Been looking at buying an 08 Ultra. Last week I was at 3 dealers who were absolutely loaed with bikes. All three had the bike I wanted on the floor and several more in the back. I asked about the $1,000 rebate they were offering and was told Harley stopped it. Why I said look at all the frigging bikes on the floor. One dealer said she told them don't send me any more 08' and take back all you want. She still got more than she wanted. I said how are going to sell all these before the 09's come out? She said last year at the end of the model year(Late July) she had three 07 bikes left. This year she has no idea how or where she can put 09's with so many 08's left. Harley I heard just laid off like 700 folks.

So my question is will Harley have to put incentives out to help the dealers or will dealershave to eat bikes to make room for 09's. The other think that might hurt them is there have been so many changes over the last two model years will people wait till August to see what the 09's are offering before buying an 08? Thoughts?

yes they will

yep the 09s have a delivery date already and ready or not here they come.

It is early in the year when do the 09's hit the floor?

I know what you are saying. We will have to wait and see how many bikes are left in July. HD has cut production by 15,000 this quarter to try to help the inventory mess. Sure they could do the 3.9% financing again. My dealer will sell the leftovers under MSRP just to clear them out. The only problem is some models and colors are very limited.

ORIGINAL: austiny

It is early in the year when do the 09's hit the floor?


The end of July, and yes they will deal on the 2008s in July.

Our local Harley shop is now loaded with bikes. I am not sure why, but in the last couple of weeks, they just over-loaded their sales floor. There are some nice rides, but I am not sure how they are going to sell them to get ready for the '09's.

I think HD forgot about the whole supply and demand thing at some point along the way.

Even with gas prices making a motorcycle more attractive, there is still a finite number of people that will ride a motorcycle... and there is only a percentage of that number that would buy a Harley.
And of all the Harley riders out there, only a small percentage of them are, or will be, looking to upgrade any time soon.

So, this makes for a pretty limited number of sales. If HD makes 250,000 bikes in '08 and only sells 200,000, they missed the mark pretty bad. (these are just example numbers). I think the company was much better off when they were only making 200,000 a year and had 250,000 potential customers (again, just fake numbers).

This doesn't even take in to account all the potential upgraders that have had to rethink their decision based on other economic factors in their life.

Sucks to have to lay off a bunch of employees, but it sounds like they are doing what they need to survive hard times. They can't keep flooding the market with bikes and expect to be stable for long... before you know it, some bowling alley company will be looking at them for a takeover :)

They were late in increasing production (by 25% IIRC) and late in pulling back. They run their business like a new driver - too hard on the gas then too hard on the brakes; very jerky if you asked me.

The MoCo's annual report, like all annual reports is glossed over but tells much. Trademark merchandise, royalties are still prfit centers. Not everybody has $30K for a SE whatever it is this year but everybody has $30 for panties and coffee mugs with a Bar & Shield on them!

I bought my 07 in August last year. It was the last Ultra in stock. Got a real deal on it too. I got it for $1000 under MSRP, AND all the bling they had added for free. (Chrome front end, switch group, LED spoilers on the bags and tour trunk). My dealer doesn't have a ton of bikes on the showroom, but I don't know what he has in the storage area.

I got $1500 under MSRP last year at the end of the season for my 07, that is what made me pull the trigger. The problem can become the choice is less.

stopped by the dealership this weekend...I found it kinda funny they were listing the estimated MPG on the sales stickers/tags. I saw three sold in 45 mins. Sales might be down...but folks are still buyin'. I hope everyone gets a great deal on left over 2008s!

The floors being loaded must be an american thing. Here in Holland the dealers can't get enough machines! All rockers were sold out before anybody had seen one live, same for Crossbones and Fatboys. Allmost all 105 anniversary machines were sold before they got in and now it is hard to find a 2008 machine according to your specs.
The MoCo is doing (very) well in Europe...
Brgds
Dries

The MoCo's annual report, like all annual reports is glossed over but tells much. Trademark merchandise, royalties are still prfit centers. Not everybody has $30K for a SE whatever it is this year but everybody has $30 for panties and coffee mugs with a Bar & Shield on them!

Theymake a profitbut merchandise still accounts for only 5-7% of revenue. Sale of bikes accounts for almost 40% of revenue. They made almost 1 billion dollars in revenue last year, most of which comes from bike sales.

sinced i wrecked and won't b able to ride until 3rd week in july i am gonna sit back and observe. i have been told that when the 09 come out that if i buy an 08 i will b very happy with the price. problem is the dealer only has 1 nighttrain left. i have been checking in regularly. my salesman sold 3 over the weekend, so people are still buying.

There will be some very sweet deals being offered on the 08's when the 09's are due out. They will have no other recourse and if the MoCo hangs all the problems around the dealers necks it will be afight they won't soon forget. The MoCo will have to take most of the hit but you know they will try to throw it in the lap of the dealer in some way. Stay tuned.

Stealer offered me 08 Dyna for MSRP out the door and offered to install free forward foot controls, about a $800 upgrade so he said. I am waiting till July just to see.

Dealers like Chicago HD, whotreated customers fairly and didn't price gouge in times of short supply and long waiting lists, seem to be doing well.

Well I am in the midst of selling my RKC. Got an offer last night I probably should take but will hold off awhile unless the offer gets to be one I can't refuse. I agree July is the time to buy. However my dilemma is the color I want is specific and it aien't black. One good thing I have going for me is a dealer did take me in their office and let me see the 09 colors which I guess was not for the public eye. Anyway it did tell me my color was going to be very similar with only a name and maybe a slight shade change for 09.So worst case scenario I play the game and try and hold out till July and find my color and model at a great price. If I wait too long I have to pay 09 pricing.

