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2011 Harley Davidson 1200 Custom Introduces H-D1 Factory Customization Program

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2011 Harley Davidson 1200 Custom
2011 Harley Davidson 1200 Custom

Harley Davidson is rolling out their H-D1 factory customization program with the new 1200 Custom. You can go online at the Harley Davidson website, configure your bike, print out the description and take it to your nearest dealer to place an order. According to Harley, you can be riding your factory custom within 4 weeks.

It used to be, vehicles were ordered this way, you ordered what you wanted instead of buying what was at the dealer. It works out better for the dealer because he isn’t sitting on unwanted bikes and the company gets real time information about what buyers are actually willing to pay for. With enough options you can change things around quite a bit. Neat.

Press release follows:

MILWAUKEE – A wide front end and chunky 16-inch tire give the new Harley-Davidson 1200 Custom a proud stance that’s strong and contemporary. Introduced as a mid-year addition to the 2011 Harley-Davidson model line-up, the 1200 Custom also features new wheels, a pull-back handlebar, and a reshaped LED tail lamp.

These elements combine to give the 1200 Custom an exciting new look, but that’s just a starting point for this Sportster® model. The 1200 Custom will also debut H-D1 factory customization, a new opportunity that allows the customer to choose from seven option categories to optimize fit, function and style. By selecting from available factory-installed wheels, handlebars, seats, paint, foot control position, security system, and engine finish, the customer can create a 1200 Custom that is a truly personalized motorcycle. Factory customization and Bike Builder on Harley-Davidson.com are the newest elements of H-D1, Harley-Davidson’s comprehensive offering of customization tools, which also includes Genuine Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessory catalogs, the Genuine Motor Accessories Custom Seat and Custom Paint programs, the Chrome Consultant and Fit Shop advisors at Harley-Davidson dealerships, and much more.

2011 Harley Davidson 1200 Custom
2011 Harley Davidson 1200 Custom

A Sportster® model with Fattitude
The 1200 Custom offers a new look but is Sportster to the core, offering a compelling combination of bold styling, nimble handling and the irresistible beat of American V-Twin performance.

Key features of the 2011 1200 Custom include:

* Air-cooled Evolution® 1200cc V-Twin engine with Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI), rated at 79 ft. lbs. peak torque at 4000 rpm.
* Powertrain is finished in black powdercoat with chrome covers.
* NEW Chrome, Five-Spoke cast aluminum wheels front and rear. Front and rear wheels are 16 x 3.0 inches.
* NEW Michelin® Scorcher® 31 tires; 130/90B 16 front and 150/80B16 M/C 77H rear.
* NEW Wider fork spacing and polished triple clamps.
* Pull-back handlebar mounted on a curved riser that incorporates an LED warning light display.
* NEW reshaped classic Sportster “eyebrow” over the headlamp.
* NEW tail light is smaller and has a new shape with a bright, low maintenance LED element.
* NEW Front suspension rates are re-tuned to match the new tire/wheel combination. 39mm front fork with 30 degrees rake.
* Polished forward foot controls.
* Coil-over pre-load adjustable rear shocks.
* Two-up seat is standard. Laden seat height is 26.6 inches.
* The 4.5-gallon fuel tank offers long riding range.

Introducing H-D1â„¢ Factory Customization
H-D1 factory customization is the newest element of Harley-Davidson customization that allows customers to build the 1200 Custom from a selection of options that are installed as the motorcycle is assembled by Harley-Davidson Motor Company. H-D1 factory customization enables personalized fit, function and style. By selecting different wheels, seats, handlebars, paint, and engine finishes, the customer can dramatically alter the look of the motorcycle. Different combinations of foot-control location, seat and handlebars can be selected to adjust the fit of the motorcycle to a rider’s stature. With H-D1 factory customization the customer will have the opportunity to order a 1200 Custom in more than 2,600 combinations.

2011 Harley Davidson 1200 Custom
2011 Harley Davidson 1200 Custom

The H-D1 factory customization tool will be available on Harley-Davidson.com. The customer can view the bike they are creating as different options are selected. The customer can then print out a description of their bike and bring it to a Harley-Davidson dealer to review the motorcycle with trained staff, select additional accessories to be installed by the dealer to further customize the motorcycle, and then place an order. Customers can expect to be riding their new bike in as little as four weeks from the time an order is placed with an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer. Delivery timing may vary depending on demand, and will be communicated to customers at the time of order. H-D1 factory customization will be available only through Harley-Davidson dealers in the United States and Canada.

