I’ve read a lot on here about the numerous closures in America, now that it’s started in earnest over here in the U.K. and probably worldwide it’s worrying. Because of aches and pains, potholes and endless traffic I sold my Night train at the age of 75 a year or so ago, but I’ve been mildly bitten by the biking bug again and had contemplated buying a 48 but I think I’ll probably can that idea.
i started riding when I was 16 and have been riding Harleys for 30 years, don’t know what it’s like in the USA but here when I started the vast majority of bikers were 16 to 30 years old now the age range is around 30 to 70 the average being in their 50s. Never seen anyone below the age of around 35 on a Harley, and very few in that age group, Sadly I think the end could be nigh for HD. The rot may have started years ago when they started to produce a lot more bikes, they probably need to go back to the times when you had to wait for a couple of months to pick up your new bike.

 

I had to wait a year for mine back in 1997. I got no color choice either. If I didn't take it, they called the next one on the list. How would you like to have been a salesman back then? I also had to put down 800 dollars for the pleasure of waiting. That money didn't go for the bike either. You also had to buy the extended warranty, or you didn't get the bike. Coincidentally, the warranty was 800 dollars...The MoCo has been making dumb decisions for decades. They have never been loyal to their customers who were about as loyal as customers can get. I doubt that they will close. They will have to downsize some more, and someone else will buy them out before they close anyways...I would imagine a few overseas companies would love to buy the MoCO for pennies on the dollar. But that day is not today. Maybe if they keep up this woke ****.....

 

 

I have wondered if times would turn on dealers for the way they treated customers and they would have to start being nice to customers

Though it seems it is the factory with the knife in their hand

 

What am I missing for Miracle City Harley? They show to be open both on Facebook and their own site.....

 

Another one bites the dust...They will call it "consolidation" or "merging" but we know what that means...a couple of years ago, the MoCo told media outlets that dealers were stealing from them by not paying for motorcycles. (Fake news anyone?) Turns out that the MoCo was shipping too many bikes to these dealers who couldn't sell them fast enough. Any dealer that opened up a restaurant or coffee shop was already leveraged pretty heavily. Something had to give...can anyone else remember when a dealer sold motorcycles, service on motorcycles, and clothing? Maybe some HD merch as well? I wonder if that business model would still work?

 

Many of the dealers around here that were open 7 days a week are now only open 5.

 

By forcing many to close it give HD and those left power to charge more for less.

 

Jochen Zeitz should get Dylan Mulvaney to sit on some of the bikes.
That should motivate those snowflake demographics with all that money to burn.

 

Jochen Zeitz was chosen, not to save Harley, rather to save shareholders until they bailed. It is and was always a turn and burn strategy. He had zero qualifications in an equivalent market, but lots of experience making bonuses and manipulating a business to show short term profits. It happens to every public company eventually. Once the board and shareholders have no other concern than the profit margin, it is an inevitable consequence of their focus and interests in personal gain.

It’s not good or bad, it is just what happens. I am thankful that I got to spend my best years concurrent with Harley Davidson’s best years. It’s over. All out bitching will not make a difference. It’s out of our hands, in fact it never was in our hands, but there were leaders in Harley Davidson that saw a longer term strategy and had pride in their product. Not that profit wasn’t important, rather product and profit were equally important.

The very first rule in Lean manufacturing, which has been replaced by a newer meaner focus is, “there is no history, what can you do today to make a profit.” The past, the laurels, the former customers and network mean nothing on a spreadsheet.

When I was a younger man, I feared that lawyers would take over the world. Boy was I wrong, accountants run the world and are ten times more dangerous than the worst lawyer running a business. A lawyer said, we can’t take the risk, an accountant says, cut it from the line, make it cheaper to manufacture, more expensive to buy, and most of the time they have no idea what the item is, just a line on a spreadsheet.

Okay, I went to work at 4:30, I’m tired and dirty, and this just pissed me off so I vented for myself, not for your enjoyment.