Victory Is Toast

[Suzuki Johnny]

BUT ...
IT WOKE UP HD AND SUDDENLY MODELS IMPROVED, NEW ENGINES, BETTER EVERYTHING, EXCEPT PRICES ...

Customer surveys conducted by Harley Davidson brought that out to the fore front for years.....we complained about poor braking, sluggish power off the line, crappy ergonomics and for geez sake move that GD oil filter where we can get to it.............
I know... I've been filling them out for some time now.....either way someone in HD is finally paying attention now that sales aren't quite what they should be...........
ps: Complaining about prices doesn't do any good...but certain dealers will deal with you especially come the end of September and they have a dozen or so left over models from the year before sitting on the showroom floor .....some will drop the destination and set up fees and give you what you want for your trade in.... [emoji106]

[HARRIS]

REMEMBER WHEN THERE WERE WAITING LISTS, AND PEOPLE BOUGHT AND ORDERED, ONLY TO SELL THEIR POSITION,NEVER INTENDING TO TAKE DELIVERY BACK I THE 90'S ?


AND BIKES WITH WAY OVER LIST ....

[JFL Live]

REMEMBER WHEN THERE WERE WAITING LISTS, AND PEOPLE BOUGHT AND ORDERED, ONLY TO SELL THEIR POSITION,NEVER INTENDING TO TAKE DELIVERY BACK I THE 90'S ?

AND BIKES WITH WAY OVER LIST ....

Yes I remember that, I was on the list in 1999 for a black Harley Springer Softtail. They told me it would be a 2 year wait. Then they called me months later and said my bike was in... except it was red and they wanted 21k for a 16k motorcycle. Apparently everyone ahead of me on the list declined that wonderful deal.

That's when I went to the Suzuki dealer and bought my Intruder.

[Suzuki Johnny]

In 2003 I was so interested in purchasing a 1200 Sportster...but the 11K asking price, at that time was way too much for me to wrap my head around it..


A few years later my Sweet wife bought a 2006 1200 Custom Sportster for $9900......go figure



The next year I bought my 2004 1400 for $7800 out the door...

[maxriderdon]

BUT ...
IT WOKE UP HD AND SUDDENLY MODELS IMPROVED, NEW ENGINES, BETTER EVERYTHING, EXCEPT PRICES ...

How true that is and Indian I think even more so. That's good for all. It keeps the pressure on manufacturer to make actual improvements to cruisers across the board, not just for Harley. Every other category of bikes have made continuous improvements through the years while cruisers have seriously lagged behind. The excuse has always been "well it's a cruiser"

[Suzuki Johnny]

BUT ...
IT WOKE UP HD AND SUDDENLY MODELS IMPROVED, NEW ENGINES, BETTER EVERYTHING, EXCEPT PRICES ...

How true that is and Indian I think even more so. That's good for all. It keeps the pressure on manufacturer to make actual improvements to cruisers across the board, not just for Harley. Every other category of bikes have made continuous improvements through the years while cruisers have seriously lagged behind. The excuse has always been "well it's a cruiser"

Bike manufacturers always upgrade their top of the line bikes first since the asking price is inflated to start with...adding ABS brakes and larger cc engines for instance came out first on the touring models in Harley Davidson line up.....only now are other models offered with the same feature

[Junebug51]

[MadCow]

[tabasco]

Damn shame. They made good bikes. I never considered buying one, though, as anything other than a C90 Boulevard is really just settling.

[maxriderdon]

BUT ...
IT WOKE UP HD AND SUDDENLY MODELS IMPROVED, NEW ENGINES, BETTER EVERYTHING, EXCEPT PRICES ...

How true that is and Indian I think even more so. That's good for all. It keeps the pressure on manufacturer to make actual improvements to cruisers across the board, not just for Harley. Every other category of bikes have made continuous improvements through the years while cruisers have seriously lagged behind. The excuse has always been "well it's a cruiser"

Bike manufacturers always upgrade their top of the line bikes first since the asking price is inflated to start with...adding ABS brakes and larger cc engines for instance came out first on the touring models in Harley Davidson line up.....only now are other models offered with the same feature

To me those are small upgrades. I would rather see smaller better engines, real braking systems, stiffer frames, and better suspensions. My 06 Stratoliner uses a lighter aluminum frame and a very low center of gravity, that I like. As far as the 113ci? Yeah it's a reliable engine but like most huge V-twins it makes heat better than propulsion. As far as engines I liked the liquid cooled V-4 options we used to have, even the Honda Magna but like Victory the sales just didn't make it. For the last 25 years sales indicate folks like pretty motorcyles over great motorcycles. Having to make a choice in the current lineup of cruisers I would choose a Guzzi followed by Indian or maybe Triumph but hard for me to support Polaris right now seeing their abrupt method of exiting the market. I really feel sorry for some of their dealships especially if that's all they carried.

[jonnycando]

Dealers that carried only Victory were eating cat food for dinner if sales were all that bad. I do know my local dealer sometimes take 3 years to push a Victory out the door....while everything else goes out as fast as it comes in. It's sad as I have said, for they are good bikes....but I didn't buy one, and apparently a lot of other folks picked something else.

[Herb]

Dealers that carried only Victory were eating cat food for dinner if sales were all that bad. I do know my local dealer sometimes take 3 years to push a Victory out the door....while everything else goes out as fast as it comes in. It's sad as I have said, for they are good bikes....but I didn't buy one, and apparently a lot of other folks picked something else.

I could have afforded one, but I will be damned if I would spend the money they wanted.