He's still a motorcycle rider who's been riding since he was a teenager. The man owned a VROD, and rode the Pan America in Kenya during HD's testing program.
Stop saying he's not a rider, you know better now.
I don't care if he's a good person or a bad person for the company, I just hate it when people spout erroneously inaccurate things to paint what they're saying with favor.
Like people who scream about how they'd never buy an HD because they're all overpriced then scamper off to an Indian dealership to blow the sales guy under the desk because they let them buy an Indian scout, actively ignoring that in most categories HDs are cheaper than that Indian they're currently worshipping.

 

I care if he's good or bad for the company. I would rather be riding a bike where the company is still in existence unlike Victory for example. I own Harleys which means Im a fan of the company and proud to be an owner. I want them to succeed and make cool stuff and even stuff that isn't my cup of tea and as strange as it may sound I would prefer to have respect for the CEO than not.

 

Believe it or not there's some fundamental differences between a motorcycle rider and one who is going to spend the dime they want for a harley today. Think that's where the gap is with current HD management and their long range business plan.

 

Which is what you did when you said the non-rider (sorry I couldn't resist ) was responsible for the PA. The Rev max and the prototypes we have all seen are thanks to Matt before strapping on the golden parachute.

 

No it's not. Those are 2 different things.
The PA was not one and done before Zeitz took the helm, but Zeitz saw to it that the the company tested the PA, released and Marketed it.
The release of a motorcycle/product is an ongoing process, and release of an entire product line will ultimately be decided as things go along.
You're not winning this.
You were wrong, just admit it. You had no idea that Zeitz rode, just admit that.

 

okay

 

When bailing out companies and failing banks it's capitalism. If we're helping a guy keep a roof over his family's heads during covid it's socialism.

 

[QUOTE=Keithhu;21127925]And similarly expensive. So I guess Elon Musk is running Indian too?/QUOTE]

It's not just the prices of the bikes. It's the direction the guy is taking the company.

 

[QUOTE=tmac00333;21130989]What direction is that?

 

He does well deserve the blame. Zeitz has been on the board since 2007... and chaired their Sustainability office since 2011 so he has been part of this mess for a long time both good times and bad. He has had the top job for three years now, presiding over a ridiculous loss of sales. The pandemic year he inherited and saw through to its end sold only 180k motorcycles and in 2022 they sold 178k. Doesn't sound bad until you realize in 2019 they sold 218k. 2021 saw the post pandemic bump to 194k only to see 2022 numbers drop 16k... most of which was in the US. Worse, that 16k drop is after the Pan America adding 10k sales per year in a market they were never in before.

So motorcyclist or not, his direction has not panned out. If I were a betting man I suspect they are waiting for a recession to transfer the blame for the company's loss of sales. It certainly wasn't from not producing enough motorcycles, dealers inventories swelled by fifty percent in 2022.