The Harley Davidson thread

Things are not getting better at HD

 

Good companies fail in good times and this is what Harley did. They became so focussed on customer analyticals and data mining customer segments with outreach and youth that they never established a product connection. They then replaced top management with outside non motorcycle related people from Johnson Controls, Pepsi, Pontiac and food companies etc. This all resulted in loss of focus and direction. They had a firm grasp on customer demographics but completely dropped the ball with product development and the rider connection. They completely mismanaged the MV Agusta acquisition - costing them well over $150 million in losses, then promoted the guy who spearheaded the deal to CEO. They never were able to leverage the Buell product towards youth outreach or any significant new customer acquisitions. Their dealer development, outside of them encouraging the dealers to build Taj Mahal facilities, is non existent. No salesmanship, no used inventory strategies, no service improvements. Just glorified order takers. Now they are scrambling to diversify into electric, adventure and sport street motorcycle segments which, ironically they had with both Buell and MV Agusta. A text book case of mis management. RIP

 

Welp looks like all that new cafe scrambler adventure shitte is scrapped.

https://www.visordown.com/news/industry/harley-davidson-scraps-‘more-roads’-favour-simple-life

 

I couldn't help but laugh at the corporate speak.
Empty virtue signaling...

 

I test rode a Fat Bob and really liked it, and would actually ride it as a daily. Then I noticed the price - $19,000!!! Needless to say, I LOL and walked out.

So, I’m not sure what grade of crack or meth the HD honchos are smoking, but they need to dial it back a bit. Cuz it’s clear they are blitzed out of their minds putting up prices like that (I didn’t even bother looking at the “expensive “ bikes).

 

Up until recently, there were 2 people who were willing to pay HD's inflated prices for every guy like you who laughed LOL'd.

And the honchos at HD were laughing all the way to the bank.

It remains to be seen how much longer they will be laughing.

 

Very true. The die hard, old school HD supporters kept buying, regardless of how bad the product was. But they’ve aged and the new crowd ain’t spending more for less. That includes me.

 

"Build the Parts & Accessories and General Merchandise businesses to full potential."


I think that means we're going to focus on selling more T-shirts and forget the bikes. So was that A&R Harley April Fools joke really a joke? Sounds like someone took it for inspiration.

 

This is such a better deal for the same amount of money https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/models/heritage/r18.html

 

That BMW is nice! But I really liked the shorter wheelbase of the Fat Bob. It had decent power, too. But I’m not looking to spend 20K on ANY motorcycle.

I’m going to look at the Honda Phantom when the dealers open back up.

 

Did Stevie Wonder design that exhaust pipe?

 

I was thinking more or less the same thing...

 

Not scrapped.
“The third point, ‘Reset product launches and product line up’ is most likely talking about the incoming (hopefully) Pan America and Bronx models, what would be Harley-Davidson’s first naked and adventure bike. In the statement, H-D confirm that they are sticking to those programs and including in that the LiveWire electric”

 

• Adjust and align the organizational structure, cost structure and operating model to reduce complexity and drive efficiency to set Harley-Davidson up for stability and success.

I would take this to be union labor related. Possibly some marketing platforms being combined or eliminated.

 

I last entered a Harley dealer back in the Doctor and Lawyer Biker boom days. They obviously didn't care if they earned my business or not, so I bought a Kawasaki. Now, the doctors and lawyers are all gone. So am I.

 

I like this CVO Road Glide. Its good looking and the new 117 M8 motors are good and over all it’s cool but not $43,000+ cool.

 

The laughing stopped @ ten years ago or so. The crying started @ two years ago.
Waiting for the meltdown.

 

That's not good at $43 dollars.

 

I'm not sure weather to call that thing garish or cartoonish... How about Gartoonish?