If Harley Davidson wants to sell more bikes in the U.S. what does it need to do?
Friday, April 9th, 2010 at
12:01 am
I think HD needs to make some serious changes
needs to do some engineering and figure out a way to build a high quality, affordable motorcycle with newer technology and better quality.
Its the company’s ill-advised financing programs that got Harley Davidson in trouble, so HD just jacks up the price and puts the burden on the customer expecting a person making K per year to buy a K Harley Davidson Motorcycle!
If Harley wants to sell more bikes they have to catch up with the technology Victory has put into their models especially their "Vision" model. Harley has to get out of the Old Days ditch and advance to the Future. Go to YouTube and watch the comparison video "Victory Vision" vs "Honda Aspencade" vs "Harley Tour". The Victory blows them away. And heck if you are going to spend $20,000+ go for the best, "Victory". For a company that is just 10 years old they have advanced the Motorcycle World by leaps and bounds. Think of it why do you see so many HD’s for sale. It’s not because the rider bought it for an investment. Throttle Up,,,,,, JACK*
get back to basics, fire the nerds, throw out the computers, find a good old model, re vamp it, build it and sell it.
Those white coat knob jockys stuff it up all the time.
Harley Davidson has managed to revamp and upgrade the same basic design for 60 years and people still buy them. I think they are doing OK. Not everybody wants the fastest bike because then every year you would have to buy a new one. I like comfort and feel over speed. I have owned many bikes but I love a harley most. I have had fast and I have had quick.
better brakes.higher top end of about 140 on most 1200+ models.
some american models could do with better shocks or like the ones some european models get which raise the ride height a little.
but lately harley have got better on build quality.
Harley needs to find a way to lower the cost at the consumer end. Water cooling would be nice also. All the other companies can do it, only 1 maybe 2 HD models have it so far. Basically, modernize their models and pass the savings on to the consumer.
Make motorcycles that weigh less and cost less.
Apparently, you and others just don’t get it. Harley doesn’t do that because they don’t have to. Because Harley, doesn’t use the same customer base, as the others do. Sure, Harley has change a lot of things, in the last three years. But they have work hard, to not change, what makes a Harley, a Harley. Think about it, Why do a lot of other company’s make a V-twin cruiser. That’s right, because of Harley. Harley, has more engineering patients than the rest. Quality is top of the line to.
As far as the price goes, Harley has not always been over priced. But with, customer demand. A one year, waiting list for years. Harley could ask, what they want and get it. They kept ramping up production, till they caught up to demand. Now like everything else, the bottom have fallen out. Prices may come down sooner or later.
If Harley wants to make more MONEY, they should CUT production.
For the longest time, they had waiting lists. They made so many bikes, it was a sellers market. Then HD ramped up production, putting the onus on dealers to move the iron. Harley financial bought everyone with a pulse, then financed $2000 worth of accessories. When boomers couldn’t take out a home equity loan to pay cash for the new scoot, that market dried up.
So, you have the people who financed brutally upside down and the people who paid cash cashing out on home equity.
Nobody’s buying VRods. Technology isn’t the answer.
Scooter said it all – that’s the way it is ,has been and will be for a long time.People that pay the money know what they want and are happy to put up the cash.Your problem Bart is your head is to close to your a$$.