| Author | Message | ||
     Koz5150 |
I know plenty of younger people who want and ride Harleys. the company has done some really dumb things, but they won't be dead anytime soon. The only way I see them dying is if the world runs out of gas because there is no way that Harley could make something that runs on another power source. Unless it was so awesome that other demographics wanted to buy it over the competition. But I don't really see that happening either. | ||
| Jaimec |
If you want to see where the youth is interested, find a "Hot Import Nights" gathering. I attended one held at Belmont Racetrack a couple of years back. HUNDREDS of motorcycles, maybe a dozen Harleys (if even that many), mostly sportsters. The hot bike for customization was the Suzuki Hayabusa. From the attention the different models were getting, if I were Harley I'd be VERY afraid. Oh yeah... there were quite a few Buells there too (mine included). | ||
| Sifo |
I don't see how the new HD mega stores can survive. I'm not sure the dealers can easily down size. I'm betting a lot will collapse of their own weight. If that happens it becomes that much harder to move bikes as customers have to travel farther to a dealer. This will only make things that much worse for the corporation. They certainly have difficult challenges ahead to stay afloat. They will certainly have to cut back in the short term. That is sometimes enough to collapse a big corporation because of the investment that is tied up in higher manufacturing capacity. I wouldn't necessarily predict their demise yet, but I surely wont be buying their stock right now either. | ||
| Brumbear |
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/ Hey H-D missed it by THAT much 99 | ||
| Sifo |
That's right 86! | ||
| Guell |
i dont see them going away anytime soon. If i could afford one id have a wide glide sitting next to my m2. | ||
| Patches |
New Harley Davidson- From Concept to working Prototype.   | ||
| Just_ziptab |
If you're like me, riding Harleys when Harleys weren't cool, then you've seen the numbers of bikes and riders grow at an astounding rate. Yep,been there. I was harley's #1 fan when harley's were few and far between.Took a lot of ribbing. Now I don't care for the current harley enthusiast because they are transpants/new guys that don't know much about motorcycling and don't want to know much about motorcycling ......except that "I" have a harley". Nowadays,real harley riders are few and far between..and those are the guys I will hang with. | ||
| U4euh |
Don't know if this has been posted or not, but I still think it is F'D up beyond all belief: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/321/8282/Motorcycle- Article/Can-ATK-Cruisers-Help-Harley-Davidson-.asp x | ||
| Gunut75 |
Hyosung makes the Suzuki SV650 (Gladius) motors, and even releases their own version, on their own frame for CHEAP! You can get a naked version, or full fairing model. Even a naked, and full fairing 250 model. I don't think it will work. It's not like everyone knows who Hyosung is........... | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>People like to scoff at the chrome crap that goes with HD but the last time I looked, the Touratek book full of BMW farkles weighed in at a couple of pounds.<< I'm a fan of the latest BMWs too. The new GS1200 is also outstanding and if I personally was spending that sort of coin it would be a contender - in the basic unfarkled form. The other big tourers are hi-tech marvels. Effortless vehicles. But dammit if I wouldn't ride the wheels off that Road King. I know I can get a Concourse that is twice as fast and tips twice as hard too - but with road policing the way it is now and how much I rely on having a licence a 120mph bike wastes 50% of its potential, 90% of the time, under local conditions. The Road King is just delightful at 50-75mph. edited for speeelung. (Message edited by danger_dave on November 03, 2010) | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
If you want to see where the youth is interested, find a "Hot Import Nights" gathering. I attended one held at Belmont Racetrack a couple of years back. HUNDREDS of motorcycles, maybe a dozen Harleys (if even that many), mostly sportsters. The hot bike for customization was the Suzuki Hayabusa. From the attention the different models were getting, if I were Harley I'd be VERY afraid. i dont think that HIN is the definitive for what 'youth' is I've been involved in modding of compact cars in the past....and I still thought that HIN was dumb as heck. When I was into that scene I still wasnt into THAT scene. Not all youth are into cars with tons of neons and techno music etc. NO THANKS. So I think its really unfair to even TRY to say thats how you can base what the youth want off of. and someone quoted someone on the first page saying something about "IF?" when speaking of other companies having faster, lighter, better quality bikes etc etc I dont think that person has been around many HDs, they are top notch when it comes to quality (minus the AMF years haha) There is a reason you still so lots of them from decades ago on the road VS the competition.} | ||
