| Author | Message | ||
     Rmzmzm |
I followed a link from one of the other threads on here and found a new advertising campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87At0S6jH0 and the corresponding criticism can be found here: http://adage.com/article?article_id=148873 I thought a customization program had been pushed onto Buell and it did not work out very well. Does anyone out there know the details and is willing/able to compare the programs? | ||
| Saxon59 |
Rmzmzm,I don't recall any custom paint,but you could order P.M. wheels for your bike back in the tuber days.Victory has been offering custom order paint etc.for a couple years now. | ||
| Court |
It was called the Rainbow Paint Program. I've got all my files from when we put it together somewhere. It was for the 1998 S1WL program. There was also, for the 1998 S3 . . sort of a "have it your way" program that allowed you to choose from thousands of combinations. See if this is what you are thinking of . . . I've got a couple cases of this stuff . . but this will give you an idea.    Those programs are a nightmare to administer from a logistical standpoint as orders for component parts need to be placed at least 6 months prior to orders being taken. | ||
| Rmzmzm |
I don't know what the details or limits of HD's program are, but they are promising delivery within 4 weeks. I remembered a conversation at homecoming, I think it was with Court about a "color by number" program at Buell, that was an absolute nightmare. When I saw colors changing in the video, I thought of that conversation and wondered what benefits they expect to get out it compared to the last time. Definitely interesting to study them. | ||
| Court |
Color is the easiest thing to change on a motorcycle. If you order a color, someone can change a black bike to white tomorrow. If you change from PM to Cast wheels it takes about 8 months to get the wheels. As a result the manufacturer has to forecast an entire year's production and essentially shape demand, using specials, rebates, advertising and so forth, to consume what they've bought. There's a bit of wiggle room in that I could order . . for example 3 months of supply, wait a month to give me a feel what what demand is . . and then expand the order. It's tricky business. | ||
| Davegess |
Changing paint color is pretty easy. 4 weeks would be about right. Trying to get matching cast wheels or frames; that is different and the source of the problem with the Buell program. H-D should have little trouble painting bikes to order. The Detroit auto makes used to do it all the time. | ||
| Rohorn |
Did it all the time on the spot at the last dealership where I worked by swapping paintwork and wheels with: Bikes on the floor, bikes still in the crate, what was on the spares shelf, and from special trips just up the road to East Troy (always enjoyed those!). There was a S1BL in the East Troy entrance back then... (Message edited by rohorn on February 20, 2011) | ||
| Court |
>>>There was a S1BL in the East Troy entrance back then... Karen Davidson's bike. | ||
| Rfp52 |
HD-1 is more than just paint. What H-D is moving to is being able to order a bike set up the way you want it from the factory. Lower seat, higher seat, handlebars, suspension, chrome trim, bags, etc. Rather than buy a standard model off the floor then end up with a pile of stock take-off parts and $$$$ in replacements you will be able to get those things on the bike out of the box. It is starting with a couple sportster models but I think it is something they plan on for the whole line. You will order a Harley the way you order a car. Sit down pick out your packages and accessories and the bike will come that way. This will also allow them to reduce the number of models. Rather than three or four bikes that are basically the same just different trim. They can have a "base" model and you can order the color, trim, and accessory package you want. The problem will probably be that the dealerships are going to loose a lot of the after sale accessories market. They will also loose the money they get reselling all those stock parts customers leave behind. | ||
| Court |
Nearly impossible to do . . . . works well when you are making 626,000 F-150's a year and have lots of flexibility if options ordering with responsive vendors. Tough to "down scale" to 41,000 Sportsters a year. | ||
| Reepicheep |
And if you do it, how will your dealers stay in business? You know, the dealers that you forced to move within 1 mile of the interstate, and forced to build multi-million McMansions? I was getting my XB9 dyno'd at F&S Buell in Dayton back in 2005, and the owner (old limping dirt track rider) came over and had a fun "crusty old guy" chat with me. We talked about XR750's (stack of 10 motors in crates right by the dyno) and Buell. He had just come from visiting Aces and Eights in Mason Ohio, who had just finished their mega mansion. He was carping about how much he was going to have to spend because Harley was forcing him to build a new dealership (right across the parking lot). Now, 6 years later, Aces and Eights has gone out of business twice, the original owner found dead at his kitchen table. F&S (from what I heard) just sold out to some big Michigan chain. I expect the fact that he was saddled with debt from a museum he didn't want to build &*&^%^ over his life's work. He could have ridden out the recession in his old (paid for) shop. With friends like Harley corporate, Harley dealers don't need enemies. | ||
| Court |
The problem with these BTO "build to order" systems when you are dealing with small (<100,000) quantities is the lead time on the parts. Most the parts, using Buell for example, have to be ordered at least 6 months before it goes on a motorcycle. That means that "build sheets" for an entire years' production are produced on data from marketing and forecasting folks. You have to guess what folks are going to want. Quite literally, 6 months before a PM wheel met up with a tire and a set of forks to go on an S1, the marriage was pre-arranged. If, at the last minute, someone had said, "hey, put these cast wheels on instead" it causes ripples on down the line. The DNA of the entire years production is, to an extent, cast well in advance. There are tricks here . . and Dave Gess could speak fluently to them . . if you have P&A inventory at a common location as your production. There are some things you can do . . but it takes some thought and planning. Try, like Buell did, offering 24,000 combinations and it can get burdensome. Harley, given their P&A picture, could pull something off . . but it introduces tons of risk and potential problems. | ||
| Tachout |
My 99 s3t was ordered that way. You could have pm wheels or the cast. If you picked the cast there were different color choices. You also could pick the color of thr frame and body work. I chose silver body work nuclear blue frame pm wheels and the large bags. I love that bike. |
