Reading about the pricing of Harleys  in Aus vs NZ vs US etc got me thinking about how Harleys are perceived around the world. In most places, they cost roughly the same, say $20,000-$35,000 or significantly more in some countries due to import duties, but once you factor in the average income, you will find that, in the vast majority of the world ( except for a few rich countries), Harleys are dream machines and can only be afforded  by the super rich. They definitely are not a vehicle for an average man, let alone a battler.

As you know, the vast majority of the population of the world (including the middleclass in Asia, Africa, South America etc) rely on little scooters / bikes for personal transport. These may cost around $1000-$2000 and are used to ferry everything from whole families to large loads. To put this cost vs. income into perspective, for the majority of the world, buying a new Harley will be like buying a new Ferrari in Australia. If you see what tiny percentage of our population (i.e., the mega rich) can afford to spend $500,000 on a personal sports car, that will roughly mirror the section of society that can afford a new Harley in most parts of the world!

I am not an economist, but even if you take the Purchasing Power Parity into account (i.e. one $ will go a long, long way in many countries than one $ in Australia), this is still true. Especially, as the cost of most services are a fraction of what they cost here (a plumber or electrician or doctor in most parts of the world will earn only a small fraction of what they can earn in Australia). It is a tragic fact that in many parts of the world, if you are a middleclass guy with an ordinary job, you will not be able to afford even a cheap little used car, but you will be able to afford to employ 2-3 servants to cook & clean for you!
 

Just because some people in other parts of the world can't afford them doesn't make a Harley a rich man's toy.  The average man's car here would pay for a Harley, its just a choice between the two. And I still don't get what point you're trying to make - that some people are poor?

I see buying an expensive toy as how much debt you are willing to extend.

live today, tomorrow may never come

Bonkerz, My post has absolutely nothing to do with the affordability of Harleys in Australia or US or northern Europe for that matter. It was just an observation on how Harleys are seen around the world.
The title was tongue-in-cheek - I never mentioned mega rich where

Yes, for us, it is only the cost of an average family car (and far less in the US!), but in most of the countries that Harley sells (including the boom markets of India & China), it is seen as a very rich man's toy, like Ferraris or Lambos here.

And even where its unaffordable, sheer passion makes workarounds possible - I was reading how five young Indian guys in their twenties pooled together to buy a new 48!

Every  Harley riders is MEGA rich from the enjoyment they get from there ride (toy) everytime they go out on it with their partner or by themself. 

you owe me 2 minutes

 

1 minute reading your post and a further minute trying to work out what point you were trying to make

 

 

Its called financially stable!

22.5 years in the one job. Mortgage under control.

saved for 5 yrs to buy what I want. RICH, I doubt it!

tongue in cheak maybe. still dont like it

think maybe rains was just saying were all pretty lucky. as stated by numerous above posts, we all are generally in the position to choose to own a hd if we wish.

Dunno about Mega Rich but the price kept me away for a few years. My current Harley owes me about $21K.

I think the original question asks if the Harley is considered a Rich Mans toy, is that the perception of most people.

I think it is the perception of most, but ask 'em how much for a ski boat or a fishing boat?

How much for the average size car or Ute? Or 4WD FFS?!

How much was yur Boat Cruise? What did yuz pay for yur wedding with all the trimmings?

Tally up yur shoe$/jewellery and electronic lounge room 'toy$'. It's all relative.

 i ride a harley cause i love them not what anybody thinks and couldnt give a rats arse about price, i knqw what i want and the rest of the world can go and get fucked

onya brush

Besides the life we are privelaged to live here due to the sacrifices of many , i think it`s why they call it the lucky country bloke and your right many other countries are pretty fucked up and corruption dictates the everwidening gap between the haves and the poor have nots , much more noticably !
Here though , why not take it while ya can get it i reckon , many work hard and are paid well and just as many struggle but still manage to enjoy their lives to the fullest the best they can , many have the car , bike and boat of choice which is what i aspired to while at school and work hard for the man payin a mortgage , sorta the way it rolls in Oz , though it could all end tomorrow ya know ?
Funny , when i saved and bought my first HD a Softail Heritage Classic , my dream bike , i didn`t sleep , hangin by the nads for 2 months , they woulda heard me yahoo`n from 10km away as i road off up the motorway !
Funniest thing was when i picked it up , the young Japanese fella who had obviously saved and waited just as long for his new sporty , was near wetting his pants in anticipation just watching me collect my bike , the only words he could mutter in his very envious and nervous Japanese accent was , Awwe fuckken Heriiiitacheeee , cracked me up all the way home and i think of it everytime i see a heritage now !
Now , i had relo`s fight em , and their relo`s were the only nation to have attacked our lands but being part indigeonous with an asian missus , i think fucken good on him , this country is that much of a melting pot these days of the nationalities ya speak of , that some even feel bad going back to their homelands for holidays , not to mention the peaceful takeover by boaties we`re all witnessing as we speak which don`t look like stoppin anytime soon , i feel in Oz , if ya can achieve it , why not , ya get what ya work for and deffinately don`t feel bad that others can`t , as i suppose they too would if they could and probably will as the poorer nationalities that arrive here see so much opportunity here , where many already here only see how fucked it`s becoming ?
Anyway whatever ya do , don`t let it rain on your own parade right ?

