Why do people spend lots of money on harley D's just for a badge considering japanese is better?

Question

japanese cruisers are cheaper, better looking and just as good with quality, is the harley davidson badge really worth or the money when its only other HD riders who acknoledge them?

Answer 1

they don't look as good.  once in a while i'll see a good looking j*p cruiser, but not usually.  and the quality isn't there either.  you're trying to compare the quality of chromed plastic to real chromed steel.  a buddy of mine had a vtx1300, riding with a bunch of harleys he could barely keep up, so the performance isn't as bad on harleys as people like to say.  he also said his vtx had way too much plastic.  now he has a m109r.  way faster than the harleys, but still, way too much plastic.  japanese bikes are built cheap so they can sell cheap.  great idea for the people they're trying to get to buy them.  Harleys are built with quality, built to last.  this makes them cost more.  and they still make enough money from the yuppies that trade in for a new bike every year with 500 miles on the old one.

Answer 2

Check the Resale value on a H.D. vs any Japanese cruiser  2-5-10 years down the road. So if it is an investment, it is worth the $$. If is simply transportation, You can get a lot more Technology for the buck in a Japanese bike.

Answer 3

You love to p**s off the Harley dudes, don't you

Answer 4

its the look and style of riding that makes a harley a harley, have you taken one for a decent ride

Answer 5

I don't think it's about which bike is better every make has their deal. I agree YES Harley is overpriced this is not the buyers fault as much as it is corporate BS and sales targeting{using the American flag and peoples emotions to sell}.



Side note: Simon y, your comparisons are WAY OFF. Kind of like comparing apples to oranges. Just a couple of examples  liquid cooling, shaft drive, extras. Try again but you'll find Harley is over priced compared to competitors.

Answer 6

i would say if you like a bike enough youll spend the $ on it as for me i wouldnt say j*p bikes r better than hd nor would i say that hd's are better then j*p bikes i ride cuz i love to regardless of price make or model. i got a gsxr 600 in the process of getting a hd cruiser then probably a ducati monster wich is italian so i guess ill be having the good the bad and the udly depending on where people  stand

Answer 7

If the j*p cruisers are better looking, why do they try so hard to look like Harleys?

Answer 8

Let's compare:

looking at 2007 base models:

HD Sportster 1200 custom MSRP $9695

2007 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic MSRP $9699

2007 Honda VTX™ 1300 C MSRP $9599

2007 Suzuki Boulevard M109R MSRP $12,599

source: http://www.nadaguides.com

I tried to get an accurate comparison with engine size for the base model around 109-cubic-inch.

So let's see - they all look similar (no bad looking ones in the group).  I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  

So in your question you state cheaper?  Yeap you are correct the 2007 Honda VTX™ 1300 C MSRP was $96 cheaper than the base Harley.  All others were just about the same cost with the exception of the Suzuki Boulevard which was $2904 more than the Harley.  It is kind of hard to judge based off these costs as there are add ons and extras that can raise the price on all these models.

They all offered a 24 month comparable warranty - quality can't be judged based off one year.

I guess it really doesn't matter what you ride as long as you enjoy yourself.

EDIT:  Thanks Nate - what Suzuki model would be more compairable and I will edit the answer?

EDIT2: ok - compairing 2007 Harley-Davidson VRSC Night Rod™ to 2007 Suzuki Boulevard M109R (both base models)

cost - suzuki is $2396 less than the HD current MSRP this HD is $14995

only a 12 month warrenty for Suziki vs 24 of HD

Suziki has a bigger engine 1783 CC vs the 1130 for HD

both are Vtwins but the HD has 8 valves vs 4 for Suzuki

IF we are going to make this comparison I would say the Suzuki would be the better option looking at the pure stat's on both bikes.

Answer 9

NBT hit this one on the head...

cruisers are a waste of time and effort...you get better performance out of a miata...

Answer 10

Are you and Joe B still dating?

Answer 11

I own a Harley and spend money customizing and installing performance parts. I do all the work myself so it is not that expensive.  I guess if I was making minimum wage I would be riding a cheaper bike.