The 1200 Custom has a suggested retail price in the United States of $10,299, and comes equipped with Chrome Five-Spoke Cast Aluminum wheels, pull-back handlebars, forward polished foot controls, a two-up seat, black engine with chrome covers, and Vivid Black paint. Factory-installed options can be swapped out in any combination to this base configuration of the 1200 Custom, using these seven different categories:

* Wheels: Black Five-Spoke Cast Aluminum with machined highlights, Chrome Laced, or Black Laced.
* Handlebars: Drag Bars or Mini-Apes
* Foot Controls: Mid-mount polished
* Seat: Solo
* Paint/Graphics: (solid colors) Vivid Black, Brilliant Silver Pearl, Cool Blue Pearl, Chrome Yellow, Merlot Sunglo, Sedona Orange, Black Denim; (two-tones) Scarlet Red/Vivid Black, Merlot Sunglo/Vivid Black, Sedona Orange/Vivid Black, Birch White/Sedona Orange, Chrome Yellow/Vivid Black; (custom graphics) Cool Blue Pearl with Scalloped graphics, White Hot Pearl with Hot Pink Flame graphics.
* Engine: Black powder coat with black covers.
* Security: Add Harley-Davidson Smart Security System.

Options can be incorporated with the base configuration in any combination, except that the Mini-Ape handlebars cannot be combined with mid-mount foot controls.

Link: Harley Davidson

1200 Custom options
1200 Custom options

Comments

  2. I love the yellow paint job on the top bike, but I’m a serious non-fan of 150 section front tires and the taildragger stance. Why doesn’t Harley ask me what I like? 🙂

  4. I like the idea, but why not start with a plain-jane 1200 Sportster and allow the buyer to customize everything across the “model” lines, wheel and tire size, suspension, seat, bars, controls….everything?

    • What’s interesting is that US Highland was set up to special order all of their bikes, before that truly unfortunate plane crash. Everything would have been a complete custom order bike. Of course, it wouldn’t be cheap, but it would have been exactly what the customer wanted.

      That may be the trade off here. Low prices depend on high production numbers, the more custom order options you have, the fewer of each combination built or sold, the higher the price. And how do you man the factory when orders come in on an as needed basis?

  7. Brilliant. Not allowing potential customers to test ride their bikes should be a big boost for Harley dealers.

  8. I wonder if they work this by sending stripped Sportsters to the dealer. The four weeks is just enough time to pull parts off a shelf at a distribution center and ship to the dealer for installation. This way there would be no left over, unwanted parts. What used to happen to all those parts that got swapped at the dealership before?

    Alas, 2,600 combinations and none that suit my taste.

    -todd

  9. Maybe this means it will be easier to buy a stripped Sportster for less. That way we could customize it to suit our taste and not theirs.

    -todd

  10. The limited options are installed on the assembley line at the factory… Its a good start but many were hoping for more options, longer shocks, rim size and a full selection of seats would have helped. With the prices shown its hard to see the advantage to the order program, $180 for Drag Bars? $460 for the wheel option? Meh.

    • right on buddy. Machined Highlight $460, Black Covers $250, Normal Foot Controls $180 (totals up to $890 before taxes), Custom WHAT??
      give me a set of better tires for $150, you are doing something for me.
      Hope they read the stuff.

  13. In one place the article says ‘within four weeks’, another says ‘as little as four weeks’, from what I’ve heard about HD’s factory lead times (from those that ride HD’s), ‘as little as four weeks’ means anywhere from 4 to 13. Then again, every option listed is a bolt on…if they had 12 different frame colors to choose from, then I’d be really impressed.
    I agree with Todd, 2600 combinations is still not enough to make me trade in my Brit.
    I can truly appreciate Harley’s all day long for the great bikes they are, but if you gave me one, sorry, it would go on Ebay the same day.

    • The “within four weeks” was what I wrote and it may have been more accurate to stick with exactly what Harley said, which is “in as little as four weeks.” Harley’s words leave open the possibility of a much longer delivery time.

    • Damaged the rear fender on my 04 Fat Boy last year. Ordered a new one from the dealer and it was on my bike in three weeks with perfect paint match and pinstripping.

  16. For those of you who dislike all Harleys and constantly want to say so, just refrain from commenting and move on to another post, you’re not adding to this conversation.

