Open Letter To Harley Davidson
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 220
Likes: 104
From: Kansas City
I am curious though... what would a retro styled HD look like? I mean... their entire line-up is one giant retro model line-up. The deviation from this formula is the Street and the VRod (RIP). HD is losing market share for one simple reason... their target market is shrinking. There aren't a lot of people under the age of 40 that can justify a $23,000 (and more) garage queen, and most people who do serious riding, ride imports. If you want to go fast, buy an import. If you want to ride off-road, buy an import. If you want to ride far... Well, a lot of people buy imports, but HD competes pretty well in this sector. Diehard Harley lovers will buy Harley regardless, but that market is shrinking and HD's current strategy is to go overseas to look for new customers and HD will sell them motorcycles built there, not here. It is the way the business works.
Personally, I think HD is in good shape. They have done a good job keeping their premium bikes modern enough to make them viable options to people who want/need big bikes. Killing off the Dyna was sad, but smart; if the new Softail frame handles as well as advertised. The Sportster is a great gateway bike; a way for people to scratch the HD itch without dropping a lot of cash. Once they are hooked, they will trade up. The problem is that the roaring 50's are so far in the rearview that the current generation has no idea why the HD was so popular in the first place. But, there will always be people who appreciate classic styling and big iron.
Personally, I think HD is in good shape. They have done a good job keeping their premium bikes modern enough to make them viable options to people who want/need big bikes. Killing off the Dyna was sad, but smart; if the new Softail frame handles as well as advertised. The Sportster is a great gateway bike; a way for people to scratch the HD itch without dropping a lot of cash. Once they are hooked, they will trade up. The problem is that the roaring 50's are so far in the rearview that the current generation has no idea why the HD was so popular in the first place. But, there will always be people who appreciate classic styling and big iron.
I passed 5 Dyna's today, saw 3 being sold and have purchased 3 Dyna's in 3 years myself. I am sure Harley can replace those motorcycles sales with their new Adult toy crotch rocket electric motorcycle. One of my idea's is to bring back the Dyna Line with a new phantom or shadow edition version of the Low Rider S.
I came from dirt bikes, enduros and crotch rockets. I know those crowds and what Harley's they would be interested in. I have never said that Harley needs their version of a crotch rocket. It would be like comparing Mustangs, challengers and Camaros to a Rolls Royce. It doesn't need to be done.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 786
Likes: 603
From: Alberta
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.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 220
Likes: 104
From: Kansas City
There is an article in the latest issue of Cycle World. It is an interview with the CEO of Harley. He is not stupid, he is well aware of the issues facing Harley and the motorcycle industry as a whole. He is addressing the overall situation but it is not an easy task. As a moparnut this same thing is going on in that camp too. A contingent of Mopar fans have been bashing Sergio, CEO of Fiat Chrysler much like we have seen here. They are not almost long term debt free and will be in a few months. They have modernized plants and with long term debt gone, a result of the bankruptcy, and paid in full new fresh models will be appearing. It has been a long hard road but it is paying off. The bashing continues but that crowd would probably bitch if we hung them all with a new rope. I would suggest that we give the current leadership at HD the support they need to move this company forward in these trying times to continue the longevity profitability that the company has enjoyed in the past.
kk
kk
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,442
Likes: 418
From: South Carolina
I’m sure all of the MBAs working at HD also took marketing in high school...right before they went out and got bachelors degrees, and masters degrees, and probably a few PhDs in there as well. I’m sure none of them ever hit on the idea of piecing together a modern Nighttrain as the magic bullet to save the company from certain doom.
Wow.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 485
Likes: 84
From: Quincy, Ca
Go to allpar.com and you can read crap load of it. Funny thing today, two Challengers were passing each other today in opposite directions at a stoplight. All of a sudden there was a godawful roar. It was probably a Hellcat showing off. We did have a car show at the fairgrounds today.
kk
kk
Banned
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 20,823
Likes: 1,506
From: Nowhere
If you are using the movie Easy Rider as a benchmark for what is the definitive classic Harley Davidson, those bikes were panheads, highly customized FL's.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 220
Likes: 104
From: Kansas City
I don't think you'll get a reply.
