Why Does Everyone Hate Harley-Davidson?

I’m 30, and I just traded in my 2024 mt07 for a 2023 Indian scout rouge icon. I’ve been doing too much highway riding so decided to transition to a cruiser for better comfort. I’ll miss the naked motorcycle lifestyle but I’d be riding better now. Lol

The reason Harley’s are so expensive is because production costs are so much higher in America!

Harley is working on introducing more affordable bikes .

tbh i really wanted the Sportster S, but damn everyone around me was givin me shit like oh that aint a real harley cuz its air cooled. damn tbh i didn't give af but i was the resale on this thing and shit was going down crazy and also doin crazy promotion cuz it wasnt sellin. but anyways what im tryna say is this bike looks beautiful when your just lookin at it but I wish harely made something like indian FTR. I saw some custom Pan American they look dope but also air cooled so ppl dont give af. its so sad man.

As a lifelong Harley Davidson owner/rider I'll say this...IMHO, the biggest issue with Harley is they're so expensive. Harley only pushes the $25000+ touring bikes anymore. They did away with the Dyna and the Evo Sporster line (bikes the average guy could afford) and fill their showrooms with motorcycles only someone with more money than brains can buy. I've owned 14 different Harleys over my 55 years of riding, but I'll never buy a new one. They don't build what I want anymore. I'll keep riding my 2012 Super Glide Custom and save my $$$$.

The people that love Harleys are the same people that love Z28 Camaros, 55 and 57 Chevys, Road Runners, etc. Classic muscle cars. This younger generation knows nothing about those cars.

Say what you want about Harley riders. I was stuck on the side of the road last year, minor issue. Five motorcycles came my way, while I was waiting on a friend. Two sportbikes, a Japanese cruiser, and Harleys. The only guys who stopped to check on me were the Harley riders. I was riding a Honda.

Harley is like BMW.. its a love/hate relationship for all different reasons lol

I love cruisers in general, and harleys are no exception. Only problem is the biker gangs that think they are above the law and enforcing their own laws on the roads and expect other riders to follow them even if they are not part of the group. Since these gangs mostly drive harleys, harleys get a bad rep.

Hating Harley Davidson is exactly the same as hating Nickelback. You only hate them because its popular to hate them, not because they're actually bad.

They're working on "new age Harley" for years now. You were literally riding one during the entire filming of this video. There's rev-max powered "sporty" harleys you can buy new for under $10k msrp. You're focused on touring chassis and softail model bikes saying theyre too expensive. Can't you buy a softail slim or a Street bob for around $15k msrp? I don't see why you think thats too expensive for the best mid-size cruiser chassis on the market. Nobody said you have to buy a street glide CVO, there's enough affordable and more modernized options available that are made for a younger audience.

Harley makes good bikes, but they don’t make good entry level bikes. That’s a challenge for a lot of young people who can’t afford, and don’t want the big bikes. Those bikes have great margins I’m sure, but at the end of the day you see much higher uptake of Indian Bobber than say Harley Nightster. They are suffering the same dingbat designer trend that cars like Prius did. They think there is a demographic that wants a feminized looking plastic bike. I asked my wife, who knows diddly squat about bikes what her opinion was on a scout and a nightster, both fully blacked out. She said the Indian looks like a mans bike, the Harley looked like a boys bike.

I've had a few bikes since I started riding 6 years ago; a Street Triple, a Harley ultra limited, a Superduke R, and now, an Indian Sport Scout. Love(d) all of them. American bikes are quite expensive for what you get but, it's part of the deal. One thing about Harley though is that they keep their value like no other bike on the market. Some complain that Harley riders don't wave to non American bike riders but, I've had many of those riders not wave at me while on my Harley or Indian.

Heavier than an anvil but not as fast, way too expensive

I never had a personal bad experience with a harley rider until recently.

I was cruising in the freeway on my sports bike staying in my own lane when a harley blew right past me inches away from hitting me(it was an empty freeway).