    What’s interesting here is the custom order process, something it would be nice to see available on more bikes from more manufacturers. It’s also nice to see Harley is trying to do something to stimulate interest while they struggle with a sluggish economy and motorcycle market. The choices here are limited, but it’s more than you get when choosing from what’s sitting on the showroom floor. This Sportster isn’t going to suit everyone, but as I’ve said before, that’s what makes a market.

    Interesting, too, is the simple fact that Harley is still here. Some might have written them off when the economy went south, but they’re still in the fight and trying. That’s a good thing for everyone.

    • There is a reason why people are writing HD off. The numbers prove a definite trend toward bankruptcy, at worst, or becoming a boutique builder, at best. The bitching about HD is like a family bitching about the one son/grandson/nephew/cousin who is very smart and talented but chooses instead to hide in the basement playing video games all day while shoving Cheetos in his face. People are right to be upset at wasted potential when they themselves will never have the opportunities that say, HD has and had.

      • Tom,

        Not sure the kid with potential in the basement equates to H-D. The difference is that if you’re a family member, you have (potentially) an obligation to/for that kid. That can’t be said for H-D, unless you own stock. But in that case, you can sever your obligation (or their obligation to you) by selling your shares. No emotional ties muddying the waters.

        There’s room for an upstart, but the truth is, the general populace wants something more or less like what H-D produces.

        • “There’s room for an upstart, but the truth is, the general populace wants something more or less like what H-D produces.”

          The numbers are showing that this is not the case. 36 dealers closed last year and the numbers of bikes “sold” each year has been on a decline, even before the Great Recession.

          The kid in the basement reference is in regards to all adults having the life experience to look back and see the choices that they should have made…but didn’t. Yet, every family has that young member who has talent and potential but not the brain that God gave a rock and just wastes time – time that a wiser adult would capitalize on.

          HD zealots like to say that if you don’t like HD, just go start your own company as though that was an intelligent response rather than a childish huff. HD had the resources to do anything it wanted to address various market segments, resources that no other company in the US had. Yet, it wasted its time and money with nothing but closing shops and falling sales numbers to show for it.

          HD/GM are both great metaphors for the US really. The US is going to have to really crash before restructuring our crumbling empire to better address issues that are damned obvious.

  17. This is something they should have been doing all along, across the model line. In fact, this is something you should be able to do at the dealership. It would be nice for them to be able to mix and match parts on the lot to better suit their customers. It’s a great idea, but to me is not really customizing so much as choosing options as you would on a car.

    I’d like to see the ability to draw your own paint scheme and have that made for you. The buyer sends in a drawing or whatever, gets a Pantone coded proof back in a week or so, and the bike gets made truly custom. That would be impressive, if also likely expensive.

    • I just remembered the custom seat program they started a couple years ago. Same thing, you choose from their options instead of a true “roll your own” design but at least it was something.

      As I asked in that post, why not let customers try their own designs as long as they used an industry standard program like Adobe Illustrator.

    • What you’re describing is what’s referred to as a custom paintjob. There’s a jillion guys out there that custom paint bikes. Not a huge deal. Now if the bikes were available in primer, that would help the custom painters.

  18. I’m not a HD fan, but it is an interesting marketing plan. And if it works, it may lead to more options on more bikes from other manufactures besides 2 or 3 different paint colors.
    Unfortunately with the environmental word we live in, I can’t see too much in neat performance accessories being legal from the factory, but wheels, brakes, etc. would be nice.

  19. I wanted to do something like this here in England 2 years ago
    An 883R with the silver engine (not black), the custom tank (bigger) etc
    I was told that “they are all in the warehouse in Holland, so cannot do that”
    But I could buy a load more bits!! and just add to the pile in my garage – one day I’ll have enough bits for another bike (Harley or otherwise)…

  20. Harley went backwards with the Sportster. Heavier and slower.
    Did away with the “trap door” a few years back which means you now must split the cases to get to the tranny. Hmmmm
    I still think the Sporty is the best looking Harley being produced

  22. I’m not really a fan of the fat front tire on the new 1200C. To me, this pretty much kills the bike for what it was originally intended as, a “sport” model from Harley Davidson.

    The yellow paint work did catch my eye right off the bat, Harley fan or not, Milwaukee has always been able to produce some stunning finishes on their motorcycles.

    I’m really liking the new custom order process. This is the way it use to be, and quite frankly, should have stayed. I agree with some of the posts in that thanks to the EPA, it’s doubtful we’ll be able to order cool engine bits, but having the option to select rear sets, clip ons and some tires would at least get me in the door at the local dealer, a door I haven’t opened in quite some time.

