Harley - Japanese & European - Motorcycles Best/Better & Fashion

Headline: Wis. Harley workers approve contract to freeze pay (LinkToArticle).  As a devote of "Rice Grinders" and European motorcycles I found this somewhat amusing.  Not wanting to p%*s anybody off, I'll try and keep the euphemisms to a minimum.

It seems to me that Harley’s have been overpriced for a very long time.  Even Harley owners will admit that when Harley was owned by AMC they turned out a very poor product.  I think having a Harley has more to do with being ‘fashionable’ and ‘cool’ than it has to do with actually riding motorcycles.   Having a loud muffler, a leather jacket and either no helmet or the minimum helmet the law allows all fit into this predefined image of ‘coolness’ that Harley owners (and the riders) long to project.  The muffler has to be loud so everyone will look at them.  The leathers must be black so you look mean.  And the chrome must be shinny so you’ll look as good as or better than everyone else on a Harley. 

I would think that the being cool on a Harley thing would have stopped being the ‘In’ thing when Harley’s became cool with the accountant, lawyer and dentist set. 

And the basic engine design hasn’t changed in many decades.  The inherent flaw, which I’m sure has been greatly minimized by now, is having one cylinder behind the other.  The back cylinder obviously gets significantly less airflow than the front.  This was a serious problem in older Harley’s.  Honda introduced water cooling on a motorcycle with the Gold Wing line and proved that their engine design could last exponentially longer than Harley’s because of the benefits of water cooling.  It’s a smooth, quiet, comfortable ride.  
I don't remember if they succeeded or not but I recall a few years ago, when Harley, wanting to minimize Japanese competition, filed to patent their engine noise, which can most closely be approximated by saying potato potato potato potato real fast.  It seems to me that Harley places a higher value on the sound of their bikes than the reliability and technical sophistication of their hardware.  A while back, in an episode of South Park a group of Harley riders was depicted in a restaurant.  One of the bikers remarked "Hay, no one's looking at us!" and they all started doing the potato potato potato thing as loud as they could.  
The thing that I really find offensive though is the propensity to display swastika's on their bikes or attire.  The swastika is forever stigmatized by the Holocaust and personally I find that disrespectful and vulgar. 
And Harley’s vibrate.  But maybe that’s their biggest attraction.  I hear the women on the back love the the sensation.

Thank you for tolerating my rant.  And my deepest, most sincere apologies to Harley riders throughout the world.

Steve

One more thing I GOTTA say:  What is with these automatic transmissions they are offering now?  Maybe I'm just too old school, but if you want to ride a motorcycle you need to be skilled enough to shift gears!  Geeminy......