When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Say goodbye to the Harley Davidson that we all know and love if that happens!
If Zeitz stays in control, you will most definitely be saying goodbye to that Harley Davidson. The only person worse for Harley as CEO would probably be Greta Thunberg.
Not to diminish the ridiculous failure Harley saw, but Polaris' on road division saw their sales from Q1 2024 $277m to $219m in 2025 Q1. They stated their heavy weight sales improved but overall Indian is down by a low teens percentage. Harley made about $217 if you combine P&A, apparel, licensing, and other, this quarter. Polaris's on road category combines motorcycle sales, P&A, apparel, and other.
For Harley the numbers are just bizarre , almost all the lost sales were US.
Two pictures summarize it. I don't recall them breaking out shipments to the US only before but even dropping that number significantly they still sold less than they shipped in the US.
Excess bikes is up to 56,000+ which is down from Q1 2024 but up from Q4 2024.
IMHO this is worse than the AMF stuff. Just sayin'... I'm smelling sale/merger; I just cant see any other way out. There's no Vaughn Beals to step up and save the day. Or, like I'll get flamed back and told by the moles, you're wrong Eeyore; Mark Twainishly, rumors of their death are greatly exaggerated... Hope so.
Come on Polaris...get it done...show them how to build a real bike...
I guess that two thousand dollar price increase on the Road Glide saved them from having to sell as many bikes, I think the Street Glide went up by nearly the same. As for the tariff game. Well we know they went to Thailand to dodge EU tariffs that were present under Biden but the EU called them out on it and now they have a US tariff as well.
I really don't know what Joe owns. But all you guys are sure seem to know what is in his garage. Assuming if a guy had a million dollars he would not buy a bike.
Originally Posted by ChrisHo
I guess that two thousand dollar price increase on the Road Glide saved them from having to sell as many bikes, I think the Street Glide went up by nearly the same. As for the tariff game. Well we know they went to Thailand to dodge EU tariffs that were present under Biden but the EU called them out on it and now they have a US tariff as well.
Were those the tariifs, Trump started last time? I think that cracked the door.
And maybe gets parts for in 5 years? I did my research and chose Harley for parts and dealer availability.
That was a big thing for me. Especially I was doing lots of touring, which I hope to again. But people certain parts of state have better access to polaris dealers than harley. You get in UP and northern WI, you have very little harley dealers.
Plus nowadays there seems to be more and more of having to order parts, rather than being on the shelf. The good and bad of harley was they did the same thing for years. Good for parts, bad for the bike. People would point out how japs improved the bikes and made changes, so less parts over lap, which created problems.
I think harley is getting like that a little. Not that they are improving bikes, but making more changes than they did in the past.
Look at 2008, 6 gallon tank and old frame. Wonder how it will be to get seats for that in 10 years.
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.
