Blackbridge Harley

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I get that HD has staked a great deal on their notion of "brand value", "exclusivity" and tribal belonging (in a marketing sense) within the greater context of the marketplace, meaning purchasing motivations beyond us as experienced MC owners/riders.

Where I think they completely missed the mark with their new bikes is that people who ONLY care that their purchase is shiny and has a bar and shield logo can buy a mostly lightly used one (even big twin and touring) for 10's of thousands of dollars less than a new one. And it can be just as shiny.
Plus, the people within that cohort that they're trying to impress/appeal to don't know the difference between a 1999 street glide and a 2025. The extra bonus is that even high mileage doesn't matter if you're only riding a few hundred km's per year to bars, coffee shops or other meet ups.
 
When i traded my 05 Electra glide, it had 65thou on it. i thought it would be worth 14 to 15. i got 10 for it.

After looking on the net i think i done OK
 
Glenn/RZ500 said:
If you want to finance, H-D Financial is 10 to 11% plus, Insurance for me at 68 is over 1700 bucks. WTF?
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Call me old fashion but, "If you want financing, you can't afford it."
I'm never paying interest on a depreciating asset. That's just giving away money, to pay for the luxury of being able to lose even more money. I'm not wealthy enough to afford financing. That's something for the richest among us.

As for insurance at $1700, on a $30,000 vehicle, that seems pretty damn good to me. My truck's replacement value is half of what that Harley is, is 100x safer, and 100x less likely to be stolen because it's ten years old... Insurance is twice as much. $1,700 for a $30k motorcycle sounds like a steal of a deal at any age to me...
 
adri said:
Call me old fashion but, "If you want financing, you can't afford it."
I'm never paying interest on a depreciating asset. That's just giving away money, to pay for the luxury of being able to lose even more money. I'm not wealthy enough to afford financing. That's something for the richest among us.
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Some exceptions:

If your finance rate is much lower than the rate of returns on conservative investments then it makes absolute sense to finance.

I got my DesertX at 0% for 60 months. Finance rate was subvented by the manufacturer, so they're the ones taking the hit on giving away free money.

I then take what I would have put down for it and stick it in a 4-5% money market or Investment Savings Account and you're ahead by $6000-7000 at the end of the 5-year term.

The most important point being that you actually have the money and you actually do invest it (or keep it in your existing investments in my case). Instead of buying more depreciating assets/toys with the money you're not putting down... which is what most people do by maxing out all lines of credit offered...
 
I was just going to say what @Lightcycle said but yeah if you can make more investing after tax than what you're paying in interest then it's a good move. 0% for sure is a no-brainer, take it!
 
Wingboy said:
The percentage of bikes sold in Canada is not very big. 109,000 in US,7,400 in Canada.
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I usually start with Canada being 10% of the USA but for bikes the weather and insurance knocks off some points. Do other brands have similar ratios.

What I wonder about is the feel of the transaction, USA vs Canada. Americans are top notch in making people feel comfortable with spending.
 
If it was easy, everyone would do it. Running a business isn’t for the faint of heart. I’m sure when the franchise agreement was up for renewal, the financials were reviewed and there was a discussion between the owners and corporate. I’m sure there was some dumb spending on the owners part and that could be a reflection of their overall approach.

There are a lot of moving parts and it’s complex. You need good people in many areas to be successful. But, it does start at the top and the example set.
 
nakkers said:
If it was easy, everyone would do it. Running a business isn’t for the faint of heart. I’m sure when the franchise agreement was up for renewal, the financials were reviewed and there was a discussion between the owners and corporate. I’m sure there was some dumb spending on the owners part and that could be a reflection of their overall approach.

There are a lot of moving parts and it’s complex. You need good people in many areas to be successful. But, it does start at the top and the example set.
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Harley dealerships seem to be entry level vanity spending for people with money. Like race teams or sports teams, something fun to own you can brag about. Mackie van lines owners had HD in Whitby for years. When you run it as a hobby instead of a business, economics (like most hobbies) are normally ugly.
 