| Jaimec |
Of course. The competitive bikes all made it home to their garages.  | ||
| Swordsman |
Quote from U4euh's link: You should also know that according to U.S. R.L. Polk registrations, Harley-Davidson took over as the top-selling brand in the U.S. in sales of new street motorcycles (all cc engines) to young adults 18-34 in 2008. And in 2009, we extended that lead over the next nearest competitor.” Wait, what...? I find that VERY hard to believe.  ~SM | ||
| Danger_dave |
re-doing the video that was linked here - full of typos (Message edited by danger_dave on November 04, 2010) | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Harley-Davidson really screwed-up when they dropped Buell Motorcycle Company. It was their best chance to get the younger generation interested in an American made sport motorcycle. I don't see the younger generation going out and purchasing a $25,000.00 Harley as their first motorcycle. They may certainly work up to buying one someday but not as their beginning motorcycle and that was where Buell could have really helped out the company. I doubt if many people go out and purchase a Corvette as their first car, but they still sell well. | ||
| Doughj04 |
I agree, most younger people won't go out and buy a $25,000 motorcycle as their first. It's a good thing H-D makes 12 different models with a MSRP of under $15,000 for them, including the V-Rod Night Rod Special & the V-Rod Muscle. | ||
| Rainman |
I like Harleys. I'd like a Road King. I'd dig an XR1200 or a Sportster Roadster from the past. But I can get a great deal on an Asian bike and get more for less. They don't put out anything that calls to me, but no one has since Buell folded (Lightning Ss.) As for the Blast, I'm at 13,000 hard, mostly city miles with three sets of tires, a second battery, second belt and a couple of carb boots at a time when my old Sporty needed a new stator and sprockets, had gone through a battery a year for five years and three chains. I hope they survive. I just can't say that I have a need to ride one anymore. | ||
| Tpoppa |
A big problem that HD faces is the glut of used HD's that are hitting the market. HD produced a LOT of motorcycles from 1990-2010. There are tons of used HD's for sale and it's a buyers market. Used prices are dropping, luring potential new buyers to used bikes. Supply and Demand. | ||
| Swordsman |
I agree, most younger people won't go out and buy a $25,000 motorcycle as their first. It's a good thing H-D makes 12 different models with a MSRP of under $15,000 for them, including the V-Rod Night Rod Special & the V-Rod Muscle. The problem I still see here is that for the price of the bottom-rung Sportster, some kid can buy a nearly top of the line Japanese sportbike. Unless you're seriously hard up for nostalgia (and I've never seen a young person that was), that's a no-brainer simply in terms of value. ~SM | ||
| Jaimec |
BINGO!! | ||
| Froggy |
I have every Nintendo console including the Virtual Boy, I recently picked up a old Xbox, and am thinking of getting a Dreamcast and Saturn too.  | ||
| Swordsman |
Okay, ya have me there Froggy... video game nostalgia is the one thing I can understand. I'm excited to see you have a Virtual Boy. I kept mine as well. Darn good system, I still think. Teleroboxer is my fav. Wish they'd made more/better games before pulling the plug on the project... it had a lot of potential. Are original Xbox's considered vintage already? That's the last console system I bought. They pissed me off when they released Halo 3 for 360 only, and I swore off consoles entirely. Money-grubbing bastards.  EDIT: BTW, where are we drawing the line for these "young people"? Froggy considers himself one obviously....I think I may be over the mark at 33.  ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on November 04, 2010) | ||
| Froggy |
Halo is lame anyway I haven't had a chance to hook it up, but I got the Xbox for Steel Battalion. What could be better than playing a game that requires a special controller with 40 buttons, 2 joysticks, and 3 pedals?   | ||
| Swordsman |
OMG I wanted that SO bad! Did they ever make any other games for that controller? (consider this thread geek-jacked) ~SM | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>What could be better<< Bl*w job. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Patches, that looks like a French plate on that bike. | ||
| Rainman |
But Froggy, aren't you old? You don't count. | ||
| Crackhead |
For $25,000 you can buy a nice modern Goldwing. It have the perception of being an old mans bike (same as HD) but with modern motor, ABS, comfortable touring, will not vibrate to death and the big one since it is a Honda RELIABLE. | ||
| Froggy |
I'm less than half your age Rainman. |
