Owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles have always lamented about the cost of the bikes and the accessories but the camp has largely been split between the new and old money riders.
Traditional bikers of the past were used to blue collar wages and the motorcycles reflected those incomes too, however when cash rich middle income new riders turned their attention to the H-D brand some 20years ago or so, so the prices started to soar but in relative terms the cost is still comparable.
The company have just launched their new bikes for 2022 and big speeches have been boomed over the new ST variations and the inclusion of the 117ci engine in a standard package for the Low Rider S and the Street Glide, Road Glide and CVO models…but at what cost?
The Low Rider ST in the UK is £19,395 in Vivid Black and £19,770 for the Gunship Gray colour option. The Street Glide ST is £27,295 for black and the colour option is 27, 795, whilst the Road Glide is £27,895 in black and £28,395 in colour. The CVOs start at £36,195 but can easily top £40K for colour options too.
These prices are out of reach for most people so the only option to own will be on some finance agreement and this is how most will likely be sold. Even taking out the H-D finance option which has now become a big money earner for the company business too.
Not wishing to sound like an old record but these are not motorcycles for the common man or woman anymore, however H-D are not alone here as many motorcycle brands with signature bikes have gone this route too. Now it’s mainly manufacturers of small displacement bikes and scooters…usually Chinese or Indian brands that are producing bikes that are decent with the appeal for younger riders or those just wishing some two wheel fun without having to go rob a bank or sell their children to own one.
I bought a Harley-Davidson nearly 3 years ago and I love the machine. I thought the price at the time was daft but I pushed myself to get what I thought would be a bike I could live with for a long time. Of course my head can be turned by any new bike. The marketing is grand, the performance and technology is out of this world…but is it going to give me any extra enjoyment. What price would I have to pay to get something that looks new but fundamentally is just a little better than I already have.
These prices are so high now that there are only the select few that can really afford to pay for them and even fewer that will buy them with cold hard cash. This now affect used bike prices too. It is not that used bikes are holding their value because they are great bikes but rather because they are in demand as few can afford the new machines.
If you really want a new bike, then full force to you and go buy it, but I would rather buy a used bike or even keep what I have, then buy another cheaper bike to fulfil my needs.
I have loved motorcycles since I was a boy and have been riding them for most of my life, but even I could not defend the prices of these new machines and this just makes me a Harley owner of an older machine but one that would not be able to justify a new ride unless all my ships came in at once.