Harley sales
#71
A friend of mine, who doesn't ride, was giving me some **** about being a "Harley rider". I told him I wasn't a Harley rider. He asked me what I ride, and I told him, which he already knew, that I ride a Harley. I got the classic "WTF" look, and I said:
I'm not a Harley rider. I'm a motorcyclist who loves Harley-Davidsons. It's not the same thing.
At all.
#72
They do what they do because they mostly do it best. Most who actually try a Harley love it. Sure we all complain about stock suspensions, seats, bars, high prices...general harley tax...and then we go ride our bikes and grin like crazy...we could go buy all these "better bikes" but mostly we don't because they are not better in the ways we care about most...namely the actual feel and enjoyment of the bike and motor. Harley's generally just feel better. No else gets this as "right" as they do...at least for those of us that prefer them. My wife has parked her Ducati and Triumph next to my Harley's for years. She loves her bikes...well, last summer she decided to buy a 48...everything else is gathering dust since...including her Diavel. The 48 just feels better to her. I think Harley just needs to get more riders to give it a shot. The Sportster is a platform that can reach a lot of people, especially if they package at least one model more for a universal market.
Last edited by Thingfish; 01-25-2016 at 07:36 PM.
#73
This is where our experiences differ. Setting aside the need for a better suspension on every Harley I've ridden except my Road King, Harley's feel infinitely more pleasurable to ride to me, and not just because of their sound. Their motor has a feel and character that has never been close to matched by the other manufacturers. Moto Guzzi would be my 2nd choice in the matter. I can appreciate the smooth, appliance-like motors from the big 4, and their power is impressive...but once I'm not accelerating I'm bored to tears by these sterile homogenized cookie cutters. They just don't move me. So despite all their impressive design and modernized efficiency, I fail to find them "pleasurable". I agree it's a curse and lower prices would help the customer base grow, but I would not want to see HD abandon their ancient broken perfect results. I'm even more cursed than you because my preference goes back to the Evo motor which is getting scarcer...
Last edited by Thingfish; 01-25-2016 at 07:34 PM.
#74
They do what they do because they mostly do it best. Most who actually try a Harley love it. Sure we all complain about stock suspensions, seats, bars, high prices...general harley tax...and then we go ride our bikes and grin like crazy...we could go buy all these "better bikes" but mostly we don't because they are not better in the ways we care about most...namely the actual feel and enjoyment if the bike and motor. Harley's generally just feel better. No else gets this as "right" as they do...at least for those of us that prefer them. My wife has parked her Ducati and Triumph next to my Harley's for years. She loves her bikes...well, last summer she decided to buy a 48...everything else is gathering dust since...including her Diavel. The 48 just feels better to her. I think Harley just needs to get more riders to give it a shot. The Sportster is a platform that can reach a lot of people, especially if they package at least one model more for a universal market.
#75
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
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Spot-on!
Pretty much. That's the image that the MoCo is fighting, and, unfortunately, every single thing they're doing is only reinforcing it.
You are apparently utterly unaware that the opinions from the "rich friends" and the "little girl" are the only ones that matter to H-D. Insulting the MoCo's primary outreach demographics, that is, the groups of people from whom new customers will come, is not helping.
One of the major problems with HD's sagging sales is you, and your direct personal insults.
You, and everybody else like you who runs prospective new customers away, because the newer, younger buyer doesn't want to wear a doo-rag and a vest covered in pins and patches and buttons and bows. And chaps. And made in China "engineer boots" with riveted on crapmetal Harley logos. And an "OL" on the back with a pink doo-rag and matching tank top covered in sequined HD logos. And neither one would ever wear a helmet, because it clashes with "the look".
And if the potential new customers walk in and see nothing but 850 pound geezer glides or bikes with forward controls that bend you in half, or think they're going to be laughed at because they want to wear a full coverage helmet that isn't flat black and armored textile jacket that isn't black, they'll just turn around and leave.
Which is exactly what they're doing, which is one of the reasons why bike sales are booming and the number of women riders is booming, and Harley is in serious trouble in the marketplace.
Nope, and bringing out "new" bikes that are nothing but a different $20,000 reshuffling of existing models and engines isn't going to change a thing.
You are apparently utterly unaware that the opinions from the "rich friends" and the "little girl" are the only ones that matter to H-D. Insulting the MoCo's primary outreach demographics, that is, the groups of people from whom new customers will come, is not helping.
One of the major problems with HD's sagging sales is you, and your direct personal insults.
