An Observasion

[rkrdr2]

I was sitting here thinking...When did the big surge in owning a Touring bike with a fairing happen? I recall at the start of this decade the four most popular bikes had to be...Heritage Classic..Road King...Fat Boy and the Wide Glide..(rip) The Low Rider was also very popular. I am not saying there was no Ultras and Classics out there...but nothing like you see now. No one talked about needing a radio,much less a Navigation,you saw very few bike's with windshields. I am thinking that when MoCo brought out the Street Glide..05' I think,,The trend really started to change. I wonder what another ten years will bring...will it go back to more of a traditional bike? or will they be more like the Gold Wing... which I like to call.... Accord convertibles...

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

To each his/her own. I like my fairing, gauges, radio, saddlebags, etc. There are plenty of models you can pick and choose from with no windshields or touring accessories if that's your thing. The MOCO is going to produce more of what sells best.

 

[maine-e-axe]

I think we're just gettin old, we use to burn rubber, draft cards and pot, now we just burn time.:bigsmiley28:

 

[jimweaver]

So many bikes, so few bikers. You forgot matching helmets with communication systems, designer rain gear, cup holders and cd players. They used to be hardtails, shocks were a luxury. Riding gives you time to think, time to sort things out. Stress relief. Why the radio? I run straights, couldn't here it anyway. Bumps, vibration, wind, rain, and noise are always there, its part of the ride, part of the feel. But to each his own, it's not for me, I'm a biker.

There's no such thing as a bad ride, some are just better than others.

 

[Breeze3at]

I think the whole Harley popularity explosion can be tied to 'baby boomers' (and the evo engine). In 1986 the 1st of the boomers hit 40, which is usually high earning years, empty nest, more expendable income. Cruisers ruled. By 2006 the older boomers were 60 still loved riding, but wanted more comfort. I'm one year too old to be classified a 'boomer', and that's how things went for me.

 

[sanec1]

I ride with an open-face helmet on my RK. This past summer I did a 17 hr straight run (except for gas, 1 meal break and coffee/washroom) stops from Nova Scotia back to Ontario. I've always had wind deflectors on my bikes. It helps with the bugs- I'd rather get my protein from a t-bone. It's less tiring at highway speeds too. On my trip I hit heavy rain in Montreal and just kept riding cause I already had my gear on. It was heavy rain but I kept going because of the windshield. It would be cool to have a radio/CD but I never have had one on a bike- yet.

 

[HDDon]

So many bikes, so few bikers. You forgot matching helmets with communication systems, designer rain gear, cup holders and cd players. They used to be hardtails, shocks were a luxury. Riding gives you time to think, time to sort things out. Stress relief. Why the radio? I run straights, couldn't here it anyway. Bumps, vibration, wind, rain, and noise are always there, its part of the ride, part of the feel. But to each his own, it's not for me, I'm a biker.

There's no such thing as a bad ride, some are just better than others.

Dear Jim, like you I too am retired and have been riding for almost 50yrs. Like you I do enjoy the solitude and introspection that only riding seems to give me. Unlike you I have found that the type of bike I ride does not qualify or unqualify me as a biker. The very act of swinging my leg over the saddle says that I am a biker/motorcyclist/cycle enthusist/adventurer. Please don't get me wrong, like your liberty I will defend to the death your right to own the type of motorcycle you want, but please don't think any less of me because it is not my type.

 

[Bubbaglide]

Dear Jim, like you I too am retired and have been riding for almost 50yrs. Like you I do enjoy the solitude and introspection that only riding seems to give me. Unlike you I have found that the type of bike I ride does not qualify or unqualify me as a biker. The very act of swinging my leg over the saddle says that I am a biker/motorcyclist/cycle enthusist/adventurer. Please don't get me wrong, like your liberty I will defend to the death your right to own the type of motorcycle you want, but please don't think any less of me because it is not my type.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. It doesn't matter what you ride just that you ride. Riding to me is more than just showing up for bike night and then putting the bike away until next week. The wife and I just did 1935 miles from the Charlotte area to Key West in all kinds of weather. That's part of the reason I have an Ultra. With the radio we can enjoy music going down the road and with the intercom, we can communicate without shouting. With the CB, I found out about a wreck that would have cost us several hours of traffic. With the bags we were able to safely carrry enough clothes and other things to make the change from 41 degrees to 85 degrees.

Just my .02

Bub

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

Breeze has you covered...the other reason is, after all this time American marketing strategy has been chasing Japanese marketing strategy in the 90's...Buy vehicle with everything as standard...so personalizing is looks and add-ons for the Baby Boomers' who where always interested in performance and chrome. New HD owners like the black "chrome" and "retro-look" without all the "foibles of old"...or the maintenance, with performance "standard" not necessarily added on. The other thing is technology was stimiulated by this competition, but HD had the added difficulty of "masking" it to prevent losing the HD "look and feel", so keeping the technology "under wraps" made it necessary to add the touring accessories us old timers want with the "new think" the new riders expect.

Surprise (soft tails with Hard Tail clothing), radios and electronics under that "spartan looking fairing"...no full body work or radiator here (yet) to go head to head with the upstart Goldwing (Japanese marketed, developed & designed it here in America to go head to head against the existing HD Touring models in the late 70's, starting a reversal in fortune). Then Craig Vetter came along with the first mass produced aftermarket bolt on fairings and customizing accessories for the everyman' bike to "look custom". A fairing on a Honda 750F in 1972 was unheard of, but soon after it was common to start seeing people "bolt on" some type of wind protection. Some wanted clear ("fairing less look), others wanted the cafe style...for ("sport look") and the touring riders...dedicated fairing...if big inch plain motorcycle bolt on Windjammer frame mounted fairing (too much weight to "bolt on" to the handlebars.

Style is merely a trend of the times...how we react is reflected in our ride and enjoyment making the V-Twin iron a piece of our own personal style.

 

[Redfish-Joe]

For me it started in 1981. I had an XS850 Yamaha at that time. I worked offshore from Grand Isle La. and rode from Birmingham Al. on a 7 on 7 off schedule. I never had a windshield up to that point but Vetter came out with a fairing they call The Rooster. I did offer a fair amount of protection, compared to nothing, but also had a place to install a radio and speakers. That was it for me. Haven't been the same since.