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Harley is on the upswing (though supply chain issues may loom)

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    Harley is on the upswing (though supply chain issues may loom)

    Looks like you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks. The Hardwire strategic plan is, at least for now, working.

    "Thought he, it is a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."
    ~Herman Melville

    2016 1200 Superlow
    1982 CB900f

    #2
    The Pan America is, by all accounts, a home run. They're sold out and will remain sold out for a long time to come.

    It's a pretty amazing feat of management that they were actually able to commit and follow through on the Pan America project at the level required to pull that off. There's no question that Harley had, and was able to hire, the engineering talent. But the company's chronically short-sighted management had never let the engineers and designers off the leash like that both in terms of dollars and the freedom to ignore "tradition". In the sumo-class ADV bike market, price hardly matters; riders want "the best", and then happily spend many thousands making their bikes better and more tuned to their preferences.

    BMW is the primary competitor, and riders in this market are sick to death of BMW's reliability issues, sky-high maintenance and repair expenses, and the thin network of dealers offering a terrible and expensive experience. If the PA proves tough and reliable (as it seems to be) and the massive network of dealers actually get on board (as many seem to be) then it will remain a home run.


    HD's electric motorcycles have similarly impressive engineering, but the product design is awful. They're badly hampered by a brainless adherence to "tradition". The bikes end up neither fish nor fowl, and thus not appealing to their "traditional" buyers or to new buyers and hated and neglected by dealers. I hope they figure this out. Or maybe they'll let Indian eat their lunch here as well.
    Last edited by bwringer; 11-23-2021, 10:24 AM.
    1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
    2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
    2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
    Eat more venison.

    Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

    Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

    SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

    Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

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      #3
      Originally posted by bwringer View Post
      The Pan America is, by all accounts, a home run. They're sold out and will remain sold out for a long time to come.

      It's a pretty amazing feat of management that they were actually able to commit and follow through on the Pan America project at the level required to pull that off. There's no question that Harley had, and was able to hire, the engineering talent. But the company's chronically short-sighted management had never let the engineers and designers off the leash like that both in terms of dollars and the freedom to ignore "tradition". In the sumo-class ADV bike market, price hardly matters; riders want "the best", and then happily spend many thousands making their bikes better and more tuned to their preferences.

      BMW is the primary competitor, and riders in this market are sick to death of BMW's reliability issues, sky-high maintenance and repair expenses, and the thin network of dealers offering a terrible and expensive experience. If the PA proves tough and reliable (as it seems to be) and the massive network of dealers actually get on board (as many seem to be) then it will remain a home run.


      HD's electric motorcycles have similarly impressive engineering, but the product design is awful. They're badly hampered by a brainless adherence to "tradition". The bikes end up neither fish nor fowl, and thus not appealing to their "traditional" buyers or to new buyers and hated and neglected by dealers. I hope they figure this out. Or maybe they'll let Indian eat their lunch here as well.
      "sold out"....lol...not here...I see tons of ads on craigslist everyday from dealers here....everyday! And cheaper than list.
      No signature

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        #4
        I don't do much on FaceBook, but when I do, I see Harleys! Their marketing department came up with a simple and probably quite effective campaign.

        The dealers create a FaceBook page and announce their buyers on FaceBook with a picture of them with their new bike, frequently along side family members or their salesperson.

        I get all the HD Dealer pages show up in my feed without ever visiting the pages. These are not sidebar ads, they are right in the main feed, oviously finds me based on MC activity.

        It's kind of cool to see all the happy people buying bikes.....it's gotta promote sales!

        Good for them, I am happy to see an American company prosper, even if most of the parts where sitting on a barge from China.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Vmass View Post
          I don't do much on FaceBook, but when I do, I see Harleys! Their marketing department came up with a simple and probably quite effective campaign.

          The dealers create a FaceBook page and announce their buyers on FaceBook with a picture of them with their new bike, frequently along side family members or their salesperson.

          I get all the HD Dealer pages show up in my feed without ever visiting the pages. These are not sidebar ads, they are right in the main feed, oviously finds me based on MC activity.

          It's kind of cool to see all the happy people buying bikes.....it's gotta promote sales!