I like the bikes, I don’t like the culture. Every type of bike has its bad apples, but it seems like it’s a large percentage of Harley riders, and they are loud and proud.

Its not the bike it's the assholes that ride them.

So much HDS out there. Harley Derangement syndrome is real. G

I was once a hater. I was a teen just following what my dad said. I rode honda, yamaha, and kawasaki. In 2021 at 26 years old. I decided to get a harley. Im never looking back. I stipped riding for a while there and covid made me get one and wow ive never been so excited to get on a bike and ride. I love HD and all the haters are probably ignorant young dudes. I was there once. I was a young ignorant teen myself. I was wrong. HD all the way. Oh now my dad is a harley rider too lol and recently my brother joined us.

At the end of the day tho. I respect all brands all bikes. Ride safe out there....brothers 😂

Literally the only vaild argument harley haters have is the price. Thats it. Everything else they complain about is wrong and most of the time dont know what they are talking about

They don't brake turn or pull much.... heavy and old tech while the market made massive leap ij technologie and convenience. HD is over priced garbage for boomers

Besides price if Harley put Revmax engines in all their bikes their would be no reason to buy an overpriced Harley. People like myself buy Harley for the looks, sound and vibration. I have no desire to want a smooth running engine as my primary. Harley does need more affordable bikes and bikes with Revmax engines. They coming around it’s just typical Harley and takes forever. The pan America from I hear is a pretty beastly bike.

I think it's the whole association with Harley's and the type that ride them. I will be honest, I've met a lot of jerk HD riders who think they own the road. Obnoxiously loud pipes and half helmets with no gloves. Plus their bikes are heavy and clunky as heck. Never kept up their designs with the Joneses. The Livewire was a total flop as well. Do some more research on what people really want: easy to ride, comfy, affordable, and good looking.

I’m baffled. I waited decades really until I was ready and bought a road glide as my first bike. Took classes and trained until I could ride it correctly. Everyone I have met in person from the dealership staff to other riders have been fantastic. Strangers who have been great everywhere I have gone. My bike is apparently not one of the ones people complain about because I have only had to do scheduled maintenance. Nothing else for 19 thousand miles in 2 years. I also had a tuono 660, for over a year and it was awesome. The Harley people here have treated me fairly and have been very receptive to all my questions. I just don’t understand why the inter net hates them my experience has been everything I dreamed of.

i just bought my 975s and i sat on every bike took um all riding and chose the 975 over all the 600cc sport bikes . first time riding to . idk the new Harleys just built different

you say price need to be dropped but no other bike comes with the engine size or tech Harley dose lmk where you can get a 1k cc or a gps bike for under 10k new

South Park nailed what's wrong with HD

Selling old, outdated tech with next-gen tech price tags. The overall impression I have is being loud and slow. Indian makes way better bikes.

I am in my late twenties, and I have owned nothing but Harleys in my five years of riding. I appreciate the tradition, styling and sound of their motorcycles. I do agree that revmax is their future and they must adapt to it. They have capitilzied on their aging, loyal fanbase for too long and it is starting to seriously affect their brand image and sales. I love their motorcycles, but I cannot stand their loyal customers. For me, it is downright cringy and gatekeepy that the only way you can own a "real harley" is to have an aircooled, obsolete engine architecture. I think the Pan America is a step in the right direction, but die hard fans see nothing of value in that motorcycle, even though it produces more horsepower out of the box than any touring platform. I do think the super hooligan and bagger racing series have helped them attract younger crowds

Exact same thought. They need to take a look at what triumph and even Royal Enfield have been able to do with the brand. Triumph still makes bonevilles and speed twins that appeal to the old school customers but they also got a modern lineup on the side with the triples that appeals to the modern customer. Same with Royal Enfield they got the 350 and the 650 platform with the traditional engines which they built their brand upon but they now also have a modern lineup with the 450 platform and even a bike like the hunter 350 which is so accessible in terms of price that it has brought a new wave of customers to the brand (I think people in asia would relate to this more as RE is considered a very inexpensive purchase in the west lol).