When I was looking for bikes, I went to a Japanese dealer their sales pitch was how much their bike looks like a Harley, and with some work and pipes sounded like a Harley.  They are trying so hard to copy the Harley look and sound. I went out and bought a Harley. When the Japanese manufactures try to copy a Harley, I feel like I made the right choice. Trying to copy another product is the best form of flattery.  Every time I meet a rider on a Japanese bike most of them say I wish I had a Harley or I can not afford a Harley.   I am not knocking the Japanese bikes they almost look like a Harley, to each his own. I don’t understand how one can say a Japanese bike looks better than a Harley when they are trying so hard to copy a Harley.

Answer 12

Why do people spend a lot of money to buy a Lexus when they can have a car that is virually the same color, style, speed, and quality for about half the price? Because we live in a world where we are allowed to buy what pleases us. If you don't like Harleys, fine. Don't buy one. No one will force you. As for only HD riders acknowledging other HDs, you are so incredibly wrong. This little lady gets waves, high fives, smiles, flags waved, smiles, whistles, and tons of attention wherever I ride. It's not just because I'm a woman on a bike, either. The guys I ride with get plenty of kudos as well.

I'm not pro-Harley. I've owned 19 bikes- and only my last two  were Harleys. I've been teased about my Moto Guzzi (with over 100,000 miles and no rebuilds), my Honda 350 and Honda 750, and all my dirt bikes/trial bikes/trikes/quads. But one thing I have noticed about the folks that are HOG members and HD owners (not to be confused with jerks, some of whom do own Harleys), we don't make snap comments about other people's choice of bikes in an effort to feel more self-important. We don't have to. We get our self-worth out of more important things than the bike we chose to buy. We get it from the type of people we have chosen to be.

Answer 13

heh, that's just your opinion though

japps are cheaper yes, and you get what you pay for

Answer 14

Sure, Japanese cruisers are cheaper and better in every way.  But if you don't care about it being a Harley, why would you want a cruiser at all?  Cruisers are worse than scooters in under performance, so the only reason to get one is because you want a bike that looks like a Harley.  And if you care about looking like a Harley more than performance, why not pay the extra money for the icon?

As far as resale.....there seems to be a world of overpriced used Harley's out there for sale and not moving.  The bubble is about to pop on Harley resale, so if you want one, just wait, they will be a dime a dozen.

All that said, the Victory has much better performance and the gravitas.

Answer 15

It's a real shame these days, There's wanna bee's, looka likes, and other's then there's reality!!!

There should be no boundry between HD's, j*p, European, African, French Italian, Check's or any other Bike munufactureres but there is and along with that there's people and then it's all Stuffed up!!

EVERY BIKE, EVERY BIKE is as good as the next one and preference is INDIVIDUAL people choice! Each Bike has its place (good or Bad) and as far as worth any Bike is better than a car, truck or other four wheeler plus!

The Biking world would be so much better if people were honest and just Loved it for the ride!!!!!! Not Being a Cager is the best!

Personally I've owned British, American (Buel&HarleyD) j*p Bikes and Italian and my Dad bought me an Australian Postie Bike way back too (I rode that for 2 trips there and back to work!)

Every 1 of the many bikes I have owned have ALL been great to get out on the road and ENJOY the FUN of RIDING.

So make your own choice and have the balls to be proud (not boastfull and Up yourself) of being in a minority group of people who (if they can stay a live and out of Hospital ) are the ONLY road users who realy do have a brain that is usually in use (there is a very very small minority who Don't use their brains when riding.......however they have a tendancy to get smashed up or die pretty early) when being transported around on their bikes. Unlike cager's who in the majority want to kill you and every other road user because they'r frustrated by being stuck in the traffic of one driver no passenger peek hour c**p!

I always say biking is fun and if you buy a Harley the attitude comes for free!!! But the other bikes and bike riders can always match the HD's or even knock 'em off but its not about that is it ? It's about the freedom to ride with the wind in your face the rain, sleet, snow, Cold, and colder, climates along with those awsome, sunny summer days, and the cool cloudy, windy, and the long camp fire nights at a party in the bush knowing that you can strike up a friendship with other true grit riders because we can all know what we have experienced is the real magic of why we ride and continue to ride when the cager's think we're nuts!

