I get that HD has staked a great deal on their notion of "brand value", "exclusivity" and tribal belonging (in a marketing sense) within the greater context of the marketplace, meaning purchasing motivations beyond us as experienced MC owners/riders.
Where I think they completely missed the mark with their new bikes is that people who ONLY care that their purchase is shiny and has a bar and shield logo can buy a mostly lightly used one (even big twin and touring) for 10's of thousands of dollars less than a new one. And it can be just as shiny.
Plus, the people within that cohort that they're trying to impress/appeal to don't know the difference between a 1999 street glide and a 2025. The extra bonus is that even high mileage doesn't matter if you're only riding a few hundred km's per year to bars, coffee shops or other meet ups.
Where I think they completely missed the mark with their new bikes is that people who ONLY care that their purchase is shiny and has a bar and shield logo can buy a mostly lightly used one (even big twin and touring) for 10's of thousands of dollars less than a new one. And it can be just as shiny.
Plus, the people within that cohort that they're trying to impress/appeal to don't know the difference between a 1999 street glide and a 2025. The extra bonus is that even high mileage doesn't matter if you're only riding a few hundred km's per year to bars, coffee shops or other meet ups.