    This is encouraging. I’m still in the market for a cafe version of the Sporty, so maybe it can happen after all.

  23. Nobody said it would be cheap, but neither are all those aftermarket parts. But H-D paid attention. This way you get factory parts, either factory- or dealer-installed, with factory warranty and factory support. I’m not a fan of H-D — big twins aren’t my thing — but this looks like a good way to get the Harley you want without ordering a load of parts that might be Chinese knockoffs, that might or might not fit, from different manufacturers, bolting it all together yourself and trying to make it all work. Plus you don’t have a boxful of new factory parts sitting around collecting dust while you figure what to do with them.

    • Why an inline 4? Lots of damn good bikes that don’t have them. Harley’s problems have nothing to do with engine configuration, as amply proven by the myriad twins on the market that outperform Harley’s motors. Ducati, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, BMW, Victory, all do it better. And of course, it’s impossible to forget what Buell did with those Sportster motors.

      As to the Factory customizing, it’s a good idea, hope it works out for them, and the idea spreads.

  25. Todays’ Just In Time (JIT) world of manufacturing requires having a good selection of parts, in this case customer desired specialty items. This will allow for the manufacturers purchasing to get decent pricing in quantities.
    There are lots of standard items here and with the ability to create a build sheet a true JIT pull of details to the assembly line will help keep costs low. The company can then provide a customer something that they will consider done to their desires or a great canvas from which to finalize their dream bike without having to trash a bunch of parts they didn’t want in the first place. Color is an easy custom item in a semi-production shop where all they do is take it off line to a specialist.
    Great idea, flexability in production.

  26. Hi there. The big fat tires, and the larger tank, make this a good candidate for pulling a sidecar. With the 16 inch rims front and rear, you can get Avon tires with a flat profile, made for sidecar duty. With the 4.5 gallon tank, you should get reasonable range. The low speed torque of the Sportster, makes it a good motor for pulling extra weight. The steel tube frame is also good for sidecar duty. Blaine

  27. Cars have been built to order for quite a few years now – BMW, VW, Audi etc. It’s reassuring for the manufacturer to know that each vehicle has been ordered, a deposit paid and there will be no unsold stock gathering dust.

    I think BMW bikes are already built that way – you specify your options and they build it to order. Triumph also have a sophisticated manufacturing process whereby different models can be built on the same line. This is a significant advantage over the japanese manufacturers who build in large batches on dedicated production lines – presumably they can’t build to order because the lead time plus the shipping time would make the customer reluctant to order.

    Honda cars are built to order in the UK – but they are also made here so no problem with shipping delays.

    The Japs have had problems with over producing bikes and being left with unsold stock which is then sold off cheap by the dealer affecting resifdual values and orders on current models. I can currently by a new Kawasaki for £4200 off because of the unsold stock problem.

    Looks like a win win for HD, but they should offer a range of wheels – the fat front tyre is a fad and will not appeal to lots of HD’s customers who have been used to 21 inch laced on their Sportster Customs. HD should therefore offer a range of wheel sizes.

    • I agree, those who want the Pizza cutter 21 wheel should be able to choose that wheel for a very minimal upcharge. But I take issue with the Fat tire comment, Since when is a 130 a fat tire? I admit the 16inch height sounds low, but in reality the overall height of this tire and wheel combo is taller than the 17″ on my brothers BMW, and about the same width as well. Hopefully H.D. will refine the”custom”order program and add some usefull alternatives, but I wont hold my breath waiting.

      • Tinman, it’s a combo of factors. Long forks, kicked out head angle, big fat tire and 300lb wheel. Not the same handling “feel” as a wide, lightweight 17″ with 10 degrees less head angle. Its wheel mass and slow steering which work in harmony to make for a heavy, sluggish front end experience. Apples and tomatoes I think.

  28. This is not a new concept (well maybe to the current younger generation). The automotive world did this many years ago and I have purchased cars with special features back in the 70s. If anyone has toured the HD York plant, one can see this capability would not be difficult when a build ticket is produced, the parts come together in the JIT system and there is nothing special about this manufacturing method. This is just a marketing tool to make it easier to get what you want which is a guarenteed sale for HD, and win for the dealer that doesn’t have to stock custom parts and can reduce labor cost associated with adding custom parts. Considering the current top management team at HD is from the Automotive world, this is not surprising. Everything old has been made new at again at HD. What’s next, oil dripping engines? Which you will pay extra for…

  29. Does anyone else here see how this is stealing the butter off the bread of the dealer’s profits? How long will Harley dealers be able to survive now that bikes aren’t commanding a premium and the factory is doing the customization and collecting the profit on the labor and accessories? From the look of the prices the factory is charging the customer the same sort of labor rate they’d pay at the dealer for swapping out wheels/bars/foot controls but then only having to pay their factory workers the regular hourly wage. I’m not a huge fan of car/bike dealers, but if you start picking the pocket of their parts and service department how are they going to pay their rent and sell your bikes?

