Harley-Davidson effect?

My 99 was the first truck I had with AC, automatic transmission, cruise and a CD player. Still had the bench seat and manual locking hubs.

Looked just like this.


Got rid of it because the wife announced she was pregnant so I needed a back seat. Sold the 99 for the 04 DCAB, first truck with adjustable seats, power windows, door locks and automatic locking hubs.

That's almost 20 years of driving Toyota's and they still delivered essentially the same truck, 2nd gen changed everything in what people thought what a Toyota should be. Some of those ideas were for the good, some for the worst. It was no longer just good enough to be a reliable little truck, now it had to compete with the full size trucks and be car comfortable and loaded with gizmos.

 

I don't know where I fall on the spectrum here..Just feel like throwing out my 2 cents.

I have a Tacoma because they are known for their reliability and they hold their value. Also they are just good looking trucks! In the 5 years that I've owned it I've only had the minimal problems that most of us have (wheel bearing, carrier bearing). This truck has been hammered on too, with towing trailers that are right on the cusp of it towing capacity and beating it up in Moab a couple times I have to say these things are strong! I don't see any reason for me to buy a different truck any time soon.

As for the motorcycles, I have owned two Harleys. I didn't buy my Harley Davidson's with the thought that they will be reliable and run forever without problems. I bought them for the looks, the sound, and the attitude that comes with them. It doesn't really make a ton of sense when I think about it like that but there really is nothing like cruising the highways in a group of a dozen or so other Harley riders. My girlfriend rides a Honda VTX1300 and although it is several years newer than mine it is way more reliable, it requires virtually no maintenance, and it runs better than my Road King. At the end of the day though, I can still pitch her crap because it's not a Harley!

 

I bought an 06 tundra limited because an 06 tacoma sr5 with more km was a minimum of $3k more. I cannot explain the price difference other than the cult following. The tundra is better in every way.

 

Except timing belts, brakes and transmission pre 05 and the 13 mpg

 

Nice bikes....Chicks don't wanna ride in Tacoma's when you've got a Harley...lol

My 2006 Honda VTX1300R leaked oil the first couple of days....Was a good bike though...Now I ride these:

 

...^^^... IMO ... 2006 was a SUPER year for the Tundra and if I could buy a new one today ... I would.

IIRC ... My only problem with a 2006 Tundra was 4'x8's between the bed wheel wells. I should have sucked that up and bought a 2006 (last of 1st platform) and kept it. Keep that 2006 Tundra foreverrrrr.
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...^^^... We have the same tastes in trucks.
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I measure 49" between wheel well on DC... Ya shes a beaut, may just keep it forever like you said. noting fancy to look at but is plush and drives like a caddi

 

Bingo.

 

...^^^... I remembered it wrong then ... I had a 2000 Tundra (1st year Gen 1, I think) and a 2007 Tundra (1st year Gen. 2, I think) and I though that the 1st Gen. Tundra was less than 48" between the wheel wells. Maybe it was just the 2000 model too, IDK.

Thanks for the correction ...... IMO, 2006 was last year and when Toyota had perfected the Gen. 1.

My buddy is very sorry he sold his 2006 Tundra. Trying to do all this from memory too.
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This a good point. Without much competition, Toyota could afford to keep cranking out basically the same truck, without fear of losing market share, or incurring the cost of major retooling/redesign. This in the narrow category of midsize trucks. I'll bet there are lots of Silverados, F150's etc with crazy miles on them, but thats a different animal. I dont doubt for a moment that Tacomas are tough, reliable trucks. I surely hope so, cause I just bought a new one!
My analogy of the Harley to Tacomas high resale was to focus on the intangibles. They both built their reputations somewhere along the line., in order to get into that rare "cult following" club. They both got there, for maybe different reasons.
I guess the point is, once you do get people to buy your product, even overpriced, as much because of whats its named, and represents, than what it is, you have achieved rare air. Thats the similarity I see. Happens in other industries too. Grateful Dead anyone?

 

Ehhhh to a degree but not entirely. Tacoma's do resale for a little bit higher than they should in my mind, but not by an absurd amount. There is a key difference though. Harley's are relatively unreliable (not that most people who own them drive them enough to break them anyway), but do hold value better.

Now here is the important part though, sure on a percentage scale Harley's hold value better, but they cost twice as much as a Japanese counterpart. Point being that 40 percent depreciation on a Harley is about 80% of the cost of the Japanese bike in the first place. This means that unless they depreciate WAY slower than Japanese bikes, you are still losing more money in a Harley if all you care about is getting from A to B. Obviously most people want to get from A to B in their preferred style though so the money may be no object.

Since Tacoma's and their competition are roughly the same price, the math works out for them.

 

Toyota should have followed Eric Buell's recipe- take a proven, yet basic motor (the 4.0) and put it in a modern, well-engineered chassis.

 

yeah, good points. I may have overplayed that hand a bit. Harley-Davidson is much more iconic and much more overvalued that any Toyota ever was or will be. And you're right about the reliabilty. The Tacoma has proven to be very reliable, and while the Harley is much much improved the last decade in that area, its still a decades old engine design, which needs major maintenance, if it even sniffs 100K miles.

 

Hmmmm....never heard that one before...lmmfao...let's add another one I never knew they voted

 

Interesting points. However, I think the Tacoma's high resale is due to its reliable, economical, and practical nature rather than cult-like following.

I think you can more closely relate the "H-D Effect" to a Jeep Wrangler/CJ. They're impractical to a fault, yet people (even soccer moms) can't get enough of them. Owning a Jeep, like a Harley, is a lifestyle and a statement as well as a mode of transportation. Their resale, especially on older models, is through the roof.

 

Now that is a better analogy.

A friend of mine says "a jeep is the vehicle you want to own until you own one"

He's on his third Jeep now as its a love/hate thing.

He also has a Harley.

 

I think he's talking about all the doctors, lawyers and small business owners that have Harleys and vote. Not the hells angels.