harley davidsons are for real men

haha i still think sportys are for real men, i'd rather see a guy riding a sportie then a kawasakie

Some of your read my post and understood the gist of it while some read it, but did not understand it. Those of you who have been to Asian countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, India etc will know what I was saying.

Some just read the heading and got all hot under the collar - for those people, I hope (for your sake) you can ride with more attention than you can read.

Where the bloody hell did I say AUSTRALIAN Harley riders are rich?

That would have to be pretty “rich” coming from me, of all people! Like many others in this forum, I am a former mad-keen motorcyclist who has returned to riding again after a gap of almost 20 years. My story is similar to many others in this forum: after having been in steady employment for over 25 years, going through the whole cycle of marriage, bringing up kids, trying to make some headway into the mortgage etc, and dreaming of a Harley for the last few years (while prioritising other things in life), a few months ago, I was finally able to buy a Harley - a bloody, six year old used bike (I love it). I am in my late forties and no, I can’t even afford a new bike - so, I don’t need any frigging lectures about how we Harley owners are not rich (with money).

All I said was:
(1) Some things most of us in Australia take for granted is an unthinkable luxury for most people in the poorer parts of the world (e.g. a Harley, boat etc)
(2) Some things that most people in the poorer parts of the world take for granted is an unthinkable luxury for most of us in Australia (e.g. having a cook, cleaner, driver etc)

It was just meant to be an observation on life - if that seems all too hard for your grey matter, piss of from this thread and go look at the titty pics.

Thank you to those of you who have contributed your own observations to this thread.

 Rains, I get what you are saying,

One placed I worked o/s, the aussie dollar bought 6 of there dollars, leather jackets where around a hundred dollars for a decent one, thats 100 of there dollars, 20 dollars Australian, some years later, went back into same shop and similar leather jackets where still around 100 dollars, there money, but alas the dollar was equal, so it cost 100 dollars Australian, nothing much else had changed., On the last trip, one bloke was winging that the jackets were so expensive now, IE 100 dollars Australian, even though the living standards in that country hadnt changed much, Most people dont get it and never will.

Yeah ya gotta feel for some poor buggers hey , but they are here too , and for instance , the asian middle class is getting so big that where they all used to ride treddlies , they`re all are buying cages and why not , but for other than status , i`m not sure why they bother though coz in their still developing countries , they now sit in 100 km long traffic jams suckin down carbon monoxide pollution while the rest of the world argues over who is gonna pay for tighter emmition regulations for such developing countries , who can`t or don`t want to contribute a razoo to the cause ?
In my missus and I , little rice village in Isarn central Thailand , they are begginning to use their buffalo to plow , and harvesting by hand as they have for ions because it`s all becoming too much for fuel , and the `haves , are forever wanting more from the `have nots !
Maybe a little more now , but the going rate was about (120 baht) or $4 AUD per day , for a villager hand harvesting rice , bent at the waist , frying in ankle deep water and mud , sun up til sun down !

In our little village they call a 90k baht (@$3K AUD) 200cc honda phantom , a chopper , and take out loans to buy a 30k baht (@$1K AUD) 110cc honda wave scoota which is not only many families pride and joy , but their only mode of transport , otherwise they have to pay someone who has transport to take them everywhere for everything !
It`s almost cruel when a storm comes through and blows the rooves of their houses or fire rips through and destroys what little they owned , if a fire does start , it`s the whole village racing to put it out with buckets of water before it spreads and by time a fire truck does arrive from the main town 20kms away , it`s usually burnt itself out or been put out by the villagers themselves !
Other than money and material things , much of what they use is handmade and they are happier than many here in Oz most times and would give ya the shirt off their backs , wanting ya to come sit and talk shit and eat their food with them , our little village is like one big happy family much of the time , the more you live as they do when your there , sorta the more they respect ya ?