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There wasn't 2 hours worth of computer generated explosions and effects. I doubt a kid could make it through 10 min of easy rider without checking their phone. They did have the Harley street in the avengers movie I think though. At least there was in the previews.
easy rider is a pointless movie.... dudes just riding to get killed by a hillbilly with a bunch of nonsense, crack , and a random gold football helmet. I was confused for 90% of that movie... like, "what is happening? Why am i watching this?"
when i was 16 and able to drive the first thing i did was run out and get a motorcycle. Back in 1984, every kid either had one or was dying to have one. A harley? i would have loved to have one more than anything else...unfortunately all i could afford was a 1980 honda twinstar 250. I rode the crap out of that bike, through every season no matter what thats all i rode. It is wierd how things change, i wonder what the difference is...i have a 17 year old kid and like i said he has 0 interest in bikes...neither does any of his friends...i know ive carted them around and asked the group if they like motorcycles. Not one of them says yes. Im seriously perplexed why that is, since all my friends and me just loved motorcycles when we were that age? By the way, at 17 he is not a mellinial, he is generation Z whatever that is.
Perhaps the generations before them created such a bad image/reputation about motorcyclists ???
The article made pretty accurate points. Heavy, under-powered, and expensive is not attractive. You guys thought the big 4 Jap bike manufactures pumped out multiple bikes in all categories of riding for ***** and giggles? All they need to do is hook a customer once and retain them with access to a variety of bikes. Even BMW got smart and added the S1000RR among their line up of touring/adventure bikes. I might even consider a Harley if they could pull their head of out their *** and get with the times; they have incredible leverage with the motorcycle market in America. It'll be interesting to see whether Harley will shrink to a small niche or run into a gende...identity crisis.
A friend sold his last 2 bikes to female millennials. Both bikes were cheap, reliable, and lightweight.
And the old folks on here calling millennials sheltered pussies is ironically funny. Most of them get their panties bunched in a wad when they won't yield and get blown by kids on sports bikes just having a little fun on the backroads.
The article made pretty accurate points. Heavy, under-powered, and expensive is not attractive. You guys thought the big 4 Jap bike manufactures pumped out multiple bikes in all categories of riding for ***** and giggles?
I have to disagree. Sport Bike sales are down as well. The entire two wheel industry is down from the 90's. It's more then HD, its Millennials don't want Motorcycles.
I posted this in the other thread and it applies to Millennials as well.
Originally Posted by A&F
I'm not clicking the link, can someone post the Notes?
As for why a young person would want an HD....
For me, it was two things -
A. Owning a Vintage Triumph, I was jealous of how easy it was to modify and make an Iron Head Sporty awesome.
I was basically over the whole Vintage Bike thing and just wanted something I could ride and have fun with. I was leaning toward a modern Brit or a DRZ but I Was seeing guys having a blast with Dynas and making them look sick as @#%^. So I went out and got one.
As for getting Millennials to want an HD, just stop. Start worrying about Generation Z. The term Millennial is a dead meme at this point since it's just want Boomers and X'ers call anyone younger than them without really dissecting the specific subgroup they are referring too.
Millennial is 1977/80 to 1994/96, essentially those in HS at the dawn of the new Millennium.
We are talking about an Age span of 41/38 to 24/22. You need to start marketing to the 10-20 crowd and convince them that a Motorcycle is cool, not Fortenight and Mine Craft. They need to make $200 a month payments on a V-twin, not an Phone X. They need HD Leather Vest, not Jordan x Supreme Collab kicks.
These are the same kids that are not even interested in driving cars anymore.
i could really care less if anybody ever bought another motorcycle. There are enough good used bikes around now to last. Why would i care if harley ever got "with the times" and HDs caught on with the younger generation.
I don't care how they see me. I'm riding. If HD makes it, great. If not, oh well...it's up to the MoCo.
There is a huge truth to this. I graduated in 2002 (34) and I've always seen HD owners as that oh-so painful 80's and 90's Pirate cliche. The Boomers that desperately wanted to pretend they where the cool kids from the 60's and 70's.
