Down 20% for the year
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 800
Likes: 39
From: Lafayette, La
Down 20% for the year
Not just Harley stock (actually more like 32%) but a local dealer is down 20% for the year and said: "It's getting worse." This is a big dealer. Was there today, two Saturdays before Christmas and the place was empty.
What do we make of it? Local economy is very dependent on the oilfield, so that may be a huge part of the problems in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma etc.
What do we make of it? Local economy is very dependent on the oilfield, so that may be a huge part of the problems in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma etc.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 243
From: Oklahoma
Not just Harley stock (actually more like 32%) but a local dealer is down 20% for the year and said: "It's getting worse." This is a big dealer. Was there today, two Saturdays before Christmas and the place was empty.
What do we make of it? Local economy is very dependent on the oilfield, so that may be a huge part of the problems in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma etc.
What do we make of it? Local economy is very dependent on the oilfield, so that may be a huge part of the problems in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma etc.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 525
Likes: 9
From: Brooklyn
When other brands are selling bikes as fast as they can build them Harley needs to look at the lineup. You can only go so many decades building the same bikes before people loose interest and buy another brand. Triumph just updated the entire Classic line to the according to Harley folks the dreaded liquid cooling, I bet they sell every one they build and have a waiting list. Where is the Harley Scrambler XL? It would be so easy for them to build what all the custom builders are doing with XL's anyway.
Harley's issue is internal not market. The dealer in Manhattan sold 78 Ducati Scramblers in 6 months.
Harley's issue is internal not market. The dealer in Manhattan sold 78 Ducati Scramblers in 6 months.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 564
Likes: 9
From: Texas gulf coast
It's not only Harley. My sales are down about 22 percent for the last four months. People drink whether the economy is good or bad. They do tend to trade down from that $100.00 bottle of single malt to the $20.00 half gallon of blend when times get tough. As long as oil is below $70.00 a barrel the economy in the oil patch states will suffer.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,946
Likes: 818
From: Nevada
The main contributor is the economy. Consumer spending has slowed across many sectors. Also, other manufacturers are offering discounts, and the used market is flooded with clean low mileage Harleys.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 35,795
Likes: 38,536
From: Post Falls, ID
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
Likes: 7,172
From: Oxford, Nc
Yeah back in June 2009.
I stopped by the local shop yesterday to pick up an 1157 front turn signal bulb even though I knew it would be expensive (but I drive right past the place.) Hung around for 15 minutes and the only two customers were the guy in front of me at the parts counter and yours truly.
I walked past the sales floor, past 2 $40,000 S/E touring bikes and just kept on walkin'. The was a Dyna FLD for around $18,000 (for a Dyna?)
Too friggin much money IMO.
I stopped by the local shop yesterday to pick up an 1157 front turn signal bulb even though I knew it would be expensive (but I drive right past the place.) Hung around for 15 minutes and the only two customers were the guy in front of me at the parts counter and yours truly.
I walked past the sales floor, past 2 $40,000 S/E touring bikes and just kept on walkin'. The was a Dyna FLD for around $18,000 (for a Dyna?)
Too friggin much money IMO.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 13,402
Likes: 941
From: Illinois
My dealer has his annual 25% off sale this Fri., Sat., and Sunday. Long lines at the parts counter and motorclothes area. Folks walking out the door with many boxes and packages including the shadow box with examples of past gas tank designs that you get when you spend over $300.
I walked out with a new springer and the related parts to convert my Softail with. Bought everything needed for a grand less than a old used one on Ebay sells for.
This dealer has had one of their best years. Oh! They sold their $40,299 RGC CVO Ultra and the 11 RGC CVO Ultra that was traded in on it. This may be the cold snow belt but folks here in **** hole Illinois still have jobs even if the state is broke.
I walked out with a new springer and the related parts to convert my Softail with. Bought everything needed for a grand less than a old used one on Ebay sells for.
This dealer has had one of their best years. Oh! They sold their $40,299 RGC CVO Ultra and the 11 RGC CVO Ultra that was traded in on it. This may be the cold snow belt but folks here in **** hole Illinois still have jobs even if the state is broke.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,838
Likes: 500
From: Northern WV
When other brands are selling bikes as fast as they can build them Harley needs to look at the lineup. You can only go so many decades building the same bikes before people loose interest and buy another brand. Triumph just updated the entire Classic line to the according to Harley folks the dreaded liquid cooling, I bet they sell every one they build and have a waiting list. Where is the Harley Scrambler XL? It would be so easy for them to build what all the custom builders are doing with XL's anyway.
Harley's issue is internal not market. The dealer in Manhattan sold 78 Ducati Scramblers in 6 months.
Harley's issue is internal not market. The dealer in Manhattan sold 78 Ducati Scramblers in 6 months.
I have to think this as well Scrambler. HD's problem is they should have had all new or substantially redesigned bikes coming out a couple years ago, not in the planing stage now. "Project Rushmore", while I own one myself and like the incremental improvements, was simply a relatively minor refresh in the whole scheme of things.
In a nutshell Harley is doing a pretty good job of catering to their traditional clientele (who happen to be aging out of the market in droves) and they need to continue this as long as it's profitable. But they're doing almost nothing to attract a different and/or younger demographic such as their competition is.