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the erosion continues-now Harley Davidson shows telltale signs

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Well, when people are out of work and the economy is tanking, it's pretty hard to be able to buy those expensive toys.
 
There's only so much left over once you pay taxes, mortage/rent, food, gas, insurance,medical bills, wedding gifts, college tuition, country club dues, water bills, gas bills, electric bills, automobile payments, automobile repairs, etc........ and the price of chrome has gone up so Harleys are overpriced for what you get...yeah, I know....a "Lifestyle" you don't have to explain, I already know. :)
 
hobie1dog said:
There's only so much left over once you pay taxes, mortage/rent, food, gas, insurance,medical bills, wedding gifts, college tuition, country club dues, water bills, gas bills, electric bills, automobile payments, automobile repairs, etc........ and the price of chrome has gone up so Harleys are overpriced for what you get...yeah, I know....a "Lifestyle" you don't have to explain, I already know. :)
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a lifelong motorcyclist, I haven't owned a Harley in over thirty years....I go for things like performance and reliability. Their products have been overpriced all my life, don't know about before then. Having said all that, many, many people really get into their Harleys, and riding is something most everyone who tries it comes to love..

MV Agusta is a very esoteric, high performance machine, and Buell represents an American attempt to bring our motorcycles out of the stone age. Everybody knows how short cash is...this hurts the ones of which I talk. Of course its flippantly dismissed by those who don't indulge..
 
Unlike in other countries, motorcycles are more recreational vehicles than true transportation, in the United States.
When the economy improves enough for motorcycle enthusiasts to have expendable cash to indulge, you'll see increased sales.


Steve
 
It's more than the economy.

HD enjoyed inflated sales over the last few years due to the impulse buys of an aged generation. A finite market of fair weather, grey haired riders who then sold their "dream" after dumping it in the driveway and scaring themselves silly. Nothing wrong with that per say.

Unless you think your sales aren't going to adjust when that customer base reaches it's saturation point. So HD is taking several hits at once and like every other US company is reacting instead of anticipating.
 
HandyHamlet said:
It's more than the economy.

HD enjoyed inflated sales over the last few years due to the impulse buys of an aged generation. A finite market of fair weather, grey haired riders who then sold their "dream" after dumping it in the driveway and scaring themselves silly. Nothing wrong with that per say.

Unless you think your sales aren't going to adjust when that customer base reaches it's saturation point.
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and what do you base that ridiculous statement on? I'm 56, know riders up into their 80's who are skilled riders and pretty tough old guys....per say
 
sold their "dream" after dumping it in the driveway and scaring themselves silly
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This part was meant to be "tongue in cheek". Illustrating that the bubble HD enjoyed the last few years was just that. A bubble. Made by a niche of riders who were only going to make one purchase.

No offense meant.


I ride with guys way older than me who are more skilled than I am. I had the pleasure of meeting and writing about an 86 year old gentleman who still rides to Daytona every year. He does the Gap on the way down.

I stand by my other statements.
 
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How is Victory/Polaris (Motorcycles, ATVs, SnowMobiles) doing?

How are other motorcycle brands- diverse Honda (cars, mowers, ATVs), Yamaha (musical instruments, ATVs), Suzuki (Autos, Motorcycles), BMW (cars/motorcycles), other semi-esoteric brands like Ducati or modern Triumph and the like doing?


Honest question- no hidden meanings.


I wonder how the more diverse brands are faring, and how the motorcycle industry in general is doing.


I'm a fan of motorcycles- from Honda to Harley to BMW to Ducati to Vespa so I'm pretty neutral on brand specifics and have no personal irons in the fire.
 
Harley can go die now that they've killed Buell. Seriously, they were the one brand that actually starting to go somewhere, had good respect, and innovated, and they kill 'em.

I watched Erik's goodbye vid. I feel for the guy, he gets shafted in the end.

I saw this coming years ago, though. HD's been living on borrowed time for a long time, and they did'nt realize it. Or if they did, they did NOTHING.

Doubt there will be a last minute bailout this time around...
 
I think Hamlet has a some very valid points. HD enjoyed a resurgence in sales when a lot of the baby boomers reached retirement age and were fianally able to afford a dream they previously had. Owning a Harley Davidson! I think pretty much of the boomers that wanted to buy a HD have done so. And, I think like Hamlet said, many of them found out that motor cycling was not for them, so a lot of these bikes ended up in the used market, cutting even further in to HD's sales of new bikes.
 
I think HD is gonna have to make a serious change in direction to attract younger riders?
The old stand-byes are just that.....old.
The average age of HD riders now, is pushing closer and closer to the half-century mark.
You'll see more HD's parked in front of nursing homes than bars soon?


Steve
 
gearhound said:
I think HD is gonna have to make a serious change in direction to attract younger riders?
The old stand-byes are just that.....old.
The average age of HD riders now, is pushing closer and closer to the half-century mark.
You'll see more HD's parked in front of nursing homes than bars soon?


Steve
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:lmao:
the "Harley mystique" which is lost on me, is still very strong amongst younger riders...the pricing is simply out of their reach, but the engineering and production quality never did justify this, even in brighter days....the illussion is still appealing to many, but the funds don't exist.

older riders that survive their drinking and riding days tend to stay out of bars, when riding at least...
 
Huh.. pretty interesting... I was just reading an article the other day where Buell had posted a video on their site showing the Buell Blast being crushed into a square cube, saying that for 2010 there will be no more Blaster, because basically it was a wimpy bike.

They had also built a new bike for the next season of racing that was anything but legal on the track according to the rules, and there was also no street version of the bike as there needed to be... however, the AMA was going to allow it.. and now suddenly this... I think there is a lot more to this than money...
 
HD builds a better marketing machine than they build a riding machine... That's why the obsession and lack of rational. I'm not putting HD down, I'm just stating the facts..
 
I hear a lot of bitching about Harley....they closed up Buell...not the Geezer Glide line of bikes.
I just bought a Buell a month ago and love it. Light, torquey, handles well, a lot of fun.
I fully understand the mystique. I would rather have a V-twin between my legs than a sewing machine. It just feels better..TO ME. I also dig the Ducati twins, as well as the other European twin powered bikes.
I also see that all the Harley worship is a load of crap...I will skip my reasons but most of you have figured it out.
FWIW, I have owned bikes for 39 years straight, many makes and styles, love any two-wheeled machine. They are all cool. Like music, just cuz you think it sucks doesn't make it so.
 
What they should do is make fuel efficient scooters and mopeds. Everybody seems to be riding some kind of little scooter these days. They've done it before. But I guess that wouldn't fit in with the "lifestyle" and "freedom" BS they try to sell to people.

I want one of these!!
 

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I've only been riding for a few years, but after renting an HD for a weekend and putting a few hndred miles on it any thoughts of buying one went away real quick. I'm very happy with my reliable and comfortable Honda (VTX 1300) that was 1/2 the price of an equal size HD.
 
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