| Author | Message | ||
     Trojan |
Problem is, HD is about as good at marketing the XR as it is at marketing the VRSC family. I absolutely agree with you 100%. Reading the dealer and rpess packs for the XR1200 you have to wonder if H-D have actually spoken to real people at all when putting them together. Nobody falls for all the BS in these releases any longer so why don't they just get real and market bikes at 'proper people' without all the nauseating ad speak  The funny thing is that bikes in the same genre as the Xr1200 are selling by the boat load over here to riders fed up with crotch rockets. The Triumph Thruxton, Guzzi V7 and even the new (and significantly overpriced) Norton Commando are all very popular so maybe H-D should drop the glitz and fanfare and just concentrate on grabbing these customers. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
1 new xr1200x.... Or 2 NEW BUELL "Spares".... Duh | ||
| Buell2001b |
look at the guy on HD how hard he has to try for his XR1200 to lean. not like a Buell were the Bike leans with you effortless | ||
| Aeholton |
So, does this mean dealers will be blowing out the XR1200's in anticipation of the XR1200X? | ||
| Buell2001b |
Trojan, no matter what HD does, a Norton guy is not going to buy anythignwith a HD logo. that like us buying a Buell with a HD logo. its not happening. no Buell guy would buy that junk | ||
| Trojan |
Trojan, no matter what HD does, a Norton guy is not going to buy anythignwith a HD logo. that like us buying a Buell with a HD logo. its not happening. no Buell guy would buy that junk It may come as somewhat of a shock to you and some others, but the badge on the tank really doesn't bother lots of buyers. They either like the bike concept or they don't. The demise of Buell has had so little coverage or effect outside the US to most 'non Buell' motorcyclists that they don't give it a second thought and therefore have no inbuilt anti H-D device other than the usual stereotypical aversion to chrome and tassles. Most buyers of the Xr1200 in Europe have never owned a H-D before and probably wouldn't buy another model. They don't join HOG and are not interested in most of the H-D lifestyle BS either. People who are interested in buying the new Norton are exactly the type of customers that would also consider buying a XR1200 as an everyday bike as well (I speak to enough Xr1200 owners daily believe me). | ||
| Aeholton |
What Matt said. I would consider owning an XR1200 for $8K (not $12K). I like the idea and looks of the bike. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I've sat on the XR1200 at the dealers several times. I haven't ridden one yet but plan to this coming weekend. My first observation is that is the ugliest muffler I've ever seen before and the seat is as hard as a rock. And $12,000 for it??? NO WAY would I pay that much for one either! I'm just glad I got the best motorcycle ever built, a 2006 Buell XB12X Ulysses with the black plastics of course. | ||
| Davegess |
H-D needs to know a couple of grand off the price. That Guzzi and Triumph Scrambler goes for 8700 bucks, and you might well pay less. The XR1200 it is 10700 and that is a lot of change. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
There are better bikes for the money. Given comparable bikes, the XR1200X is over priced. What helps is the exchange rate of the US dollar. | ||
| Radioelasais |
I would consider buying a Norton any day (if I had a 20k euro budget for a bike). I would not buy a HD. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I would LOVE one of the Nortons. In deep lust. Unfortunately, the price makes it unavailable. I hope there are enough big spenders to get the production count high enough for mortals to be able to afford one. I could see one being reasonable at the $14-15,000 range. | ||
| Doerman |
I saw one in person at the Long Beach IMS. In my book, it was the coolest bike on the entire floor. As far as price. Yes. Expensive, but no expense was spared on brakes and suspension either. (Message edited by doerman on June 02, 2010) | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Any of you thinking of buying from the Eurozone, the euro has dropped significantly against the dollar in the last few months so your bucks will go about 20% further than they would have last year. A friend in the banking business explained it to me thus. The investment bankers & dealers have had some of their revenue streams cut off since the "crisis" has bought in new rules, so they've gone back to the old game of currency speculation. They attack a particular currency to affect the markets & make their wedge on the dealing. When the fuss dies down & everybody wakes up to realize that the currency in question is no more or less stable than it was before they started shouting about it, they'll move on to another currency. Doesn't matter who gets squashed in the game as they make on both ends. Buy cheap sell dear, standard business practice. edit, The other side of this coin is that US exports to Europe are consequently more expensive, so US exporters inc HD are making significantly less on their exports. (Message edited by mr_grumpy on June 02, 2010) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Yep. The same ass hats drove the price of gas to $5/gallon on oil speculation. | ||
