Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Riding vintage Indians...

Ah! ... Iron-head Sportsters!!! .... like a big British bike, ..... if you caned them hard the gearbox innards could climb out of the casing trapdoor (trick cast bronze door sorted that). ... and they could be an absolute pig to start if they were off-tune ... I've seen grown men weep at the side of the road from exhaustion and frustration with a Kick-only Sporty 🙂 ... I quite liked them in their own way😁

K

Ps ... you are very right with regards to the malaise of the AMF days .... nearly saw Harley off ... saved by a Family buyback .... I see parrallels with the current situation at Morgan (tho hope it works as a family buyback looks unlikely if it doesn't)

Whilst its recognised that the family buyback and the introduction of the Evo engine were important to Harley's revival, it's survival is often attributed to President Ronald Reagan saving Harley-Davidson by imposing draconian import tariffs on Japanese motorcycles. By giving the sole American motorcycle maker some breathing room from competition to retool, Harley was able to get its act together, turn profitable, and even request the tariff protection be ended early.

John ... indeed, there were other factors .... but if AMF had remained in charge, the alienation of the traditional customer base and poor quality of their product and QC would have finished the firm regardless. They just didn't understand the company or market.

K

Yes, there are so many contributing factors eg Willie G's involvement in the design of the motorcycles and all important cash generator of merchandising and clothing and the introduction of HOG, the biggest single brand motorcycle club in the world. Production has risen from under 50k in 1990 when I got my first Ultraclassic to about 200k projected sales for this year. Not that I'm a big fan of the current line-up, all too heavy and I'm an evo man at heart.

We all have our chosen times .... sign a company has been about for a while ... I really rated the first 883 Sportsters when they arrived ... worked for The Harley Shop in Whitwood in the '80s and drove the first one we got out of the crate ... and the Evo was the best engine they made ... still workable and not weighed down with tech ... however, my heart lies with the Shovels and earlier ... proper old two-wheel tractors with soul 🙂

With you on the new ones ... I'm one of the old-fogeys they left behind 🙂

My favourites were my 1990 Grey Ghost Fatboy and a '93 Springer both sadly missed, when I had to let them go.........Shovels were just that little bit too raw for my liking and I'm hopeless with oily bits, and couldn't get on with having to use a kick start.

Jens

Thanks for posting that video. In a world where it seems that everything has to be new and our throw away society bin stuff after just a couple of years, it's good to see young people using the old bikes. Likewise when i see youngsters with old cars!