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No thanks. Let me know when I can get a $25k Ultra.
Why is the Limited their only full dresser batwing? They sold thousands of Classics and Ultra Classics.
Corvette has the same problem with the same demographic. When was the last time you saw a young guy in a new Corvette? The new mid engine Corvette is sold out for 2020 and they havent even delivered one yet. There are enough old guys that have to have the latest greatest to make the first 2 years a sales success .
The stereotypical Corvette owner is the same image as the stereotypical Harley owner excepting the 1% who dont have a problem attracting new prospects. Young people arent brand loyal. It is what is cool at the moment. And they certainly dont want to be seen drinking their Grandpas Budweiser hence the long term decline of Bud. Bud light is the choice of many young people.
Harley and Corvette are priced out of their reach. Both are bought with discretionary dollars and that pie is a whole lot smaller and the competion for young peoples discretionary dollars is being won by cheaper products like smart phones, etc.
Millenials generally speaking who did go to college didnt get the high paying job their parents told them they would with a degree and with the student debt they have pay high rent because the cant afford the down payment on a house . Their priority generally speaking is hoping their student debt gets forgiven so they can figure out a way to buy a house and get out from under high rents. The job they got, their debt and high rents make it difficult to save a down payment. A new Harley, used Harley is not a need even if it was a want.
The ones who didnt go to college generally speaking didnt learn a trade so those industries cant find enough qualified people to replace the ones that are retiring . They work some low paying job and a bike is not on the list right now. Since they cant afford to do much they spend a lot of time on social media, video games, eating at home.
Not to mention, that $200,000 gender studies degree just isn't going to take them very far in life...
7. Millenials wouldn't be caught dead on an overpriced, underperforming, and outdated motorcycle owned by mostly white, old, ugly, fat, grumpy, bigoted dudes fixated on insulting entire segments of the population that could possibly pick up the saturated market their dead and dying demographic is leaving behind.
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.