Why Buy a Harley?

I like riding motorcycles, but I love riding Harley Davidson (HD) motorcycles. This week I'd like to address what is often a hot topic with motorcyclists: are Harley Davidson machines worth the extra cost? Whereas BMW and HD bikes are comparable in price, typically, the Japanese bikes, i.e., Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha, are significantly less expensive for machines of similar engine displacement. For buyers considering only price, HDs are usually beyond their price target.

BMWs of similar engine displacement typically offer more functional features than HD bikes, e.g., heated hand grips, anti-lock braking, etc. Thus, for buyers weighing only price and functionality, HDs are at a disadvantage to BMW. I know all this and yet my last two motorcycles have been Harley Davidson touring machines, retailing for well over $20K. Let me explain why.

I've owned five motorcycles in my life, three Harleys and two Hondas. In 1980, or thereabouts, my friend Steve sold me his 1967 Harley Davidson Sprint. It was old and ugly; the gas tank had been painted flat black with a brush! It was a great bike to start on because I didn't have to worry about scratching or denting anything.

The Sprint was a very different kind of Harley Davidson motorcycle for many reasons, primarily these: (1) it was made in Italy; (2) it used a tiny 250cc engine; and (3) the foot controls were reversed: the shifter was on the right and the rear brake pedal on the left. (Refer to the photo above; note the shifter lever.) Its top speed was 55-60 mph, which kept me out of trouble. The placement of the foot controls created a challenge for me the day I was scheduled to take my road test for the motorcycle license endorsement. It was a cold March day in Buffalo, NY and I couldn't get the little Sprint started. As much as I kicked it over, it refused to run. So, Steve loaned me his Kawasaki 750. It was like going from a Cessna to the Space Shuttle in terms of power and I had to instantly adapt to the foot controls being on the opposite sides. I failed the road test, though not because of the last minute switch in bikes; rather I had gotten too comfortable too quickly and failed because I did quick-stop-and-rolls at three stop signs. (According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, a motorcycle must not only come to a complete stop, the rider must also plant at least one foot flat on the ground.)

It turned out that selling the little black beast was easy. I put a small ad in the local newspaper and within a few days a leather clad fellow came by and paid me $200 cash for it. (I had paid $300.) I told the buyer I couldn't get it started. No matter. This older gentlemen explained that he needed the bike for parts. These Italian Harleys havd already become quite collectible and hard to find.

In 1982 I bought a Honda CM450C for $1295, brand new. This was one of the many Japanese machines often referred to as "econo-bikes." They were cheap, simple, and abundant. The dealer was happy to get it out of his building. I put 32,500 miles on that little wonder. It was a very reliable two-cylinder motorcycle. Unfortunately, it lacked power, which became evident on interstates when trying to climb hills, such as those in West Virginia. Steve convinced me to use financing for the first time and buy a new 1987 Honda Magna 700. It was a beautiful, cherry red, four cylinder cruiser. I rode it like crazy until 1989, when I got married and had a child. I moved to North Carolina and the Magna became a casualty of the move.

After almost a decade of patience and bikelessness, in July 2000, I bought a new 2000 Harley Davidson Road King Classic from Ray Price Harley Davidson in Raleigh, North Carolina. I paid too much for it, but that was when most everyone was paying too much for Harleys. It was a massive machine compared to what I had owned previously, and at first, I was a bit intimidated. That lasted about half a day. The second day, I was riding on NC 54 in Durham feeling the engine rumbling beneath me and thinking that there is nothing like riding a Harley, even a stock one, as I was doing at that moment. :-)

Here are five reasons why for many people--not all--it's worth paying more for the bike when it's a Harley Davidson:

• The Harley family/HOG
• It's American-made
• The people you meet
• The beauty of the machine (styling)
• The dealership network

The Harley Family & Harley Owners Group (HOG). When I bought my Road King in 2000, the dealership automatically signed me up for a one-year membership with HOG. For $12 more, I joined the Durham chapter, and then after a couple of years, I switched to the Raleigh chapter. Like any new organization, it takes a little while to integrate into the social fabric. The key is to get involved, starting with the monthly chapter meetings. The Harley Davidson Motor Company made a brilliant decision when it created HOG because getting customers involved with other customers (and in Raleigh, the dealership) increases the chances for follow-on purchases. For the rider, HOG offers a way to enjoy the motorcycle more, especially with others. "Live to ride; ride to eat" is a popular HOG slogan. Many of the group rides involve stops at restaurants. :-) HOG also publishes a quarterly magazine and offers all kinds of programs. My favorite is the Mileage Program. Late last year, I earned my 125,000 mile patch.      

American Made. Though many of the parts may be manufactured overseas, the bikes are assembled in the U.S. and you can tour the plants, such as those in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In an era when everything seems to be made in China or some other country in southeast Asia, it's nice to ride an machine assembled by American workers who make a decent wage. 

People You Meet & Places to Go. When it comes to motorcycle rallies, Harley Davidson owners have the most options. Any rider is welcome to the Black Hills Motorcycle Rally in and around Rapid City, South Dakota each August. (It's the rally people often simply call "Sturgis.") But, it's really the world's largest Harley rally with more than a half million people showing up. Between the places you'll want to go and the attractiveness of the bike, you tend to meet a lot of people when you ride a Harley. The shiny machines tend to draw people to them.

Beauty of the Machine. How often do you see a dirty or decrepit Harley? Rarely. It's almost a law that Harley owners keep their bikes looking nice. (Of course, they're relatively expensive and it would be foolish to let a bike decline deliberately through neglect.) The Motor Company cleverly designs its machines with just enough chrome to set them apart from the competition but with plenty of places to add after-market pieces to further enhance the look. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, buying the bike is a down payment on the accessories. You spend more, but no other motorcycles on the road look as good as a Harley Davidson. On the other hand, more than other brands, you can customize your bike to fit your needs without spending a fortune. While the bikes themselves are expensive, Harley owners have access to relatively inexpensive after-market and third party parts. I've spoken to many a Gold Wing ("Winger") owner who laments how expensive the after-market accessories are for the Hondas. For the Harley market, it's a matter of volume: a large supply (competition) keeps prices reasonable.

Dealership Network. About a decade ago, the Motor Company pushed its dealerships all across the U.S. to remodel -- and in some cases relocate -- to improve the customer experience. When a Harley rider crosses the country (and Canada), he or she can be confident that in cities and towns along the way there will be friendly, accommodating dealerships to support them.

If you want pure functionality and longevity (albeit in a boring ugly engine), buy a BMW. If you want performance (and speeding tickets), buy a Japanese crotch rocket (aka "sport bike"). But if you want to a ride a bike where you feel no need to hurry because you're already where you want to be, buy a Harley Davidson. 

Keep the shiny side up.

-The Long Rider

Photos

Top left - HD 1967 Sprint. Credit: 2-Stroke Spaghetti Harley Riders (http://www.2stroke.nl/links2.htm). Lower right - my friend Mitch and I in downtown Sturgis, August 2006.