All the chrome and leather, shinny studs, "get back whips" western danglers, bandannas, wife beaters, bear guts, leather chaps - a complete white trash Guns and Roses fest.
MoCo needs to ween away from that marketing group and embrace the younger styling trends. They seem to be doing it, but at glacier speed and the elimination of the Dyna is a huge step in the wrong direction.
HD needs to focus on guys like this and push this in their marketing -
Need a total revamp of their fashion line. Come out with a premium line that markets as "Made in America" to justify the $500 - $800 jackets. Do a Collab with King Ranch even.
Then adjust their styling trends quicker and focus on doing collabs with other trendy popular brands. Dixxon Flannel is starting to get into dealers. Do a Dixxon/HD line. Vans are stupid popular, do a HD/Van line that actually features some safety features. Dudes would drop $200 on a Van with some shanks and ankle protection.
Hook up with Bitwell or Simpson for HD custom graphic helmets.
There is a lot they can do to get young guys in there. Hell, even workshops on maintaining motorcycles and how they work, etc.
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I have to disagree. Sport Bike sales are down as well. The entire two wheel industry is down from the 90's. It's more then HD, its Millennials don't want Motorcycles.
I posted this in the other thread and it applies to Millennials as well.
As for getting Millennials to want an HD, just stop. Start worrying about Generation Z. The term Millennial is a dead meme at this point since it's just want Boomers and X'ers call anyone younger than them without really dissecting the specific subgroup they are referring too.
Millennial is 1977/80 to 1994/96, essentially those in HS at the dawn of the new Millennium.
We are talking about an Age span of 41/38 to 24/22. You need to start marketing to the 10-20 crowd and convince them that a Motorcycle is cool, not Fortenight and Mine Craft. They need to make $200 a month payments on a V-twin, not an Phone X. They need HD Leather Vest, not Jordan x Supreme Collab kicks.
These are the same kids that are not even interested in driving cars anymore.
Originally Posted by A&F
There is a huge truth to this. I graduated in 2002 (34) and I've always seen HD owners as that oh-so painful 80's and 90's Pirate cliche. The Boomers that desperately wanted to pretend they where the cool kids from the 60's and 70's.
All the chrome and leather, shinny studs, "get back whips" western danglers, bandannas, wife beaters, bear guts, leather chaps - a complete white trash Guns and Roses fest.
MoCo needs to ween away from that marketing group and embrace the younger styling trends. They seem to be doing it, but at glacier speed and the elimination of the Dyna is a huge step in the wrong direction.
HD needs to focus on guys like this and push this in their marketing -
Need a total revamp of their fashion line. Come out with a premium line that markets as "Made in America" to justify the $500 - $800 jackets. Do a Collab with King Ranch even.
Then adjust their styling trends quicker and focus on doing collabs with other trendy popular brands. Dixxon Flannel is starting to get into dealers. Do a Dixxon/HD line. Vans are stupid popular, do a HD/Van line that actually features some safety features. Dudes would drop $200 on a Van with some shanks and ankle protection.
Hook up with Bitwell or Simpson for HD custom graphic helmets.
There is a lot they can do to get young guys in there. Hell, even workshops on maintaining motorcycles and how they work, etc.
Man, you are nailing this. Completely agree on everything and some excellent ideas you've got.
HD is making its way into the stunt crowd WITHOUT any help from HD. If they were to encourage it, it would get them into a new market pretty quick IMO. Impaktech recently started making crash cages for Harleys... they don't have many models available right now but they're working on it. Impaktech is really popular with the stunt rider market and I was pretty surprised to see them start making Harley products. Hopefully it continues.
You are right on. Need to get into the high schools too. Help maintain shop classes in the schools that are cutting those budgets. Apple Computers were put into schools in the early days and look where they are. The shooting sports are dying with the youth. In my area gun clubs have started with the high schools in starting trap shooting as a high school sport and it is catching on big time. They have been on the front page of the local newspaper a couple of times now.
Maybe provide some older trade-in bikes to high school "auto" shops for projects to work on. I think the schools around Sturgis compete with each other doing HD custom builds.
kk
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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.
