Harley-Davidson makes biggest changes to lineup in decades, seeks to 'transcend genders'
It has been an iconic American staple since 1903, but in a world where motorcycle rider numbers have been fast falling and core loyalists are hanging up their leathers,
Harley-Davidson (HD) has unveiled some bold changes to appeal to a crucial upcoming audience.
http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/08/23/h...nders.html
I just returned from a 5 hour motorcycle ride and got a good soaking - several times. My jacket weighs a ton.
It was without incident until two blocks from home when some fool in a work van decided that I must be turning right even though I had no turn signal on (I was going straight). A good blast from my 130 dB horn got him to stop midway through the intersection while I gave him the stink eye
. That's my best stink eye.
Has it really come to this? An iconic brand has to rebrand itself to appeal to transgenders? Sturgis will never be the same...
(08-26-2017, 06:35 PM)copycat Wrote: [ -> ]Has it really come to this? An iconic brand has to rebrand itself to appeal to transgenders? Sturgis will never be the same...
RuPaul drag races down Main street.
Admit it if you thought he was referring to Harley Quinn.
Quote:The U.S motorcycling industry has been stuck in something of a tailspin for the last several years, with analysts predicting rider growth will continue to drop over at least the next five years as the current generation of young adults are believed to be taking up the hobby at far lower rates than previous generations.
Probably has less to do with HD's branding and more with the fact a lot of them can't afford to take up what is essentially a luxury hobby and certainly not at the prices HD is asking for their product.
(08-27-2017, 05:04 AM)DragonFury Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:The U.S motorcycling industry has been stuck in something of a tailspin for the last several years, with analysts predicting rider growth will continue to drop over at least the next five years as the current generation of young adults are believed to be taking up the hobby at far lower rates than previous generations.
Probably has less to do with HD's branding and more with the fact a lot of them can't afford to take up what is essentially a luxury hobby and certainly not at the prices HD is asking for their product.
Man, ain't that the truth. A coworker just plunked down 28k for a new Harley. Even the used ones are priced high. Don't get me wrong, Harleys are nice bikes, but the whole HD biker mystique thing has over inflated their stock. Not to mention the exorbitant prices HD wants for parts, service and add-ons.
They've done well for the last 15 years marketing to the late-boomer generation who've had the disposable income to buy into the brand. However, for the younger casual riders who only want to invest a reasonable amount of money for a hobby, HDs are out of reach. They don't want to buy into a lifestyle, they simply want a machine that's fun to ride but can also be affordably operated and maintained.
(08-26-2017, 01:42 PM)The Drifter Wrote: [ -> ]Harley-Davidson makes biggest changes to lineup in decades, seeks to 'transcend genders'
It has been an iconic American staple since 1903, but in a world where motorcycle rider numbers have been fast falling and core loyalists are hanging up their leathers, Harley-Davidson (HD) has unveiled some bold changes to appeal to a crucial upcoming audience.
http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/08/23/h...nders.html
I was gonna say this is stupid, but I actually like the looks. Agree that an electric Harley would open up a new market. Harley doesn't need to decrease aggression and masculinity of their image tho. Guys don't buy feminine products (especially cars), but plenty of women like masculine cars.
Harley has been tinkering with their lineup for 5 years with sales falling. So have all the other major brands. Honda is revamping their offerings, including a potentially new Goldwing sporting a hybrid engine. They're even suspending production of their flagship for a year in Japan which is an indication that they want to clear out dealerships of old stock before rolling out a radically different bike.
Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki are also dropping models that are under-performing in sales.
Harley prices actually aren't completely out of line with other manufacturers. They're a premium manufacturer. If you look at their bikes vs metric competition, they have the same technology, but use a lot less plastic. You can buy cheaper, but you get what you pay for. Their most relevant competition is Indian, and if you look at the pricing for their lineup, it's comparable with what Harley is offering.
Yamaha is rolling out a new touring bike that is loaded with tech, and priced to compete with Harley and Honda. Meanwhile, Indian has become more aggressive with their lineup to take on Harley now that they've ditched the Victory line. Indian is probably the prime driver behind Harleys recent efforts. They're building beautiful bikes that people are buying. They're building classic looking motorcycles with modern technology. Harley clearly sees this when you look at how they're ditching constants they've had in place for years with suspensions and other styling updates. Where Indian actually has the advantage is that they're building water cooled bikes. Harley offers them as well, but they're late to the party as they opted to go with oil coolers and other devices to handle engine heat.
One of the big things about Harley Davidson is they retain their value. While you do pay a premium for their bikes, if you ride it for a few years and then sell it, they command much higher used prices than metric bikes. You'll see Yamaha VStars or Honda VTXs that are direct competition to Harley selling for peanuts on the used market in comparison. That goes back to the overall quality of the product. Again, you're paying for plastic vs. metal.
(08-27-2017, 05:04 AM)DragonFury Wrote: [ -> ]Quote:The U.S motorcycling industry has been stuck in something of a tailspin for the last several years, with analysts predicting rider growth will continue to drop over at least the next five years as the current generation of young adults are believed to be taking up the hobby at far lower rates than previous generations.
Probably has less to do with HD's branding and more with the fact a lot of them can't afford to take up what is essentially a luxury hobby and certainly not at the prices HD is asking for their product.
That's very true. Younger buyers aren't as motivated to drive cars, let alone invest in motorcycles. However, if gas prices jump back up to where they were a couple of years ago, you'll see a spike in sales similar to what they had in the mid 2000s.
Harley recognized this a few years back when they ditched their Beuhl line, and started manufacturing smaller, more affordable bikes to compete with the Japanese offerings. Their 500 and 750 models are nice entry level bikes that were fully intended to appeal to the bargain shoppers who wanted to buy a Harley. They're nice bikes. Just not appealing to the traditional Harley buyer because they're designed to be more metric like.
(08-26-2017, 06:12 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]I just returned from a 5 hour motorcycle ride and got a good soaking - several times. My jacket weighs a ton.
It was without incident until two blocks from home when some fool in a work van decided that I must be turning right even though I had no turn signal on (I was going straight). A good blast from my 130 dB horn got him to stop midway through the intersection while I gave him the stink eye . That's my best stink eye.
That's a story many a biker has experienced. It can be pretty scary out there if you're not paying attention.
(08-27-2017, 09:28 AM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ] (08-27-2017, 05:04 AM)DragonFury Wrote: [ -> ]Probably has less to do with HD's branding and more with the fact a lot of them can't afford to take up what is essentially a luxury hobby and certainly not at the prices HD is asking for their product.
Man, ain't that the truth. A coworker just plunked down 28k for a new Harley. Even the used ones are priced high. Don't get me wrong, Harleys are nice bikes, but the whole HD biker mystique thing has over inflated their stock. Not to mention the exorbitant prices HD wants for parts, service and add-ons.
They've done well for the last 15 years marketing to the late-boomer generation who've had the disposable income to buy into the brand. However, for the younger casual riders who only want to invest a reasonable amount of money for a hobby, HDs are out of reach. They don't want to buy into a lifestyle, they simply want a machine that's fun to ride but can also be affordably operated and maintained.
The pricing of parts and service is where Harley really sticks it to owners. A friend of mine works for Adamec here in Jacksonville, and he's religious about having them do all of the scheduled maintenance on time. With his employee discount, he's still forking out $800-1200 for basic scheduled maintenance. Tires? Equally ridiculous. Fortunately, you can find aftermarket manufacturers selling comparable or even better accessories for a fraction of the cost, and you can take your bike to a non-dealership mechanic for significantly less. I think they price their services so high so that you'll say it's not worth it, let's just trade it in for a new one. lol