I say LIVE to RIDE and RIDE to LIVE

Always take an Opportunity and Never a Risk

Don't sweet it!  let those who ride decide! from, mopeds, to  cruzers, sports, and supersports, oh yeah and the other one's like British and Harley D's......................just try to keep 'em all shiny side up and have some fun and NEVER LET an opportunity to EDUCATE a cager about the safer aspects of knowing bikes and bike riders have a place on the road too!

Answer 16

Being g*y is expensive!

Answer 17

scott M is right,

if you like to tie up $20,000 for 10-15 years at a negative 8% interest rate HD is the way to go! What kind of point is that, y don't you take the $10,000 you saved by buying a v-star and put that into bonds or mutuals and you'll more than make back the difference by the time you sell your bike!

No one knows y harley is so successful at running this scam, Y do we have AIDS? people do stupid things.

and simon, a boulevard is more comparable to a decked out v-rod than a 1200 standard, we all know how expensive an ultra glide or a real HD cruiser are.

as far as looks go I can't tell the difference! all of them look the same except the huge boxy black things on the highway, I know those are harleys

Answer 18

I bought and ride my harley every day for one main reason , It's an AMERICAN bike Not to mention the history of Harley in the United States.So keep your ricers and I'll keep my harley and we'll both be happy even though you'll still be a little jealous!

Answer 19

Why are you asking this question?  Why do you care?  Are you Magz or ninebadthings just putting up another loaded question.

Answer 20

Who says the Japanese cruisers are better?

To really understand the quality of a Harley compared to a Japanese bike, you need to compare these bikes as they age.  Consider these two bikes.  They are both ridden and maintained equally.

Compare the bikes when they are 20 years old.  The Harley will still be in pretty good condition and still have good resale value.  The Japanese bike will be showing some sighns of age.  It is worth only a fraction of what it was new.

Now, compare these bikes when they are 30 years old.  The Harley is still in pretty good condition.  It is still quite road worthy.  It is now staring to be considered a classic and still has some value.  The Japanese bike will be getting pretty tired.  You might want to take it on some short rides, but it will really be showing its age.  It will be pretty used up.

Now compare the bikes when they are 35 - 40 years old.  The Harley will be from the old AMF days.  These were the Harleys that the Japanese bike riders like to group all of the Harleys into.  These were the ones that leaked and vibrated.  But amazingly, there are still a lot of these on the road.  How could this happen?  Why are there so many more of these old Harleys on the road when during these years the Japanese bikes out sold them 10 to 1? You don't find many 35 year old Japanese bikes that are still on the road.  The ones that remain are pretty much junkers.

Now, compare the bikes when they are 50 years old.  Yes, there are 50 year old Harleys being ridden every day.  I have friends that have them and ride them daily.  You won't find any 50 year old Japanese bikes.  They weren't making them yet.

It is pointless to go back any further as there is nothing  to compare the older Harleys to.

So to really compare the Harley Davidson to the cheaper Japanese bike, you have to see how well they compare over time.  The Japanese bike fails miserably.

I have ridden both bikes.  I currently own a Japanese cruiser.  Mostly because it is what I can afford.  Every Harley I have ridden was far superior.

Answer 21

Have you ever actually owned one? My guess is no. It is obvious to anyone that frequents this forum that this same question is asked over and over. To me the bigger question is why would you or anyone else care how much someone else spends on their bike, and more specifically care enough to take the time to post question like this?

To Magz and NBT, it's cool guys. I still remember when I used to judge my manhood by the speed of my ride also. You'll grow out of that one day.

Answer 22

Ummm.....Who cares how much a Harley costs? Who cares if it's a piece of junk? If you are sweating $5 or $10 thousand dollars then you need to learn how to earn money. Harley is a tradition in my family. The cost of tradition or personal preference is not important. Your true colors are shown simply by asking about price difference. And I love the ridiculous comment about paying less and investing the difference. You should learn that sometimes it's better to keep quiet and look stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. This goes for spelling as well. It is always better to use spell check so you don't remove all doubt about your level of education as well. Any more questions I can answer for you?

Answer 23

Because I was supposed to.

Why would it matter to you what I do with my money?

I thought I was aware of the regulars here.

Who did you used to be, Jerry?

Answer 24

It's worth every penny to them - if that's

their preferred choice.

Answer 25

Yet another PMF.Why don't you guys start an online club so you can go there and tell each other how superior you are because you ride Japanese bikes?The subject is getting a bit wore out here.