People keep talking about what Harley has to do to fix things. Endless debates over what bikes they should make or shouldn't make. The world has changed. People aren't as interested in buying & riding motorcycles today like they were in decades past. Ridership is in decline. Harley as a company grew when ridership and demand for their bikes grew. They can't grow forever. It is smart on their part to downsize. If they can operate more efficiently and profitably by running things out of one less plant, then that's what they should do. They obviously recognize the number of bikes they're going to sell is declining, and they are acting accordingly. If the world changes and the demand for bikes comes back, they can respond to meet that need.
There is nothing that convinces me that there is a market for motorcycles that presently don't exist, and that if HD would just make bikes like that, sales would increase by the tens of thousands needed to justify keeping another plant open.
Motorcycles aren't high up (or even on) peoples' lists of things they want to acquire in life, not like they were for prior generations. Change that thinking, and then you'll be on to something.
People keep talking about what Harley has to do to fix things. Endless debates over what bikes they should make or shouldn't make. The world has changed. People aren't as interested in buying & riding motorcycles today like they were in decades past. Ridership is in decline. Harley as a company grew when ridership and demand for their bikes grew. They can't grow forever. It is smart on their part to downsize. If they can operate more efficiently and profitably by running things out of one less plant, then that's what they should do. They obviously recognize the number of bikes they're going to sell is declining, and they are acting accordingly. If the world changes and the demand for bikes comes back, they can respond to meet that need.
There is nothing that convinces me that there is a market for motorcycles that presently don't exist, and that if HD would just make bikes like that, sales would increase by the tens of thousands needed to justify keeping another plant open.
Motorcycles aren't high up (or even on) peoples' lists of things they want to acquire in life, not like they were for prior generations. Change that thinking, and then you'll be on to something.
I said I guess all someplace like Best Buy has to do is close 70 percent of the stores and sale everything dirt cheap. I said I hate to break this to you, but how is Sears going to survive if these stores are all closed and clearly they will not be bringing in any revenue ever again?
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 230
Likes: 25
From: Pacific Northwest
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 13,402
Likes: 941
From: Illinois
OP Harley in decline? Your jesting right? Sears holding looses a billion dollars a year while H-D has annual profits in the hundreds of millions.
Save the KC plant. Just how dumb are you? It is not like loosing a retail store because it is no longer profitable. The closing was planned for years. First H-D had to modernize the York plant by razing the 26 maze of old buildings and build a new single production facility to add the lines from the KC plant.
That move will save H-D 65 to 75 million dollars per year in production cost. Yet you would not do that.
My advice to you is don't post any more of your business advice as you clearly know nothing about business.
Save the KC plant. Just how dumb are you? It is not like loosing a retail store because it is no longer profitable. The closing was planned for years. First H-D had to modernize the York plant by razing the 26 maze of old buildings and build a new single production facility to add the lines from the KC plant.
That move will save H-D 65 to 75 million dollars per year in production cost. Yet you would not do that.
My advice to you is don't post any more of your business advice as you clearly know nothing about business.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 412
From: Studio City, CA via Rochester, NY
Early in my career, I worked at Disney...specifically Buena Vista Home Video. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the video releases of “Lion King”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Aladdin”, and many others. In addition to that, we would re-release “Classic” animated titles such as “ Jungle Book”, ‘Snow White”, “Cinderella”, etc. every 7 years as “out of the vault” releases. HUGE every single time. Given that, I’ve also wondered, often, why Harley wouldn’t choose one classic model each year to re-release. Obviously, it would be updated to meet standards and technological advances, but could be a nod to a model series and an era. There are certain models, (Springer, Night Train), that I would take a good long look at.