Before i made the deal on mine this week, i was talking to a guy i know at a large dealer in fla, who said walk in retail is down, but they are exporting bikes to europe at an alarming rate. they can pay 20k for a bike here, ship it and pay all the duties to import it and sell it for 20k and still make a tidy profit because the dollar is so weak

Some HD dealerships are offering big discounts. Crossbones for under 10k, Nightsters for under 6k. Thats like half MSRP. Either they are overstocked or in a very generous mood.

ORIGINAL: chicanagirl

Some HD dealerships are offering big discounts. Crossbones for under 10k, Nightsters for under 6k. Thats like half MSRP. Either they are overstocked or in a very generous mood.


There is no way? A crossbone for under $10K. Someone lied to you. Please tell us the dealer and I will call them and buy it right now. You could just buy it and put it on ebay and pocket $10,000 profit. To good to be true.

This may be the price for the new lease program, which sounds about right.

The Crossbones add I saw was from Florida. Orlando Harley Davidson. I haven't checked it out since i live on the opposite coast

It`s a buyers market!Aint that great?????:D
And I like it much better nowthan I didwhen you had to put down a big deposit and waite a YEAR to get a bike.[:@] MUCH better! :) Dealers that treated ya right back then are for the most part still doing OK. The ones that were A-holes back in the day, well what goes around comes around, and sometimes payback it a be itch.:eek:

have 4 dealers within 50 mi and 2 still have 07's another has a load on 08's and few 07's . the last has a few 08's and is ready for the 09's. guess which one sells at msrp and has a knockout service dept. although harley is a buisness some dealers still have old school standards and are alive and doin well. screw the rest of the lawyer and doctor owned stealerships

ORIGINAL: cdale976

have 4 dealers within 50 mi and 2 still have 07's another has a load on 08's and few 07's . the last has a few 08's and is ready for the 09's. guess which one sells at msrp and has a knockout service dept. although harley is a buisness some dealers still have old school standards and are alive and doin well. screw the rest of the lawyer and doctor owned stealerships


I agree. Should we all really worry about the dealership that is $2,000 over msrp that has bikes stacked to the roof? Who cares how much inventory they have, noone will ever want to do business with them.

if people aren't buying new bikes, shouln't the used bike market be stabil? what I mean is there is still a market for Harleys, why are their values continuing to drop? alot of people think ebay is the place to sell their, bikes but there not moving either. and the ones that do get sold are goin cheap. this might be a good time to get a shipping container ,fill it up with bikes and send it overseas.,,

Just went to the dealer I bought my RKC from in 05. Needed a part and as I was leaving I saw the owner. She said hello and we began to talk. She asked what I was doing there and I told her I needed a part and was hoping they still had the bike I wanted. She asked which one and I told her but I need to sell my 05 first and I hjad someone interested but he needed till Monday. She said come with me. I again stopped her and said I'm not buying right now as Harley dropped their $1,000 rebate. She said you want to $1,000 you got it. She checked inventory and they had exactly what I wanted. So she says to her sales guy. Put this bike on hold till Tuesday for Jeff. Guy says I need a $1,000 deposit to me. Owner says no he doesn't. Hold it till Tuesday. I thanked her and she said come see me when you come back in. Now maybe I can do better in July. Maybe that bike will be gone. But that kinda service and you know where I will buy the bike at!

ORIGINAL: backpeddler

Just went to the dealer I bought my RKC from in 05. Needed a part and as I was leaving I saw the owner. She said hello and we began to talk. She asked what I was doing there and I told her I needed a part and was hoping they still had the bike I wanted. She asked which one and I told her but I need to sell my 05 first and I hjad someone interested but he needed till Monday. She said come with me. I again stopped her and said I'm not buying right now as Harley dropped their $1,000 rebate. She said you want to $1,000 you got it. She checked inventory and they had exactly what I wanted. So she says to her sales guy. Put this bike on hold till Tuesday for Jeff. Guy says I need a $1,000 deposit to me. Owner says no he doesn't. Hold it till Tuesday. I thanked her and she said come see me when you come back in. Now maybe I can do better in July. Maybe that bike will be gone. But that kinda service and you know where I will buy the bike at!


Thats a great story and a great deal. If they are under MSRP I would by it now. I remeber the dealer here went about $300-$400 under msrp for the leftover 2007s and had them all sold by Aug 1st.

I thought they're supposed to be loaded with bikes, this is the time when they sell most of their bikes. How many dealerships near you still have the V-Rod drag bike they forced on the dealers a couple years ago? I know of two that each have one. They'll never sell those things.

So maybe I should start wandering thru the dealerships hoping to snag the onwer and make a honey of a deal. Hmmmmmmmmmm....come on July! :D

ORIGINAL: barjbar

I thought they're supposed to be loaded with bikes, this is the time when they sell most of their bikes. How many dealerships near you still have the V-Rod drag bike they forced on the dealers a couple years ago? I know of two that each have one. They'll never sell those things.


You mean this. http://www.barnetth-d.com/VROD/8400/1b.jpg (http://www.barnetth-d.com/VROD/8400/1b.jpg)
:D

Barrnetts still has 4 brand new 2006s listed on their site. If Barnett cant sell them, no one can sell them.

ORIGINAL: chicanagirl

The Crossbones add I saw was from Florida. Orlando Harley Davidson. I haven't checked it out since i live on the opposite coast


Actually, the tag said over $18,000 at Orlando HD. Where did you get your info?