I LITERALLY JUST FOUND THIS VIDEO ON YOUTUBE. THIS GUY HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AND IS SAYING EXACTLY WHAT IM SAYING. IF YOU PAY THESE PRICES YOU WILL GET SCREWED COME TRADE IN TIME DOWN THE ROAD. DON'T DO IT. STAY STRONG.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_jPGvp3KLQ0&t=937s

 

They said price increase is only on bikes they received after March 1. Current inventory not affected.

 

Not just Harley. I went to the local Ford dealer here in Prescott just to look at the new Maverick mini trucklet. They were adding $12000 as a "market adjustment" to the sticker. A fully optioned Maverick goes for about $36K so they were adding 33%.

Perhaps they, and the Harley shops don't remember the recessionary times when they needed customers. I don't need a new trucklet or a new Harley but when I do I won't pay over msrp and I'll remember who the shitty dealers are.

 

Economics 101. It's simple supply and demand situation. I don't begrudge anyone trying to make a buck. Bike inventory is low. Less bikes to sell means demand is greater than the supply. Law of economics means price needs to go up to compensate for the lack of volume of unit sales. Dealers need to pay all the overhead and personnel with fewer bikes to sell. It's a sellers market.

Again I have no problem with it. I'm just going to boycott buying a new bike until the return of the buyers market.

 

Most dealers in the San Diego area are doing away with additional dealer mark-up on the new bikes at this time and some dealers are advertising "no dealer mark up" on the bikes.

 

People need to stop over paying or dealers will continue with these practices .

 

Harley still hasn't learned its lesson from its AMF days or from its cheaper, more reliable Japanese counterpart.

In a time of Covid where almost all luxuries as motorcycles are, bring about elimination, to parallel its 'Pan America' model name, if Harley Davidson doesn't stop screwing with what's left of its core buyer, it too will arrive at the same demise as the airline of the same name...

 

Remember Harley stopped making bikes a few years ago to adjust to Covid and the market decline. Millenials don't buy Harleys and Harley is a dying breed. They were walking away from the core buyers, building electrics and ADV bikes... Less bikes, more demand. Of course they have learned. They adjusted to the market. So much so:

"Motorcycle revenue alone rose 71% to $546 million in the fourth quarter, while parts and accessories, general merchandise, and licensing also rose. Motorcycle shipments increased 39% to $29.1 million. Retail motorcycle sales grew by 8% in North America during the fourth quarter, but declined across EMEA, Asia Pacific, and Latin America."

"Consolidated revenues was up 40% for the quarter at $1.02 billion, and up 32% in 2021 at $5.3 billion."

Apparently people are buying bikes and paying the prices...

 

If everyone boycotts and refuses to pay the ridiculous prices and the dealerships stop selling bikes it then turns into a buyers market again.

 

Of course revenues grew. Look at the prices. And it's only temporary because of the pandemic and the YOLO crowd buying tons of recreational vehicles trying to enjoy life because they think they're going to die soon of Covid-19. Lol.

This hysteria is just temporary. The pandemic will go away and the bubble will pop. And you have to ask yourself do you want to line Harleys cooperate pockets and help the company and its shareholders or do you want to line your own pockets and save money?

I'll buy a new bike at MSRP. If I can't get it for that I'm willing to wait until this craziness blows over. I like money in my pocket more.