..
 
The last couple of years I have seen a huge spike in Indians at Daytona bike week. Still mostly Harley's but It's funny to see the guys with the bar and shield tattoos on their arms but they are riding on a brand new Indian motorcycle.

FTR is on my short list. The Challenger says something to me too. I'm not a cruiser guy so that the turnoff. My Buddy who bought a FTR1200 loves his and he will likely NEVER buy a traditional HD.

Oh Levatich got canned today... About time, the company is at an all time low in a booming economy. True the MC industry isn't very good right now but even compared to rivals, HD is just getting their doors blown off.
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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...on-ceo-steps-down-after-five-year-sales-slump
https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...cycle-maker-replaced-board-member/4908382002/
 
Another fun fact...the own the BMW/Ducati dealer...and recently purchased the Triumph dealer where they added the Indian line. My buddy says what a difference in customers! He says at the bmw/ducati dealer customers come in prepared, they have done their homework and know what they want....contrast to the Indian (old Harley customer) that really has not done their homework...and he says they get their credit declined 60% of the time! Lol.....shopping for an expensive toy with bad credit....classic!
 
The lesson I learned for 2020: If you have to finance, than you can't afford it. Delay pleasure and save your coins. Having no monthly payments is the best thing I've discovered to date.
 
Jedz123 said:
The lesson I learned for 2020: If you have to finance, than you can't afford it. Delay pleasure and save your coins. Having no monthly payments is the best thing I've discovered to date.
Click to expand...

Personally I don't have a problem with financing something....I just think it's incredibly irresponsible to be trying to buy an expensive toy when you don't chit together.
 
trevor said:
Personally I don't have a problem with financing something....I just think it's incredibly irresponsible to be trying to buy an expensive toy when you don't chit together.
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It is irresponsible, I'm with you there! If you can't be ready enough to run your fircken credit report before you walk in the door looking to finance, well... Don't Finance!!! Wasting allot of folks time.
I think like all things there is a time where you can use debt strategically, IE house, mortgage. Just like anything use it in moderation!
 
Consumer credit is the biggest ripoff ever devised to rid the working class of a future.
 
LAB3 said:
Consumer credit is the biggest ripoff ever devised to rid the working class of a future.
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It's definitely a very over sold product that seems to penetrate all things these days.
As stated, Mortgages are great tools for folks to build equity rather than pay rent. Here in Vermont we saved nearly 50% in housing costs from renting to going into a Mortgage payment. We kept the same monthly "payment" in our budget a month, applied the extra to principle and the result is to have our beautiful Vermont home paid for in 3 years time (we also put down a large Down Payment, we are savers).
We paid off all our debts early February and the cash flow is remarkable. My best advice is to get on a budget, cut up your credit cards and save to buy anything you "need" or "want" and live bellow your means... . I'll be on track to purchase my next MC late this season or early next season in straight cash. At that route I'll likely be either new used stock (2018/2019 models sitting on showroom floors) or more likely; lightly used models from a private seller at a deal for both parties...

Which ties back to the topic... One of the bikes to purchase could be a FTR1200. My buddy who owns one is going to allow me some extended saddle time on his 2019 FTR1200S. It has all the wizardry however if I go the FTR1200 route I would likely get into a standard... Less electronics. I will have less guilt building it out in how I see fit.
rc9mbrso_indian-ftr-1200-s_625x300_06_September_19.jpg

The tins are allot like the XR1200, plastics that cover components that can easily be swapped. I would just swap over to maroon tins to acquire that classic Scout color. All going to come down to how I think the bike rides, performs, personality and most importantly the perceived value. The FTR1200 in the flesh is a stunning motorcycle. Can't wait to borrow my buddies for an extended test ride.
Cheers.
 
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What a turnout at my Indian dealer today for their open house today! Hundreds of people and had to be a hundred bikes at least! My buddy Bill sure puts on great events....it was also my son Liam's first day on the job. :) Couple of classic there too.

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Trevor, I need to get to you island of motorcycles... Bucket list thing to do for sure!!!

Was there any Demo rides?
 
Jedz123 said:
Trevor, I need to get to you island of motorcycles... Bucket list thing to do for sure!!!

Was there any Demo rides?
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Yep there were groups of demo rides all day! I've never seen so many Harley's...lol
You are welcome here anytime my friend. :)
 
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