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Yeah, everything about this ticks me off. I'll try to sum up the situation in an efficient manner:
1) the motorcycle industry has absolutely no relation to the beef industry.
2) this would not only negatively impact European motorcycle companies but would also hurt US consumers
3) A more logical solution would be for the US beef industry to remove hormones from their products, which is what caused this dispute in this first place. I want to know whose brilliant idea it was it to ignore this option and decide it was a better idea to bully Europe into buying hormone-laced products.
4) Another way to help absorb the pain that this tariff would cause to US consumers would be for a US company to consider producing a decent motorcycle in the 50-500cc range. Why is this so much to ask? As it stands all this would do is cause people to buy Japanese instead of European bikes since US companies currently offer nothing in this segment. Oh wait, sorry there is one option, the Harley Street 500. I suppose every American rider will respond to this tariff by buying one of these....
I don't see this hurting the consumer much in the long term (as much as I really don't agree with it). Looking at that list - how many of those are actually sold here? It would hurt the scooter market, but even then...how many are really sold?
For me, Aprilia would be the only one I care about. Maybe KTM for the off-road and dual sport crowd, but that's about it.
In regards to American companies manufacturing the 50-500cc bikes...I don't see it happening. You'd get a 500cc cruiser and then what? How big is the market for them, really? The Japanese makers have that segment pretty much gift wrapped. I know around here (Northern VA), I wouldn't be caught dead on one of our interstates with anything LESS than a 500cc cruiser. I've ridden the 250's and 300's....hell no.
In regards to American companies manufacturing the 50-500cc bikes...I don't see it happening. You'd get a 500cc cruiser and then what? How big is the market for them, really? The Japanese makers have that segment pretty much gift wrapped. I know around here (Northern VA), I wouldn't be caught dead on one of our interstates with anything LESS than a 500cc cruiser. I've ridden the 250's and 300's....hell no.
I disagree. I really think this is a missed opportunity for Companies like Harley and Polaris to offer small capacity bikes to reel in more beginner riders to their brand. I'm not necessarily suggesting that they need to start making scooters or sport bikes but why not release a 250cc cruiser to compete with the Yamaha V Star 250 and Honda Rebel. They could contract with MSF classes and sell a crapload of them that way. Or better yet, they could release a retro standard similar to the Suzuki TU250X or a baby scrambler like the Suzuki Vanvan 200. I would pick up one of those without hesitation.
4) Another way to help absorb the pain that this tariff would cause to US consumers would be for a US company to consider producing a decent motorcycle in the 50-500cc range. Why is this so much to ask? As it stands all this would do is cause people to buy Japanese instead of European bikes since US companies currently offer nothing in this segment. Oh wait, sorry there is one option, the Harley Street 500. I suppose every American rider will respond to this tariff by buying one of these....
It's very hard to compete with the Japanese in the 50-500cc range. I don't think those Harley "street" models will last. Aren't they canceling the V-Rod?
It's very hard to compete with the Japanese in the 50-500cc range. I don't think those Harley "street" models will last. Aren't they canceling the V-Rod?
You think so? I actually think the Street series has a lot of potential. I'd like to see Harley take that 750cc Revolution X powerplant and put it in a roadster or scrambler body.
I disagree. I really think this is a missed opportunity for Companies like Harley and Polaris to offer small capacity bikes to reel in more beginner riders to their brand. I'm not necessarily suggesting that they need to start making scooters or sport bikes but why not release a 250cc cruiser to compete with the Yamaha V Star 250 and Honda Rebel. They could contract with MSF classes and sell a crapload of them that way. Or better yet, they could release a retro standard similar to the Suzuki TU250X or a baby scrambler like the Suzuki Vanvan 200. I would pick up one of those without hesitation.
Polaris (Victory) just fled the building, unf., independent of current events.
I asked the same of H-D in 1994, when they produced a homologation special VR1000 that was street legal. And $50K, with only a couple hundred for sale it was lucky I even saw one (at WSBK races, Laguna Seca). If it was $10K, I'd have bought one on the spot. Nope, H-D didn't spend too long in the sportbike segment, nor do they compete with JPN in too many small bikes. They are successful where they are, and show few signs over the decades of moving out of their niche "too far" or more than glacially-changing the existing products since success is so tenuous in that business. Can't blame them, from a business perspective, frustrating though it may be since just once in my life I'd love to say "...and I'm a Harley-Davidson rider!" as I roar in on a true sport-tourer or sportbike, not a rolling replica/relic from c. 1965.
I'm a >1000cc Euro bike kind of guy past seven years, though any hope I had of a KTM 2-stroke woods bike would flap away on slow wings if this passes (c. 300cc). An idea past its prime, in my case, perhaps. I've owned several c. 500cc or less Euro bikes across the decades, this is all rather weird.
You think so? I actually think the Street series has a lot of potential. I'd like to see Harley take that 750cc Revolution X powerplant and put it in a roadster or scrambler body.
Yes, unfortunately. Even if the Street series has potential I doubt it will go far. Just look at Buell when HD had them or even after. Just recently Buell went bankrupt again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blondebaerde
They are successful where they are, and show few signs over the decades of moving out of their niche "too far" or more than glacially-changing the existing products since success is so tenuous in that business. Can't blame them, from a business perspective, frustrating though it may be since just once in my life I'd love to say "...and I'm a Harley-Davidson rider!" as I roar in on a true sport-tourer or sportbike, not a rolling replica/relic from c. 1965.
I'm a >1000cc Euro bike kind of guy past seven years, though any hope I had of a KTM 2-stroke woods bike would flap away on slow wings if this passes (c. 300cc). An idea past its prime, in my case, perhaps. I've owned several c. 500cc or less Euro bikes across the decades, this is all rather weird.
My prediction for HD is they'll be selling much less bikes in the future due to there being so many of them out there. Prices of used ones have come down, along with the quality/reliability of recent models (I think).
HD sold dirt bikes in the past. IIRC, they were made by an Italian company.
I thought either KTM or Husqvarna currently has a 300cc enduro bike. If referring to two-stroke dual-purpose bikes, there may be a loop-hole(s) to get one plated in one's state (ex: one already plated in another state). I think in California there's an exception for 49 state vehicles under certain circumstances such as a person moving in from another state, and/or the vehicle having a certain amount of miles on it.
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