Harley Future?

Looks like Harley is finally coming around to reality.

Must be the ass kicking that Indian is giving Harley on the dirt tracks in the US.

They have a new product they are about to drop on the market – 975cc Street Fighter. Even though the name is unfortunately pretentious, and ridiculous, the bike seems to be a genuine modern, sport oriented machine. Modern motor (975cc, 60 degree, DOHC, 4 Valve, liquid cooled), mono shock chassis, brakes. The really first bike they have introduced that won’t have a truck sized wheelbase, or a weight measured in tons.

The article states that Harley is not sure if the bike will be manufactured/assembled in India or the US. That may be the most troubling sentence in the article.

Have to wait for Harley to release the actual specs, but I have to admit, other than the 1200 XLR, this may be the only Harley that I have ever had any interest in owning.

http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/image-gallery-2020-harley-davidson-streetfighter-975-sport-naked/

That’s got potential ...

I waited and waited. They took far too long.

Yeah,

Over the last 10-12 years I have seen various reports that Harley were looking to buy another M/C brand to acquire a real sport/superbike model.
First Ducati, then MV, then a possible joint venture with Mahendra, etc....
I guess we now have some idea of which rumor was accurate.

Idiot management. They killed the Buell line, now they're re-building it. Absolute money destruction, tens of millions at both ends.

That said, I rode a plain 103 six speed a few weeks ago, other than the dragging asphalt on both sides, it was an awesome machine. The 80 -120 rush through 4th 5th & 6th was wonderful, not shifting on a spike of power, rather grabbing another mountain of power.

For nearly 50 years I've been willing to buy a Harley . . . .

They had just that with Buell.

Since i have been in Colorado i have been out exploring on the Nortons. Heading east long straight roads and moutains to the west. The nortons are great for short fun rides. I am thinking about trading my aprilia shiver in for a 2018 electra glide. They fixed a lot of things on this model including liquid cooled motor, better shocks and more. I want one to ride down to california and back. My mrs sat on the back last week. We are test riding one next week. Its seriously comfortable. I am kind of excited about it. Must be getting old lol if i dont get the harley, i will get another touring bike...

All good points and well said. BUT everyone has a Harley, including me. Relatively speaking damn few people on the planet have 961's. Damn few and that counts big time in my book. Can't tell you how many time people have stopped me to ask about the Norton. But not on the Harley. On top of all that cool stuff, it's a hoot to ride.

The bike looks well and mean , Like as been said ,the Buell looked good , They had it already.

I prefare the Harley looking Harley , It`s what our dreams were for and you can change bits to make it yours , not with the modern stuff.

When Harley bought Aermacchi, they had simply NO IDEA ! What has changed ? If Ford had bought Ferrari, they would have looked just as stupid.
A Harley is as much a motorcycle as a Cadillac.

I've been interested in finally getting a good two up bike. Maybe a Soft Tail with the 114 motor. My Mrs. deserved something comfy. Its either that or a Beemer 1200 RT. Torn between sporty or old and retired type riding. I love the cool biker factor of Harley. The sound and looks. As mentioned...everybody has one. So many of my friends are out riding them trouble free while I'm bitching about my problematic Norton. That said, I know I'm having more fun out there.

You need both the norton and the harley

Jerry Doe said:

You need both the norton and the harley

Click to expand...

That is very sound advice, Jerry. We all need two bikes - one for touring and commuting. - The other for having fun and feeling alive. To my mind the only Harley which ever came near to being a real motorcycle was the Buell - and it needed a Harris frame. It is NOT rocket science. The XR750TT road racer came near to being decent, but the frame was a real shitter. Even the Indian Enfields have Harris frames these days. Why do Americans have this desperate need to put their own stamp on everything they make ? If they swallowed their pride for a moment and used what is good regardless of it's source, they might do much better.

Did you know that several of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project were British and after the war helped Britain make it's own bomb, after the Americans refused to share their A-bomb information with Britain ? Are Americas so insecure that the always have to prove themselves by avoiding giving credit where it is due ? What Harley ever had a frame which was comparable with a Seeley, Harris or Rickman ? - IT NEVER HAPPENED !
Harley might beat Ducati - The Ford GT40s beat Ferrari at Le Mans and Daytona - at what cost ?