 |
|
|
All-new
for 2002 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Buell
Streetfighter
New XB9R Firebolt: Short-stroke "SportFighter" to sit alongside M2 & X1 and bristling with technology that has caught the Japanese napping. |
 |
|
|
|
Son of a Gun. Harley-Davidson return to parts-bin and spraycan engineering with a £5,795 tribute to the XR750. It's in the dealers windows now: watch this space for an early leg-over. |
|
|
|
|
|
V-Rod prices announced. Harley-Davidson have undercut the rumoured asking price of the impending V-Rod. Expected to run out at £15-16k, they are pleased (they're pleased) to inform us that it'll be yours for £13,995 on the road. They suggest it is aggressive pricing and deliberately low to attract the widest possible audience: I'd suggest that it'd take sales off the Deuce at that price, and might make a few people reconsider spending nearly £12k on the Honda VTX1800. |
|
|
|
|
|
The return of the Springer.
Yippeee. No such reprieve for the unfortunately-named, and long-gone BadBoy and no mention of the OldBoy (sorry, Heritage Springer Softail), but it's nice to see the option of the 40s style front end again. Expect to see Solvol share prices soaring. |
|
|
|
|
|
2002 models offer free improvements. Possibly in a bid to reassure riders of their traditional bikes, Harley-Davidson have held prices for the 2002 models at the same levels as 2001 in spite of the usual raft of year-on-year changes. This year, expect to see Deuce-style bullet indicators on all Dynas, Softails and Sportsters; fatter, 150mm rear tyres on all Dynas; re-designed suspension and stiffer swingarms on all tourers; an alarm/immobiliser for everything but the Sportster as standard; a modification to EFI models that senses rear cylinder temperatures and reduces them when necessary; and - I don't know whether you picked up on this - they're introducing a whole new range of motorcycles starting with a thing called a V-Rod. |
|
|
|
|
|
2003 to be landmark year. It'll come as no surprise to hear that H-D are planning the biggest ever celebrations to mark their 100th Birthday. Starting in the US with the launch of the anniversary models it'll head down Mexico way before moving to Australia, Japan and back to the Milwaukee via two summer events in Europe. The big one however was always going to be Milwaukee, where it is expected 200,000 people will whoop it up to big-name live entertainment in Veteran's Park's 25 acres on Sunday 31st August. I suspect second-hand sales in the US will go ballistic in the run-up with wannabees trying to catch the wave, and with international riders wanting to save themselves the rigmarole of shipping their pride and joy over for the occasion - and missing the european events and a large part of the summer. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Those
of you who have been gutted to look through the catalogue for the
last three years and drooling over the Springer Softail, only to
be told you can't have one, will be pleased to hear that the Springer
Softail is again available in the UK. You can now join the ranks
of the mesmerised, intent on watching the rebound springs atop the
top yoke reflecting the ripples in the road.