HD Options for 2011

 

I picked this up off a Road King forum.  It appears to be a submission
to the California Air Resources Board made by Harley.

I am not familiar with the processes or procedures down south but it
looks like HD plans on offering a choice of two engines on most of the
stock touring bikes and then the 110 on the Screaming Eagle bikes.

http://actualriders.ca/hd2011.pdf

Is HD taking a page from the automobile industry by offering different
size engines for every model?  I wonder what the upcharge would be for
the 103 over the 96.  It couldn't be much. $500? $1000?  Isn't it just
jugs, pistons and rings? Assembly costs would be common to both.

How many buyers would opt for the smaller engine? How many dealers
would roll the dice on a large inventory of smaller engine models?
Better question is how will the dealers react to having to inventory
two models that are basically the same?

Mr.Mann, have you heard about engine options for 2011?

 




How many dealers actually have a shit load of stock on hand these days?
Order from the dealer and the dealer will order from Harley. No stock needed
and the bike will arrive before the finance companies have worked their
"magic".

--
Beav
 

 


Every Harley dealer that I've been in lately.


The finance company works their "magic" for me in about 20 minutes.
It might take a day for someone with an average credit rating.
Typically, it can be approved over the phone, while you wait, and you
can leave with a new bike the day you walk in the dealership.

At least, that's what I've observed.

 


Interesting. It wouldn't be the first time a bike manufacturer has
offered the same bike with two different engine sizes, of course: not
by a long chalk.


The manufacturer charges what the manufacturer reckons the customer
will pay for the 'premium' model. Lord knows how HD will price it. To
all intents and purposes, build costs are the same, as you say.

Dealers in other marques have had plenty of experience. If showroom
space and/or stocking funds are tight, put the more expensive model on
the floor and offer to get the cheaper one only if someone asks for
it?

 

wrote:

What's interesting to me about this particular path of speculation is
that Harley has had, for a long time, what it obviously considers "a
very good thing" by way of selling their larger-engined bikes only in
up-market CVO (or, only very recently, in Special Edition) trim with
an additional 5-10K of added farkles and chrome.

Those of use who want plain bikes with higher-performance engines have
had to buy the basic engine in the motorcycle, then buy the hi-po
parts (presumably but not always) from the dealer, then pay the
(presumably but not always) the dealer's service department to install
them; thus resulting in extra cash in the till for both the
manufacturer and the dealer.

Offering the larger engine as an option in the standard versions of
their bikes would, presumable, result in lower overal revenues for
both the dealer and the manufacturer, but - again, presumably -
happier customers.

I know I would have FAR preferred to order my bike with the 103ci
Screamin' Eagle engine rather than having to buy it with the standard
96ci engine and then have the 103SE engine built.