Harley RMCR

[Jeff Higgins]

Just a one-off concept bike for now. Will they build it? We'll see. It uses the 1,250cc engine from their Pan America line.





I remember when the Pan America came out that there were hints of a sport bike on that platform. Never materialized. Maybe this is finally it.

[afterburn 549]

They should !
They forgot to put two front heads on it!
Not a bad-looking unit .
But I am stuck in the rut of why they did not do more with the V-rod configuration.

[rfuerst911sc]

Looks like a modern Buell to me . Not a bad looking bike . I think Harley is struggling with their identity moving forward . This may be an attempt to bring in younger riders ?

[afterburn 549]

For sure !
The old V-twin crowd is done and gone !
I am surprised HD is even still here! I keep saying...

[sc_rufctr]

That is a cool bike. I like it

[LWJ]

This strikes me as pretty similar to the VR1000 race bike that my employer (at the time) built frames for. Having seen a VR1000 up close, it was absolutely sexy as hell. Harley needs some innovation and adoption by a younger demographic. They are circling the drain otherwise.

[sc_rufctr]

It reminds me of this bike.

[varmint]

They called XLCRs rolling chicanes.

[Jeff Higgins]

Before I got married one of my roommates had an XLCR. He begged and pleaded to trade for my XLCH (the one I still have today). Those XLCR's were worse than worthless back then, nobody wanted them. At the time, the proverbial answer to the question nobody was asking.

My crystal ball was obviously malfunctioning. Now one of the most sought after Harleys of all time, and not just in the Sportster market. Most owners stripped everything off that made them unique and converted them into more traditional Sportsters. Kind of a shame, really.

[908/930]

No thanks, but do like the exhaust, probably could sell reasonably well about 30 years ago. About the same ergonomics as a Ducati 916, I would take the 916. Hopefully they keep the coolant hoses away from the exhaust on this one.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

It reminds me of this bike.

Was this nick named Black Max?

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by 908/930

No thanks, but do like the exhaust, probably could sell reasonably well about 30 years ago. About the same ergonomics as a Ducati 916, I would take the 916. Hopefully they keep the coolant hoses away from the exhaust on this one.

It does kind of remind me of that era Ducati. The air cooled, though, with the muffler placement and all of that.



I think it would do well against the modern "naked" sport bikes offered by Ducati, KTM, and others.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

It does kind of remind me of that era Ducati. The air cooled, though, with the muffler placement and all of that.



I think it would do well against the modern "naked" sport bikes offered by Ducati, KTM, and others.

Most modern sport targeted bikes are very close in capabilities, it comes down to preference and community. I have never been attracted to the HD community (the mainstream one) which means I would hate to own that bike and take it to the local HD dealer for service.

My KTM has 54k miles now and very few issues (wood knock). That said their service centers are always out of stock and wait times are long. Personal example, my TPMS sensors went out a year ago. I just ignored it and accepted riding with the check light on in the dash. I thought I would wait for tires and get them done the same time. KTM Poway CA said the sensors were on many month back order. So new tires and still the warning indicator. Last week I ordered and paid for the new sensors and have them ready when tires are due...likely early 2027.

Back on topic, the RMCR looks cool and one dimensional. Kudos to HD if they go forward with it.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Most modern sport targeted bikes are very close in capabilities, it comes down to preference and community. I have never been attracted to the HD community (the mainstream one) which means I would hate to own that bike and take it to the local HD dealer for service.

Pretty much every modern sport bike is vastly more capable than we are. I remember maybe ten years ago or more reading a comparison between the then available 600 class sport bikes. I believe it was in Cycle World. They had six or eight bikes, from 600 fours to comparable twins. They said we had reached the point where we can now "pick like a girl" - choose a color you like, a vibe you like, whatever. Any choice based on performance differences was moot. Every one of those bikes were faster than we are.

So, yeah, community is a large part of that. You know how much I like my Harleys... but I have also expressed how little I like the modern Harley community. I'm not sure when they "jumped the shark", but it's been a long, long time. For the most part I just want nothing to do with those people. Yes, there are still many "real" motorcyclists in the ranks, but I just don't see them at any of the Harley centric kinds of gatherings anymore. Like me, they are probably just out riding and enjoying a rather fine motorcycle.

One has to wonder how much that might hurt RMCR sales if they pull the trigger. No one goes to a Harley dealership looking for a sport bike. Sport bike riders are, of course, even more put off by Harley riders than other Harley riders are put off by them. That might be Harley's toughest nut to crack.

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

My KTM has 54k miles now and very few issues (wood knock). That said their service centers are always out of stock and wait times are long. Personal example, my TPMS sensors went out a year ago. I just ignored it and accepted riding with the check light on in the dash. I thought I would wait for tires and get them done the same time. KTM Poway CA said the sensors were on many month back order. So new tires and still the warning indicator. Last week I ordered and paid for the new sensors and have them ready when tires are due...likely early 2027.

I've probably mentioned this here before, if so, sorry. Anyway, my main riding partner for many years was a dyed in the wool anti Harley zealot. He rode Hondas of various descriptions. Getting a little bit tired of his ribbing about Harleys, I devised a little game that we would play when traveling together.

I would call out something that just "failed" on the bikes. Alternator, starter, clutch, something like that. The challenge was to "get it fixed", i.e. find a source within riding distance that the other guy could go fetch the needed part (if it was something we could replace on the road ourselves), or to find a dealership or other shop that could "repair" or "replace" our hypothetical failed part.

In over 20 years of playing this game, the "success rate" on the Honda was abysmal. Like close to zero. Oh, they could always get the part - four to six weeks out. Or in the rare instance they had the part, they could schedule you in a couple of weeks. Just too many models to support, and too frequently "updated" or "improved" to allow them to cover multiple years of production.

On the Harley, on the other hand, I pretty much batted 1,000 on the same repairs. Not only were parts always on hand, the dealership would get me in on the same day. Each and every time. Something to be said for their relatively narrow range of offerings and snail's pace of development.

It is actually Harley corporate policy to support the touring rider in this manner. MMARSH pointed out in another thread that he had similar experiences with BMW. But what happens if you are several states away from home and your KTM has problems? Many other makes are in the same boat - your are arranging a tow to the shop and flying home. Or finding a way to get that bike home, like renting a U Haul.

That's probably, admittedly, all pretty much moot with as reliable as today's machines are. And probably a lot less important to sport bike riders who don't venture that far from home.

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Back on topic, the RMCR looks cool and one dimensional. Kudos to HD if they go forward with it.

I'm not optimistic. If they do go forward, I might just be enticed to actually go to a dealership. For the first time in a decade...

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Was this nick named Black Max?

Do you remember the movie Black Rain? Michael Douglas's bike.