| Doerman |
Is Soros at it again?? | ||
| Dynasport |
I like the XR1200. I have ridden it and enjoyed it. Most of the salespeople I have talked to about the bike didn't really get it any better than the Buells though. i think even when HD wants to produce a bike different from the core HD product, the buyers reward the effort by staying away in droves. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
That's the thing with the XR. When it came out the dollar was down & the Euro was up so it made sense for HD to maximise production for Europe, now it's going the other way they need to sell more in the US. This is what happens when the accountants run the show. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Pretty much any sales guy on the floor at our place is willing to sell anything the customer wants to buy. Even if they don't "get it", they will fake it like a mofo if it means selling a bike. I don't think the problem isn't getting it. I think the problem is market demand. | ||
| Buellkowski |
 | ||
| Jaimec |
Well? Today's the day! What's the story? | ||
| Methed |
June 6, 2010 HD introduces bold, new colors! | ||
| Hughlysses |
Apparently new model doesn't get announced until 5 PM tonight. I saw a post on a V-Rod forum that claims it's a new V-Rod powered bagger; the guy claimed to have seen such a bike in traffic with manufacturer's tags. The other top rumor is that it'll be the XR1200X. Both of those rumors sound WAY too progressive for current HD management. | ||
| Trojan |
Well? Today's the day! What's the story? They are a bit slow in updating the site, but if you want to see what you get with the XR1200X look here http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_GB/Content/Pages /2010_Motorcycles/2010_motorcycles.html#/model/xr1 200x I would consider owning an XR1200 for $8K (not $12K). I like the idea and looks of the bike. Think yourselves lucky  We pay the equivalent of US$13400 for the XR1200X and US$11500 for the 'basic' XR1200 including taxes etc. | ||
| Elvis |
I have to believe it's something more than just the XR1200X. It looks like they probably will be releasing the XR1200X in the US along with the new bike, but there has to be something more. . . doesn't there? Go back to the orignal post. They're not just unveiling their new 2011 color scheme, but they're teasing a new bike and building anticipation. Even they couldn't be foolish enough to build anticipation for a new bike and then pull the cover off a black version of a bike that's already being sold here (and by the way, even the black version isn't "new" since it's already being sold in Europe) . . . could they?  | ||
| Trojan |
Even they couldn't be foolish enough to build anticipation for a new bike and then pull the cover off a black version of a bike that's already being sold here (and by the way, even the black version isn't "new" since it's already being sold in Europe) . . . could they? Why not? Buell did it with the XB on an almost yearly basis. H-D (and most other manufacturers) have been releasing 'New' models for years that have just been warmed over versions of the older models. Suzuki have just announced the launch of a NEW model that is just a reintroduction of the 'old' SV650S that was dropped last year in the UK, but they ave dressed it in new colours so it must be new  If there really is a NEW model as well as the XR1200X then I would expect it to be just another version of the Iron/48/low Sportster or similarly spruced up big twin. Don't hold your breath for anything technically interesting (Message edited by trojan on June 03, 2010) | ||
| Cataract2 |
That's it? WTF? What a waste. Well, I think I know what they did with the XR1200X. "Hey, let's put bold new colors (black) on it and call it a new model." | ||
| Elvis |
Why not? Buell did it with the XB on an almost yearly basis. H-D (and most other manufacturers) have been releasing 'New' models for years that have just been warmed over versions of the older models. There certainly were times that I was a little disappointed with the "new" offerings Buell unveiled for the model changeovers, but the only instance in which I can remember any sort of "tease" was with the Ulysses. There may have been other times that there was a lot of anticipation around here, but that was based on rumors and things we were hearing and talking about - almost never the result of a print ad intentionally designed to get people looking for a new bike. We'll see, but I'd think they'd be foolish to say: "Look for our new bike on June 3rd" and then, when June 3rd comes around that's all there is. . . . but overestimating Harley's intelligence may be a fool's game. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Most of the time with Buell the "new" models were. The SS, SX, X, XT, STT were all new models. The only real "parts bin" was the STT and that was only because the HD marketing folks couldn't figure out how to market it. A sharpie was the best they could do. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
its official, you can now merge this thread with the epic oil spill coverage.... (lumped in with doing 'innovative' "new" bold things with the same results.) |
