Harley-Davidson troubles

[Pressureangle]

I don't have the reputation as a H-D fanboy, or tolerant of much of their customer base. I do like their history and many of their (past) motorcycles, including the (pre-production) Livewire. But I hate to see an American company folding due to nothing but arrogance, incompetence and inflexibility. Mix in a little tinfoil about internal destruction via infiltrators working for Short profiteers like Bane Capital and voila. So this doesn't have a point, just environmental drama in the motorcycle jungle.

https://www.advrider.com/harley-davidson-board-member-abruptly-resigns-slams-company-leadership/

[p6x]

This morning, there was a video about the CEO leaving after 5 years, wishing to retire and staying until a new CEO is named.

I think HD motorcycle prices are outside the reach of the younger generations, if there was any interest in the first place.

Now, most of the bikes I see on the Texas Tour are HD, but older riders.

[GuzziMoto]

I don't know, I would say HD is very much in the same boat as Ducati. Their bread and butter profits are surely in the higher end market selling to older riders. But they do offer lower end smaller bikes, with bikes in the ten to sixteen grand range. That ain't cheap, but it is not much different then Ducati. And the LiveWire is cool.

But anytime a company becomes more about its shareholders then it is about its customers, things tend to go bad. Ironic that this sounds like one guy representing one group of shareholders (the pot) calling the other people representing other shareholders (the kettle) black.

[po18guy]

Will the last Indian standing please make motorcycles?

[LowRyter]

I suppose they're really gonna take it, along with the US riding community, once these tariffs kick in.

[gstallons]

IDK what that H/D is going to do because they make one thing and one thing only.  Then make 27 variations of the one thing with the prices going UP UP UP.  This bike is made for one customer base  and one customer base only . I have friends that ride them and respect their choice .  Would I own one. Prolly not.  I will have to quote James Mariner "Harley makes the best kickstand of all time" !

[audiomick]

1 hour ago, gstallons said:

...H/D ... Would I own one. Prolly not. ...

Earlier on this evening I had a look at the Hardly Rideable website, I think for the first time ever. Would I own one? Definately not. Never interested me, most likely never will. It amazes me that they, with such a limited customer base, have managed to survive for so long.

[Pressureangle]

There was interest. They came with the Livewire, and it was a stellar hit *in testing*. Then they took 2 years to release it, ruined the look, made it $5k too expensive. Then all the Indian/Japanese/whatever the smaller stuff was, which was ugly slow and still expensive. There was nothing wrong with Sportsters as first bikes, except 

3 hours ago, LowRyter said:

I suppose they're really gonna take it, along with the US riding community, once these tariffs kick in.

They want scarcity, they'll get it. Until they can source American parts, of which there are very few. 

[Pressureangle]

45 minutes ago, audiomick said:

Earlier on this evening I had a look at the Hardly Rideable website, I think for the first time ever. Would I own one? Definately not. Never interested me, most likely never will. It amazes me that they, with such a limited customer base, have managed to survive for so long.

You have to ride one old enough to have iron cylinders to understand. But those of us who have, as stated, are a dying generation. And many of us found ... less problematic units to fill the same spaces.
 

 

[docc]

Alright. Ya made me look . . .

 

[Pressureangle]

Tell me you've never watched 'Two Lane Blacktop'. 

Seriously

Next you'll say you don't have 'Dirty Mary Crazy Larry' or 'Vanishing Point' on DVD

[docc]

Oh, no. Not me. I never even heard of (The) Mississippi Queen . . .

 

[Lucky Phil]

I also remember seeing somewhere fairly recently that Harleys primary money maker isn't the actual products but the finance arm of the company. They are basically making bikes to feed the finance business.

Phil

 

 

Edited Friday at 06:18 AM by Lucky Phil

[po18guy]

8 hours ago, audiomick said:

Earlier on this evening I had a look at the Hardly Rideable website, I think for the first time ever. Would I own one? Definately not. Never interested me, most likely never will. It amazes me that they, with such a limited customer base, have managed to survive for so long.

Demographics. Their customer base is graying out. They'll soon need an Electra Glide hearse.

[p6x]

Indian seems to have at least a few models which are accessible.

The Indian Scout is not cheap, but it is affordable. They have one model shown at 10k, but all their bikes are water cooled since 2025...