H-D Ups the Ante

[DGS49]

With its main customer demographic dying off and age-ing out of motorcycling (as I am), Harley Davidson ("The Motor Company") has decided to increase its initiative to train people to ride motorcycles safely, in a controlled environment, by competent, trained instructors, in the hope that this familiarity will encourage people to buy a Harley. They are charging around $300 for the course.

In my area (can't speak for the rest of the country/continent), the Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers FREE courses on motorcycle safety, which is taught on either borrowed 150cc street bikes or your own bike, if you have one. I took it many years ago, after 20 years without riding, and found it very informative.

I have never encouraged anyone to buy a bike, or to ride. In fact, I often try to talk people out of it if their life situation calls for a risk-averse lifestyle - say, with a wife and three young children. Most people who ride feel a perverse need to do so, and the fairly controlled danger is part of the charm of riding.

Like many things today, WOMEN are being encouraged to ride, and some seem to think it's a demonstration of their being bad-ass. Whatever. If you are not strong enough to "right" a bike that is starting to tip over, then you should not be riding that bike. Which rules out most Harleys/most women.

Thoughts?

 

[gipper]

Harley has to charge or die.

Though it might be a good time to buy one.

 

[TNHarley]

They have been offering courses around here for years.
There are a few other places that do it as well.
I took the class when i got my first street bike to avoid DL testing and higher insurance. It was a great decision.
I encourage all n00bs to take the course. Its only a couple days.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Great OP!

Yeah, I would never recommend that a guy with 3 kids commute to work on a bike or anything.

People simply do not see you, and you should always assume they do not see you.

I kinda quit riding after this woman pulled slap out in front of me. If I had hit the brakes, I would have ended up in her front seat. I jerked it to the right and jammed the back brake, passing her on the brake, in the grass, and I knew there was a pole with a guy wire coming up, so I jerked it back into the road immediately after passing her.

I stopped at the corner parking lot and threw up my hands. I don't think she ever even saw me.

 

[DGS49]

H-D has been offering the courses, but only about 50 dealers, nationwide, participated. Now it's closer to 300 and growing. Will it help them avoid death?

 

[gipper]

I know there are some women motorcycle riders, but they are few and too small a market to save HD. They need to get young men into it, if they are to survive. They will have to come out with models that will attract young men.

 

[80zephyr]

HD is viewed as an "old peoples" bike. HD had taken Buell into the fold, and I thought that was a great idea to have an American made bike sold by HD that would get the younger generation interested in riding. Then, for some inexplicable reason, they dropped Buell.

I believe that decision will continue to haunt them.

Mark

 

[Jarlaxle]

With its main customer demographic dying off and age-ing out of motorcycling (as I am), Harley Davidson ("The Motor Company") has decided to increase its initiative to train people to ride motorcycles safely, in a controlled environment, by competent, trained instructors, in the hope that this familiarity will encourage people to buy a Harley. They are charging around $300 for the course.

In my area (can't speak for the rest of the country/continent), the Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers FREE courses on motorcycle safety, which is taught on either borrowed 150cc street bikes or your own bike, if you have one. I took it many years ago, after 20 years without riding, and found it very informative.

I have never encouraged anyone to buy a bike, or to ride. In fact, I often try to talk people out of it if their life situation calls for a risk-averse lifestyle - say, with a wife and three young children. Most people who ride feel a perverse need to do so, and the fairly controlled danger is part of the charm of riding.

Like many things today, WOMEN are being encouraged to ride, and some seem to think it's a demonstration of their being bad-ass. Whatever. If you are not strong enough to "right" a bike that is starting to tip over, then you should not be riding that bike. Which rules out most Harleys/most women.

Thoughts?

You are clueless.

PA is one of the very few states to offer the MSF course for no charge-it's $100-$400+ in most places.

H-D has been offering the Rider's Edge training course for 18 years.

 

[DGS49]

Read my fucking posts you moron.

 

[BlackFlag]

The problem is cars have gotten safer at an exponentially higher rate than motorcycles for decades. The typical car is driven at higher speeds, with faster acceleration and speeds than ever. And a lone motorcyclist has to navigate that with few safety breakthroughs over the years. Harley has to figure that out in some creative way. Sort of like Football's problem. If tomorrow, the NFL came out with a concussion/CTE proof helmet, everyone would start playing Football again.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Read my fucking posts you moron.

You are adorable.