Harley-Davidson Profit Falls As Slide in Motorcycle Sales Continues | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Harley-Davidson Profit Falls As Slide in Motorcycle Sales Continues

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and they sell the same product, and the same niche within that product range, over and over again

Talk about putting all your eggs in 1 basket


Yamaha also sells drums, and pianos
 
Most Asian companies branch out in every direction that they possibly can. Go look at Samsung, and see what fields they have their hands in...

But we're talking about an American company, and those usually stick close to one area.

There was another discussion here a few days ago about new non-current deals, most people suggesting that to find a 0km bike a few years old sitting at a dealer, some still in crates, at discounts up to 30%. I'm also told this is an extremely rare occurrence at an HD store. So it does seem that they don't have as much trouble as people might think in the sales department.
 
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So good business sense is uniquely asian now? Harley cant smarten or shape up? Does it HAVE to be a dinosaur that gets hit with the meteor?

They must know these things, im guessing they have executives with more degrees than me, making lots of money, capable of determining stuff like:
1)how to make a fun, cheap accessible bike that is competitive and attractive to the demographic they so seem to crave, yet seem to repeatedly be missing the mark with?
2)how to branch out into other stuff, other than just cruisers (not asking them to make a jet like honda does)


30% off any new dealership bike is a rare occurrence anywhere, not just HD


I have seen my share of the young hipster beard crowd riding harleys, but they dont seem to be obtaining new customers at a rate that exceeds the death toll of the old


They can do LOTS to make harleys more attractive, and accessible to younger crowd without losing the "harley" in harley davidson, they are either too stubborn, or too stupid to do so(similar to detroit making gas guzzling SUVs pre bankruptcy while everyone and their mom was out buying a cheap, reliable, fuel efficient honda/toyota)
That's out of touch management
 
I've never been to an HD marketing group meeting, I bet cheap, affordable gets bantered about . Then they all laugh out loud and high five each other.

The 500-750 in the line up is to get some into the brand within the insurance parameters we see now. Its a reasonable price but its not cheap. Want less expensive, metric cruisers have that covered in spades. I would guess the smart guys at HD were happy as heck when the Japanese decided to get into the cruiser market, its thousands of more people riding cruisers and some may move into a Harley.

HD went down the rabbit hole in the 70's making small cruisers and dirt bikes and scramblers. It was economic disaster. Not just because the partnership with Aermacchi the Italian subcontractor made crappy bikes, the core HD audience was agast.

HD has a 100 yr history making bikes , diversifying into other products is just a bad idea for them. When you can have customers order a bike from the CVO group, order the pearl invisible flames paint, and cough up 45K , your doing something right.
 
I forgot to add to that list:

Fun, cheap, accesible, and fast!
 
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bigpoppa said:
I forgot to add to that list:

Fun, cheap, accesible, and fast!
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Harley Davidson makes large, comfortable, upmarket motorcycles. They have been around for 118 years and they will be here long after we all die of old age. No, they are not going to make you a cheap, affordable, racing motorcycle. If that's what you want you're not the customer they want. There's lots of cheap plastic motorcycles for you to buy. Once you're more mature, you might be interested in spending serious money on a Harley Davidson.
 
bigpoppa said:
30% off any new dealership bike is a rare occurrence anywhere, not just HD
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I've seen many $6-7k 0km Vulcan 900 over the years, a friend just got a shadow aero between $6-7k fresh from the crate. These new non current metrics are constantly being marked down 30%. Sturgess Cycle has had huge NNC deals every time that I've poked my head in their store. So yeah, metric cruisers are slow to sell too, it's just that the asians are more branched out and it helps their overall numbers. I'd suggest that cruisers in general will always naturally appeal a certain group of young people, but mostly to more seasoned adults. I'm pretty sure that very few here went out and bought a brand new luxury sedan for their first car. For most it was probably a cheap plasticy import. Well Cadillac is still around, despite the number of people that buy Civics.
 
Roadghost said:
Harley Davidson makes large, comfortable, upmarket motorcycles. They have been around for 118 years and they will be here long after we all die of old age. No, they are not going to make you a cheap, affordable, racing motorcycle. If that's what you want you're not the customer they want. There's lots of cheap plastic motorcycles for you to buy. Once you're more mature, you might be interested in spending serious money on a Harley Davidson.
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Pontiac thinking, circa 2007
 
Nah - Pontiacs were reliable...

Given all the money I could possibly want ...I would NEVER consider a Harley under any circumstances....especially considering the general **** you noise crowd and posers it attracts.

