I am not on my local tyre depots Christmas card list as I can do more than 2,000 miles to a rear tyre. Then there is the history attached to Harleys. There is the fact that any particular model will have a long production history. I still have a road test of a pre-production FXR in 'Choppers' magazine from Nov. 1981. This bike is essentially the same as the '91 bike now sat in my garage, the major difference being the Shovel engine has obviously been superseded by the Evo.
Some bikes last only a year before they are changed around and re-hashed.
I could go on and on for pages about why Harleys have such a strong appeal, but it basically boils down to one thing. A few other makes do, I admit, but I prefer Harleys. Bikers who, for what ever reason, want less from a bike, or have a different set of values, have a load of mass produced, identikit bikes to choose from. Those of us who are more demanding have only a few real options. It is possible that if, for example, the old Meriden Triumph factory had survived and adapted to change in the way that Harley has, then many of todays Harley riders would be bombing about on modern Bonnevilles and the like, but then, Harleys have a style all of their own, and if you like Harleys, then nothing else on earth will do.