There was a time when the Harleys reputation was also based on 'performance', that was a LONG time ago.
Sheesssh, everything is based on 'style' and 'looks' these days, with performance being secondary in most cases. Any modern car show will verify that. DVD players, neon lights and mega speakers woo the crowd. Same goes for Harleys, it's more about style, flash and a mix of history than it is about performance in these modern times. It's all good, in my opinion.
Cobra owners do stand out from the crowd in one important (to me) area. As a group 'we' like to DRIVE our cars, and drive them hard. Real performance IS a big part of Cobra ownership, and 'flash' and 'show car' are secondary, in most cases. While many Harley owners strive to improve performance thats secondary to getting more 'chrome' in most cases, again, thats cool.
A friend of mine with a V Rod noted concerning his Harley engine: "All the low hanging fruit from the tree of horse power has been plucked all ready. To improve the performance of a stock V Rod, come with a tall ladder (a big check book)." Which pretty much leaves your options mainly to 'more chrome'.
Cobra replicas continue to emulate the original cars in that they ARE primarily performance first. It's why I own one!
My car could definitly benefit from more 'flash', it's hardly a 'show' car, but my emphasis continues to be 'performance first'.