Harley Adventure Motorcycle Coming in 2020.

[trokarr]

Yep, it is true.  I guess they are getting on the adventure bike bandwagon to try and secure a future:
 
http://canadamotoguide.com/2018/07/30/harley-davidson-announces-new-pan-america-1250-adventure-bike/
 
And the winner for the ugliest headlight design is?

[norcal616]

I bet its just a test the waters thing by seeing what the "internet forums say"
 
I bet the Marketing/Design time got relocated next to the paint booth drying ovens...
 
2019 is few months away...1 yr to release a totally new bike is quite a feat??

[trokarr]

I bet its just a test the waters thing by seeing what the "internet forums say"  
I bet the Marketing/Design time got relocated next to the paint booth drying ovens...
 
2019 is few months away...1 yr to release a totally new bike is quite a feat??

I don't think it is just to test the waters.  If you look at that site, it also shows a concept for a new H-D cruiser, as well as a naked street bike that looks ready to go: 
http://canadamotoguide.com/
 
It seems that they all use a similar looking new water-cooled V-twin, albeit in different displacements.  Anyways, we will probably see more about these bikes on different MC websites shortly.
 
Edit: I just checked some of the major MC news sites and these new H-D bikes are on all of them now.
 
 

[koth442]

Interesting... I'd really like it if HD would join us in the 21st century.

[DavidS]

What adventure rider is going to buy a Harley? I just can't get my head around it.
 
They have been having significant financial problems recently:
 
https://harleyliberty.com/2018/02/16/harley-davidson-in-serious-trouble-truth-finally-released-fourth-quarter-profits-plummet-82-percent-harley-in-the-iceberg-has-been-hit-now-just-how-long-it-will-take-for-ship-to-sink/
 
Maybe they think this is the best bet to save the company

[Panther6834]

On one hand, I agree with pcwizz, as "adventure bike" & "Harley Davidson" not only don't belong in the same sentence...they don't even belong in the same paragraph. Harley tried, with the V-Rod, to enter the "sport" segment, and, while it had a huge following overseas, it was never very-well accepted here in the US, thus HD has killed of the V-Rod. The "error" HD made is that, during the V-Rod's period, including the few years leading up to the V-Rod's release, there was no real growth in the sport bike segment.
 
At the same time, look what the V-Rod did in terms of bringing people to HD who would have never (previously) considered buying a Harley. While the sport bike segment hasn't been really growing, the adventure bike segment IS. If they take what they learned (good & bad) from the V-Rod, and apply it to the new bike, it could turn into a success. I can understand why HD wanted to "bring over" older short bike riders into the Harley "family", but, what they failed to realize is this - once a sport bike rider, always a sport bike rider. However, adventure/touring bike riders are different...they can be far more willing to consider different bike "types". If Harley wants to survive, they NEED to adapt...but, in "adapting", they need to look at what's truly popular AND growing (adventure/touring), not just what's popular (sport).

[hlmiskelly]

The V-Rod always reminded me of the Yamaha (Star) Warrior and, to a lesser degree, the V-Max.  Today  its closest competitor would be the Ducati Diavel and it is selling well.
 
 

 
 

[builderbob]

The V-Rod always reminded me of the Yamaha (Star) Warrior and, to a lesser degree, the V-Max.  Today  its closest competitor would be the Ducati Diavel and it is selling well. 
 

 

I had one of those as my foray back into motorcycling after a long absence in 2003.  I'm not a cruiser guy anymore, but I have to admit that I could find room in my garage for another Warrior given the right opportunity.

[Cruizin]

I wouldn't buy a Harley Adventure bike, unless they hired Yamaha or Honda to build it for them.

[trokarr]

What adventure rider is going to buy a Harley? I just can't get my head around it. 

Surprisingly, there seems to be a segment that wants to turn a H-D sportster into a scrambler type bike.  In fact, there is a company devoted to this: 
https://hugomoto.com/
 
I can't say I understand it however.  The sportster (even used) is pretty expensive (at least here in Canada), plus you need to spend $1600 to $4200 US on parts to make it into a scrambler.  Why someone would do this instead of just buying a scrambler model from BMW, Triumph etc, or an adventure bike if you truly wanted to go off-road, is beyond me.  I can't imagine trying to ride a technical trail on an air-cooled H-D in 30C plus heat; roasted nuts anyone?
 
 

[DavidS]

The image that comes to mind when I look at it is something that the Terminator would ride.........
 