Harley needs to focus on the blue collared crowd.

I am not really hung up on brands, and I haven't been in an actual Harley dealership in probably 10 years or more. But I have been riding Harleys for way over 20 years and more. I am trying to get used to a 2022 Triumph T100, I bought used for a lighter in-between bike and it's growing on me. but I still like my old Harleys better. I made several trips to my local Honda shop, just looking for a Honda I might like, sat on all of them, test rode several, but I couldn't find one I liked out of the whole line up well enough to buy. Yamaha was about the same way; except they wouldn't let me test ride much of anything. The older Harley's are still where it's at for me. The best value out there, is a used Harley, in my opinion.

I think a huge number of people never think for themselves. They outsource their opinions. I've owned a few bikes, but never a Harley. I still think they make some cool bikes and would like to have a few of them

The Sportster S is a step in the right direction but younger guys are not willing to pay a brand premium for the Harley brand

Hard pill to swallow for them and until they can swallow it, they'll keep getting rekt by Jap bikes

Honestly, I dont like Harleys because the majority of the price tag you're paying for is based on the name like luxury brands. And mind you, most of their bikes back then DID have motor issues and oil leaking issues. But one thing I will say that has allowed Harley to survive is the die hard fan base that for better or worse, has given harley the rep it has now.

Their sportster s in my opinion is a great bike but the problem is that you could literally find a bike that drives like it for a third of its price. Their aftermarket is amazing but, again, harley price tag.

I'm from Wisconsin and am firmly anti-Harley and its culture. You can always notice a Harley rider from a distance here as they are all gearless squids! Arrogant tough guy wannabe dicks who never wave to you. You'll never see a Harley ride in the rain here.

I think a fat tire turbo sportster s sportytrike would be absolutely sick af

They refuse to make a bike people under 45 want

I like the look of harleys, but every time I meet a harley rider they have some off-color shit to say about my sports bike like it's somehow a measure of my manhood. The bikes can be loud and expensive and not particularly fast. It seems like more of a fashion statement than any thing

I personally think the Sportster is such a good looking bike, but so many harley riders are old dickheads who think its a sissy bike -- my local meet I went with my sports bike and when I said I really wanted to get a sportster or 883 the dudes laughed and told me it was a girl's bike. That's the thing about some harley riders; its not even a choice or style or functionality. It's all about the image, to the point where even a genuine harley is still considered 'not the right bike'.

This is all unpleaasnt to deal with when choosing a bike. Why would anyone want to deal with that kind of culture when picking their first bike? You get a sports bike and you know what other non-harley riders say? 'nice bike'. thats it. Lol

everyone hates harley because of the people associated with harleys are douchebag assholes.

I really like how the Harley’s look but can’t ever justify the price. Even for an Indian ig, but definitely interested in a road glide or challenger

harley also just keeps getting more expensive. I remember the low rider being around 18k and now they're starting off at 20k. insane...they also started charging extra for their default color way is BLACK lol. ridiculous

I don't hate all Harley-Davidsons but I do hate the Rev Max engine.

Smart people: “Harley’s suck because they are not performance-oriented machines, and they are way over-priced.”

Dumb people: “ Harley’s are great because they are American. “

The comments section is insane . If you’re allowed to hate an entire group of riders due to one experience you’ve had then I’m allowed to be racist lmao

Know what, I enjoy riding them when I go take advantage of demo days to ride new bikes but I could never buy one, I'd happily own that sportster though if I won lol. For me it's the price and majority of people that ride them around here. I like Indian better as far as cruisers

Just bought a Harley. And now that I have it. I LOVE IT. However, I have learned that all their engines have some kind of quirk. It doesn't make them bad. They just have some weird quirk. From timing chain adjuster issues. Or just riding the line of overheating. These examples of quirks you don't get with other bikes. And rather buy something that I dont have to worry about a quirk. That grenades my engine. And at a cheaper price. Even a 2003 bike sells from a dealership at almost new bike prices.😢😢