LOL. I was stirring the pot a bit with that remark. You buy what suits you. I certainly wouldn't expect you to do otherwise. There are those who express endless frustration that HD isn't building them an H2 for a bargain price. It's never going to happen. There are already excellent SS bikes crowding the market. It's too small of a market with too many players and not enough profit. The money is in exactly what they're doing right now: big expensive touring motorcycles and cruisers.
You're absolutely correct, they OWN their niche in the market, and it's a big one. Contrary to what some want to believe HD is an entirely modern company in every way, manufacturing, marketing and management. They produce enough bikes to create a degree of scarcity to keep new & used prices high, and bolster the image of exclusivity.
Their present (perhaps ongoing) dip in sales might be temporary or it might be just part of the overall decline in MC sales. There's plenty of competition for our discretionary dollar, and as the costs of our needs (food, shelter etc.) goes up the competition intensifies.
And to add my voice to a common lament, if HD had made the XR1200 a modern, but close-to identical in appearance XLCR I would most likely have bought one.