That’s true, a motorcycle is transportation. And, I suppose if you just go for a ride around the city taking pleasure at annoying people with the sound of your loud pipes, it serves a “useful” function for you, in that it brings you pleasure.
I have literally zero negative or positive opinions about Harleys as motorcycles, I don’t own one or know anyone who does, I don’t even have a motorcycle license so feel free to correct me if you have a differing opinion
Ok, well that’s where I differ. Harleys are terrible motorcycles. They use engine technology from the 1960s while bikes from every other manufacturer use tech that’s decades more advanced. The power to weight ratios of their bikes are absolutely terrible, and not just because they’re cruisers, every other cruiser out there has a better power to weight ratio. Then, even worse is the price. The performance you get per dollar from a Harley is just awful.
With Harley you’re paying for the brand name. You get a bike that in every measurable way is worse than a bike by virtually any other manufacturer, but because Harley has done such a good job of establishing a certain image, people will overpay for an underperforming bike as long as it has that brand name attached, and as long as it has the Harley sound and feel. (And that “sound and feel” is basically an engine that is going to shake the fillings out of your teeth because it’s using ancient technology that every other manufacturer has ditched.)
The Nazi-adjacency is part of the mystique. They’re the “outlaw motorcycle gang” brand, and a lot of the outlaw motorcycle gangs are not just violent, they’re also racist, sexist, homophobic, and so-on. It’s really the brand for dentists and lawyers who have boring office jobs but want to spend money to feel like they’re badasses. They’re not going to commit heinous crimes, but they can dress up like the people who do, and feel a bit of a thrill that maybe the people that see them on their bikes are going to be a bit afraid.
That’s true, a motorcycle is transportation. And, I suppose if you just go for a ride around the city taking pleasure at annoying people with the sound of your loud pipes, it serves a “useful” function for you, in that it brings you pleasure.
Ok, well that’s where I differ. Harleys are terrible motorcycles. They use engine technology from the 1960s while bikes from every other manufacturer use tech that’s decades more advanced. The power to weight ratios of their bikes are absolutely terrible, and not just because they’re cruisers, every other cruiser out there has a better power to weight ratio. Then, even worse is the price. The performance you get per dollar from a Harley is just awful.
With Harley you’re paying for the brand name. You get a bike that in every measurable way is worse than a bike by virtually any other manufacturer, but because Harley has done such a good job of establishing a certain image, people will overpay for an underperforming bike as long as it has that brand name attached, and as long as it has the Harley sound and feel. (And that “sound and feel” is basically an engine that is going to shake the fillings out of your teeth because it’s using ancient technology that every other manufacturer has ditched.)
The Nazi-adjacency is part of the mystique. They’re the “outlaw motorcycle gang” brand, and a lot of the outlaw motorcycle gangs are not just violent, they’re also racist, sexist, homophobic, and so-on. It’s really the brand for dentists and lawyers who have boring office jobs but want to spend money to feel like they’re badasses. They’re not going to commit heinous crimes, but they can dress up like the people who do, and feel a bit of a thrill that maybe the people that see them on their bikes are going to be a bit afraid.