Harley/Buell Layoffs.

I don't want to write about the layoffs anymore.

We must get Harley back on top for the youth...and get production up.

Give me thoughts...

 

Keep driving home the blacked out bikes... they need to advertise in ways they never had before and get dealers out of the old school ways of its your pleasure to buy from them.... alot has to change

 

+1000

And truly negotiate on bikes. They already have the largest cult like following of any motorcycle maker. They should be dealing on bikes a bit more and working on keeping numbers up. Instead they are dropping production to keep supply/demand in the desired balance.

 

I think all dealers should just deal at MSRP. if you start dropping prices then the bikes we already own will lose value. But I agree to apealing to a younger market. Which it looks like they are trying to do with the crossbones and rocker. Those are some sweet looking bikes

 

That don't look good. I don't know, does the "younger market" even want air cooled V twin motorcycles that cost more than the car their driving? Doubt it.


And I agree with the thing about the dealers, they are so out of touch with reality.

 

They need to make the bikes cheaper in price, not quality. A lot of dealers keep customers but then there are the few that treat people like crap and makes everyone look bad.

 

The dealership I frequent (F&S in Dayton) set up a booth at X-Fest, a HUGE concert that mainly consists of Alternative rock. Told my buddy who works there it would probably be his best day at work. lol. I know Alice in Chains and Hollywood Undead where there. I can't remember all the bands. Anyway, they took up an Iron, a Nightster, and another "dark custom" bike. I haven't talked to him since to see how it went. Hopefully more dealerships will get on board with grabbing more of the youth market like they did.

 

According to the numbers I have read - Harley has GAINED market share. Granted this is because they have lost less than the others but.........its still growth in market share.
Some of what is going on is of your own doing - How many people on here say that "anything with a batwing is an 'ol man's bike". A lot of this stuff is "image" and we have condemned the batwing. Makes no sense to me, the Street Glide is a hot bike that I think any 25 year old would look cool on. I can see it in EVERY face of every Sportbike rider that pulls up next to me at a stoplight as I listen to the tunes and lean back on my backrest he is sayin' "man that don't look all bad".
The "Sportster is a girl's bike" now THAT will help sales. I realize alot of it is in fun, but once it get's into the psyche.........
How many posts are on here about going to 10 dealers to get the Best Price? If you want dealers to be ******, then fine. But don't come back and then bitch about the service. If you think you are riding a commodity maybe you have the wrong idea of what a Harley is.
Do what the Secretary of our local HOG group did when we were on our Yamaha and on our 1st poker run. She came and got us, put our bike next to her Road King and said "stay with me, I'll look out for you", rather than looking down her nose at a "metric". Guess what our next bike was?
Saw a single tailight in the breakdown lane Monday night coming home, Didn't know or care what kind of bike it was. I carry a flashlight and a cell phone and thats about the extent of my motorcycle mechanical skills, anyway, I pull over, he is on a Ninja that quit on him. Tried to start it, I smell gas, ask if its carbed, smells like its flooded. We shoot the breeze for a few minutes, it starts and he appreciated this 'ol geezer on his big 'ol HARLEY geezer glide offering to help. (as 4 Sport bikes passed him by)
Then I crank up that 'ol man's bike, fire up the tunes and....well....you could see the look on his face too.....maybe that Harley and the people that ride them ain't all bad.

You want to help the Brand - quit knocking the others, quit knocking your own, quit treating it like its a commodity and whoring it up. Then maybe more will see ALL the VALUE in riding a Harley Davidson.

 

HD per se sucks, period. The last place I buy from is the dealerships, they're rude, condensending, just punks..You go to buy a part[s] and they give you this **** that you can't return it if it don't work.. Let them fold, only the strong survive, they're quality has never been very good, and now its even cheasseier..[sp] they out scored everything, what do they expect..My friends who have bought new bikes, which hopefully I will never do, complain all the time..My stance is only the good survive, plus they fold the scoots will be worth more, hehehe..

 

I don't know where you are shopping but it is probably one of two things here....either you have a dealer that is a jerk...or perhaps it floats on both sides of the river.

I haven't had the experience yet that you describe...and I have dealt even in the last 6 months with 4 different dealers in the Atlanta area. Even bought a pager for my alarm system, which is an "electronic part" and when it didn't work, I took it back and they gave me a refund without blinking an eye. Everytime I have taken my bike in for service (I am on a maintenance plan) I have gotten a card from the dealer about week later thanking for my patronage and encouraging me to call with any concerns on the bike's or the dealership's performance.

If you think the quality of their bikes suck...then go buy another brand. The bike I currently own is my 3rd HD...and I have yet to have a major problem with any of the ones I have owned. Have also owned Kawasaki's and Honda's. Sure...all of them have minor glitches here and there...it's a mechanical device...what do you expect. But as time has gone on, I think the quality has gotten better.

It's a free country...if you don't like HD...then go buy something else. I guess my question is...if you don't seem to like them much...why on earth would you buy one?