Dear H-D,

I realize that the new models for 2007 were decided on a long time ago, but I'm going to lay out my ideas anyway. So here's my suggestions:

World War II 65th Anniverary Softail Springer Classic :usa3

Dec 7, 2006 is the 65th anniversary of the start of America's entry into the Second World War and I think it would be fantastic for H-D to celebrate the Greatest Generation and the bike that carried them to victory - the 1942 WLA. It would be a Springer Classic with blacked out drivetrain, chassis, and furniture and OD green denim paint on the sheet metal (white stars on the gas tank, of course). Add the military style fenders, brown solo seat, and GI-type rack and saddlebags, and it would be one awesome bike with a unique retro style.

50th Anniversary Edition Sportster:sporty:

Pretty sure one is already in the works, but I hope it's more than just a special paint job. How about building a retro Sportster that looks and feels like the 1957 original - sprung solo seat, boots on the forks, buckhorn bars, the works.

Porkster :hogsign

How about a factory porkster - a Sportster Custom with floorboards, a Fat Bob tank, and an FL front end? Bad ass. Fat Boy style with Sportster function (and price). Offer it with both the 883 and 1200 engines. It would sell like hotcakes, and fill a gap in H-D's middle weight offerings to compete better with the likes of the C50, Vulcan 900, and Shadow Aero. What designation would it get? FLXL?

Street Bob Softail :chop

Love the new Dyna Street Bob. The same treatment would look soooo good on a Softail chassis. With a softail chassis, you could give a bobber a little more 40's flair, like fatter tires and a beach bar instead of apes, maybe even use a springer fork. But you can't go wrong with that denim paint and stripped down ethic. And the Softail seems to be MADE for a factory bobber.

So there's my $.02. Hell, I'd buy any one of those if they were offered, though I suppose they could be made from existing models with the right add-ons. But quality's always better from the factory, so how about? I can't wait till the fall to see what you really have in the pipe for '07, bu maybe you could give my ideas some consideration for '08. (if you ever read this post)

Please Mr. HD,

Make the Sportster what it was originally - lean, mean, and raw, a hotrod for the new century.

Please do not make it any more bloated than it already is. Don't add any more crap. Also, stop making anything that bolts on that should be on a big twin. Saddlebags, fringes, windshields, floorboards, luggage racks, etc.

Please apply to Congress to have a ban on people making their Sportster look like bad imitations of Pimp-Mobile big twins.

Also, please make it against the law for people with bad taste to own Sportsters.

Kong

Porkster

How about a factory porkster - a Sportster Custom with floorboards, a Fat Bob tank, and an FL front end? Bad ass. Fat Boy style with Sportster function (and price). Offer it with both the 883 and 1200 engines. It would sell like hotcakes, and fill a gap in H-D's middle weight offerings to compete better with the likes of the C50, Vulcan 900, and Shadow Aero. What designation would it get? FLXL?


I'd buy that!

A new XLCR please.

that is all!


(oh, as for bolting stuff on, I cannot own a bike without some sort of bags, I'm a frickin' packrat, what can I say).

Kev

50th Anniversary Edition Sportster:sporty:

Pretty sure one is already in the works, but I hope it's more than just a special paint job. How about building a retro Sportster that looks and feels like the 1957 original - sprung solo seat, boots on the forks, buckhorn bars, the works.

If you're gonna go for that, you have to go whole hog (pun intended) with a Milwaukee Crippler! Let's see an anniversary kickstart as standard (don't like kickers? Then don't get the retro annversary edition! The originals were kickers, this one should be, too!). However, in the name of modern technology, drop in one of those 5-in-a-4 boxes so that we don't run through the gears too quickly. Maybe even throw on one of those new/retro crate panheads, just to keep the classic image going? :rolleyes:

I want fuel injection finally! All the rest of the bikes have it, when the Sportster going to have it?

Oh, and bring back the Sport. With the sport shocks and adjustable front forks. How about a 2-1 pipe on that Sport too, and maybe the XB cams? That would be a great 2007 50th anniversery bike.

Um, make the Sporty lose about 65-75 lbs, give it the Buell motor treatment, then slap XLCR on it!! I'm not going to even ask for more than a commemorative paint job for the 50th, cause thats all HD can come up with for their "special" models. Anyone seen that so-called 35th "Superglide"? Please God, no "porkster", a fatbob tank is the quickest way other than a chopper kit to screw up a great looking Sportster, and please, keep her simple, keep her carb'd.

I love all the opinions. Different strokes for different folks. I think the factory 4.5 gal tank on my 883C looks damn good and FL front end would set it off nicely. I'd be willing to bet there's alot of other folks out there who can't afford to drop $16K+ on a big-twin that would want to buy a "fat" Sportster too. I'm with you all on the XLCH reincarnation. With Ducati's new sport classic bikes selling well and the Norton Commando about to make a comeback, the time is right for H-D to jump into this niche. With a little help from the Buell wing of the Motor Company and/or the Screamin' Eagle folks, they could make a neo-XLCH into a killer ride.

