Motorcycle Industry is Doomed

There might not be any new Harley's around but I would be good money there will be new KTM's...

Harley like most companies wanted to get bigger and bigger and probably made a lot more from products not bikes ..People are changing and don't want to spend $75.00 for a $25.00 shirt that says Harley..
On the bright side the used ones will be more affordable maybe..

My 4 year old Grandson will be getting his first bike this spring..

I dunno, Gramps...

I wouldn't wear a used Harley shirt if you paid me.
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What do you base this Myth on?


Apparel accounts for less than 11% That includes the T-shirts, Leather Jackets, Assless chaps, Helmets, Boots, Gloves, Glasses....

"Revenue from MotorClothes® apparel and accessories, (not parts) was $75.1 million, up 3.1 percent compared to the year-ago period."

Not sure where you found $75 t-shirts??? Ours are $30 and they must be priced right because we go through them very quickly.

"Revenue from motorcycles during the second quarter of 2012 of $1.22 billion was up 21.6 percent compared to the year-ago period. The Company shipped 83,502 motorcycles to dealers and distributors worldwide during the quarter, up 25.0 percent compared to shipments of 66,815 motorcycles in the second quarter of 2011."

I don't know, CT, but our local Harley dealer is selling quite a few new Harleys, Triumphs and Kawasakis. Sure, they are luxury items, toys, whatever, but I'm still buying them. I see a pretty steady stream of customers there. I see new Harleys all the time around here too. Is it wishful thinking that you aren't seeing new ones or what?

Super Sherpa's ROCK the Casbah!
I wanted one pretty badly - or maybe any 250 DS that I could make into a Moto type bike. But at 6'3" and 260 lbs I kept getting odd looks every time I sat on one...(Not what kept me from buying one - I was worried about my effect on the suspension and figure it would cost over $1K to beef one up - a pretty large percentage of the cost of the bike.

So I got a VStrom. I am VERY happy with my Strom but I still want a 250 someday!

I am retired military so I have a LOT of respect for our servicemen. However, we ARE raising a lot of pussies these days !

I think I read in a VFW Magazine that slightly less than 1% of males that have turned 18 in the U.S. since 2001 have or ever will have served in one of the military services.

That's not to say that the other 99% are pussies but let's face it - guys didn't get their (hair) tips frosted and wear skinny jeans and think it was cool to look like they were a unisex model 20 years ago.
A Man should NEVER aspire to being thought of as "cute" by women (or other men for that matter). But I see all kinds of ?males? trying to look cute everyday in the workplace and out and about.

Manhood in general, but especially younger males - are in dire need of help in the U.S. - I imagine Western Europe is about the same (it seemed worse when I lived there for ten years).

IF you are a younger man and you're reading this - I am probably NOT talking about you because you (most likely) wouldn't be here if you fit that description.

So back in your day what did the kool kids want to look like? Elvis?

Howsabout the Beatles,which one did you look like? Or maybe you favored a Mick Jagger or Jim Morrison look? You probably couldn't pull off a david Bowie. Yeah, everyone looked macho back in the old days!

After all, when your role model is Justin Beiber or possibly Ice-T, you either get a latent homosexual, or wannabe gangster. What else is there?

Why? Because you don't like it? What's wrong with being cute? And for the matter of the thread, why should a cute man not ride a motorcycle? (Or how should being cute affect his manhood?)

Due to a logisitics/customs F-up, I recently found my myself in Vegas without a belt. As I'd lost some weight, my trousers would have fallen down without one. The Harley shop in one of the hotels was the cheapest belt I could find (was about $22 IIRC) that was of reasonable quality and not gaudy/OTT (no disrespect, but a lot of American belts are a bit too 'Texan' for my conservative British tastes).

I kept the tag and bag and able to give it to my cousin (who likes Harley stuff) as a gift after my trip was over.

I never thought I'd buy any Harley clothing, but I'm glad I did in this instance!

Start a thread down in the basement and have fun with it.

"Real" men don't care if someone calls them cute, Dakez.

You are confusing "male" for "Man"

nope.

Spoken like a true metro-sexual.

Spoken like someone with deep insecurities about his masculinity. It's ok, you aren't alone.

Me, I don't really care how butch someone is or isn't acting. Ride your own ride, wear your own pants.

You have it backwards


I am not lost and insecure like the limp wristed ones. Wear fem pants all you want to. Whatever floats your boat.... Just don't cry in my beer.

Whoa, you gave a used belt as a gift. How about 1 sock, too?












Relax, it's just a joke.

As long as it gets me in her pants of course I care if I'm called cute. Still don't understand why it's wrong having done military service and being cute and riding motorcycles.