You, and everybody else like you who runs prospective new customers away, because the newer, younger buyer doesn't want to wear a doo-rag and a vest covered in pins and patches and buttons and bows. And chaps. And made in China "engineer boots" with riveted on crapmetal Harley logos. And an "OL" on the back with a pink doo-rag and matching tank top covered in sequined HD logos. And neither one would ever wear a helmet, because it clashes with "the look".
And if the potential new customers walk in and see nothing but 850 pound geezer glides or bikes with forward controls that bend you in half, or think they're going to be laughed at because they want to wear a full coverage helmet that isn't flat black and armored textile jacket that isn't black, they'll just turn around and leave.
Which is exactly what they're doing, which is one of the reasons why bike sales are booming and the number of women riders is booming, and Harley is in serious trouble in the marketplace.
Nope, and bringing out "new" bikes that are nothing but a different $20,000 reshuffling of existing models and engines isn't going to change a thing.
#76
That's me, times a billion. When it comes to "Harley riders", I'm the rarest of the rare...
A friend of mine, who doesn't ride, was giving me some **** about being a "Harley rider". I told him I wasn't a Harley rider. He asked me what I ride, and I told him, which he already knew, that I ride a Harley. I got the classic "WTF" look, and I said:
I'm not a Harley rider. I'm a motorcyclist who loves Harley-Davidsons. It's not the same thing.
At all.
A friend of mine, who doesn't ride, was giving me some **** about being a "Harley rider". I told him I wasn't a Harley rider. He asked me what I ride, and I told him, which he already knew, that I ride a Harley. I got the classic "WTF" look, and I said:
I'm not a Harley rider. I'm a motorcyclist who loves Harley-Davidsons. It's not the same thing.
At all.
What he said.....
#77
That's me, times a billion. When it comes to "Harley riders", I'm the rarest of the rare...
A friend of mine, who doesn't ride, was giving me some **** about being a "Harley rider". I told him I wasn't a Harley rider. He asked me what I ride, and I told him, which he already knew, that I ride a Harley. I got the classic "WTF" look, and I said:
I'm not a Harley rider. I'm a motorcyclist who loves Harley-Davidsons. It's not the same thing.
At all.
A friend of mine, who doesn't ride, was giving me some **** about being a "Harley rider". I told him I wasn't a Harley rider. He asked me what I ride, and I told him, which he already knew, that I ride a Harley. I got the classic "WTF" look, and I said:
I'm not a Harley rider. I'm a motorcyclist who loves Harley-Davidsons. It's not the same thing.
At all.
#78
If I had the spare cash and spare garage space, I'd have a KTM Super Duke R faster than you could blink. But it would be a second bike, not my only bike, for a very important reason...
I love the look of my Road Glide, I love the ride, yes, I love the history and the heritage of the Motor Company, and I can jump on it right now and ride 10,000 miles and enjoy every single minute.
I love the look of my Road Glide, I love the ride, yes, I love the history and the heritage of the Motor Company, and I can jump on it right now and ride 10,000 miles and enjoy every single minute.
#79
If I had the spare cash and spare garage space, I'd have a KTM Super Duke R faster than you could blink. But it would be a second bike, not my only bike, for a very important reason...
I love the look of my Road Glide, I love the ride, yes, I love the history and the heritage of the Motor Company, and I can jump on it right now and ride 10,000 miles and enjoy every single minute.
I love the look of my Road Glide, I love the ride, yes, I love the history and the heritage of the Motor Company, and I can jump on it right now and ride 10,000 miles and enjoy every single minute.
#80
Lots of discussion here.
In my early years, I rode Yamaha, Kawasaki and then Wings for years. I moved to Harley in 2004. Since then, it has been the Ultra Classics and Limited version.
I have never had the Harley "Bad Boy Image - and consider myself a motorcycle rider that happens to ride a Harley.
My son rides - went to Sturgis with me and I offered him a Harley - just take your pick He rode them all - and then said, he wanted a Suzuki Boulevard Boss - all blacked out.
When we can - we ride together - just riders and our passengers - out for a great time.
In my early years, I rode Yamaha, Kawasaki and then Wings for years. I moved to Harley in 2004. Since then, it has been the Ultra Classics and Limited version.
I have never had the Harley "Bad Boy Image - and consider myself a motorcycle rider that happens to ride a Harley.
My son rides - went to Sturgis with me and I offered him a Harley - just take your pick He rode them all - and then said, he wanted a Suzuki Boulevard Boss - all blacked out.
When we can - we ride together - just riders and our passengers - out for a great time.