Harley Davidson needs a loan

smitty901

feel for those in MI and every other city and state that make all the other parts that go into cars.
This happened before to the auto industry.
You know there will be some kind of bail out we bail out New York when they get into trouable and a lot of others. Scary part will be how much control government tries to take over the company. One thing is forsure if the companies made bad calls and wasted money the government will do it times 5.
All I need to do is look at our school system and Highway department
Doing my part to help I drive GM and new car will be a GM.
Kind of intrested in the Volt if they get batteries right.

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SledDog

What the heck... Give'm the money... We've been funding big money bailouts for the last 8 years... Just look at KBR, CH2M Hill, and the many others with no bid, no accountability handouts.

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DDogg

I agree Smitty, that's the problem with the loan. The government will now own part of the industry. What the heck does that tell ya. If the batteries don't cost a fortune to replace and it's a decent ride, I too am interested. I'll save the gas for my HOG.

glider

That's another area that gets me cranked up, The electric cars (hybrid)
Go into any dealership and inquire what the replacement cost of the battery will be when it dies in not so many years and watch the deer in the headlight look you get.
They should make these cars disposable so you can just park it and leave it for the street sweeper to collect. The cost of the replacement battery will probably be almost as much as the car was. Where do you realize a savings then?
Also check into which car runs on electric power only and whether it's at city speeds or highway speeds. Lots of surprises awaiting the buying public.

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smitty901

I did the math on a couple of them with current battery life of 150,000 miles and they slowly fade so they do not work as well towards thier lifes end,
The car ends up costing you more than a car that gets in the 28-30 MPG range.
I looked at the smart car but it gets 40 mpg but you must run 93 fuel in it.
With the cost difference does not work out to well aginst a better auto getting 32 mpg on 87 with the prices they way they are here.
Alos 93 is getting harder to find.

Back in the 80's VW made a Rabbit that had a small diesel in it . That car had no power even with a 4 speed if the alternator kicked in it lost 200 rpms it was a rought bare bone tinker toy. four adults in it was a task and I think the car slowed down a bit.
But it did run 60 mpg with out a head wind. Father in law had one I could get along just fine with something like that I do not need a big ride or a cool ride. The saving on fuel could be spent other places.
As for the Prius my HD still gets better mileage and is a lot more fun to ride, if we could just get rid of the snow.

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Irish Hog

I am all for the Auto industry getting a bailout. The US helps everyone else out, why not our industries?. GM, Ford and Chrysler have employed millions from day one, not to mention all the taxes they have paid for a hundred years. I will only buy Ford and Lincoln. I don't know if anyone has driven a Ford lately(haha) but they have come lights years in quality and reliability. So I am all for it. I don't know however how I feel about Harley getting a bailout if needed. I would say that a motorcycle is more of a luxury item and that taxpayers should not have to flip the bill for that.

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NEWHD74FAN

Glider, I hope you ripped a few "kind" words (--in the phrases that "--met the highest level of decorum our HDT Contributor Extradinaire Emeritus is well known for...! Yeah Baby!!!

Sheepdogmarine

There are a lot of good points made here.

Here is my opinion.

Why would we reward a company, any company, by loaning them more money because they are hurting due to poor business practices? There are a lot of reasons they are where they are and this is hard for me because I have a driveway full of Chevys.

Do you think Uncle Sam is going to step in and bail out me if I screw up? Heck no. Not Sheepdog Marine, not Joe the Plumber, not your local repair shop, nothing. I do understand there are huge repercussions if GM or any of the other big three fail, but.........

when is it going to end. First the banks, now the car manufacturers, who is next? Boat manufacturers? Walmart? Remington?

I know it is a tough problem and the consequences of doing nothing or the wrong thing could be severe, but what is going to happen if they just keep bailing people out?

Okay, off my soapbox.

Ride safe!

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Eric
2000 FLSTF

Sheepdogmarine

How is a bike a luxury item? I see them as a practical way of getting around and saving fuel.

The whole problem here is once you start bailing out companies, when will it end?

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Eric
2000 FLSTF

RichardS

On paper, and for the purposes of debating our point of view, we can easily claim that motorcycles are not a luxury item because yes, they get great gas mileage, and yes, they are a practical way of getting around, especially in a congested area or a place with tight roadways and lots of traffic.

All GREAT arguments....on paper. In theory.

Time for a reality check though, and real, look ourselves in the mirror honesty.

99.999999999999% of us ride for FUN. We aren't saving fuel, we are in fact WASTING it, because most of us ride most of our miles for the sheer pleasure of being on our bikes going for a ride, and that is ALL.

Now, before some of my buds here get all crazy, yea, some of you go to work on your bikes. Some of you go pick up milk and bread on your bikes. (The bagger guys like me anyway.)
Some of you, (VERY, VERY few, lets call a spade a spade fellas), use your bike as your primary transportation.

But the vast majority of bikers ride for pleasure, and it IS pleasurable indeed!!!

But lets not kid ourselves that we're saving the environment here, because if everyone who owns a bike never used another gallon of gas to just "go for a ride", there would be incredible amounts of gallons of fossil fuel left un-burned every year, I'm sure.

This isn't blasphemy guys...I've been riding for 40 years and loved every ride, and I'm not about to stop, but I'm not for one second going to try to convince myself it isn't anything but selfish and wasteful use of natural resources.

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