There is a fine line between making the consumer happy and the dealer happy. A dealer can't live on just maintenance items alone. They need extras to survive. There are costs to consider too. Every manufacturer makes small changes year to year. Weather it be heat treating a gear in the transmission or a different style electrical connection. The problem with the changes lies in the number of parts they ordered in the first place. If they make 5000 bikes in one year and order 7000 of each part, and 5 different parts go bad, they tend to keep building next years model with the old part until they run out and then change or modify economically. If it's a safety item, then they'll always replace that so they don't get sued. But sometimes it's in there best interest to let a cheap part fail and have to be replaced. Most of the failing items on your average motorcycle are cheap and easy to replace. They bring out a tech bulletin so they don't have to pay diagnosis to the dealer and the new part or procedure gets done cheaply and the dealer gets reimbursed, cheaply. Meanwhile, when you bring your bike in for the service, a good service specialist will ask you the standard questions and comments: "looks like your due for service" "while we have that off would you like one of these installed?" "want your tires balanced while your bike is here? it's only $..." . See how that benefits them and the dealer. Plus you get an excuse to look at the newer models, your bike dealer maintained, time to shop for accessories, etc....

Thanks to this board I have learned about a lot of HD Parts that go on the Roadies. I just added a "velcro closure style", no snaps, or twisty lugs, Harley Davidson windshield box style bag to my oem windshield, and love the heck outa of it. Too easy to get into, and it doesn't sag or flop around. Best 70.00 I have spent in awhile.
Our Harley Dealer out in Bellemont AZ has a spring cleaning yard sale every year, and he puts out a lot of HD parts that are old stock, and takeoffs. He has a stack of Handlebars four feet high to choose from. Some crashbars that only have slight scratches on them. So the pickens are good sometimes.

here is another photo of the windshield bag

Lone*Road* wrote:

About your license plate, will you get a ticket if "Tennessee" is just slightly covered up? I ask because here in Texas, if your frame obstructs "Texas" you will get a ticket. Funny though, I haven't got pulled over for my "helmet exemption" sticker being partially covered!

I like what you did with your lollipops, how about putting LED's in them? I did and I really like knowing I have better and brighter lighting back there.
Ride safe.......... Lone*Road* (LoneStar RoadStar)[/quote]




As far as getting a ticket for the plate I am not real sure but I have been riding with it like that for at least a week, didn't notice it being crooked till I looked at the pic in my post, so not real sure.

As far as LED's I tried them and could not get them to stop flashing to quickly, so sticking with standard 1157 red bulbs, don't feel like putting out the cash for the equalizers to stop the rapid flash for the led's

I think they listen but most manufacturers have to weigh risk and reward. I think about Chevy pickups and Suburbans of the 70's. They built same damn thing for 10-15 years virtually unchanged (mechanically). Its obvious that with the Roadie they got it right out of the box and they aren't about to muck around with it. We are seeing some consolidation at least in Yamaha's line up. the 1100 is gone this year. they have too many bikes and frankly the Roadie could be next, it's old tech. The 1300 has a ton of power and the jump from it to the Strat/Roadliner isn't that far performance wise. Note that Honda made the Fury out of a 1300.
Also with less models its much easier to have a slew of accessories for it. No one sells as many of what is just about the same bike as HD and thats part of the reason they have so many accessories not to mention they market the hell out of it. One of their keys all along is that availablity of aftermarket parts (their own and others). Kind of like the small block Chevy, who couldn't build one up with what's available for it? It wasnt always so but they made it so that there was commonality between engines and it paid off huge, same with HD. I will say if you look real close there is a lot of cross pollination between various Yamaha models but its real hard to figure out. Same accessory for two different models have different part numbers, its lame!