Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 Visiting a Harley Davidson dealership.

2025 Sortster S. 122 horses!
Are we still in Milwaukee? 

It has been a long time.

Since I have been considering getting another motorcycle I decided to visit the dealer and see what is up with the new models.

I've gone to three Harley dealers, and it's apparent that things have changed quite a bit.

HD has now primarily concentrated on their big twin models. The "Sportster" is nothing like it was back in my day. It is now a high tech machine, that is fully competitive with other makes. However, it is no longer something that the buyer will be able to easily personalize like we did in the old Days.

Because I'm an old guy, I have a different perspective on older model bikes. I have a much longer view. Something that is ten, or even twenty years old, is not obsolete in my eyes. It doesn't even seem that old to me. I bought my only new motorcycle in 1977!

The funny thing is that during my hiatus from HD, several lines of machines have faded away.

The Evo Sportster is gone.

The Evolution Big Twin was superseded by the Twin Cam, which has been replaced by the Milwaukee Four.

The Dyna Glide chassis bikes are all history.

The new, "entry level" 500 and 750 water cooled twins have come and gone. They didn't stick around for too long!

Did I feel a bit silly walking into a HD dealer, do I look out of place?  I'm just a regular looking old guy. The traditional bad boy "biker" image is still strong with many riders. I certainly don't look like I stepped out of Central Casting. I look more like the clueless GrandPa, that wandered in by accident.

However, I have the complete confidence of my over Forty years of bike riding. I rode constantly, and have taken many long road trips. I am the real thing, even minus the beard, tattoos, and attitude.

I have always been a Sportster guy, but have also put many many miles down on Big Twins. Realistically, I've put around 75,000 miles on both platforms. That's 75,000 on each, not combined.

Did I see anything offered for sale that I liked? 

'25 Street Bob

Of the current machines, the basic Street Bob Softails are my favorites. With mid mount pegs and a simple oval gas tank they remind me of a Sporster, but they displace 112 inches! These bikes still display the bolted together nature of the earlier bikes, so they are easily customizable. They start at 18,000 dollars. These are the lowest priced Big Twins.

I saw the new liquid cooled Sportster, and these are so much more modern and high tech looking. Actually the smaller 975 cc model is named the Nightster. The larger 1275 cc model is known as the Sportster S. Knowing HD, I'm certain that in a couple of years we will see different configurations utilizing engines of both displacements. Just like the 883 and 1,200 engines were used in overlapping model series. These newer models are also not likely to be heavily customized beyond the seat, bars, and perhaps the addition of some kind of luggage. These bikes are very similar in concept to the contemporary Indian Scout. It's a matter of personal preference, but I find the appearance of the Scout to be a bit more harmonious. Harley prices these entry level Nightsters at around 10,000 dollars, during a special promotion.

Nightster 975. It only has 92 horsepower!

I think that the look of this side of the bike needs a little work.

In some ways it was kind of depressing. The Evo Sportster 1200, the Forty Eight, and my favorite, the Seventy Two, are all long gone. Almost five years past.

Of course it's really not surprising.

Dealers are in business to sell new motorcycles. Back in the late '60's and early '70's, most Harley "enthusiasts," known as "Bikers," rode older bikes. Panheads were the most common. They were produced for almost twenty years, and were plentiful and inexpensive. Shovelheads had been in production for about five years, but were still scarce among biker types. Throw a few Knuckleheads and Flatheads into the mix, and HD dealers weren't selling much more than parts for these old bikes to their customers.

HD always sold a few new full dressers every year to private buyers, and police departments always ordered a steady number of FLHs for their motor squads. But the most popular model bought by new bike buyers was the Sportster. Harley didn't have a new Big Twin model that appealed to chopper and Biker folks until the arrival of the Super glide in 1971. 

That bike was a game changer. It was the first factory "custom." Things really took off with the introduction of the Low Rider in 1977. This was a model that appealed to the custom bike crowd, and was proudly ridden, even as a "stock" model by Biker types. 

After that, as Harley rolled out new factory customized bikes in all their lineups, Harley guys started riding new and late model bikes routinely. The old Knuckles, Panheads, and even Shovels, drifted off into the fringes of the Harley riding subculture. The old bikes were revered, but they became the fodder for the custom builder, not the everyday rider. 

When it comes to used models, dealers Today are only interested in late models, preferably five years old at the most. That makes sense, they don't want to sell a used bike to a buyer that will be troublesome or hard to service or to get parts for. 

So I shouldn't have been surprised to see so few older bikes for sale.

I drove up to the shop in a car that is almost twenty years old. I wouldn't have expected the Ford dealer to have a selection of early 2000's Mustangs on hand!

However the good news is that there are plenty of old Harleys available on the used bike market, and they are all much (much!) cheaper than current models.

Parts availability is better than it ever was. There are many aftermarket manufacturers building all types of replacement parts. It's not a problem to keep a vintage HD of almost any type in good riding condition. The internet has made locating and buying parts a breeze.

Best of all, none of the old bikes are actually functionally obsolete. They may not be as smooth or long lived, but with proper care they can be reliable. They can also run down the highway as well as they ever did! An old 900 cc or 1,000 cc Ironhead Sportster can go faster than 110 mph, and easily cruise at 70 mph. With the proper cam, carb, pipes, and tune, they can still be surprisingly quick and fast. Upgrades are easily available to improve every aspect of these older bikes.

The same holds true for Shovelheads, Panheads, or even Knucklehead Big Twins. They can be rebuilt and will run better than they ever did. 

These bikes will be the Hot Rods and Muscle Cars of the future. Those old machines exist quite nicely without having any active dealer support. They do however, enjoy very active enthusiast support, which has resulted in a thriving amount of aftermarket support. 

So I am not deterred, and neither should you.

Just pick out your favorite and start riding.

Hey, if that new Sportster floats your boat, have at it! Bikes are for riding, no matter what make or model.