cubota said:
As an 'umble motorcyclist for most of my life I have to say I think Harleys in general are overpriced.
Given the current exchange rate between the Dollar and the Euro; Harley-Davidson could very well afford to do exactly this. I saw a V-Rod in London last Christmas, and at MSRP (in British Pounds) it cost the equivalent of $27,000 - almost $10,000 more than it costs here. Unfortunately, it is not so easy for manufacturers and dealers to react quickly to exchange rate changes (it would cause a paper "loss" on all existing inventory, and annoy previous purchasers.) H-D is commited to keeping its prices as low as possible, and to further expanding its European sales - so I think you may see some movement on this front.
As far as the Harley-branded "schlock" that they sell? They walk a fine line between maximizing profit, and protecting the value of their brand. There have been some notable missteps here: anyone remember Harley-Davidson cigarettes? I suspect that they will step up efforts to curtail the sales of products that step too far off the path. I've heard of some of the product licensing ideas that DIDN'T get made (toilet paper, condoms..) As Harley gets to be a bigger company, expect to see a better job in this area too.
