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I think I stumbled on to the wrong forum. See the one I usually read goes on and on about "dealers the dirty lousy SOB's, nothing but stealerships, I'll never step foot in a dealership again, etc, etc". On this forum it seems everyone is worried about dealership financial wellbeing. Hey, I got an idea! Next time you buy a bike, parts or accessories.....just pay more for them. All joking aside, the MOCO and dealerships are two independent business, but they need each other to succeed. Each has to do their own job well. As for corporations maximizing their bottom line - good. This is America, a capitalist country. An alternative would be for you to buy CZ or pre-1991 Ural. Their companies were known for not maximizing profit.
"Corporate doesn't care about the Dealers. They have eliminated the 2% holdback that the dealers used to get at the end of the year. "
Correct me if lm wrong but the holdback is not dealer profit, it's held so the dealers can buy and restock bikes on floorplan.
If ,Harley needs to keep the 2 percent to show increase revenue to drive stock prices and keep investors happy, that signals trouble. If, they don't care about dealers how do they plan on selling products ? I don't think they are planning to follow a Tesla sales and service business model, so they need dealers and the dealers need stock. Keep telling customers they can't get what they want, those customers go elsewhere. I find it interesting that Harley dealers are having issues stocking an American made product yet over brands which are imported are not. Self made constraint to drive selling price and show increased revenue by gouging the customer will not last long lMO.
"Corporate doesn't care about the Dealers. They have eliminated the 2% holdback that the dealers used to get at the end of the year. "
Correct me if lm wrong but the holdback is not dealer profit, it's held so the dealers can buy and restock bikes on floorplan.
If ,Harley needs to keep the 2 percent to show increase revenue to drive stock prices and keep investors happy, that signals trouble. If, they don't care about dealers how do they plan on selling products ? I don't think they are planning to follow a Tesla sales and service business model, so they need dealers and the dealers need stock. Keep telling customers they can't get what they want, those customers go elsewhere. I find it interesting that Harley dealers are having issues stocking an American made product yet over brands which are imported are not. Self made constraint to drive selling price and show increased revenue by gouging the customer will not last long lMO.
They have me looking. Yes, I can buy used but this abomination of a used marketplace they created makes me say, in a polite way, nope. Look on CycleTrader, they won't list prices. Send in a request via the corporate website for a specific color and model, you get some bullshit email from a sales manager that can't spell your name right or cant bother reading your request. I said Road King, not some other model. I don't need some bullshit email telling me what a great choice a Road King is.
The BMW guy will tell me exactly what container has his order on it or where it is in production. They'll give me a build sheet. They'll give me a price without "market adjustments." Yamaha makes the FJR that I like.
So it doesn't have to be an HD even though it is my preference. At the end of the day, I just like riding a motorcycles. I do want something that is comfortable and reliable to a point with somewhat of a dealer network. I may be a minority though.
6113, l am sure you are not alone. I think there are dealers willing to find you the Harley you want. They swap bikes with other dealers all the time.. Plenty of Harleys for sale used via private deals even here in the marketplace. It's amazing to me anyway the local BMW has pages if bikes in his stock in various locations he owns. You can practically name the model you want and they will have it. Bmw's are imported and they have stock, yet you can't get a Harley you want made in America if, that represents Harleys new strategy of cutting supply, increasing sales price to drive revenue, l feel it will be short lived. How can you attract younger rides when bike like the new sportster has almost doubled in cost ? My Harley dealership had three CVO models on the floor for 46k and change minus taxes. 50k plus out the door. Even my dealer was complaining of lack of bikes to sell.
"Harley-Davidson has reason to celebrate, as the U.S. Administration has reached a deal with the European Union on trade tariffs. The CEO of the Milwaukee-based marque stated his thanks to the administration on behalf of the company for the solution."
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.
Wrong Forum?
