The Case for a Potential Harley-Davidson Comeback
By Conor Fynes

It wouldn't be the first time Harley-Davidson has picked themselves back up. See what the catalysts for a phoenix-like rising would be inside.

 

They're gonna need more than a presumptuous slideshow to rally more sales.

 

I don't get it. They sold a 1/4 million bikes last year, didn't they? What do they have to come back from?

 

Yea what he said!

 

Where did they go? Did I miss it?

 

as you can see there has been a small decrease in annual sales every year for the last few years . downward sales trends are looked upon as a bad thing in the financial market and can affect stock price and consumer confidence in your product .

 

That trend does not look good. But you also need comps. What are the other manufactures doing?

 

Agree. I find it hard to believe that total shipments tracked us shipments exactly for that period.

This is what shareholders and investors care about. Certainly revenue and earnings growth ar desired. But, this is hardly doomsday.

 

if you look closely you'll see the 2 curves are not identical , but i'm also surprised they're so close .


if you plot all the curves on the same graph they're remarkably similar . i guess that shows HD's relationship between units sold and profit has been very consistent .

 

They desperately need a light tourer, and a Sportster re-do.

Street aint gonna do it - unless it is pegged up a notch or 2 - the stamped welded painted parts exude "low end", and when I sit on it my knees hit my helmet (ok a little exaggerated). I'm afraid it's tainted with the "Indian-made" stench and right or wrong it's a curse. The Vrod would have taken off in a traditional chassis (I cant for the life of me understand why they took that motor and put it into such an odd chassis - and then just stubbornly stuck with it when it wouldn't sell - just drove it into the ground). A basic street bike about the size and layout/look of the 85 FXRS would sell now - WHY IN THE H#!! WONT THEY REALIZE THAT - a cult has formed around it!

900, 1000, 1100 lb touring bikes? Where does it end, sheesh, 1500 lb, 2000 lb? Enough already. I know I for one cant handle the weight of my '11 EGC as it is. They could milk out another million bikes from aging boomers with a lighter tourer, but NO we aint doing that - We need to sell to millennial neckbeards (good luck getting them out of mom's basement long enough learn to ride a motorcycle) and hood rats.

Oh well, rant over. It's obvious I'm not the target audience LOL nobody cares what old curmudgeons think (mistake - we've seen a few things before - we're worth a listen). Panheadache out.