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H-D sure is taking a beating...

Buellxb Forum

Help Support Buellxb Forum:

Will H-D make it?

  • Live to Ride... H-D Forever!

    Votes: 1 9.1%
  • Closing today ain't fast enough, Good Riddance.

    Votes: 3 27.3%
  • All hinges on the next 5 years with the new line

    Votes: 3 27.3%
  • 20+ years. An American staple should be supported by Americans

    Votes: 4 36.4%

  • Total voters
    11

Cooter

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2012
Messages
11,039
Location
Crawling up your skirt
Do you think it will survive?

Considering our close nature to The Company just by being weird people (uh, I mean Buellers:)) I'm curious what you have to say?

IMO The all-new bikes are very important because H-D has mistaken their fan base as a customer base for the last 100 years. It's not the same. You can't just have the coolest motorcycle in the room, you have to sell them too. If you buy new Harleys every few years, you are a customer. If you just 'like them' or buy them used you are part of the Fan Base because the company can't pay the bills with your FB likes.

Who's buying new Harleys today? Will they be able to in 10 years?
 
I'm sure Harley will be around but the company will probably be smaller. Sort of like Indian.
 
I think they will be around for a long time. Longer than me most likely.

They do need to be more adaptable to attracting a younger customer base and still toe the line with dedicated fans. Something that will be challenging.

They probably need some outside PR help to understand how to improve their image away from the dirt bag bikers a lot of people associate with the brand. (not that I think of my HD friends as dirt bags. Except that one guy...)
 
Thats an interesting and valid point. Resurrecting long gone motorcycle marques has always been good for business... but I do mean still alive in their current mfg in Milwaukee heritage site condition.
 
Used Harley's and the parts will be around forever however, since their customer base is getting older and they don't really make bikes for the current young riders, their days are numbered as they stand today. They should have kept the Buell line and then maybe Erick would have developed the EBR's under the Harley name. Main problem is Harley thinks their engine design is second to none and never deviated from the big V twin. There are only so many that ride with their old lady, I very rarely see two riders on a bike anymore so, why buy something so big, I ended up buying an adventure bike because it will do everything a cruiser will do but ride like a sport bike and go a little off road with the right tires.
 
I'm sure Harley will be around but the company will probably be smaller. Sort of like Indian.

This ^^^^^

Cooter, have you ever been inside Scottsdale HD? Don’t quote me on this, but I heard it’s their largest dealer. Supposedly there is a wedding chapel, lingerie shop, movie theater and tattoo shop in the building.
 
Ya 34:19 I have recently been in there (Four Peaks Brewing co is across the street:very_drunk:) and all that stuff is in there, including the movie theatre in the basement:applause:.
I have no idea if they are the biggest, but it sure is nice inside. I went to look into getting the Eagle Rider membership, and when the sales guy asked what I rode, the look on his face was priceless:sorrow:

and the entire sales team scattered like cockroaches, so... that's a win.:black_eyed:
 
And don't mistake "The Company" (H-D) and the entire cruiser market. There's always going to be a need for that style of bike, so does H-S totally implode to be resurrected later, or just shrink drastically to a reasonable size like GregoXB said.

Come to think of it MV Agusta just did that and I bet you they are much more profitable now as a "boutique bike manufacturer" vs. pumping out mass quantities. Heck, I believe H-D wants to make boutique bikes. They don't win on a spec sheet, but highly detailed, and coveted by the owners.
 
NO idea what the point of this thread is other than yet another gab-fest between the usual suspects.
but since you asked:
LARGEST H-D DEALERSHIP IN ACTUAL FACILITY SQUARE FOOTAGE-----Scottsdale, AZ
LARGEST H-D DEALERSHIP IN ANNUAL NEW AND USED SALES VOLUME---toss up between Barnett's in TX and Dave Laugerman in York.

MV Agusta has NOT been "profitable" since its inception in 1945. the marque however is considered "iconic" by the spaghetti and pizza crowd hence the never-ending cash infusion by assorted wealthy italian individuals and companies who refuse to let MV die.

Harley-Davidson isn't going away anytime soon. in fact there's an incredible shortage of skilled workers at the York assembly plant as i type this due to the booming PA. economy.

https://jobs.harley-davidson.com/key/harley-York-PA-jobs.html
 
We've covered this in another thread, but I think that Future Street Fighter looks pretty bad-ass and I will be tempted to buy it when it shows up in my local HD dealership. Could be good for their future... If it performs at a decent price it will sell. If it lacks performance and priced too high, it'll die. So, i think HD's future partly depends on the above.
At 29K I see that electric bike collecting dust in all dealerships. Not good for their future. I wouldn't buy it for half that price.
The Adventure bike looks pretty ugly to me and if it isn't priced right and perform similar to the BMW GS1200 it'll have a dismal future.
I'm a loyal HD customer and would prefer to buy an HD over other brands, but only if price and performance are equal or better.
 
NO idea what the point of this thread is other than yet another gab-fest between the usual suspects.

Thats what we do here in General Motorcycle Chat. We Chat. About Motorcycles. In General.
And didn't it gave you something to do on this cold morning in PA?:eagerness: Have another cup of coffee, my friend:love_heart: and thanks for the info, Scottsdale H-D IS huge:)

I'm not hating on H-D! Here's the last 2 that I owned and loved. The black dragster was a wreck re-build, and I had to do a complete tear down on the 1200C as a rescue from Katrina, including paint by yours truly:)

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The question is not if we like the bikes or the stereotype. It's a poll whether you think The Company will survive after Recession, Bail-out, a plant in India, lack of skilled labor*, POTUS Twittering, and now massive tariffs.

The general public is not buying new Harleys (or any bikes) like they used too. They aren't looking for fun by being free on 2 wheels. They are looking for fun on Instagram, in the back seat of an Uber. Will H-D make it?



*To your point Lunatic, assembly lines were created literally by the lack of skilled labor. It allowed higher production by taking the 'skill' out of the job. 100 years ago! If H-D can't find people in Milwaukee to screw in the same bolt 1000 times a day, yikes.:upset:
 
Harley will persevere but their bank accounts might take some shrapnel. :concern:
 
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