Harley-Davidson hoax

“New model” is actually a dealer stunt

Posted: 11 April 2012
by Visordown News

A DUTCH Harley-Davidson dealer has had H-D forums around the world going mad for the last few days with pictures apparently showing a new model – a 2013 “FXDX”.

The photos, which seemingly showed the new machine being unpacked from its original delivery crate complete with factory-style packaging, in fact showed a one-off special made by the dealer himself, Bas Leek of Dutch firm West Coast Motors.

But that was only revealed days after the original shots were shown on West Coast Motor's Facebook page, quite intentionally sparking huge global interest from Harley fans intrigued by the supposed new model. The original shots were accompanied by a single line: “Oops!! What did they send us now?” and no further information.

Only yesterday did the dealer come clean, revealing that the bike was part April Fool, part publicity stunt and part a message to Harley-Davidson that a real FXDX could be a success if the firm decided to make it. A post on the XR1200 Owners Group forum, seemingly from the dealer himself, explains the thinking behind the hoax and the effort that went into it.

Based on a brand new Street Bob, the bike used real Harley parts wherever possible to help give the impression it was a factory effort. The front end comes from an XR1200, as does the swingarm, which is modified and bolted to the Street Bob's Dyna frame. An original 2005 FXD fuel tank features a one-off paint scheme designed to look like a factory finish, while a huge amount of attention has been paid to getting details like warning stickers right to give the impression this is a production bike rather than a special.

Even the packaging box, appearing in the background of some of the pictures, was given stickers to reflect the bike's identity as a non-existent FXDX.

West Coast Motors, we applaud you! Now let's see if Harley decides to make something similar...

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Discuss this story

John Doe 3

Without that huge rear fender it would look good.

Posted: 11/04/2012 at 13:26

Joe Pool

Hey! Do we have a forum member who works at VisorDown?

~JoeP

Posted: 11/04/2012 at 15:03

SCBonneville

Oh boy!! an xr12streetblob!!

Why would anyone get "excited" about that? Well maybe in the EU... because they sure don't sell many XR1200's over here... Pity too... it's probably their best bike... But that may not be saying much...

Posted: 11/04/2012 at 15:55

Fred Maxwell 4

Totally agree about the huge rear fender. They could black out the sides and that would make it appear smaller. But it's still a totally wrong fender for the bike, especially given the abbreviated front fender.

Let's be honest: Every Harley is primarily a styling exercise and most "new models" are really just cobbled together from existing parts bins at Harley. If you get excited about Harley styling exercises and are willing to grade Harleys on their own performance scale (rather than comparing them to other brands), then maybe this bike will do something for you. If you judge motorcycles based on how well they work and how good they look, then this is just another Harley-induced yawn coming on.

Posted: 11/04/2012 at 16:46

Tom Dude

Anyone who thinks the measure of a motorcycle is it's horsepower-to-weight ratio or it's unnecessary use of technology is thin brained. They recite the dogma of the latest issue of "Mo Faster Bikes" cause they can't think for themselves. That's a fools game that only ends when you realize its not about the fastest, or best handling, or most blinged out bike...it's about the individual and how that bike connects to them on a visceral level. Whether it's a CBR100RR, or a Goldwing, or a Road King is irrelevant. Ride and let ride or sit on the porch, but don't judge others just because something doesn't connect to you, it just make you look like a wienie.

Posted: 11/04/2012 at 22:48

fred maxwell 5

@Tom Dude: I own a Ural, two Buells (air and liquid-cooled), a DRZ-400S, and an old-school 2-stroke Vespa PX150 clone. I'm a lot more of an individualist than some one-brand Harley owner who rides around on some cookie-cutter bike. So much for your attempt to portray me as being a narrow-minded sport bike rider.

I appreciate aspects of lots of bikes: Classic styling, exceptional engineering, superb power delivery, and great handling. But a bike has to have something exceptional about it. Most Harleys don't have anything exceptional about them. They are just collections of parts from other models put together like so many Lego parts.

