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Apple to apples and oranges to oranges. I know it use to be everyone looked UP to harley and now it seems the other guys are looking at or even down on harley for lagging behing in some of the design qualities of the bikes. And for the record Honda (and im not siding with honda - I own and ride the shit out of a 2004 softail standard) is the number one selling cruiser.
I just think harley needs to start looking at catering the bigger bikes to the younger generation including cost so they can keep the loyal ones at bay before the price drives the younger buyers to another company. They can only make so many blacked out sportsters at decent prices for so long. And if you don't believe me look at Harley davidson's website and check out the demographics of the main customer base. Average age 50-60 and house income of 80,000$. that for damn sure don't fit me.
Stick that in you pipe and smoke it.
Change the Demographics to change the company
Sounds like a wannabe who doesn't have the dough trying to justify his purchase of a "Raider".
If that is what you want and what you can afford, get you one, join a metric forum and go riding......
Keep looking you'll see i posted that i own, meaning bought and paid for - not making payments - a 04 softail standard. it has 43000 miles give or take a few with no windshield, no crash bar, no f-ing tassels, no pull back handlebars and no fenders except what is left of the back one. been that way since i got it. Also i don't care what the temp is outside, I ride all winter in Ky unless the roads are covered with snow. i don't just ride on weekends either, it shares primary means of transportation with a 82 model s-10. So Im not trying to justify nothing or anyone.
I just think harley needs to start looking at catering the bigger bikes to the younger generation including cost so they can keep the loyal ones at bay before the price drives the younger buyers to another company. They can only make so many blacked out sportsters at decent prices for so long. And if you don't believe me look at Harley davidson's website and check out the demographics of the main customer base. Average age 50-60 and house income of 80,000$. that for damn sure don't fit me.
Stick that in you pipe and smoke it.
Change the Demographics to change the company
Ya know what, you young pups got it all wrong. Why does everyone under 40 feel the world has to be changed for them? I couldn't afford a Harley when I was young, so I rode a metric for two years, while I saved up enough money to buy me a Harley. Never looked back and never considered another brand again. Now, thirty something years later, I've never been without an HD, gone without lots of other stuff, but not my bike. I've been lucky, now I have three, would like to have more. Sure, I wish they were cheaper, but I already think half the people that ride them do it for pure "flash", if they were cheaper I would have to deal with a lot more of those posers, wannabes, RUBs, yuppies, whatever you want to call them .... if someone wants one bad enough, they'll get one. Those are the guys who appreciate them, love them and earn my respect.
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"It's not about the destination, it's the journey that matters"
The same argument can be made for guitars, timepieces, bass boats, sports cars, anything people have a passion for. Harley is unique in that they started out over a century ago making quality built "utilitarian appliances" that served a legitimate purpose in the post-industrial revolution era. They evolved from that into a well respected brand which is arguably more of a luxury /entertainment product today.
The genuine original always commands a premium (except maybe in the case of Moon Pies) and you can't really blame HD for capitalizing on that. The 'knockoff' can always be had for cheaper.
I too, think killing Buell was a short sighted mistake as well. They should have pulled them out of their dealerships and sold them in the motorsports dealerships alongside the japs and european bikes. What a waste. Erik seems like great and brilliant dude.
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Savagehenry,
Miller Valley ~ Milwaukee
besides just the crap ecomomy,what ive heard on CNBC and other finacial chanels,is it comes down to median age of buyers,they are not attracting a younger buyer,until this changes,its not looking real good,but of all my stocks,HD is the only one that can come out with a 48% drop in profits,and the stock goes up 4.00 a share,ive had HD stock since they first went public,during the boom years,i made about 120,000 off a very small investment(bought at 11.00 and went up to 80.00 and split about a million times),sold it when it before it tanked,but bought at 11.85 last oct.,up to 23.00 (last time i checked,could be higher in the last couple days)was a 40+ before the resesion and still a good buy,i think they`ll be around for awhile,if they didnt go under in the late `70`s (which hate to say,they should have,put out junk)they wont now
kirby
vee twin racing
their slumping cause America is destroying it's middle class... No one in power seems to be doing anything about this so the country will continue to decline....
This whole Buell thing has me pissed off. And I don't even own one.
Well I tell you why. HD just reported recently reported a 84.1% decline in net income and a 84.5% decline in deluted earnings per share compared to last year. Read it, its on their website under news. Well there is a pretty good reason why. All prices metioned are close estimates.
Softail Custom compared to Yamaha Star Raider
21x2.15 wheel, Raider has 21x3.5 which is better handling. 1200$ aftermarket increase. (harley doesn't even offer)
Raked Tripple Trees, a 450$ increase for harley - stock on raider.
Harely has a 110" engine, roughly a 4500$ or more increase. 113" stock on Raider.
Harley has dunlop tires. Raider has Metzler (ask anyone which is better) also a 300 - 350 dollar increase.
base price Star Raider is 14,790$
base price Harley Softail Custom is 16,999$
estimated cost to make harley have the same stuff as yamaha
about 6,000$ to 8,000$ depending on labor cost of installation.
But I love american made stuff which is why I buy Harley. We as customers take care of their asses by forking over big money on their products so why the hell can't they take care of our asses by giving us what we want the first time around. We, as enthusiast and lovers of harley, need to get together to somehow let the over educated idiots that are ruining this beloved company know what WE want instead of them telling us what they think we want before they end up again like the AMF years. BTW im 34 yrs old and grew up believing in heretage, value, dependability and a long lasting products. Somebody at corporate ought to start looking at the past and combine that with the new way of thinking from the next generation of buyers and builders and end up with a better solution than what they have or "The New American Motorcycle" "Victory" might change their slogan to "Victory - The Only American Motorcycle".
Thanks to who ever may care.
I forget, tell me again what it is that WE want!?!?
__________________ Stay Safe Out There!!!!
JIM Great American Classics... CORVETTE & HARLEY-DAVIDSON !
