The Harley-Davidson Edition Goldwing

Each year when Harley-Davidson unveils a "new" motorcycle, it seems to give me the sense that the Im-Co (image company) has a better sense of it's own direction.

We all know that this new Harley-Davidson 48 is just the same old Sportster but in a different skin. But yet, it seems like that's ok now.

We've come accept the fact that Harley no longer creates new technology. Even though I, and many others, have complained that their new motorcycles are not really new motorcycles, that point seems to fall on deaf ears more and more.

In fact somewhere I saw a video, maybe on YouTube, that showcased the designers that work at Harley. I got the sense that Harley is hiring more designers than it is engineers.

The whole "dark series" that Harley is doing right now is in response to the fact that black is now the new chrome. That XR1200 they launched a couple years ago was all about image as well, designing their Sportster with an image that Europeans seem to associate with.

Honda tried to do the same thing that Harley now does not too long ago with their "Fury". They took the same old VTX platform, and put it on a chopperesque chassis. Honda billed it as something bold and new, destined to take the motorcycle division into a new direction. But reporters and bloggers lost their lunches when they saw it wasn't anything innovative at all, just a hunk of junk.

The motorcycling public places different expectations on Honda than it does Harley. We come to expect innovation from Honda, while we come to expect image from Harley.

When either of those companies give us something else, we criticize them.

The last couple of times Harley tried to release something innovative, they were met with groans. Case in point, they replaced their Evolution engine with the Twin Cam, and they launched the V-Rod.

But when Harley unveiled this new "48" Sportster, it got great press. People judge the 48 Sportster for its looks, not for its innovation. And indeed, it's looks cool.

At this stage of the game, Harley understands it doesn't have to build motorcycles anymore. We've come to accept Harley as an image company, not a motor company. Their motorcycles are just blank-canvasses with which they can splash on color and glitter and express a new idea in lifestyle.

You've all heard of "Eddie Bauer" right? That's a clothes designer that gives hikers and campers a softer look. Remember when they teamed up with Ford to make the Eddie Bauer edition Explorer?

And more closer to motorcycling is the Arlen Ness edition Victory motorcycles. They're Victory motorcycles, but with the design touches of Arlen and Cory Ness.

Well, at some point in time Harley should be able to stop making motorcycles altogether, and instead license their image to other manufacturers. So you can get the Harley edition Goldwing, or the Harley edition V-Strom.