Very Square, straight lines, even the seat doesn't look like it has any curves. Must not be very aerodynamic in the wind.
 
 

 

[micah2074]

To me it looks..... heavy.

[texscottyd]

So, at the risk of getting absolutely barbequed by my fellow forum members, i’ll go out on a limb and say:
 
A) I actually like Harley-Davidson (see comments below)
 
B) I think this direction is wise to try and expand the range of models available that target non-traditional HD buyers. Granted, the ADV bike is a ballsy move, but some of the other proposed models look much more tempting... or at least less controversial.  That 975 StreetFighter looks tempting!
 

 

[Cruizin]

On one hand, I agree with pcwizz, as "adventure bike" & "Harley Davidson" not only don't belong in the same sentence...they don't even belong in the same paragraph. Harley tried, with the V-Rod, to enter the "sport" segment, and, while it had a huge following overseas, it was never very-well accepted here in the US, thus HD has killed of the V-Rod. The "error" HD made is that, during the V-Rod's period, including the few years leading up to the V-Rod's release, there was no real growth in the sport bike segment. 
At the same time, look what the V-Rod did in terms of bringing people to HD who would have never (previously) considered buying a Harley. While the sport bike segment hasn't been really growing, the adventure bike segment IS. If they take what they learned (good & bad) from the V-Rod, and apply it to the new bike, it could turn into a success. I can understand why HD wanted to "bring over" older short bike riders into the Harley "family", but, what they failed to realize is this - once a sport bike rider, always a sport bike rider. However, adventure/touring bike riders are different...they can be far more willing to consider different bike "types". If Harley wants to survive, they NEED to adapt...but, in "adapting", they need to look at what's truly popular AND growing (adventure/touring), not just what's popular (sport).

 
 
Here is what Harley needs to do. They need to completely ignore their core loyal customer base for a while because they already make junky, heavy and slow bikes for those guys.
 
They need to focus on building something other than a Vtwin. They need their own signature engine that isn't a vtwin. Like a triple or a Transverse four cylinder and put it on a sport frame like the MT-09. Then, they can make an ADV version of that.
 
Nobody wants a typical Harley vtwin ADV or sportbike. Not the typical Harley owners and not us fans of Japanese bikes.
 
What killed Harley? Their own advertising killed Harley. After the AMF days, Harley went on that massive campaign in the 80's and 90's and convinced a lot of people that American bikes rule, Jap bikes are junk that break down all the time. Rice bikes, they called em.
Every Harley event you went to they had an old Japanese bike that they would beat with hammers and even torch em while the crowds yelled for more.
 
When in Reality, Harley engines do not last as long as the Japanese engines. Their bikes are slow in comparison, heavy, clunky, bolts vibrate themselves loose, suspension is a joke, electronics are not good.
 
They convinced themselves and their customers that they were superior, so R&D went out the window. They brought in Eric Buell, but didn't know how to market his bikes and they tried to sell them to their existing cruiser customers, who scratched their heads and walked away.
 
They need to have a brand that doesn't even have the word "Harley" in it. And don't let the Harley dealers try to sell these bikes, because the Harley sales and marketing methods do not work for Sport or ADV bikes. I know so many ADV and Sportbike people that would never even set foot on a Harley dealer's lot, simply because of the name and reputation of their bikes and typical riders.
 
Harley is dying the slow death. Let it die slowly, put a ton of money into a new brand, hire some Japanese designers and launch the new brand via a killer new Sport naked bike with an entirely new engine and price it around $9,000. People will know it was made by Harley, but they won't believe their eyes and if they build it in America they can avoid the tariffs and put some american marketing into a sportbike. "This isn't your father's Harley" would get a lot of attention and people into the showroom.
 
If not, then Harley will slowly die. Nobody want this ugly heavy ADV joke of a bike. Nobody wants an electric Harley that only has a real world range of 100 miles at highway speed.
And Harley's customers throw a fit whenever they come out with a non typical Cruiser bike.
 
But, Harley's typical customers are dying off too.
 
 
 

[Cruizin]

The image that comes to mind when I look at it is something that the Terminator would ride......... 
Very Square, straight lines, even the seat doesn't look like it has any curves. Must not be very aerodynamic in the wind.
 
 

 
It would take half of this forum to pick this bike up if you tried to actually take this piece of shet offroad. The poor rider would be crushed beneath it. It reminds me of that car from american vacation that the Griswalds wrecked out in the desert.