Good point, but many old guys in the baby
boomer gen have already bought their last Harley. They're dying off, too old to ride or living on fixed income. Spending 26 large or more for a new bagger is no longer feasible.
Totaly .... you can buy a nice new car for 26k.
Harley as always been an elitist brand, But in this economy they have priced them selves in to a very neish market of Jaguar type prices for Chevy type quality and people just ain’t going to pay that anymore.
Theres just too much to chose from for the working mans dollar. No matter what the died in the wool purest says , their bikes just ain’t worth what their asking them for.
Mate of mine at work just brought a brand new Ninja 400, cost him $5,500out the door. Has 44 horse revs to 12,000 And is butter smooth with ABS VS Harley’s stock 883 @ $9,500 before tax and delivery.
And when you try to explain to the wife why she’s getting wet on a $43,000 trike when you could have been sitting in a SR5 Tacoma And still have 8,000 in ya pocketbook, It makes ya think how did Harley come up with this price ?.
Said it before and I’ll say it again , This is my first and last Harley.
Gee Wiz 🙄
Last edited by Wizardofaus; 07-04-2018 at 08:01 AM.
Maybe it's because i'm in the UK, but my dealer doesn't seem to have any problem selling bikes. Every time i pop in they have loads with sold signs on them, and at least 50% of those are new. I'm on my first Harley (2018 Breakout 114) and i love it. Doubt it will be my last.
Maybe it's because i'm in the UK, but my dealer doesn't seem to have any problem selling bikes. Every time i pop in they have loads with sold signs on them, and at least 50% of those are new. I'm on my first Harley (2018 Breakout 114) and i love it. Doubt it will be my last.
Guarantee she won't be your last man. Enjoy your new 114 Breakout scoot brutha!
Harley as always been an elitist brand, But in this economy they have priced them selves in to a very neish market of Jaguar type prices for Chevy type quality and people just ain’t going to pay that anymore.
Theres just too much to chose from for the working mans dollar. No matter what the died in the wool purest says , their bikes just ain’t worth what their asking them for.
Mate of mine at work just brought a brand new Ninja 400, cost him $5,500out the door. Has 44 horse revs to 12,000 And is butter smooth with ABS VS Harley’s stock 883 @ $9,500 before tax and delivery.
And when you try to explain to the wife why she’s getting wet on a $43,000 trike when you could have been sitting in a SR5 Tacoma And still have 8,000 in ya pocketbook, It makes ya think how did Harley come up with this price ?.
Said it before and I’ll say it again , This is my first and last Harley.
Gee Wiz 🙄
Makes me think why your not ridin in an SR5. That's right. A Trike gets the wife wet when you might not. That's ok. First and last right?
And when you try to explain to the wife why she’s getting wet on a $43,000 trike when you could have been sitting in a SR5 Tacoma And still have 8,000 in ya pocketbook, It makes ya think how did Harley come up with this price ?.
Old argument. About 110 years old.
Quoted from qz.com, though it's pretty well documented everywhere:
"The revolution of cheap Model T Fords beginning in 1908ate into the motorcycle market. And so Harley began promoting a new rationale for motorcycle ownership: leisure. Harley invested in building clubs for owners of its vehicles, so that fellow motorcyclists could use their wheels not just for commuting but for group joyrides. "
While Harley sales have been on a steady decline over the last 4 years, BMW sales (by way of contrast) have been increasing. So, I've been thinking about this question for a few days now and my first reaction was that it was purely economics: Harleys are too expensive, or people do not have enough disposable income. But, a BMW is not cheap and their sales are increasing. I agree with the conclusion that it was a Harley marketing error to target a declining demographic, but Harley has been targeting younger people lately and particularly women. In fact, the number of women riding motorcycles is rapidly increasing.
Clearly, there are people buying motorcycles, but they are not buying Harleys. Maybe it is because Harleys are heavy, weak, and do not handle very well. Well, I am personally pretty satisfied with the 96" Twin Cam in my 2009 Electra Glide Classic. For all of its shortcomings, I really like my bike. It has excellent luggage, is super comfortable to ride, and has been very reliable. Could I ask for more? Sure. But, I am one of those people who likes things simple and I don't get too excited about things like power wind screens, heated grips, or fancy navigation systems. So, I don't think it is the technical merits of the Harley that is failing to attract riders. To my point, n most shoot-outs, the Harley fairs pretty well when compared to its competition. One of the things that attracted me to my Harley was that it was lighter and more fuel efficient than other bikes in its class.
Clearly, Harley has a reputation problem IMO. The first bad rep it got was with being unreliable and it surprises me how often I still get these kinds of comments. The look on people's faces, even from Harley owners, when I tell them that I have 105,000 miles on my Harley is priceless. It has been a difficult reputation to live down. But, I think there is a new bad rep and it is a direct result of Harley marketing and the lifestyle they promote. I hear it pretty regular: Harleys are loud, they stink, and the riders are rude. The stink part is a result of tuning that is much less of an issue now-a-days with fuel injection. The loud part and the rude part though... this is on purpose. It is all part of the "outlaw" image that they sell.
