Harley ousts CEO

I recall reading that the new H-D CEO is from Germany and was an exec at one of the running shoe companies. Regardless, he's going to have a heck of time trying to restore them to their former glory because too many of their American buyers have been "aged-out" of riding. And for so long, the American market was H-D's bread & butter.

It might be different in some of the foreign companies where younger kids might want a 250 cc Harley but it's certainly not the Harley they've seen in so many American movies. There really isn't a new generation coming up in America that wants to ride, which is sad but reality.
 
If Harley wants to survive they have to give up on the idea that the majority of their sales will be $25K+ V-twins. Based on what has happened to countless other companies that peaked and then fell into the ash heap of manufacturing failures I give them zero chance of survival. Any which way they turn there is another manufacture already doing it better and cheaper. Before long their dealer network with the large lavish storefronts with high overhead will start closing or shift to something that sells better. R.I.P. Harley. It was a good run while it lasted.
 
The Harley dealer here in Greeley also carries Honda, Yamaha, and Polaris. Except they never have carried any inventory to speak of in the brands other than Harley and Polaris. They'll be hard-pressed if their current inventory doesn't move faster than it looks like it is to my eyes. And, Greeley, a city of 120,000 doesn't have any shops or mechanics left. Kawasaki had a pretty good dealership for quite a while but then it downsized and went away when the owner retired back in about 2003. There was a Honda dealer that closed at about that time, too. Don't know what I'll do for service if Greeley Harley/Wild West Motorsports goes away. I won't be taking my bike back to the Honda dealer in Ft Collins.
 
A good many (not all) HD dealers were arrogant SOB's IMHO. They are finally getting their comeuppance.

Mike
 
It's going to be especially painful for H-D dealers who drank the Harley Cool-Aid and built new Taj Mahal buildings adjacent to a busy interstate on very expensive property. I would guess there are still some small, family-owned shops who resisted going upscale and as such, will have an easier time surviving. Many of the H-D dealers in OH are owned by investor groups who own multiple stores and often run & staff them like a big box store.

Phil - at least in OH, the H-D dealers all seem to be Harley-only, following the dictates of H-D corporate dogma. And if they do have multiple brands, they are in a separate building.
 
Our Greeley dealer calls himself Greeley Harley-Davidson and Wild West Motorsports. He's got the few Hondas and Yamahas in the back of a building where he has some of his used Harleys. Honda dirt bikes are in another building with the Polarii (Polarises?). You can walk through them all without going outside.
 
The dealer network Harley has is one of it's greatest assets at this point. If they lose that and their customer base at the same time it will most likely be an unsurvivable double whammy
 
Their dealer network might be a curse and blessing at the same time. Too many of them have made tons of money selling heavyweight road bikes and cruisers so how will they take to selling smaller bikes and even an electric model? On the plus side, there seems to be H-D dealers in all cities and most towns so they have excellent coverage but for how long?
 
In order to survive, HD dealers will need to make a paradigm shift from the way they "were" doing business. The "we are HD so take it or leave it" will no longer fly. When I reentered motorcycling some 10 years ago after my 40 year hiatus, I did not know what I wanted. I was always a Honda guy but had Triumphs, BSAs and Yamahas as well. I knew I didn't want Brit bike if the quality/reliability had not improved. I had no pre conceptions and money was no object since this would likely be my "last bike". I spent six months researching all makes, visiting dealers, reading road tests and snooping in forums. In my dealer visits, all my experiences were very positive with the exception of the two HD dealers I visited. The folks there were rude and very arrogant. In fairness, the Honda dealers with one exception were clueless about the NT though. They were nice folks though.

Mike
 
All your eggs in on basket. Harley has only motorcycles, Honda, etc. have a much more diverse base to draw from.
 
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