2011 Harley-Davidson XR1200X [motorcycledaily.com]

[bomber]

while it's all under the large umbrella of motorcycling, HD is selling something very different than what any other manufacturer is selling.

HDI did so well for so long, they are, I would guess, very leery of change. There is nothing so conservative as a successful business man.

[1KPerDay]

RE: I never said it was a bad motorcycle and have actually wanted an XR750 replica for years but this factory effort could be much, much, more than it is as a total package. In fact I have said for years the only Harley I'd actually buy would be a 1200 Sportster...but then It would have to be torn down and re-made as a XR replica.

Who are you kidding? You would never buy a Harley and you will never buy one.

They as a corporation don't get it... ??

They hold about 50% of the "larger than 700cc roadbike" market.

They need to woo younger riders as their baby boomer bread and butter dies off, yes. That's why this XR (along with the "forty-eight" and a bunch of other bikes they've made recently) is a huge step in the right direction.

You want them to make the same bikes as everyone else... well, that isn't smart from any economic standpoint. And how many people would ACTUALLY buy a true XR750 replica? Sure, a lot of guys like you would talk about it, but precious few would put their money down.

This one you can actually ride on the street. And it will in all likelyhood still be running at 100K+ miles if its owner lets it off the trailer that long.

Air/oil cooled, no valve adjustments, meaty torque and HP, no shaft splines or oil or chain lube or adjustments, good brakes, suspension, handling, tires, and ergos.

So you can't take a pillion.

[1KPerDay]

 I asked the saleman what the hp and torque specs were. He said that HD hadn't made them public yet.  When he told me that, I knew why.   I laughed out loud...to the dismay of the saleman and all the other customers in the showroom. The salesman walked off and left me standing there laughing.

Congratulations! You've discovered that 2-valve pushrod actuated air-cooled Harleys generally don't make as much power as multi-valve DOHC Japanese bikes of equal displacement. You are the first!  



 

Compare it to the air-cooled ducati 1000/1100 engine and the Guzzi 1200 and you will note that the numbers are quite similar. The duc is more revvy and makes more peak HP, but the H-D makes more torque. The Goose was pretty similar last I checked.

But for some reason nobody laughs like a 13-year-old when they read the spec sheet on the 1200 Guzzi.

It's just not as fun to make fun of the Guzzisti, is it?  

[martee99]

Point taken. I guess I shouldn't of expected so much from HD.  Maybe the supension compensates for the 80hp @ 573 lbs wet weight. I don't think tassels will look good on it though.

[steve.m]

I'm still trying to figure out the appeal of this bike over offerings from the now defunct Buell, other than the HD brand and mystique.  Perhaps that's what sells...

exactly why i bought the buell.  i loved the way my sportster made power (plenty of fun for real world riding on city streets and twisties) but wanted better handling, more comfort and touring ability.  enter XB12XT  

[JamesG]

someone pick me up off the floor at some point while I continue to laugh

Thats not very sunny of you.

[reppans]

This Harley has more than enough power and handling for me .... and has more than met my goals of maximizing fun while keeping speeds sane.  I like the bike.... a lot  

[02Tac]

News flash. There will always be a cheaper bike or (for mr sunshine) one with MOAR POWAR!@#!  Buy the Suzuki and be happy.

It has nothing to do with the Bandit simply being cheaper, it is about what appears to be a better all around bike for less $$.  To me, an HD sticker is not worth the extra cost.

[02Tac]

HD is selling something very different than what any other manufacturer is selling.

How do you figure.


 

[1KPerDay]

It has nothing to do with the Bandit simply being cheaper, it is about what appears to be a better all around bike for less $$.  To me, an HD sticker is not worth the extra cost.

BUY THE SUZUKI AND BE HAPPY.

[02Tac]

BUY THE SUZUKI AND BE HAPPY.

I have a Zuki and am happy.  

[martee99]

It's just not as fun to make fun of the Guzzisti, is it?  

That's because Guzzi owners laugh with us as we mock them.

[Lon]

I'm still trying to figure out the appeal of this bike over offerings from the now defunct Buell, other than the HD brand and mystique.  Perhaps that's what sells...

I rode a Buell Ulysses last Friday.  It was awesome.

If the XR1200 feels like a Buell...  

[Rusty the Scoob]

I like the look of this bike, especially compared to other HDs, but with the same HP as my SV650, same projected lifespan, $3-4k more expensive and 170 lbs heavier, I'm having a hard time understanding the point.  


Edit... hmm.. close to double the torque.   That could be fun.

[bomber]

How do you figure.


  

No other manufacturer is selling so many motorcycles on a purely emotional basis -- no mention of performance, no mention of engineering prowess (though there is a great deal in the HD models), no sweating racing results -- simply producing brand new motorcycles that cling tightly to a design aesthetic that is decades old, while making the bikes work well enough for thier customer base, and last long enough (for the same audience).

I know of number of folks who say they would not ride if they couldn't have a Harley. While I don't share their point of view, I recognize that it exists, is backed up with a lot of money, and the fact that this kind of brand loyalty doesn't exist elsewhere.

That's how I figure.

[1KPerDay]

I like the look of this bike, especially compared to other HDs, but with the same HP as my SV650, same projected lifespan, $3-4k more expensive and 170 lbs heavier, I'm having a hard time understanding the point.  

Do a carb sync, chain adjust, radiator flush, and valve adjust on your SV and then try to do one on the XR, and get back to me.

[02Tac]

Ok, I can see that.  

No other manufacturer is selling so many motorcycles on a purely emotional basis -- no mention of performance, no mention of engineering prowess (though there is a great deal in the HD models), no sweating racing results -- simply producing brand new motorcycles that cling tightly to a design aesthetic that is decades old, while making the bikes work well enough for thier customer base, and last long enough (for the same audience).

I know of number of folks who say they would not ride if they couldn't have a Harley. While I don't share their point of view, I recognize that it exists, is backed up with a lot of money, and the fact that this kind of brand loyalty doesn't exist elsewhere.

That's how I figure.

[steve.m]

Do a carb sync, chain adjust, radiator flush, and valve adjust on your SV and then try to do one on the XR, and get back to me.

wait, harleys are the unreliable maintenance nightmares, don't go being rational and pointing out other manufacturer's maintenance costs

[02Tac]

Good points, but still  no justification for the overpricing of the HD.

Do a carb sync, chain adjust, radiator flush, and valve adjust on your SV and then try to do one on the XR, and get back to me.

[1KPerDay]