The future of Harley Davidson. Explain.

[herr_oberst]

I don't know much about HD, but judging from this, Willie G is still signing off on all the design work?

[URY914]

The same thing is happening to the hot rod and 60's muscle car markets. Look at the audience at the auction this weekend. 85% of the guys that are bidding are over 50.

There will be a lot of sons and grandsons selling old cars and HD's over the next 15 years.

[Charles Freeborn]

A young couple recently re-located here from Redding CA did a bang up job on this HD. They were going for a scrambler / flat track / minimalist look. Why the factory can't explore this aesthetic is beyond me. Total retro-millenial- appeal:
1975 Harley XLCH1000 Ironhead Sportster III
There's a big retro- bike scene here, with a really cool show every year - coming up soon:
http://the1moto.com
Yes, there's a show with hand built custom bikes, beer, bbq & live music. And tattoos, let's not forget them...and coffee strong enough to melt your spoon... god I love this town...

[Jeff Higgins]

As usual, lots of uninformed input from the outside looking in. Typical stereotypes promoted by those who would like to display their "knowledge" of the HD scene.

The fact of the matter is, the HD demographic is actually getting younger. That, and almost half of their new customers are women. Another large market segment is the new rider, who is just getting into the motorcycling thing. Why on earth would women and new riders be attracted to HD?

Simple - they are very un-intimidating, very easy, friendly bikes to ride. They make the kind of power that is very easy to control, and feels like a great deal of power to the uninitiated. They ride very low, so even smaller folks can firmly plant both feet on the ground. They share the same riding position (and probably handlebar tassels) as the very first bicycle they learned to ride.

So what about experienced riders? There is quite a population of experienced touring riders who will ride nothing else. They have "enough" power (just enough...) for easy all day two up loaded touring. They are very comfortable, with ergo advantages afforded by the extremely narrow engine that other makes cannot match. They are absolutely dead reliable these days and, if something does go wrong on the road, dealer support is second to none.

It is actually HD corporate policy that the touring rider who meets with trouble on the road has priority at the dealership for repairs. There are hundreds and hundreds of dealers dotting the country, so a rider is never more than a few hours away from one. Of course merely having a dealer handy means nothing if they don't stock the parts, or cannot get them fairly quickly.

I've played this little game we call "breakdown" with many of my touring buddies. Somewhere along the way, usually in the middle of B.F. Nowhere, one of us will declare a "breakdown". We'll pretend, say, an alternator or something crapped out. Then each of us gets to find a dealer who can fix it and get us on our way. As a Harley rider, I have never failed to find a place that could get me back on the road the next day, including sending someone out to pick me up if need be. The Honda riders find dealerships, but even on brand new bikes, they seldom have the part - but they can order it, and it will be here in a week... The BMW riders are lucky to find a dealer outside of the bigger urban centers, and then it's the same story - a week or two for parts and an appointment.

There is a dealer support network and "family" kind of thing one is buying into that just isn't there with other makes. Maybe in spirit, but not in a real world, keep you riding at all costs kind of vein. That means a lot to a lot of people.

Beyond all of that, at the end of the day, some (certainly not all) of their bikes are truly wonderful to ride. Not the fastest, not the best handling, but there is a huge population of riders who will never push those boundaries anyway. Harleys will still out perform them, and they really don't care.

So, even if you cannot understand why, don't be looking for HD to lose market share anytime soon. Your stereotypical middle aged, gray ponytailed, freshly tatted doctor or lawyer is no longer their core market. It has not been for years. I've seen the shift from within this demographic. The rest of you are just rehashing the same tired old cliches in some effort to demonstrate you "know" something.

[Charles Freeborn]

Whoa, easy there tiger. That's what the internet is for. Spouting half baked, un-informed gibberish...

[BeyGon]

I see a lot of Harleys on the roads Saturdays and Sundays. On the positive side they aren't doing wheelies down the highway and are usually too fat to get between the cars at lights and stop signs.
On the down side the girls/womens butts are always better looking on the rice rockets. or is that a down side.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Seems like somebody hit a nerve. I'm not a bike guy and only observing my environment, so I'll never claim to be an expert. Around here the HD crowd is distinctly gray, the younguns are all on something else.......doing wheelies and stupid stuff like that. My neighbor bought a HD last year, apparently his wife is too "old" (his words) to ride on the back of his chopper so he needed something more comfortable. Just an aside, he is a doctor that trailers his bikes behind an Acura MDX for any significant distance, so there is some truth to stereotypes. He also has an Evora S and a Shelby Super Snake, so I give him a pass on the bike nonsense.

[afterburn 549]

Well.One thing they are EZ to fix...
Going to Sturgis last year I took enough tools to bust it dwn to past the inner primary cover..
As it was, I needed nothing except a rear tire promptly when I returned. It was new but blowing pieces out of it .