It is my belief that the next generation of motorcyclist is an enthusiast and they are not interested in the "outlaw" lifestyle. They want value for their money. This "value" will mean different things to different people. For some, it is pure performance. For others, it is pure utility. The fastest growing segment of motorcycle sales is adventure tourers. Harley does not even compete in this category. Harley still makes one of the best interstate tourers on the planet, but taking it offroad is not fun. At all. Harleys are still popular with customizers and there is still a large demographic of middle-aged people who enjoy living their youthful fantasies of unrestrained hedonism and a rebellious attitude toward social norms and authority. It's a dying breed however.
Todays generation grew up with HIV, 9/11, the perpetual war that has followed, and the Great Recession. Risky behavior is not what it once was and it affects how they socialize. How people socialize today is much different than they did 40 years ago. Hook-ups are arranged with an app, "face time" means a phone call. To be an outlaw today is to be creative, to be unique, to indulge their personal desires. The motorcycle rally has been replaced with the art and music festivals: Coachella, and Burning Man for example. The hippies won, with their peace, love, and understanding. The bikers are losing, with their anger, un-fettered risk taking, and anti-social behavior.
I was riding north on the east coast of Florida some years back, having skipped the Daytona Beach motorcycle rally that was going on after seeing how crowded and ruckus it was. When it felt like the peripheral impact of the massive onslaught of weekend warriors was diminished, I pulled off the freeway for some breakfast. As I was parking, another rider on a BMW GS pulled in and parked a few spaces away. We eyed each other warily, like two different species of animal that had crossed paths, obvious to each other that we had been on the road for a while. I asked him where he was from. He said that he was on his back to his home in Florida after having spent some time up North enjoying the Fall colors. You could almost hear the connection being made. We spent the next 45 minutes sharing a table, eating breakfast, and exchanging tales of adventure. It was the kind of camaraderie than I have never felt at a motorcycle rally, or poker run sponsored by the local HD dealership.
The problem for Harley is not with their bikes; they make a nice bike. The problem are the owners that Harley wants to appeal to. Ironically, it is the same marketing strategy that made them super popular for all those years. If Harley wants to improve sales, they will need to change their image, so that appeals to this younger generation.
Last edited by keith_stepp; 07-04-2018 at 11:15 AM.
Good point, but many old guys in the baby boomer gen have already bought their last Harley. They're dying off, too old to ride or living on fixed income. Spending 26 large or more for a new bagger is no longer feasible.
Agree. Having a large sum to blow on a toy is the problem. People want a bike jut getting the cash available is the problem.
Harley as always been an elitist brand, But in this economy they have priced them selves in to a very neish market of Jaguar type prices for Chevy type quality and people just ain’t going to pay that anymore.
Theres just too much to chose from for the working mans dollar. No matter what the died in the wool purest says , their bikes just ain’t worth what their asking them for.
Mate of mine at work just brought a brand new Ninja 400, cost him $5,500out the door. Has 44 horse revs to 12,000 And is butter smooth with ABS VS Harley’s stock 883 @ $9,500 before tax and delivery.
And when you try to explain to the wife why she’s getting wet on a $43,000 trike when you could have been sitting in a SR5 Tacoma And still have 8,000 in ya pocketbook, It makes ya think how did Harley come up with this price ?.
Said it before and I’ll say it again , This is my first and last Harley.
Gee Wiz 🙄
Yea, but look at it. If that's what $5500 gets me, I'll spend the $30k.
Harley as always been an elitist brand, But in this economy they have priced them selves in to a very neish market of Jaguar type prices for Chevy type quality and people just ain’t going to pay that anymore.
Theres just too much to chose from for the working mans dollar. No matter what the died in the wool purest says , their bikes just ain’t worth what their asking them for.
Mate of mine at work just brought a brand new Ninja 400, cost him $5,500out the door. Has 44 horse revs to 12,000 And is butter smooth with ABS VS Harley’s stock 883 @ $9,500 before tax and delivery.
And when you try to explain to the wife why she’s getting wet on a $43,000 trike when you could have been sitting in a SR5 Tacoma And still have 8,000 in ya pocketbook, It makes ya think how did Harley come up with this price ?.
Said it before and I’ll say it again , This is my first and last Harley.
Gee Wiz 🙄
You can buy that ninja cheaper but in 10 years what will it be worth? Nothing at all while the Sportster will be still running even if it has 150 thousand miles on it and still be worth more than the new cost of the ninja
You can buy that ninja cheaper but in 10 years what will it be worth? Nothing at all while the Sportster will be still running even if it has 150 thousand miles on it and still be worth more than the new cost of the ninja
I understand resale value is important to some people, but to others 'worth' in 10 years is irrelevant. And perhaps his mate at work wanted a 400cc, or a sportbike style, scooter?
07-04-2018, 07:55 AM