Anyone who thinks that ABS, traction control, state of the art fuel injection, and top-notch suspension components are examples of "unnecessary use of technology" on sport bikes is really thin-brained. Not everyone who is riding wants to loaf along like they are in a parade.

Posted: 12/04/2012 at 03:41

ripsawII

Well said Fred.

Posted: 12/04/2012 at 09:57

Angus Rectal

Isn't Harley-Davidson a hoax?

Posted: 12/04/2012 at 11:02

Andy Hornsby

Amazed that anyone would see that FXDX as a factory bike: it doesn't work for a big enough sector of their traditional market, and it wouldn't be enough to persuade anyone to convert to the brand - the XR1200 has stood the best chance since Harley closed Buell but that seems to be wide of the mark in its standard state of tune: shame, because there's loads of potential there.

@Fred: Curious why you seem to think Tom Dude's comments are aimed at you, but even more curious as to why - as a rider of a Ural, and so obviously someone who understands that there's more to bikes than speed alone, and with a brace of Buells in your stable - you seem unwilling to see the other fella's perspective, and are trotting-out the Harley=slow stereotype: they have a different kind of power delivery and are quite exceptional in their own way: you'd be astonished how many ex-racers and quick sportbike riders you'll find in the saddles of Harleys.

Horses for courses. For the record: an old Shovelhead, Mk2 Cyclone, Victory 92/5 Vegas, with more Dneprs than you can shake a stick at, a host of old Brits, couple of XS1100s, ZL900 and an FJ1200A in my past, in case you were wondering.

Posted: 12/04/2012 at 11:59

our man in Bangkok

Sorry... I can't see anything to differentiate it from the other HD models. Why is it considered special? 1980' style alloy wheels?

Posted: 12/04/2012 at 12:51

s b 6

Its a 96 c.i. motor, not a 1200...thats the bling...rocketship

Posted: 12/04/2012 at 13:25

fred maxwell 5

@Andy Hornsby: I'm pretty certain that Tom Dude's comments were aimed at me, as I had just remarked on the performance aspects. I admit, I am unwilling to see the perspective of someone who refers to the entire modern sport bike market as "unnecessary use of technology" appealing only to "thin brained" fools.

The range of bikes I have owned, shows that, like you, I'm not some one-brand, or one category, bike owner. I can see appeal in widely varying types and brands of bikes. That said, I've ridden Harleys (Sportsters and FXR Dyna Glides). I've wrenched on Harleys for friends. I've ridden with those same friends and traded off bikes. So my comments were the opposite of "trotting-out the Harley=slow stereotype." They were based on real world, personal experience.

Harleys are slow. So are Urals. Those are facts, not stereotypes. The difference is that Ural doesn't market its line of low-performance, air-cooled bikes as "menacing," "over-sized," "beefy," ""beast[s]" (see HD web site). I find Ural's marketing a lot more appealing, but I don't have issues about the size of my dick, so maybe I'm not Harley's target demographic.

P.S. If I wanted a 1200cc 45 degree air-cooled V-twin bike that performed like the Harley's best effort, the XR1200, I could strap 150+ lbs of ballast to my Buell XB12Ss and detune it to drop about 10hp. Even then, the superior chassis, brakes, and suspension of the Buell would allow it to eat the Harley for lunch.

Posted: 13/04/2012 at 10:14

Jeff Benner

Yes this thing I believe started on our XR forum the best forum around, on the planet ! It also stirred up quite a discussion. It seems it has filled the void between XR's and big twins. Larger fuel capacity, metal tank and 6 speeds were all things lacking in our beloved XR. I had a fellow forum member photo shop the rear fender for me. I think it looks much better with the XR tail section and seat than in its present state. Search our site it is there. Much curiosity was perked up so I called the MOCO and spoke with there reps. It was then that HD made the claim that they could not release any info about the 2013 models until July-Aug. The reps saw the pic. What HD will do is impossible to say but I hope they would go for it with the XR rear section. Why not. A day or so the Dutch dealer came clean. I think the did a great job on the bike and it took much labor and skills other then just bolting parts on to pull it off. Two thumbs up guys.......... JB

Posted: 13/04/2012 at 21:18