I happened to buy a Harley back in "the great Harley shortage". I bought a 1999 Softail Springer. The list price back then was something like $16K-$17. I had to pay $19K for one with 300 miles on it. I didn't care. I got what I wanted. He had waited the 1 1/2 to 2 year waiting period to get it and I didn't have to wait.
Did I get gouged? Hell yes! Was I happy? Hell yes!
That is what the word means.
As long as you were happy. But my point remains on those who were not actually part of the sub-culture I grew up around. My observations started long before your experience.
Glad you got to have the experience.
I paid too much for CKW's 99 Dyna Wide Glide. Buddy owned Randy's and he was getting bikes from Canada that did not sell up there. The bike was unique in color and controls as it was metric and choked way the hell down with emissions. He paid too much to get it. Needed to move it. She wanted her own Harley so we cut a deal and yeah, maybe $2K above list at the time but I saw all his paper work. She got a sweet bike that the mouse immediately modified so you could hear it run.
All in what you want I guess.
And she rode the wheels off of it.....On the Blue Ridge Parkway...