LiveWire Well well well.

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Jul 30, 2019 | 11:01 PM

#21

spartan03

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Joined: Dec 2016

Posts: 465

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From: Grand Rapids, MI

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Cole

I think that article is a lot of hope rather than fact. From what I've heard from dealership principles they are to receive 2 bikes not 5 and there is only 200 worldwide dealers that bought into the new division of HD. They had to pay for a separate franchise and pay to purchase the charger and have it installed, NOT HD. Then, send tech's to HD's school for the bike prior to any being delivered to them and that cost them as well. A price tag of ~ $100,000 for the franchise and charger they say. Also one needs to remember that HD reports that it sold the bike, when it goes to the dealership, not a retail sale. Another thing about the deposit is that they are refundable and there was no retail price for them when many of the deposits were made.

So now there is the HD ICE division and the HD AMP division. Let's hope it works out as it could very well break the MoCo.

I was at my local dealer on Sunday and I heard pretty much the same thing. I asked if they are getting the Livewire and the sales guy (a very good guy) told me that the dealer was on the hook for about $60K - charger station and training for tech. He went on to share his experience with Zero (very positive) and was questioning what the MoCo was doing. He has been with HD since early 2000's and from the ink I would say he is pretty dedicated to the mothership. He figures they will, but not right away.

HD is squeezing their dealers pretty hard, but my Indian dealer has similar stories if not worse. As the latter says, "their fresh out of B-school marketing guys with no real-world motorcycle retail experience tell the dealers how to sell bikes". At best it rubs people the wrong way, but at worst it undermines the whole enterprise.