Is the motor company listening?
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,074
Likes: 1
From: Baltimore, MD
Well, HD would rather you buy one of their bikes, not a Goldwing. Won't hurt to try to tap that market. Revolution powered bagger. They've already got the motor, already got the frame. Can't be that hard to make it fit!
Club Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 30,914
Likes: 16
From: Springfield, Ohio
exactly. It's becoming quite ignorant of Harley not to at least try it. There are people out there who would buy them.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
From: South central PA
While the moco is hurting a little now, think how all the other m/c mfgrs. are feeling. Harley has gained market share (US) in a down market. The whole m/c market is down. This winter is really gonna be cold for bike sales. If they didn't have the right product @ the right price, they wouldn't now be getting a bigger slice of the smaller pie. Their sales grew tremendously from 1992 to 2007, so the inevitable down turn had to happen sometime. Before the recession hit, they were geared up for 350,000+ bikes/yr. capacity. Something has to go in order to keep their overhead more in line w/ a shrinking market that requires 200,000 Harleys / yr. I'd like the moco to come up w/ something better, but the stuff they're shoveling out gets bought up, so it makes good business sense to just change paint, parts, and CVO catalog accessory bikes. These guys are good.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,729
Likes: 29
From: IA
In early 2000 the media was flooded with "biker lifestyle" stuff. You couldn't avoid seeing or hearing something about Sturgis, Bike builders, "Biker Gangs" everywhere you went, you all know what I mean. It was clear, if you want to be cool, get the hot chicks, prove your not getting old, there is one easy way, get a LOUD, powerful, bike. Get a sleeveless tee shirt, a tattoo, some cool sun glasses, fingerless gloves, say, "helmet laws suck" and BAM! you're a biker. Be loud, be rude, be obnoxious, ride like an idiot, and you're a REAL biker. The Harley showrooms were packed and everyone had to have open pipes, BIG motor builds and custom paint. 20k for the bike, another 15K in accessories (and clothes).
Now most of the TV shows are gone. The "cool" bike builders are broke, or back to one man shops, or in jail, or dead. Now those 60K custom choppers everyone wanted are selling for what they are really worth, about 8K (thats the ones that haven't fallen apart and been sold for scrap) and the market is flooded with 2002-2006 Harleys with 3000 miles on them.
The "FAD" is over or fading. Partly because of the economy. It wasn't unusual for people to buy Harleys using 3 or 4 credit cards because they couldn't get another loan from a bank. But also because that's the way Americans are. Things are "cool" for about four years and then go away. If the economy was suddenly great tomorrow it doesn't mean everyone would go buy motorcycles again. If you want to get rich figure out what the next big thing will be. The days of spending just to spend are over. For at least a generation we are going back to "normal" and normal means a lot fewer motorcycle sales. Harley isn't going to try to dive into other markets or become a cheap bike. They want to get back to their "exclusive" market.
Now most of the TV shows are gone. The "cool" bike builders are broke, or back to one man shops, or in jail, or dead. Now those 60K custom choppers everyone wanted are selling for what they are really worth, about 8K (thats the ones that haven't fallen apart and been sold for scrap) and the market is flooded with 2002-2006 Harleys with 3000 miles on them.
The "FAD" is over or fading. Partly because of the economy. It wasn't unusual for people to buy Harleys using 3 or 4 credit cards because they couldn't get another loan from a bank. But also because that's the way Americans are. Things are "cool" for about four years and then go away. If the economy was suddenly great tomorrow it doesn't mean everyone would go buy motorcycles again. If you want to get rich figure out what the next big thing will be. The days of spending just to spend are over. For at least a generation we are going back to "normal" and normal means a lot fewer motorcycle sales. Harley isn't going to try to dive into other markets or become a cheap bike. They want to get back to their "exclusive" market.
Last edited by FLTR08; Nov 6, 2009 at 11:02 AM.
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