Hey all:

I do some traveling for my job and today happen to take me through Dubuque Iowa so I swung into Wilwerts to grab a shirt and look around. low and behold across the windows, "Going out of busniess sales"

Seems after 40 years the counter gal said, 5 since moving into the "new building" with the economy crash and slow sales they are closing the place down completely around Dec 1.

They have a Anny Edition Ultra for $23,k change and a SE Road King for $33k and change. Just thought I'd throw it out there for anyone looking. To bad it has to happen, they have a nice looking place there but if you cant cash flow then she's gotta go. Bummer after 40 years though.

I'll be driving from Waverly Iowa to Pittsburgh Kansas tommorow and plan to stop at a few dealers along the way and see whats shakin.

mps

 

News like this really makes me sick!---------0h well, at least ALL the big Wall St. bankers got theirs!

 

IMHO thinning of the herd is not a particularly bad thing. Much like GM, HD has too many dealers. Here in Pittsburgh, PA there are 6 dealers I can get to within an hour of my home. They all cut each others throats in a sense yet none of them want to deal. Their overheads are high and sales are not what they could be if the local market wasn't flooded with dealers, and the consumer is paying the price for it. When it comes to moving bikes volume, volume volume makes for better pricing, better pricing makes for more sales, more sales makes for happier people! But what do I know? I'm just a high school dropout that rides Harleys. Just for the record, I bought my latest HD in Ohio and got a good deal.

 

...dealers need to be broken so they can come back down to earth and get real....what the F*CK'S up with them charging over list for years...now times are gettin hard for em, and payback's a bitch...no one should EVER have to pay list for a vehicle...we would never put up with that from a car dealer, but HD dealers been gettin away with that for years...when the toilet gets flushed, like it will in Detroit....we'll come out with better deals and more "customer respect"....

 

from my perspective it is just beginning. 2009 most likely will be worse. I hate it too, but the signs I see are not good.

 

agreed, +1

 

I agree on the list prices. Today I called the stealer and they quote me LIST for two tires, I ask for discount and am told not on "maintenance items"....see ya I say. Then called a private bike shop, said he will have them in a couple of days.

 

I think that a lot of dealers are depending on motorclothes and accessories to keep them afloat. I'm hoping my home town dealership does well because they recently opened a huge new shop and it's really nice. Our town needs a rock solid dealership. There's another guy opening an Indian dealership and it said in the paper that their line of bikes will START at a shade over $23K and go into the mid 30's. If that place makes it, I don't think Harley dealers will have as much of an issue.

BM

 

HD stock ended at $14.00.

 

I paid $22.5 for my 105th Ultra back in July of 07!