I've believed one of the factors that leads riders to other brands is the image. HD has spent years cultivating that 'bad boy' image which doesn't resonate with younger riders and those who are more pure 'motorcyclists'; pseudo-1%er, wannabe, pirate; we've all heard it when it comes to those riding HD.
HD sold its soul to that marketing image and for quite some time it worked, but as those who went in for the HD 'lifestyle' age and leave motorcycling they're not being replaced as rapidly; that image has become a weight around HD's neck and HD is viewed like a caricature of a motorcycle, it's not taken seriously. How can you actually be a 'bad ***' on a heavy, under-powered V-twin when there are state of the art, high horsepower technological marvels out there ready to roll off the showroom floor; nothing extra needed, just add rider?
The perception many hold of what an HD is will take time to die; hopefully before HD itself does...
Bingo, finally.
Didnt want to ever agree with you on anything, but wisdom forces me to :^)
Forget the price, the speed and the reliability. It's all about the image.
Show me a HD dealer that a blondie jesus with a goatee and a vest and tattoos is not working as a salesman. The poster that talked about kids growing up on video games is making a lot of sense. None of them are going to identify with someone like that salesman when they grow up.
Harley was and is a life style, will be for ever. They will have to change name, like radio shack, and that still wont save them. They maybe sell out and become a smaller operation for a buyer. Not anytime soon though, it may take several more years and several more new versions and changes and killing off lines before they have to.
18 year old buyers who are new to motorcycles aren't buying CVO road glides
Yes, but there's also the Honda CBR300R and CB300F, Kawi Ninja 400, Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM RC390/390 Duke, etc. all in the $4500-$5500 range brand new. And even though they're the smallest in their families they are more than enough for an "only" bike for a lot of people. Harley has nothing in their range to compete here. The Street 500 is a lumbering overweight pig compared to these bikes.
The piece of info I found intetesting is Honda making big money on financing. I wonder if that’s just vehicles or also commercial lines. Does HD offer financing? Or is it offered by dealers/banks?
Last edited by Oko; 12-31-2017 at 01:52 PM.
Reason: Spelling
Here around mid Michigan all motorcycles are down. Some of the M8 motors are having issues, and the public is catching on, this is not helping. I was going to buy a 18 Softail but I'm waiting till 19 now. I have lost some confidence in the M8. I hope by then I can buy one and not worry.
Yes, but there's also the Honda CBR300R and CB300F, Kawi Ninja 400, Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM RC390/390 Duke, etc. all in the $4500-$5500 range brand new. And even though they're the smallest in their families they are more than enough for an "only" bike for a lot of people. Harley has nothing in their range to compete here. The Street 500 is a lumbering overweight pig compared to these bikes.
But no one buys a Honda CB300 for performance. So it doesn't matter. These bikes are entry level disposable bikes, let's be honest, very few people probably keep one of those longer than a couple years, or however long it takes them to trade up to a bigger bike. You don't see people who are 30 or 40 who have been riding for 10 years, riding a CB300.. and the street 500 seems like its intended to fit that "temporary bike" mold too.
The piece of info I found intetesting is Honda making big money on financing. I wonder if that’s just vehicles or also commercial lines. Does HD offer financing? Or is it offered by dealers/banks?
The answer to your question is ..... Yes. Harley-Davidson Credit Corp. Don't ask me how I know. I just do. lol
Yeah the kids of today don't seem to be gravitating towards motorcycles as much. The lifestyle HD is working so hard to carefully distance itself from is dying. I predict we will continue to see more diversity in not only the motorcycles but in the marketing of the brand to various under represented ethnicities in their market share. Gee they even started a very big sponsorship with the Milwaukee NBA basketball team for advertising space on their uniforms. That is not on your typical Vested Pirate's TV viewing schedule.
As far as sales numbers go, this company tripled their sales while HD was losing business:
True, this is small bikes, but isn't that what everyone is saying HD should be doing?
As far as buying a Harley, what do people hear when they go to a HD forum? "If you buy a Harley, you need to do a stage 1 on it." They are not priced high enough already, we tell them to spend an extra $1000-$2000 just to make the thing run right. That really encourages newbies to buy the kool-ade...
12-31-2017, 01:24 PM
