The above is an interesting point to me. My belief is the "demographic" (if there is only one), is the Independent.


I've seen many young people live their lives as independents, and usually did not have the resources to purchase a new HD. Society does not reward very many young independent people.


When young, we are all taught how to fit in, get along, work as a team. At some point I think many of us reject all the "rules" we've been conditioned to live by - and is a major reason we ride. Some of us (many more on this forum) discover their independence early and some later in life.


I think this "coming of age" when someone decides to live their life by their rules will ebb and flow with demographics (Boomers, Millenials, Xer's Y's, etc.).


So, as someone else said, HD is a manufacturer selling a luxury item. Selling things people don't need to live is tough to do consistently, regardless what product it is, how good it is or how long it's been around.


Oh, and trying to figure out what people want, and then be there with what they want, when they want it is a tough assignment.


Just my opinion.

 

Wandell has been dumping Millions of $$$ of shares.

 

Thank goodness - The RUBs were bad enough.
I don't know the answer to Wall Street issues, what I do know is a little about bikes. There are too many models. Scale back to the Basics. 1 model Sportster (entry), 1 Base Dyna, 1 Optioned Dyna, 1 Base Softail, I Cruiser Softail (Heritage), RoadKing, and Ultra, then allow the public (via internet or sales floor) to truly build (add or delete) and order what they want. Reduce salesfloor inventory and let the people do what they want.

 

Harley not being bought by the younger crowd?Really?

"In 2014, Harley-Davidson was the number-one seller of new on-road motorcycles to U.S. young adults ages 18-34, women, African-Americans, Hispanics and Caucasian men ages 35-plus for the seventh straight year. In the 601cc-plus U.S. on-road market, Harley-Davidson sold more than three times as many new motorcycles to young adults ages 18-34, more than seven times as many to women, more than five times as many to Hispanics, more than five times as many to African Americans and more than nine times as many to Caucasian men ages 35-plus as the nearest competitor."
http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/04/21...rter-earnings/

 

[QUOTE=TSheff;14241632]Thank goodness - The RUBs were bad enough.
I don't know the answer to Wall Street issues, what I do know is a little about bikes. There are too many models. Scale back to the Basics. 1 model Sportster (entry), 1 Base Dyna, 1 Optioned Dyna, 1 Base Softail, I Cruiser Softail (Heritage), RoadKing, and Ultra, then allow the public (via internet or sales floor) to truly build (add or delete) and order what they want. Reduce salesfloor inventory and let the people do what they want.[/QUOTE


Great idea!

 

So in a society with a proliferation of choice, especially in the motorcycle industry, you think the profitable route to increasing sales is offering even less range and choice?

You also think it's better for Harley to reduce their models and simultaneously quit making their far and away best selling model (the Street Glide)???


From a manufacturing standpoint, following your suggestions wouldn't even save money. All of those models you suggested are built at different factories and production lines...so eliminating the various options from each frame line does nothing to reduce production costs and only limits product choice. If Harley wanted to truly cut production costs and boost sales, they need to eliminate one or two of the frame lines altogether and find a way to increase reliability while dropping prices.

As others pointed out...Harley's best market is the boomers/retired people and they are dying off/getting too old to keep buying. But the younger generations still want to ride motorcycles...and they are...they are just opting for less expensive models because they have less disposable income and when it comes to millennials, most of them can't even afford to buy their own home.

Consumer prices have continually gone up year over year, even during the Great Recession, yet wages have remained stagnant for 20 years. The only logical conclusion of that is reduced luxury/optional spending...and guess where a Harley Davidson motorcycle falls on the budget?

 

Yeah no matter how many times this is posted it doesn't change the fact Harley is selling far less bikes, stocks are way down, employees are getting laid off, shares holder are selling their stock until it was over sold, and their loosing significant market shares. They are obviously not attracting enough people to off set the loss of boomers and most people who post about us young guys aren't millennial's themselves.

 

The above quote may be true. What the quote doesn't reveal is there are not nearly enough new Harley riders to replace the aging boomers.

 

I think the current line of bikes is pretty good. I usually find myself looking around at the dealer when I am there. There seems to be some nice paint schemes on the new models. My '05 bikes were "In Style" back in '05, now it seems like the MoCo dont make the basic XLH Sportser and the FXD Supe Glide. Sure, they make something similar in the 883 Low and the Dyna lowrider. I guess the good thing is, H-D can switch it up any given model year and bring bikes the Super Glide and the basic model Sportster back anytime they want.

 

Germany has very strong union representation, way stronger than the US. As stated before, they manage to make a super high quality bike with really good engineering at a comparable price, and their employees get compensated much, much better.

9 times outta 10, union busting is just a way to get cheaper employees and pocket the savings. I haven't seen any drops in MSRP, service rates, or part prices. Hell, how many people that work at Harley can even afford a Harley anymore?