          Good for them, I am happy to see an American company prosper, even if most of the parts where sitting on a barge from China.
          All the dealers do that here....Harley certainly didn't invent it. It's everywhere.
          No signature

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            #6
            Originally posted by trevor View Post
            "sold out"....lol...not here...I see tons of ads on craigslist everyday from dealers here....everyday! And cheaper than list.
            No signature

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              #7
              I've followed Harley for years . Mostly because I see their merchandise and bikes everywhere . Glad they are having a good quarter but I've seen it before ....Buying Harley stock is like buying an airline stock ... Both keep a bankruptcy lawyer on speed dial .....
              Old age and treachery will beat youth and skill every time
              Originally Posted by Schweisshund I mean, sure, guns were used in some of these mass shootings, but not all of them
              1983 GS 750

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                #8
                It's nice to see Harley (the only major US motorcycle manufacturer) finally doing something different than trying to cater exclusively to the midlife-crisis wannabe-counterculture "biker dudes" market and their false nostalgia.
                Charles
                --
                1979 Suzuki GS850G

                Read BassCliff's GSR Greeting and Mega-Welcome!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Vmass View Post
                  ...announce their buyers on FaceBook with a picture of them with their new bike, frequently along side family members or their salesperson.
                  My Harley dealer had a bell hanging in the showroom. Whenever a sale was made, the salesperson (or customer) would loudly clang the bell as "Born To Be Wild" started blaring from everywhere.

                  "Don't go near it," I told the salesman when it was my day. "No bell, no Steppenwolf."

                  I'd feel like a "South Park" character being 'put in the back seat.' If you don't face the news camera as you're getting in the car and say, "I'm white trash and I'm in trouble," they increase the charges.
                  1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red

                  2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Rob S. View Post
                    My Harley dealer had a bell hanging in the showroom. Whenever a sale was made, the salesperson (or customer) would loudly clang the bell as "Born To Be Wild" started blaring from everywhere.

                    "Don't go near it," I told the salesman when it was my day. "No bell, no Steppenwolf."

                    I'd feel like a "South Park" character being 'put in the back seat.' If you don't face the news camera as you're getting in the car and say, "I'm white trash and I'm in trouble," they increase the charges.
                    I believe that is a fairly common theme with Harley dealers, although each is specific to that dealership. The dealer in Lexington has a bell and plays the "call to the post" (to start a horse race) since they are Man-O-War Harley Davidson!
                    Ron
                    When I die, just cremate me and put me in my GS tank. That way I can go through these carbs, one more time!
                    1978 GS750E - November 2017 BOTM
                    1978 GS1000C - May 2021 BOTM
                    1982 GS1100E
                    1999 Honda GL1500SE

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                      #11
                      I, for one, want to see Indian do some more interesting things with that brilliant Scout engine.

                      The FTR flat tracker whatchamacallit was pretty neat, but how about an ADV, or a sporty-tourer, or even an ADV bike.

                      Also, yeah, I'm fully aware that there's a very large slice of lifestyle posing involved with the whole "Adventure" bike thing. Not one in ten of these bikes ever gets its tires dirty. It's a little less ridiculous than the whole "bad boy" posing thing because at least the bikes are functional and often get used for major mileage.
                      1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                      2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                      2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                      Eat more venison.

                      Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                      Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                      SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                      Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        The Sportster S would get my vote over the Indian Scout, but on a Harley note, this may be interesting:
                        "Thought he, it is a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."
                        ~Herman Melville

                        2016 1200 Superlow
                        1982 CB900f

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by GS1150Pilot View Post
                          The Sportster S would get my vote over the Indian Scout, but on a Harley note, this may be interesting:
                          https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/h...ked-documents/
                          What is Sportster S? A Superlow? My last catalog is 2016.
                          1982 GS1100E V&H "SS" exhaust, APE pods, 1150 oil cooler, 140 speedo, 99.3 rear wheel HP, black engine, '83 red

                          2016 XL883L sigpic Two-tone blue and white. Almost 42 hp! Status: destroyed, now owned by the insurance company. The hole in my memory starts an hour before the accident and ends 24 hours after.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Rob S. View Post
                            What is Sportster S? A Superlow? My last catalog is 2016.
                            Here ya go Rob. I didn't know what it was either.
                            A legacy born in 1957 that outperformed the competition is now rebuilt to dominate the road. The Sportster-S is made for those who demand speed and power.
                            Ryan

                            1979 GS850G - currently undergoing a major overhaul
                            1986 GSX-R750 - I'm figuring it out

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by RustyTank View Post
                              Here ya go Rob. I didn't know what it was either.
                              https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/e...ortster-s.html
                              Yep. 20 more horses, 7 lb feet more torque, 60 pounds lighter than the Indian Scout.
                              "Thought he, it is a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."
                              ~Herman Melville

                              2016 1200 Superlow
                              1982 CB900f

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