Harley-Davidson Adapts to New Rider Trends
Facing Competition from Indian and Victory, Harley-Davidson Must Embrace New Groups of Riders — Many of Whom are Young Women — and Fight Hard to Keep them Loyal to the Brand
Contrary to popular belief, Harley-Davidson is defined by its riders, not the other way around. Harley’s image has been in a constant state of flux since its inception. And while HD may not have always transitioned smoothly from one era to the next, it always takes those changes in stride. Harley-Davidson, a brand heavily invested in its heritage as well as its future, always maintains a similar allure, just for an ever-widening audience of riders.
According to this report by the investment blog The Motley Fool, Harley-Davidson riders of 10 years ago were easily categorized: Most were wealthy middle-aged Caucasian men, who overwhelmingly purchased large touring bikes.
While Harley still has a near-stranglehold on that market, the brand wisely didn’t ignore its lineup of smaller motorcycles like the Dyna and Sportster. In doing so, Harley made its brand accessible and attractive to folks from all kinds of different backgrounds.
Despite the best efforts of rivals Victory and Indian, which both ride underneath the Polaris banner, women, Hispanics, African-Americans and people aged 18-34 still prefer Harley-Davidson by an overwhelming margin when choosing an American cruiser bike. If Harley continues on its current path — and continues to innovate — the brand will keep this audience, even with tough competition from Polaris, which seems to be gradually stealing more and more sales from H-D.
Harley-Davidson riders are different now than they were even a short decade ago. Take for example this writer. The seminal animated Japanese biker-gang film Akira, about futuristic biker gangs in Tokyo, is my favorite motorcycle movie. “Safe and Sound” by French electro-house duo Justice, with lyrics inspired by flat-track racing, is my favorite motorcycle song. So, while I can appreciate Easy Rider and Steppenwolf just as much as the next guy, I was born in a different era and with different influences. However, I still ended up on a Harley.
Motorcycling is a universal language. While the diverse group of riders that have chosen Harley in the past few years all have their own individual reasons for picking the brand, we can all agree that we love some of the same things. Harley’s style, character and reputation is unmatched. And there’s just something about swinging your leg over a piece of heavy metal Americana and knowing that you’re on one of the best bikes ever built.