  30. You’re absolutely right about the number of people that could do it. Maybe instead of HD doing it in house, they could refer you to a local painter who could be certified to do custom work on new Harleys. They could then provide major painted body parts in primer. Sounds like a winner to me.

  31. I think Bryan Wood has hit the nail on the head – the dealers make a lot of money on selling parts to the customers to personalise their ride – Harley need to be careful not to encroach too far.

    Re the front tyre – it looks plain daft – like an S8 Sunbeam 500 or a monkey bike!

  32. If you read the press release, it says customers bring the print out of the bike they configured online to their dealer then:

    review the motorcycle with trained staff, select additional accessories to be installed by the dealer to further customize the motorcycle, and then place an order

    The dealer still has potential accessory sales so they aren’t cut out of the process and they have less money tied up in unsold bikes so it all works out.

    • Heck, sometimes it’s black paint applied over chrome…so, sure, it costs more.

      There is an economy of scale issue, depending, it sometimes costs nearly as much, if not just as much, to paint as it does to plate.

  35. Do you get to keep any of the standard stuff they replace? They aren’t charging an up-charge, they’re charging you for the standard part plus the custom option; Double Charging. Only thing is they get to keep the standard parts and you don’t get to sell them on eBay.

    -todd

  36. Why on earth would they put a 16 inch front wheel on the bike I do not understand. It’s so antithetical to what a Sporty is supposedly supposed to be, I don’t get it. Why isn’t THAT an option?

  37. I’ve been pretty happy with the last three Harleys I’ve had, one an 883 standard, one a Super Glide, and currently, a 1200L Sportster. I think what HD is doing is what they’ve pretty much always done, responding to what their customers like and/or want. Harley owners have the option to participate in monthly online focus group-type surveys, and between that and dealer feedback and general sales trends, HD makes their decisions as to what to produce. I like Harleys, but I am not a diehard love it or leave it loyalist. I’ve also ridden Hondas, Yamahas, BMWs, Kawasakis and Suzukis, as well as some older Brit bikes. While I wish Harley parts and accessories were not as pricey as they are (you can get the same exact boots they offer without the HD badges on them much cheaper from other companies, who source from the same place, no doubt), one of the main reasons I ride a Sporty currently is because no one else really makes anything like the kind of bikes I grew up riding, namely, standards. I see a possible trend towards that, which is encouraging, because I frankly find most sportbikes too single-purpose and uncomfortable to make a practical daily ride, at least to my taste. Aside from that, I have received far better and more personal treatment at my local HD dealer than I ever got from any other dealer of any other brand, anywhere. That counts for a lot with me. While I personally don’t care for sportbikes, I don’t put them down, nor do I put down anyone who rides them. We have a hard enough time surviving out there with all the cell-phones and testers in cars trying to take us out without throwing verbal spitballs at one another. It’s really rather childish.

    • Simon,

      You really hit the nail on the head, I have ridden , Yamaha’s, BMW’s and now I am going to buy the 1200 custom. Biking is a brotherhood not a competition.

  38. I like the 1200 custom it’s fat front end gives it a good look that is a nice alternative to the sportsters that have the skinny front tire, this gives us all a choice, especially since the fatter bikes are twice the price just to get the bare stock. I wish 2 things,
    1st that people could see this bike for what it is, a new front end option on a sportster that will give you an option of fat or skinny.

    2nd quit putting down HD for what it’s trying to do. If you don’t like HD ride something else, if you like HD respect the fact that others can ride the model that they perfer and get on with it.

    Being in the wind is what it’s all about, it’s not what you Ride

  39. 45 years old and I just bought my first new bike. A 1200 custom Orange / Black. My biggest complaint with the cheaper Harleys was they all had that skinny front tire. I liked the look of the cruisers (big front tires) but not the bigger price tag. Now I have it all, a new affordable (for me) Harley 1200 custom with some of that cruiser look / attitude. I absolutley love my 2011 1200 Custom. Right now it’s 100% stock, has lots of power, is a absolute blast to ride and looks amazing.