[Porsche-O-Phile]

No interest whatsoever in HDs. None. They're simply obnoxious for the sake of being obnoxious - with a premium price tag to be paid for the "privilege" of it. The height of stupidity to me - right up there with the Hummer h2. Poseur central. If that rubs anyone the wrong way, so be it. To each their own - ain't my cup of tea.

On a positive note I'm currently shopping for a BMW k-series bike or r-series. I've got almost 100k miles on bikes and am <50 years old. The BMWs are simply amazing bikes and only getting moreso.

[legion]

You guys do realize that millennials don't give a crap about sports cars either?

They pretty much prefer to use Uber and don't want the "responsibility" of a car, unless it drives itself so they can stay glued to their iPhone.

[ledhedsymbols]

Originally Posted by legion

You guys do realize that millennials don't give a crap about sports cars either?

They pretty much prefer to use Uber and don't want the "responsibility" of a car, unless it drives itself so they can stay glued to their iPhone.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have to mess with cars to get around. If I lived and worked in the city and used transit or ride sharing to get around I think that'd be awesome. So they don't care to drive, so what?

Oh, and I don't the allure of HD either. That's a lotta script for a bike. I live in western Washington, so you only get about three months of nice weather to ride in around here. By nice, I mean not raining.

[afterburn 549]

Yea........but you have the Cascade Hiway ! Right NEXT DOOR !
One of the BEST roads ever built ! (for sports cars and bikes)
I am not sure how much burned dwn this summer in Winthrop .But go visit for me !

[sugarwood]

These Sturgis comments from another Pelical thread were merciless:

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

The biggest gathering of poser wannabes on the planet, all of them (the following is a generalization) tattoo riddled, long hair, handlebar mustachiod, black leather wearing, overweight, aging hippies. It makes me laugh at these sheeple for wanting to be an original, but by all appearences, you can't tell one from another, and for some reason, they need to re-assure themselves that thier bike is running while waiting at a redlight by constantly revving their loud (life saving) pipes.

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Within a 1,500 mile radius of Sturgis, thousands of urban wannabe bikers; all dressed alike trying to be different. Riding loud, cobbled up American made Tavern bikes; broke down and littering the the shoulders of the straight interstate highways in 100 degree heat……Enroute to worship in the Holy Land.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/877142-tow-truck-operators-perfect-storm.html

[ledhedsymbols]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Yea........but you have the Cascade Hiway ! Right NEXT DOOR !
One of the BEST roads ever built ! (for sports cars and bikes)
I am not sure how much burned dwn this summer in Winthrop .But go visit for me !

I do enjoy that drive/ride!

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

As usual, lots of uninformed input from the outside looking in. The rest of you are just rehashing the same tired old cliches in some effort to demonstrate you "know" something.

And who the hell anointed you as the reigning authority on the HD scene?

[afterburn 549]

Off topic-
My biggest pet peeve is on a personal level with HD riders..
The HD riders nowaday can not tell you where the tire inflate valve is.
Years ago, back in the day (early 1970s) when we massed together it was all nuts and bolts talk .
Most any of us could bust one dwn and get it back up.
We had to! As we barely could afford the Harly much less a repair by the shop .
So nowadays I truly miss talking shop to most anyone that pulls up.
The commonality is not there on that level....
It's "where I took it for repair"
Totally boring.

[Chocaholic]

Mine is 10 years old and has a carb, no ABS, 5 speed. Rode it today because the high was 47 and it (Road King) offers good wind protection. Runs great but I detest going anywhere near any of those ubiquitous dealerships Jeff describes above. I have to say that I like the bike, but I love my BMW. In fact, I've owned several HD's and BMW's over the years. Much prefer the BMW's for so many reasons.

I'm no youngster, but BMW has typically attracted older riders also. But they continue to innovate with an eye on the future rather than the past. My new bike is an S1000R, 160 hp, quick-shifter, ABS, dynamic suspension and the list goes on. An absolute blast to ride with comfort and styling that's light years ahead of HD.

In fact, I'd sell my RK in a heartbeat and plan to do so come spring. No time to ride two bikes and the S scratches the itch in a big way. HD needs to find a way to attract riders who detest the fat, tattoo, fake earring crowd. Unfortunately, they seem to be stuck there. I thought there was a chance when they acquired MV Agusta, but that sank like a rock. Have to disagree with Jeff. I believe the future is bleak if things don't change.

[afterburn 549]

Originally Posted by rcooled

And who the hell anointed you as the reigning authority on the HD scene?

I will !
Or at least he very articulate and very informed.
But you do not know Jeff.
You are not informed or you would not pose the question if you did.
Why so much animosity on here?
Is this becoming like a kids forum ?
Why all the presumptuousness ?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by legion

You guys do realize that millennials don't give a crap about sports cars either?

They pretty much prefer to use Uber and don't want the "responsibility" of a car, unless it drives itself so they can stay glued to their iPhone.

That is incredibly regional. Cars are still a huge deal in the Midwest because they are the only option. Not all places are Chicago or NYC.

[Dueller]

Know why HD riders wear fringe?


So they can tell they're moving