On the reliability front, the company has started tracking warranty claims to pinpoint technological weak spots, which have, in the year they’ve been watched, mostly involved the electronic harness controller. In Big Dog’s case, that means two things: upping the reliability of its rides and broadening its customer base. That’s down from a peak of 4,900 in 2005.Ĭlearly, the number of riders who are willing to tap their declining home equities for a $30,000 toy is experiencing a major downturn, so custom shops have to get smart if they’re going to stop hemorrhaging sales back to the manufacturer they initially won them from - Harley-Davidson. Even so, the Kansas company will be making just 3,500 bikes this year. It also has the lowest price tag: $24,900.īig Dog, in business since 1994, is the world’s largest custom motorcycle manufacturer. With a 37-degree rake to the frame, 6-inch stretch along the backbone and 250 mm rear tire, it has the least threatening geometry. With its 682 pounds powered by a throbbing 117-cubic-inch S&S V-twin motor, this manageable ProStreet isn’t quite the novice bike it’s billed as, though it is the puppy of Big Dog’s five-model lineup. Having spent a day aboard Big Dog’s latest, I’d say it’s a Rottweiler-Labrador mix - fierce and powerful but also friendly and coordinated. Predictably canine in nomenclature, it’s called the Mutt. Big Dog’s got a brand-new motorcycle for 2008.
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