This is the year we see the all American motorcycle evolve into a fun, globally relevant, fun machine. Over the last few years, there has been many posts and reports on the decline of the motorcycle and of companies like Harley Davidson. In a recent post however, i shared what was a sprout of hope. A Baby Groot of a chance. In Harley’s recent quarterly earnings, they hinted that there were would be a major announcement as July ended about their strategy to not just stay relevant, but to grow. Well, its been just a few days, but as this week started, that’s exactly what they did .
The Evolution
HD announced and teased images of new models. Not just a new cruiser, but NEW MODELS. Entirely new lines of bikes.
- A Street Fighter: A true , aggressive and youth inspired sport bike. If you close your eyes a bit and turn your head, you might think your’e looking at a Ducati. If there was anything that might draw dollars away from Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, and even Ducati, it’s an AMERICAN street fighter.
- Pan America. Adventure riders rejoice. A bike you can do anything on and go anywhere. It may look a bit like its destined for a Mad Max movie, but know that this will be a serious adventure bike.
- Future Custom. A modern , sport /cafe styled bike that screams “Coffee anyone?”. Unique lines and styling, this one is all about the look of modern, urban style.
- LiveWire. Ok, we’ve known about this one for quite some time, but we now know its coming to life very soon. Twist , shout, and go! Coming as a 2019 Model.
With Sturgis 2018 kicking off this weekend. You can bet that the buzz and energy around Harley Davidson will be off the charts. Maybe in the near future , there will be a Sturgis race track for your Street Fighters..
Combined with the attention Indian has been getting related to their new tracker model and the RSD SUPER HOOLIGAN race that will be held there, the American motorcycle is lining up to dominate the roads.
Now lets see if the energy remains strong and the costs remain competitive.
Keep riding.