GreyGhost said:
Harley dealerships seem to be entry level vanity spending for people with money. Like race teams or sports teams, something fun to own you can brag about. Mackie van lines owners had HD in Whitby for years. When you run it as a hobby instead of a business, economics (like most hobbies) are normally ugly.
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Uh, excuse me??????


As someone who runs TWO businesses as hobbies...










You're absolutely right lol
 
Franchises scare me. A friend bought two a number of years back and then more recently that company was purchased by a huge company seeking diversification. They did some unethical expansions and his sales have tanked by 50%.

He's underwater by many hundreds of thousands and income is zero or less.
 
Looks like the same is happening at Peak Powersports at there Oakville location. Times must be tough.
 
AllistonGT said:
Looks like the same is happening at Peak Powersports at there Oakville location. Times must be tough.
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AI summary from Google.

"Performance Powersports, which is a wholesale supplier of off-road vehicles, filed for bankruptcy in January 2023. However, the company, backed by Kinderhook Industries, filed with the intention to be acquired by a lender and equity owner while searching for better offers. It was not a permanent bankruptcy but a process to restructure and potentially sell assets"

Looks like they've been having problems for a while.
 
Stopped at Georgian Harley in Owen Sound today with a harley friend buying parts. While he was getting his stuff a salesman was showing us a new Roadglide CVO with a “special paint job”. I coundnt see the difference in paint from the other bikes there but it added $5000 to the cost. Out the door price with tax? $74,560 !! Didnt see a lot of potential buyers lining up..
 
Lash said:
Stopped at Georgian Harley in Owen Sound today with a harley friend buying parts. While he was getting his stuff a salesman was showing us a new Roadglide CVO with a “special paint job”. I coundnt see the difference in paint from the other bikes there but it added $5000 to the cost. Out the door price with tax? $74,560 !! Didnt see a lot of potential buyers lining up..
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But it is a special edition only made in limited numbers....
 
AllistonGT said:
Looks like the same is happening at Peak Powersports at there Oakville location. Times must be tough.
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From the Peak Powersports Oakville FB page
A Message from Peak Powersports: Oakville Location Transitioning to Satellite Store as of October 1, 2025
OAKVILLE, ON — At Peak Powersports, we’ve always been committed to serving Ontario’s powersports community with passion, expertise, and integrity. Today, we’re announcing an important change at our Oakville location.
In response to ongoing economic pressures—particularly rising tariffs and a changing retail environment—we’ve made the very difficult decision to downsize our Oakville store into a satellite location, effective October 1, 2025.
With three locations now operating across Ontario, the move is part of an ongoing effort to optimize operations while continuing to deliver the industry-leading customer experience we're known for. Although the Oakville store may appear different in size and layout, customers can expect the same exceptional Parts & Service Department they have come to rely on. Vehicle sales will slowly transition to an appointment model, with more details to follow in the future.
This was not an easy decision. The rising cost of doing business—including the impact of tariffs—means we must adapt to ensure long-term strength and service for our customers. Our focus remains on delivering the best service and support in the industry, and we’re excited to continue doing so in Oakville, just in a more efficient format.
Our Barrie and London locations will continue to operate as full-service dealerships with full showroom experiences and product lineups.
We're not giving up. We’re fighting through this economic storm, and we’re incredibly thankful for the continued support of our community. Thank you for standing by us as we turn the page to this next chapter.
Nathan Body
Owner/President
Peak Powersports
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ReSTored said:
AI summary from Google.

"Performance Powersports, which is a wholesale supplier of off-road vehicles, filed for bankruptcy in January 2023. However, the company, backed by Kinderhook Industries, filed with the intention to be acquired by a lender and equity owner while searching for better offers. It was not a permanent bankruptcy but a process to restructure and potentially sell assets"

Looks like they've been having problems for a while.
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I think Google AI messed up here. Different company I think. Looks like thats a Tempe AZ company.
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