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If a defective product gets out the door, you've got Quality Control problems, and your manufacturing process is flawed.
If you have workers sabotaging the product, you've got management problems.
The problems my AMF Sportster had weren't due to sabotage; they were caused by poor Quality Control.
When the bikes showed up at the dealer with things purposely wrong, it immediately becomes a QC problem.
It's a good question actually and frankly "yes" I would expect them to have eyes on the forums as a way to hear their customers and if they don't, well, there's one more reason why revenues are declining.....they're not listening.
I'll bet you're right. I don't know how much weight this or any forum would pull, but if they don't have somebody monitoring social media they're really missing the mark.
You hit the nail on the head. Being born in the early 60s, I remember the times where if you wanted something fast or unique, you built it yourself. I wasnt a total motorhead back in those days but I still knew how to rebuild a carb or tear down a 350 or do bodywork & paint. I installed sound systems and customized vans. Modded my bikes & remodeled houses. The 20-somethings of today have never learned how to do any of that stuff. They either buy it or do without. Its almost like being able to fix things or build things is shameful, like oh, poor you, you cant afford to pay someone to do your stuff for you. Im amazed by kids who cant drive a stick, let alone change their own oil.
Its just a completely different mindset these days, a real throwaway society. As much as I love the features & reliability of vehicles & stuff today, I kinda miss being forced to learn all of that stuff.
Defiantly agree with this.
Wrenching was half the fun of ownership for me whether it was bikes or cars and still is.
With the old Harleys, you had to run a wrench or have enough cash for the dealership.
Us kids that bought a Harley back then in the shovelhead era could hardly get by as it was.
On top of that, A BANK would not loan on a Harley.
They were very picky back in the 1960 and 1970s
Today its no money dwn and ride away.!
The 20-somethings of today have never learned how to do any of that stuff. They either buy it or do without. It’s almost like being able to fix things or build things is shameful, like “oh, poor you, you can’t afford to pay someone to do your stuff for you”. I’m amazed by kids who can’t drive a stick, let alone change their own oil.
How many sci-fi movies have you seen...where they go to the future...and it is very primitive..."because they forgot how to fix the machines built by their elders"
One of the ideas I have for this team was to bring in someone like a service manager from a Harley Davidson dealership because of their knowledge and experience with every Harley Davidson made in the last 7 - 10 years. I believe this would help in fixing any current model with some kind of minor engine or suspension flaw for example and/or help discuss possible parts or designs from a certain model that could be used on a different model.
I bet they already do this. Do you really think they don't already get reports from the field when a part/component fails or paperwork for every warranty repair? They probably also have focus groups that certain dealers are members of that provide feedback. Standard operating procedures.
Originally Posted by big cahuna
Harley better figure out quick what the next "big thing" that everybody just has to have, or they will fade away like all the other companies that clung onto their past accomplishments and refused to change.
isn't the hot new trend the adventure bike market?
With the old Harleys, you had to run a wrench or have enough cash for the dealership.
Us kids that bought a Harley back then in the shovelhead era could hardly get by as it was. On top of that, A BANK would not loan on a Harley.
They were very picky back in the 1960 and 1970s
Today its no money dwn and ride away.!
I knew guys who borrowed money from banks and credit unions for new Harleys in the 1970s, myself included. The hard part for some guys was that they had no credit established or couldn't find a good co-signer for the loan.
I knew guys who borrowed money from banks and credit unions for new Harleys in the 1970s, myself included. The hard part for some guys was that they had no credit established or couldn't find a good co-signer for the loan.
Yup, getting a Harley, even a used POS was a BIG deal back then!
A REALLY big deal.!
Everyone had to work on their own bikes, or they just did not ride.
Now it seems. there is this whole bunch of people that could not open a cereal box following the dotted lines.
Its too much for them.
I have ranted b4 ,I can't even talk to these so-called bikers unless it is about ....wax,
They know nothing.
They have not come up through the ranks and it shows.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.