Yup, maybe one day you might ride and realize you only stop to peruse a store. Most rides it’s my one buddies hot rod that needs the nearest dealership. My bike has 34.5k miles and going strong.

200 miles is what I do on a day ride. Like i says, maybe one day you have a bike to ride and understand why it’s nothing but business.

Haters gonna hate, you need to find something to do besides fantasize trying to call me out, get me out of your head, I don’t even know you except what I read is, your parrot, hen talk.

 

It was a weak attempt at humor. Everybody is debating the usefulness of this "LIST". Well, there really isn't a "list". It's just a bunch of posts that have announced closures. I don't travel anymore so it's not an issue with me anyway.

But I did get a kick out of Keith's post when he asked "why does this thread even exist?" . I like the guy and find his brand of humor entertaining. He is also someone who has the ability to analyze things and mention points that are often missed in discussions.

 

We all have an opinion and in Keith's case he usually pulls no punches :>)

 

He is a "one of a kind" for sure. Sarcasm is his specialty. To me, he has a touch of the British-like humor. He's just plain funny.

 

We don’t need no stink’n list. Actually, I’m not likely to ride across the Mississippi again, unless I get a hair up my @$$ and head back to Newfoundland. Also, while I enjoyed a quick break at one of Harley’s many dealership, mostly they were unplanned breaks for my wife and I to look at tee shirts, etc.

On three occasions during the last 10 years, I’ve needed to stop. I used my smarter, but very limited in scope phone. We don’t do hwys and most dealerships are now interstate/freeway biased. It was always such a pleasure riding two lanes and finding a dealership.

Every company is struggling. The world has changed. Our children are not us, our grandchildren think we are dinosaurs. Besides, I really don’t like the way Harley is going. I could explain why, but that would just **** off 1/2 the people and we’d migrate this thread to a pissing match. Oh, it already is one.

I have an ace in the hole. I’m old. If something happens, I’m okay with it. I’m pushing to ride to 2044, but YouTube tells me I’ll need a jet ski instead of a Harley. So many things have to go right for me to keep caring. When this thread started, I thought having an up to date list might be helpful. It isn’t. I’d need an update list of every store I might stop at. Instead, I’ll just let circumstances dictate where I’ll stop.

Worse for me is the loss of ma & pa motels, local town diners, wayward taverns, and summer Chip seal! I don’t fight it anymore. I’m an observer, and enjoy commenting on the hypocrisy of the world.

Only one thing left, I love my current Harley. It fits me. It’s been the best Harley and best motorcycle I’ve ever owned.

okay, first cup of coffee, it’s always a rant. Rode more than 350 miles back roads yesterday so my head is in the right place. I pick up my wife who’s been away for a week visiting family. All in all, I feel like a survivor. I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t alive, but I am. I’m making the most of life, even without a list of Harley dealerships. Headed out two up in a few days. See you there. I’ll be on the black road king. I’ll wave. I know, we’ll be late, but actually without Lynyrd Skynyrd there’s hardly any reason to arrive during festival week. You’ll all be headed home. Take to hail with you.

 

I've met Keith ... He's a great guy

 

The "List" doesn't matter a whole lot unless it is your hometown dealership that was shut down by the mothership... or when you are out on the road, need a dealership, and find that the one nearest your current location was closed as recently as just a few weeks ago... or when you go to the dealership nearest you to find that it is owned by a conglomerate who owns all the dealerships in your metro area thus having an effective monopoly on pricing. Those situations suck.

But life goes on. We get over it. We adjust. We deal with the additional inconvenience.

I'll update the list over the upcoming winter. It sounds like there will be 6-10 new closures in 2023. There is no easy way for me determine how many new dealerships have been opened but I think it is safe to say that it is likely only one or two.

Nobody should take the list too seriously. We all know the riding population in the US is decreasing and will continue to do so well into the future. I tend to view the floor of new riders entering the market each year as being set by veterans coming out of the military. About 180,000 people enter/exit the military each year. HD needs a sizable percentage of them to become riders. Unlike Indian, HD reports actual unit sales. Everyone will be able to see the inevitable slow decline of HD new motorcycle sales.

I don't attend rallies or ride for the social aspect. However, I do watch the Sturgis rally to see attendance numbers and demographics. At some point in the not too distant future Sturgis attendance of riders is going to decline precipitously. The rally will survive but within ten years attendance is likely to be half what it is today even if all economic factors remain unchanged. Either that or fully half the people attending the Sturgis rally will not be riders... but casual spectators of the motorcycle world who enjoy that environment even if they themselves are not riders.

Yes. We are dinosaurs.

 

This is what I've been wondering.

 

World doesn’t stop cause you stop. I know more young people that ride that aspire to do sturgis as well as own a Harley or will one day, their words. Not mine.

Yup. It’s not the last couple of decades, but neither were the ones prior. I see change, but no demise.

Ride on!