Thank you !

 

Harley's CEO Matt Levatich has said the company will invest more aggressively in electric technology. If Harley expects to sell these contraptions, they might consider a self-driving model that can be operated remotely from a phone app or game controller.

 

Milenials waht to play video games, why not develop a H-D video game for them, make them pay top dollar for downloads and upgrades for their virtual H-D motorcycle.....

 

Another thought. Harley, to me, has always been for the most part been a premium brand and they should stick to it. The attempt to be something for everyone isn't going to cut it and to me is a bad idea. Lets look at the auto industry. I will use my favorite maker as an example. The Chrysler of old was a premium brand on a level with Cadillac and Lincoln and even better for the most part. Then the company started introducing lesser models, the PT Cruiser is a good example. Nothing wrong with the car but it should have been Plymouth. Now the perception of the Chrysler is that it is an everyman's car. It hasn't worked and in fact downgraded the public's perception of the brand. They have brought some prestige back with the 300 but then they came out with the 200 to compete in the low priced market. How did that work for them? Just like the 500's and 750's are working for the MoCo. Chrysler has taken the direction of leaving the Chrysler brand where it is now because to turn it around is neigh on impossible. They are trying to reenter the premium market with the Maserati which is working for them. Remember the Cadillac Cimarron, how did that work for them? They sure got out of that market as fast as they could. Smart move.

So what should they do? Since Harley has just over 50% of the American market, I wouldn't worry about the brand. Stay where it is as a premium brand for the more affluent customer. More profit margin anyway. It is the industry as a whole that is suffering. All of the motorcycle manufacturers need to band together to promote motorcycling as a whole. Get young people into the sport and as they get older, pay off student debt, etc they will buy the Harley they always wanted to tour rather than rip up the highways. Sound familiar? Some type of Motorcycle Consortium to promote motorcycling would do a lot to boost sales. Hell, the motorcycling insurance industry does more to promote motorcycling than the manufacturers do.

Finally a quick addition, I am not saying the MoCo should just keep building the same old thing. No, not at all. New products such as the electric bike are crucial, but make them to be the best. An adventure bike? You bet, but beat BMW at it's own game. Also a limited production outrageous model, no matter how much money they lose on it. The publicity and notoriety will do wonders to bring awareness to and promote the brand. Do the Dodge Viper and Demons come to mind. I doubt Mopar makes a nickel on any one of them but from sales of lesser models that were sold because someone came into the showroom to see one of these monsters.

Off the soapbox, just some of my thoughts. I am not a CEO and probably for a good reason.
kk.

 

True. You hear the bad eggs but not the good ones in anything.

You still dont see lots of young people buying HDs.

Well, my area of course.

Good points though....

 

Isn't that the Boom! nav/audio system?

Any cross-thread points for me?

 

Millenial here. The sport glide is exactly what millenials want, but its about 3x more expensive than what they're willing to pay. Also maintenance, Harleys have a bad reputation for not just quality control, but shitty engineering, oil pumps, can chain tensioners, etc. I feel like harley addressed the QC in 2014 with the Rushmore improvements, but there is still that perception from 10 years ago.

Also the street series could have been Harley's magic bullet, but they made the bikes look like ***. If they made the street series like a cheaply built fxr it would have been a hit. Instead, the Iron883 is cannibalizing sales of what was intended to be their entry level product for millenials. I don't see the street series lasting more than a few years unless they seriously change the looks.

I ride an evo dyna. The price is right, it handles well and it doesnt shake my fillings out.

 

Can somebody please post that picture of a guy on a club style dyna with a hot chick in a bikini on the back in front of the mission bay sign in San Diego? That one's an excellent selling point 😂

 

But they tripped up again, with M8 sumping and fluid transfer. Even my HD buddies thought I was crazy buying a 18!

The young with money are not going to buy crap!

My kid is about to get out of school with no debt, and a engineering job and paycheck, most would be jealous of. They are not buying a HD.

 

I'm in that crowd. It wasn't into my 40s that I even considered one. Too expensive, old man bikes. I loved fast great handling bikes that were inexpensive. You could only ride them a couple hours at a time. A road trip from Orlando, FL to Watertown, Ny on my 99 Honda VTR super hawk cured me of road trips on sport bikes.

The VRod was my gateway HD. I'm not sure I would have tried a HD if not for it. Although the 114 fat bob might of tempted me back then.

Anyway my riding style has completely changed at 50 vs in my 20s & 30s. If the millennials ride at all they will go to HD as they age and income level goes up.

Less younger folks riding will be MoCos downfall not what they are currently putting out.