In the U.K. apparently 3 closed down last year, or stopped selling Harleys because the company objected to them selling other brands of bikes as well, now this year 3 more dealerships have closed with 2 more going at the end of September. At this rate they’ll all be gone soon and we haven’t got that many as it is. Company was never the same after ***** G retired, trouble with the guys who run Harleys now if it all collapses they’ll no doubt just move to another well paid job at another big company.

 

That’s the problem with these CEO’s. Come in ruin a company and move on. Occasionally they strike it rich and can actually turn one around but then they get a big head and think they can do it everywhere without understanding their market.
i think he just got lucky with Puma

 

Temecula HD (Temecula, CA) sells Harleys & BMW's out of the same building.

There's no following the 'logic' used by the MOCO these days.
They just keep shooting themselves in the foot, if you ask me.

 

Tough business environment these days……too many motorcycles on the showroom floor and few new customers taking up riding.
I just saw that Smokey Mountain HD merged with Crown Auto ….
https://powersportsbusiness.com/late...omotive-group/

 

They are the undisputed world champions of that.

As just one example, remember Harley's masterful acquisition of MV Agusta?

 

This is not a new trend...Several years ago this thread went around and no one cared...Dealers back then were being forced to take too many bikes, and couldn't pay for them because they weren't selling. Then they came out with the live wire...seems to me that the downhill slide started a while back. Now the MoCo has a woke mentality....

Are Harley Dealers closing in your area? - Harley Davidson Forums (hdforums.com)

 

The mandates from the MoCo upon dealers is, for the company we all knew and loved, unsustainable.

Welcome to the new era of car dealer conglomerates owning casino-like gigantic Stealerships that don't know or care about the difference between a Panhead and a frying pan.

This is Sneaker Boy's plan for H-D to be a "premium brand."

 

My NNY dealer is a huge car dealer multi lines in a 100 mile radius, and his HD store is a walk through to Honda and Ski doo dealer and the parking lot is full of trailer sales and sea doo boating.
I don’t see HD ever touching his franchise, he purposely moved the other power sports to the HD location quite a few years ago now

 

I met Scott on a ride several years ago. Invited us to his dealership and treated us like royalty. The article states that Crown is owned by his wife's uncle.

 

This is nothing new. Dealerships have been closing down for years now. In my area, one HD dealership closed. The funny thing is that the next closest dealership is owned by the same person, so he probably didn't care much. If a dealer doesn't move bikes, they shouldn't expect to stay open.

We talk about this like it is unique to Harley, but the same thing goes on with other vehicle dealers. I know of at least a dozen car dealers (Honda, Nissan and Toyota) whose dealerships have been renovated into mega stores. In my area, two John Deere dealers have closed. I spoke to one owner who told me that JD corporate did not renew his contract because of poor sales. Gone.

The same thing happens with pharmaceutical manufacturers. These small pharmaceutical houses are offered a buyout deal they can't refuse by these mega pharmaceutical corporations. What's left are a handful of HUGE corporations that make all the popular drugs and they make billions and billions of dollars a year. Who suffers? The consumer.... you and I... because there is a lack of competition.

It's a brave new world. It isn't 1960 anymore.