New H-D model; i'm confused

[rflnomad]

Hello all. Not trying to start pointing fingers at the Motor Company, but H-D released a model that I can not believe. Sportster 72.
Take a peek online. I just shake my head over & over. Just not sure people are going to warm up to a style based in the early 70s. It is marketed at younger people too in the Dark Custom line. Don't get me wrong; I like the 883 Iron and Nightster Sportsters! I like their simplicity and back to basic approach to riding and individuality. I just see a smaller market with the Sportster 72.
I am still a fan of the Wide Glide as I have an original year FXWG. And for 14.4K it is a pretty good darn bike. I would love one Blue with the Blue flames! And if I had to get a Dark Custom it would be the BlackLine hands down. That thing is cool and I am begging our local dealer to do demo rides!
Just my opinion on the Sportster though. Seeing if any one else saw it yet.

[Timay]

My first motorcycle was a Honda 50 (!) in 1963...my second was a 1959 Sportster, 883, but it was warmed up a bit - 'P' cams, 10% overbore in the carb, lightened rocker arms, oversize valves (don't remember which ones), ported and polished heads, aluminum rims (in 1964!), etc. - fastest street MC in Champaign-Urbana (maybe Illinois - ). I just took a look at the Sportster 72...an immediate trip down memory lane! Looks nearly identical to the bike I had, down to the color! The 72 even has spokes...I don't like the ape hangers and I'm sure it's belt driven (haven't looked at the specs yet)...too bad they didn't put a chain on it to really get back to basics and give the new owners something to do between rides...

Tim A

[glwilson]

My guess is they will sell a boat-load of the new sportster... Despite your dislike (or bewilderment) of the idea.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by glwilson

My guess is they will sell a boat-load of the new sportster... Despite your dislike (or bewilderment) of the idea.

Of course you are correct, but my back hurts just looking at it.

[cnc]

Car companies have been very successful with the rebirth of models from the sixties and early seventies in the last few years.
In the motorcycle world the Triumph T-100 is a pretty close visual replica of the early Bonnies and now it appears that the Norton Commando is back with the old style look and modern engineering. There must be a market for them or they wouldn't do it.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

I think it will do very well. Especially with some old timers.

[danimal2]

Originally Posted by Netnorske

I almost forgot about the right side shifter. That took some getting used to.

A buddy of mine's dad had a Sporty with the right side shifter. I rode it and it definitely took some getting used to. He had the front end extended but not raked and it was a real handful. You'd get the bars just past center going either way and the whole works would just kinda flop. You had to be ready for it. How did yours handle? Looks like yours had a bit of an extended front end without being raked too.

Originally Posted by jlreeves

I dont think I would have chosen the year 1972 for the model though. That was right in the middle of the AMF years.

Have to agree here. Wow! A buddy of mine bought a 77 Sporty while we were in the military. That thing shook itself apart in a couple months. Literally had parts falling off it all the time. He tried to keep up, but ended up dumping (selling) the thing. Terrible bike. Definitely seems like they have a better handle on the quality control thing now.

Originally Posted by cnc

There must be a market for them or they wouldn't do it.

Absolutely. I'd have to say one thing Harley is very good at is watching what people who buy their bikes do with them after the sale. They have half a dozen Sporty models for 2012 and they're all pretty much designed after what their customers have done to customize their own rides in years past.

Then the Japanese manufacturers copy Harley..........

This would be my choice if I were to use it as Jared suggested (canyon carving and around town).

Love the fat tired bobberesque Germanic look (exile fan). Also a bit of a minimalist. Look what I did to my Nomad. I took off 50 lbs of stuff when I first bought it to get it where I wanted. The first thing that would go away on this sporty would be the funky looking belt guard. You'd have to be twisted up some kind of awful to get anything tangled in that belt.

