CNN Harley Article
- Thread starter ShagNasty
- Start date
TXMikey
Junior Member
I found it interesting this past weekend when my wife and I were looking at new softtails for her. The salesman said, with a straight face, that everything on a Harley is made in the USA, that sales remain steady, and their stock has not lost any value during the economic downturn. He didn't have much of a comeback when I mentioned my reading where the MOCO had cut back production and was laying off workers because of lowered sales predictions in 2009.
Just wonder; how stupid did we look to him? Guess which salesman will NOT be selling a new softtail to my wife?
Just wonder; how stupid did we look to him? Guess which salesman will NOT be selling a new softtail to my wife?
harley should do like the tobacco companies and price some of their bikes so the younger generation can afford them and get them hooked and build some brand loyalty. alot of guys buy what they can afford, get used to the brand and never look back. seems that way they would get a broader piece of the market. when the economy goes south the high end is the first to suffer maybe a broader range of bikes and prices would help them thru something like this. maybe im all wrong on this and i know the auto industry is a bad example rite now but ill bet gm is selling more colorados then hummers.
Irish Hog
Junior Member
I myself think that Harley would sell alot more bikes if they sold skeleton bikes. I am not sure if they do or not, but I would buy a striped down RoadKing tonight if I could just buy the frame, tank, engine, electrical and wheels and spend a month or two adding my own stuff. I mean really, guys go out and buy a bike off the showroom floor, spend 20k and the first thing they do is start pulling factory parts and start putting on the new ones, I am guilty of it myself.
cedarbrook63
Junior Member
Maybe it's because HD is a "foreign" brand in the UK, but I haven't yet heard many negative stories about HD dealerships in this country. Where I live, the dealership people are friendly, helpful and keen to support a sense of "come on in, look at the bikes, sit and chat and have a coffee". Harley Davidson is an expensive brand, so are Levi's, Dom Perignon, Bang & Olufsen and Gucci. Are they all the "best" of the products they may typify? Define what "best" is. HD is a very desirable make to those who aspire to own one, that's why the MoCo charge a lot of money for a bike whose mechanical performance can be matched or beaten by some cheaper competitors. But people who love and buy HD are not looking just for mph or mpg or bhp, they are also probably longing for aoc (acres of chrome), yol (yards of leather) and dator (decibels and tenor of roar) amongst other attributes which may offend lovers of machines from the East or Europe:bigsmiley18:. Just kidding but you know what I mean.
We love our scoots, most of us are fortunate enough or determined enough to afford them. Every company is going to lose some during these dark times. I just hope the MoCo people are savvy enough to steer through the bad times; they are very, very lucky that so many Americans associate commercial loyalty with patriotism and I hope they appreciate that, invest in their machines and remember that the customer should come first (if that happens, usually the rest follows):newsmile093:.
We love our scoots, most of us are fortunate enough or determined enough to afford them. Every company is going to lose some during these dark times. I just hope the MoCo people are savvy enough to steer through the bad times; they are very, very lucky that so many Americans associate commercial loyalty with patriotism and I hope they appreciate that, invest in their machines and remember that the customer should come first (if that happens, usually the rest follows):newsmile093:.
With all the negative press about MOCO, the Big Three and unions...just treat the following as positive take on unions vs "them". This is not to be OR intended to hijack or turn this thread political...this is ONLY information from a different perspective, specially those who only hear the negative press concerning them...
http://epi.3cdn.net/170ac22fe87bb82346_idm6ivvgk.pdf
ShagNasty
Active Member
doesnt matter how you categorize anything it all attributes to the bottom line. but union cost are the least of the problems, our government does little to keep us competitive with the tariffs and trade deficits. and i think the manufacturers were shortsighted at the time they cut the deals. i just erased a long rambling piece on my opinion on unions vs gov. and mangement. ill keep it simple and hopefully non political, america needs to take care of number one.
bjryman
Member
Whenever I read posts about HD and pricing and attitude of dealers, I'm amazed.
1. My dealer in Central Indiana has been absolutely superb! Service has been excellent, and they really treat me like a family
2. I priced a Gold Wing last year at $24,000 and bought my 105th Anniversary Ultra Glide for $24,000. Gold Wing had built in Navigation and reverse gear, my Harley has a Garmin Zumo 550 wired to bike, and no reverse.
3. We priced Sportsters for my wife at $8,000 against Honda Shadow 1200 at $8,000. She ultimately bought a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 touring bike for $8,500 because she didn't want the larger, heavier Dyna or Low boy.
I think the issue is that HD doesn't make a bike that fits in the crotch rocket lighter weight fiberglass futuristic look. Buell is trying, but its tough. Once you go away from the big bikes, or for that matter BMW and Mercedes cars that sell a life style you get into Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and like bike makers selling vanilla, high quality machines.
BTW, The MOCO is not making a lot of money. Buying American and leaving room for almost unlimited customization ADDS COST compared to rather generic bikes made in Japan where the yen to dollar conversion ratio has been very favorable.
The long term prospects for HD are questionable because of a lifestyle change. Young people want to be different than their parents and grandparents. They are very self centered as well and don't see the charity rides and support of others as part of their weekend life style. One exception might be the military men and women returning from the Mideast, but even there they have a special camaraderie built around their personal peer group. There may never again be the kind of demographics that allowed HD to become larger and better as a company again.
Hopefully, they will continue to fill a niche that enough folks will follow to keep the company active...but just like other parts of the baby boomer mystic, it may be coming to an end.
1. My dealer in Central Indiana has been absolutely superb! Service has been excellent, and they really treat me like a family
2. I priced a Gold Wing last year at $24,000 and bought my 105th Anniversary Ultra Glide for $24,000. Gold Wing had built in Navigation and reverse gear, my Harley has a Garmin Zumo 550 wired to bike, and no reverse.
3. We priced Sportsters for my wife at $8,000 against Honda Shadow 1200 at $8,000. She ultimately bought a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 touring bike for $8,500 because she didn't want the larger, heavier Dyna or Low boy.
I think the issue is that HD doesn't make a bike that fits in the crotch rocket lighter weight fiberglass futuristic look. Buell is trying, but its tough. Once you go away from the big bikes, or for that matter BMW and Mercedes cars that sell a life style you get into Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and like bike makers selling vanilla, high quality machines.
BTW, The MOCO is not making a lot of money. Buying American and leaving room for almost unlimited customization ADDS COST compared to rather generic bikes made in Japan where the yen to dollar conversion ratio has been very favorable.
The long term prospects for HD are questionable because of a lifestyle change. Young people want to be different than their parents and grandparents. They are very self centered as well and don't see the charity rides and support of others as part of their weekend life style. One exception might be the military men and women returning from the Mideast, but even there they have a special camaraderie built around their personal peer group. There may never again be the kind of demographics that allowed HD to become larger and better as a company again.
Hopefully, they will continue to fill a niche that enough folks will follow to keep the company active...but just like other parts of the baby boomer mystic, it may be coming to an end.
Unfortunately I tend to agree with you