Harleys traded-in for Yamaha/Star bikes

Yeah, dealers trade a lot of inventory between one another and buy / sell a lot at auction.

I'm not surprised though. Yamaha/Star motorcycles are air-cooled big twins that have a lot of similar features to H-D. While many people see a two cylinder engine in a "V" configuration and say "It's an H-D knockoff!", you know, because it's a motorcycle with two cylinders and handlebars and stuff. The more observant will notice a more similar engine layout, V angle, air-cooling, pushrods, etc. Yamaha/Star V-Twins are more similar to the Harley offerings than they are to other metric offerings.

I mentioned this in another thread but I'm seeing, locally, the Honda Shadow becoming more and more of a replacement for the sportster. Not everyone can, or should, start off on a big twin (my local H-D dealer says during the summer, someone wrecks a brand new bike once every two weeks because "I can handle it dude I don't need a smaller bike to start with". And that's just the ones they see wrecked in their parking lot. I know I've been there and witnessed it twice on two separate occasions.) And the sportster has it's fans but it just isn't the bike it used to be. Well, actually it is; and that's kind of the problem. It's a 6 decade old design that has been virtually unchanged. Top heavy, tons of vibration, etc. Buying an old Harley is cool. Buying a 2015 model year old Harley is, well, not as cool. So riders are looking for a more 'refined' bike and smaller metrics fit the bill. I've seen a few Harley dealers now with used Honda Shadows in stock; traded in for HD models. And I have a sneaking suspicion an H-D dealer won't mind selling you a Shadow, because there really isn't anything from Honda to 'trade up' to. There's the sort of custom-chopper looking VTX line but that's not for everyone.

Heck, that was my wifes plan. She really wanted a Heritage Softail. Looked at a sportster. Sat on it and decided no. Confirmed that talking to several other smaller riders who said they owned and hated them. So she got the Shadow. Though she loves it, and even just a couple months ago I asked if she still wanted a Heritage and the response has been a wallet-rejoicing "Nah, not really, I really like my bike".

It may be waning but it will never go away. You're always going to have those groups. And the group that wears the T-Shirts, has the special Harley edition F-150, has a "Harley Parking Only" sign in the garage, has never missed an episode of SoA (okay, I watched one episode of that to see the bikes but I didn't 'get it'), AND.... has never ridden a motorcycle in his life. (I used to have a neighbor like that).

In my area though that group doesn't seem to ditch the bikes. At least in my perception. They buy a nice shiny Harley and it sits in the garage, get's polished, maybe ridden around the neighborhood. But the fact that they own one makes them this big tough 'biker' in their minds. My wife had this tenant for a while who would come into her office all the time in his leather vest, and had the bar and shield stickers all over his car. One day I asked him what he rode and he told me, an older Softail. I told him he ought to join us for a ride sometime and then he says (and remember this is a guy who always comes in in his 'biker vest' with patches all over in no particular order and no back patch), "Well I haven't started it in a couple of years". Further pressing reveals he bought it several years ago and rode it a couple of times but it mostly just sits in the garage. But hey, he's a biker! And whatever, more power to him. It's a 'style' like any other. But I don't think that group will ever go away entirely.

Looking at used Harleys you can definitely tell there are "two kinds of bikers". Local Harley dealer that I bought my bikes from and we frequent has a huge selection of used H-D's. Some 10 year old bikes with 4,000 miles on them and some with 100k after 5 years. And of course the same is true on the metric side. Although, frankly, metrics are a bit less likely to be bought by someone just wanting to buy an image. So there's a LITTLE less of that.

I just bought my used Vulcan 500 three weeks ago or so. It is the 19th bike I have bought since 2008. None of the 19 was a Harley for several reasons, the main one being the price.

Buddy of mine had a Honda Shadow and bought a Harley wideglide or Lowrider, I forget which....We talk bikes all the time....The other day he said that it is time I buy a Harley, just so I can say "I had one." No way...I have no yen to have one....Nothing against Harley except when it comes to me...I dont' want one. I have found most HD riders to be great guys. The ones who are posers and wannabees spoil it for the rest of them..

If someone said that I could have any Harley on earth, custom, stock, whatever, free, and they agreed to pay the insurance and maintenance for life, providing I get rid of my other bikes and just ride the Harley, I'd say no way...

As I understand it, the new "Rushmore" water cooled engines only are set up to cool the heads, and not the entire engine block...Previously, some models were set up to shut off the rear cylinder when stopped for a redlight in order that the engine would not seize. All I can say to that is "what price vanity?"

End of rant,

Bob