[jlreeves]

I dont think I would have chosen the year 1972 for the model though. That was right in the middle of the AMF years. AMF realized some of the problems the company had and decided that the way bring it back to the top was to produce large numbers of motorcycles quickly and cost effectively. Harley was now trying to compete with the Japanese (SuziQ, Yamama and Maw Kaw), which they could not do on their own ground. With the speeding up of the assembly line, it became apparent that the quality control which Harley had always been so concerned with was deteriorating. As production increased there was a significant drop in quality. AMF = bowling balls, not motorcycles.

[jandreu]

Bobed finder, lower shocks, Mid size ape hangers and some WW tires. What's so new about this. HD seems to be building bikes for the mindless that can't customize their own bilke.

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by jandreu

Bobed finder, lower shocks, Mid size ape hangers and some WW tires. What's so new about this. HD seems to be building bikes for the mindless that can't customize their own bilke.

A majority of the motorcycle "buyers" do not do their own work, nor any customization (beyond bolt-ons). Most do not have the facilities to do their own work beyond oil-changes and such.

So... to say they are selling bikes to "mindless" people appears to be more of a reflection of your distaste of anything Harley.

I could include all bike companies within the premise of your statement, and besides... there isn't any company that offers more add-on parts than HD.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by glwilson

A majority of the motorcycle "buyers" do not do their own work, nor any customization (beyond bolt-ons). Most do not have the facilities to do their own work beyond oil-changes and such.

So... to say they are selling bikes to "mindless" people appears to be more of a reflection of your distaste of anything Harley.

I could include all bike companies within the premise of your statement, and besides... there isn't any company that offers more add-on parts than HD.

Not to mention an insult to you, CJ and Dave.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by ponch

Not to mention an insult to you, CJ and Dave.

Greg, CJ and Dave should be used to that by now

[jandreu]

Originally Posted by glwilson

A majority of the motorcycle "buyers" do not do their own work, nor any customization (beyond bolt-ons). Most do not have the facilities to do their own work beyond oil-changes and such.

So... to say they are selling bikes to "mindless" people appears to be more of a reflection of your distaste of anything Harley.

I could include all bike companies within the premise of your statement, and besides... there isn't any company that offers more add-on parts than HD.

Greg, your a little touchy about HD's I'd say. The Nomad is the first non HD bike I've owned so I'm very familiar with them and do appreciate HD's however the whole HD lore use to be that you "made it your own" so you could be a proud rider and when someone asked you if that was your bike and did you do the work you could say 'F**kin A". HD's have now mostly turned into RUB machines, not pointing any fingers, except for the few folks who truly appreciate riding a machine that does have lots of options, decent handling and plenty of power if you know how to get it.

Here's a pic of my last HD that I did all the custom work on before the MoCo came out with any of the so called "custom" designs.

[Netnorske]

Originally Posted by jandreu

Greg, your a little touchy about HD's I'd say. The Nomad is the first non HD bike I've owned so I'm very familiar with them and do appreciate HD's however the whole HD lore use to be that you "made it your own" so you could be a proud rider and when someone asked you if that was your bike and did you do the work you could say 'F**kin A". HD's have now mostly turned into RUB machines, not pointing any fingers, except for the few folks who truly appreciate riding a machine that does have lots of options, decent handling and plenty of power if you know how to get it.

Here's a pic of my last HD that I did all the custom work on before the MoCo came out with any of the so called "custom" designs.

That's a mighty fine lookin' steed you built there...!

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by jandreu

Here's a pic of my last HD that I did all the custom work on before the MoCo came out with any of the so called "custom" designs.

I hear what you are saying... but these days a lot of their customers don't do customizing other than bolt-ons.

Otherwise they just buy the bike they way they like. I am one of those customers. I hate working on things.

I am also not one to ride a fully customized bike either. I prefer mostly stock... because I would rather ride than sit around and look at the bike; and after a while the bike gets beat-up from riding it. So there doesn't seem to be much sense in over-doing it. Besides... no one sees "customization" when you're riding anyway.

Your bike did look good though.