Harley Davidson targeting skateboarders with new model?

The Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight, in the company's Sportster segment, sits at a cross-cultural intersection in the cyclemaker's lineup. It apparently represents the spot where bikers meet skateboarders. It seems that the stripped-down looks and functional-jewelry design of the Forty-Eight is well appreciated by skaters who don't like their rides to make any extraneous fuss.

The bike is only one small part of what some call a larger trend, that of skateboarders increasingly moving into the world of bikes. It isn't that skateboarders want to be bikers but, according to a skate shop owner, "We're just wired a certain way. For some reason the death and danger are just a part of us." And you don't have to look any further than a motorcycle to find death and danger.

Harley has used the rendezvous to help market the Forty-Eight, including hiring skaters like Heath Kirchart and Matt Ball to appear in its promotional materials. The Milwaukee firm isn't targeting skateboarders only with this bike, but they certainly want to welcome them to the family. Said a Harley rep, "There's no question that there are huge parallels there between bikers and skateboarders." Tip of the cap to Alex!

[Source: The New York Times]