I'm with you all on the XLCH reincarnation. With Ducati's new sport classic bikes selling well and the Norton Commando about to make a comeback, the time is right for H-D to jump into this niche. With a little help from the Buell wing of the Motor Company and/or the Screamin' Eagle folks, they could make a neo-XLCH into a killer ride.

FYI, Dreer's money ran out. The Norton comeback is dead unless he finds new financing/investors. Not looking good. Not that I think that is an issue with the potential such bikes have!

"FYI, Dreer's money ran out. The Norton comeback is dead unless he finds new financing/investors. Not looking good. Not that I think that is an issue with the potential such bikes have!"

...Thats the real problem I believe with all these attempted comebacks. They try to do it solely on one model, and there are only so many people who will spend the kind of money that an early production run bike will cost. Latest attempts... Indian, failed, had only one original model, the Chief. Excelsior Henderson, one model, failed. Now they say Norton and Vincent are coming back, but pretty much in name only, with drawings of... one model each. Triumph is keeping its head above water by offering a few different models, the latest is that new Scrambler which looks pretty cool. Hell, that Norton, looked sweet, wish they could get it goin and sell for the price of a buell, would make for good twin competition.

"FYI, Dreer's money ran out. The Norton comeback is dead unless he finds new financing/investors. Not looking good. Not that I think that is an issue with the potential such bikes have!"

...Thats the real problem I believe with all these attempted comebacks. They try to do it solely on one model, and there are only so many people who will spend the kind of money that an early production run bike will cost. Latest attempts... Indian, failed, had only one original model, the Chief. Excelsior Henderson, one model, failed. Now they say Norton and Vincent are coming back, but pretty much in name only, with drawings of... one model each. Triumph is keeping its head above water by offering a few different models, the latest is that new Scrambler which looks pretty cool. Hell, that Norton, looked sweet, wish they could get it goin and sell for the price of a buell, would make for good twin competition.


I think it's a tad more complicated, but you do have a good point about diversity.

Indian - well it's a shame because they were getting close to their own engines/models. The S&S Clone bikes weren't bad and I know a couple of happy owners. In the end, they needed time and money, but maybe the coulda made it.

Dreer Norton was VERY close. They had running demo bikes (CW tested one). And they had both an expensive and a more reasonably priced model. This was just plain not enough money.

Triumph - well Bloor had the bucks that's the bottom line. Sure they've diversified, but it has been their "Classics" that have paid the bill in the US. Nothing wrong with a diverse line though.

Ohh and the book isn't closed on Indian. The British holding company that bought the rights is the same company that recently resurrected Chris Craft Boats and seems to be doing quite well with that brand. So who knows. One can hope!!!

Kev

Didn't know the Norton project went flat. The Cycle World article was only two months ago.

I read that that British company who bought Indian specializes in resurrecting old brands that have alot of recoginition, but have fizzled for one reason or another. That pretty much describes Indian to a tee, so I'm hopeful that they can get it right this time. Didn't Indian have a couple more models besides the Chief? I'm pretty sure they had a Scout too.

One thing that set Triumph apart from the other "resurrected" brands is that they didn't rely only on nostalgia to sell bikes, they made viable, competitive modern motorcycles. They have class leading sport bikes, dual sports, and sport tourers besides the classic models.

I am waiting to sell wife & kids on black market in case Vincent Black Shadow ever "comes back." Even if someone manages that without totally !!!!!ing it up I bet it would be pricy...

Well HD, you screwed the pooch on the "anniversary"

Coulda done something special as many suggested.

But we got stinkin' "Paint and Badges"

We still love ya though (which perhaps is part of the problem, we're enabelers) lol.

I thought the Vance and Hines NHRA comemorative VRod should have been a StreetRod. The Street Rod looks more like the drag bike.

First I said on 16th May 2006


A new XLCR please.

that is all!


(oh, as for bolting stuff on, I cannot own a bike without some sort of bags, I'm a frickin' packrat, what can I say).

Kev


THEN I SAID on 24th July 2006


Well HD, you screwed the pooch on the "anniversary"

Coulda done something special as many suggested.

But we got stinkin' "Paint and Badges"

We still love ya though (which perhaps is part of the problem, we're enabelers) lol.


NOW I SAY:





HARLEY - the XR1200 is almost there. Almost exactly what I asked for.

Now, please build it and sell it to local (US) dealers and I WILL BUY IT.


































that is all

drop that XR1200 dodo and bring back the XLCR

I think an XL 750 for the street would be great with a bit of the "Scrambler" look, would probably fit in better with the Buell's than HD. I'd like a Fatbob and WG front on a Sporty. Think of it. The Sportster handles like it does mainly because of the frame and geometry. Throw a detachable stripped down "Batwing" fairing and removeable hard bags on it, and you can go from bar-hopper to bagger in 5 minutes. No need for stereo and GPS. All the music I need is coming from the pipes

The XR1200 is cool. Build that one and then build one with a peanut tank, classic fenders, and a solo seat. BAM! XLCH. Classic looks and hot performance. Good stuff.

The XR1200 is cool. Build that one and then build one with a peanut tank, classic fenders, and a solo seat. BAM! XLCH. Classic looks and hot performance. Good stuff.

:clap :clap :clap

drop that XR1200 dodo and bring back the XLCR


Uhhh, no. Let's not.............