How does H-D stay relevant in a changing market?

[Tom Brennan]

PS - if the Ural looks kinda like a BMW, that's only because it basically is. Russia reverse engineered the M71 and started building their own. I expect they didn't even feel all that guilty about copyright and all that, seeing as Germany was invading them at the time ...

From what I understand the Ural goes back to the 1930s when Germany was doing lots of business with the Soviet Union and that Germans set up the whole shebang. On June 21-22 of 1941 even as the Germans were on their staging line for Barbarossa westbound trains from the Soviet Union were taking raw materials to Germany.

 

[Pio1980]

Stalin did what he could by any means necessary to drag the new Soviet Union into the 20th Century. He knew he could save time and resources by dealing with entities that already had invented the requisite "wheels", rather than reinventing domestically what already existed in proven perfectly acceptable examples, and adapting them for domestic purposes.

 

[E-Stat]

The longest lasting and largest selling motorcycle company

Not sure what you mean by "largest selling".

In 2018, H-D shipped 228,665 units worldwide. By contrast, Honda shipped 19,501,208 in 2017. 2018 figures should be pretty close.

 

[parman]

What is the changing market? I probably see more HD's on the road than anything else. Young guys ride crotch rockets but I see more Harleys than them. One thing I see changing is not as many young riders

 

[grillebilly]

Not sure what you mean by "largest selling".

In 2018, H-D shipped 228,665 units worldwide. By contrast, Honda shipped 19,501,208 in 2017. 2018 figures should be pretty close.

Largest selling American made motorcycle, by leaps and bounds

 

[E-Stat]

Largest selling American made motorcycle, by leaps and bounds

While Indian (Polaris) doesn't publish production figures, I'd say that's a safe guess.

 

[sKiZo]

Remember Ford's Harley Davison tribute truck?

 

[grillebilly]

While Indian (Polaris) doesn't publish production figures, I'd say that's a safe guess.

There have been hundreds of American builders over the last century that all came and went. HD has withstood the test of time. While their history has had a lot of ups and downs, they have not wavered from their target market and have been successful. Nearly every bike from every decade retains value, as opposed to foreign bikes that go to the scrapyard. You don't have to like them to understand they are a different breed of bike, and they cater to a different breed of rider. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, most of the ones who don't "get it", have spent very little or no time at all on one.
The OP asks how can HD stay relevant in a changing market. Like most of us, I don't think they can unless they change with the times. Like McIntosh stereo gear, the buyers have to spend a lot of money. Buyers have always looked at both HD and Mac as investments. HD no longer is building investments, despite the fact that most of them sitting in garages covered in dust are quite valuable. While neither wants every household to own one (they couldn't build them fast enough anyway), the market wants cheap, efficient, and disposable. No one is restoring 90% of Japanese bikes, a HD never gets pushed to the curb for the trash-man. Neither does a Mac tube amp.
Maybe it is time for the iconic brand to think outside the box. But they can never abandon the V-Twin that enabled them to earn the moniker "King Of The Road". I have to goof a little at the detractors of the brand, mostly due to me being one until I picked up a basket case Spotrster in the late 70's. After months or wrenching to get it running, riding that thing was the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. I can laugh at myself a little easier than laugh at their detractors.

 

[E-Stat]

Buyers have always looked at both HD and Mac as investments.

Different approach than mine for sure. The only assets I view as investments are home, money market acct and retirement portfolio. Everything else depreciates.

...the market wants cheap, efficient, and disposable.

I chose a Honda ST1300 because I value reliability, performance and comfort. Call me pragmatic.

Cheap it was not. But neither $30k like chromed out H-D "dressers".
Efficient? With 115 HP dyno output at the rear wheel delivering sub four second 0-60 capability, it gets *decent* (40-42) mileage. Riding with wifey aboard, there's no drama when I need to pass.
Disposable? Like all Honda products, many riders get 150,000+ miles on them. Honda continues to win MotoGP titles year after year. Fifty years of racing 16,000 RPM motors makes for dead reliable operation at half that. My '06 wth 24,000 miles will outlast me.

 

[grillebilly]

I chose a Honda

You are not part of the target market. I'm glad you like your Honda. It's probably just what you want. You can tell the world how wonderful it is but it's no help to the OP or what the discussion is about. HD, as I've tried to explain but very hard for many to fathom, caters to a different style of rider and person. It has been a winning formula for 115 years. They are not going the way of Honda any sooner than a Corvette will become a Civic. And just like the Civic, when and if your Honda wears out, you know its fate.

 

[grillebilly]

The only assets I view as investments are home, money market acct and retirement portfolio

We are a different breed. Everything I buy is looked at as an investment, of sorts. Even the gas I put in my car to get to work is going toward making me money. I buy a lot of second-hand items that the initial buyer takes the biggest hit on. My record collection has a large value, as does all my stereo gear. I've never lost a dime on American bikes. In fact they are all worth much more than I paid for them.I could go on and on but it's difficult to understand how someone else sees things.

 

[sanford12]

There's plenty of cheap used Harley's out there and they can be hard to move as with a lot of bikes no matter the make. The HD's that are worth money are old and rare and they're rare because most hit the junkyard. You haven't checked the market on old Japanese bikes lately especially the 2 strokes. A nice Suzuki mid 70's T500 brings 4-5000 and they're climbing. They've been climbing for few years now. There's definitely a market for old Guzzi's, Ducati's, BSA, Triumph, and many other's. If I had more room I'd add a couple more old bikes of the non HD type to my small herd. I am the target market and E-Stat probably is too. HD just missed the mark and that does speak to the OP's question. The 30,000 dollar E-bike HD has is pretty much dead on arrival. It's too expensive and it's limited range make it unappealing. Most of HD styling is more of the same or a rehash and now boring and done to death kinda like a checker cab. Look at all the grief HD took from their target audience when they innovated with the V-Rod which is a nice bike. They should have been applauding. It's probably time to move away from the target market because in a few years sad to say they'll be gone. Adapt or die.

 

[Pio1980]

You are not part of the target market. I'm glad you like your Honda. It's probably just what you want. You can tell the world how wonderful it is but it's no help to the OP or what the discussion is about. HD, as I've tried to explain but very hard for many to fathom, caters to a different style of rider and person. It has been a winning formula for 115 years. They are not going the way of Honda any sooner than a Corvette will become a Civic. And just like the Civic, when and if your Honda wears out, you know its fate.

You should know that the old Gold Wing Mill should last at least four shovel head overhauls before it needs a teardown.
Maintaince is optional on any of them, the old HDs were thought infinitely rebuildable tho many owners opt to update to newer models.
Then, there's this over the bar of a destination lunch spot, from the year I was born.

 

[grillebilly]

V-Rod

Common sense says if they outsold the old style engines they would not be in the fix they're in. They didn't. What you call boring others call classic styling. Every Japanese bike maker rushed to build cruisers that were copies of that "boring" styling.
The reason there are a lot of late model used bikes at bargain prices I addressed in an earlier post. You bought a foreign bike, good for you. You like it, even better. You stated your distaste for Harleys and those who ride them, so you are not the target customer. People try to rationalize their purchasing decisions, of course. It's human nature.

 

[grillebilly]

 

[JD#7]

 

[sanford12]

So my distaste for a few criminal biker gangs is turned into a blanket dislike for all Harley riders. Don't twist what people say to fit your narrative.

 

[grillebilly]

The narrative I hear coming from these pages is HD should build Moto-Guzi's to stay alive. Or Hondas. Splendid ideas!

 

[grillebilly]

Look what Yamaha built to stay "relevant". Looks like a carbon-copy of a Sportster

 

[grillebilly]

Honda