Over priced junk that breaks. BMW is somewhat overpriced, and breaks too often but it's head and shoulders above a Hardly.

There are numerous reliable, quality built, comfortable motorcyles that don't break, are good value and are quiet.
 
And thats ok, there are lots of bikes for everybody.

you fellows that dont think of Harley and fast in the same sentence never went to an Indy mile in about the last couple decades, but carry on with your big wide brush.

And reliable, or resale value, or style, or more than 2 cylinders. Its ok, the market will always exist for different.
 
I have yet to ride the metric cruisers, or indians, but if i found them appealing, i would just go that route rather than paying over 20k for the harley

Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk
 
FYI, BMW's break far more the Harley's according to consumer reports. Harley is between the best (Japanese manufacturers) and the worst (everything from Europe).

Can't imagine ever saying I would never buy something from any manufacturer. Who knows what the might come with that you would like.

I'm not a cruiser guy but if I were looking I'd look first at Harley. The are the gold standard of the cruiser market. Often imitated but rarely duplicated. I remember reading that they are the number 2 rated manufacturer in customer satisfaction. I think I read this in consumer reports. If I'm looking at a cruiser, speed and handling are not going to be high on my list of priorities... :) I also would not make any decision based on who else owns the bike. Really, who cares?

Only one certainty in my bike ownership, I'd never be caught dead on a scooter.... :) I kid as I believe you owned one... :)


MacDoc said:
Nah - Pontiacs were reliable...

Given all the money I could possibly want ...I would NEVER consider a Harley under any circumstances....especially considering the general **** you noise crowd and posers it attracts.

Over priced junk that breaks. BMW is somewhat overpriced, and breaks too often but it's head and shoulders above a Hardly.

There are numerous reliable, quality built, comfortable motorcyles that don't break, are good value and are quiet.
Click to expand...
 
"Once you're more mature, you might be interested in spending serious money on a Harley Davidson."

And this is the attitude that repels me from HD ownership, though I had one for 6 months (just not the right bike for where/how I like to ride).

I'm 52 and have been riding since I was 15. Wrote my MC 365 on my 16th birthday and got my license 1.5 months later.

I'm as "mature" as I intend/expect to get and I can spend copious quantities of "serious" money on anything that I want. I just DON'T WANT (another) HD.

Nothing wrong with the bikes in general, they're certainly good looking, but just not suited for my preferred riding. That doesn't mean I'm missing something or "just don't get it".

I can assure you I get it; I just don't want it.
 
^ Same here. Some people seem to be under the impression that a H-D is the king of the hill in some way. They might be the king of SOME hill (cruisers) but I just can't see ever buying anything of the sort.
 
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good looking if you cater to the mods and rocker era

vintage-motor-scooter-motorbike-in-brighton-from-the-mods-and-rockers-E60XY5.jpg


Mind you the new matte black jobbie is reasonable ...

e5c2f437a51143d8874aaefbd55a78ad.jpg
 
where's that pic from MD?
MC mag test ride or similar I guess.....
gentleman looks to be dressed appropriately for riding a motorcycle
not wearing a Village People costume
 
xrljoel said:
"Once you're more mature, you might be interested in spending serious money on a Harley Davidson."

And this is the attitude that repels me from HD ownership, though I had one for 6 months (just not the right bike for where/how I like to ride).

I'm 52 and have been riding since I was 15. Wrote my MC 365 on my 16th birthday and got my license 1.5 months later.

I'm as "mature" as I intend/expect to get and I can spend copious quantities of "serious" money on anything that I want. I just DON'T WANT (another) HD.

Nothing wrong with the bikes in general, they're certainly good looking, but just not suited for my preferred riding. That doesn't mean I'm missing something or "just don't get it".

I can assure you I get it; I just don't want it.
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LOL. I was stirring the pot a bit with that remark. You buy what suits you. I certainly wouldn't expect you to do otherwise. There are those who express endless frustration that HD isn't building them an H2 for a bargain price. It's never going to happen. There are already excellent SS bikes crowding the market. It's too small of a market with too many players and not enough profit. The money is in exactly what they're doing right now: big expensive touring motorcycles and cruisers.
 
I know a motorcycle industry consultant who was hired last year by H-D to provide feedback on sagging sales. While his report was confidential he basically said the obvious, that that brand is stereotyped by hairy middle to old aged male rebels who ride helmetless with loud pipes.

Well that worked for a long time so you can't knock the brand for knowing their audience. But that market is dying. All good things eventually come to an end. Odd also that they have recently abandon the V-Rod which was its most modern and advance featured model.
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