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HD aging biker problem...

harleys are a good ole fashion classic made in usa, very high quality and all american. sad that the american market is down and they're getting affected, workers getting layed off. just like general motors (gm), Ford, etc.

i wonder why they stopped the production of buells tho, they need to adjust to the new era and start producing modern looking bikes for the younger crowd. you always gotta keep upgrading/having something new. no way they'll survive with the same design/products over and over again (classic). but i hope they pick up with the economy
 
Versystim said:
I'm sure Harley will be building and selling cruisers for a long time. Theres just too many loyal to the Harley brand not too. That said I don't think they can ever expand into other markets. It just won't fit their image. Would you buy a Harley dual sport, a Harley sport bike or even a Harley scooter? I didn't think so.
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FWIW: the sport bike market is notoriously brand disloyal - folks tend to buy whatever bike gets the really good reviews. Sport bike riders also tend to be younger. Case study: until recently, no one would have considered BMW in the sportbike market, but today they sure do. BMW's reputation for quality combined with excellent reviews helped sell the first version - in this case BMW's brand helped them with this move. BMW entered this market specifically to target a younger generation of riders, and did so in a clever and successful way (innovation, headline grabbing performance, un-BMW like reasonable pricing, marketing, quality, etc). HD conceptually could do the same, but this is a hard bar to clear given their former attempts - HD's brand actually hurts them in this case.

That said, it seems like HD's new ceo is following the strategy of focus and undoing the former attempts to diversify. So I'd expect higher quality, better performing cruisers ala the comments above on the night rod. So use performance to capture what the younger crowd is looking for and use HD's brand image to differentiate from the pure sport bike option.
 
RRrider said:
Case study: until recently, no one would have considered BMW in the sportbike market, but today they sure do. BMW's reputation for quality combined with excellent reviews helped sell the first version - in this case BMW's brand helped them with this move.
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I know people say this; But have you actually seen this to be true? I hear people all day talking about how wonderful the "BMW S1000RR" is, yet I never see anyone buying them.

What I'm trying to say is yes BMW made a good bike, but I'm not sure it's made inroads into the sportbike market like everyone keeps giving them credit for.
 
Antarius said:
What I'm trying to say is yes BMW made a good bike, but I'm not sure it's made inroads into the sportbike market like everyone keeps giving them credit for.
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Last time I looked, they couldn't keep S1000RR's in stock - they were flying out of the showrooms - this during one of the worst periods for mc sales in history.

More importantly, BMW made inroads in the younger mc consumer's mind, becoming more relevant and desirable as a brand. It is a good example for Harley, whether they would want to admit it or not...
 
Well, BMW does have the HP2, that was a sort of sprotbile. That being said, If im going to buy a cruiser, its going to be a victory. More american than HD.
 
1RUN said:
Last time I looked, they couldn't keep S1000RR's in stock - they were flying out of the showrooms - this during one of the worst periods for mc sales in history.

More importantly, BMW made inroads in the younger mc consumer's mind, becoming more relevant and desirable as a brand. It is a good example for Harley, whether they would want to admit it or not...
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It may be, or it may be like Buell. It got people "thinking" about it, but did it actually get a significant portion of the younger market to buy it?

I don't know, and I'm eager to see the average age of those buying S1000RR's and if it's actually causing younger people to look into BMW's.

All I'm saying is I'm not ready to give BMW a ton of credit for something that I've yet to actually see on the road.
 
i see s1000rs all the time. theres always a few parked downtown.
 
xgambit said:
i see s1000rs all the time. theres always a few parked downtown.
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Yes, and who's riding them? People are saying that Harley should do what BMW "did, to get younger people interested," and I'm not convinced that BMW did anything to get younger people to actually buy BMW's.

As far as I've seen, it's the same 30-50 year olds riding BMW's, regardless of the model. I guess in 5 years we'll have data to include the S1000rr and can actually see just how well BMW did at enticing "young people."
 
Antarius, a bunch of mil folks around here (monterey), have bought em. Ugly as fuck, its kinda funny to see em riding around.
 
Antarius said:
Yes, and who's riding them? People are saying that Harley should do what BMW "did, to get younger people interested," and I'm not convinced that BMW did anything to get younger people to actually buy BMW's.

As far as I've seen, it's the same 30-50 year olds riding BMW's, regardless of the model. I guess in 5 years we'll have data to include the S1000rr and can actually see just how well BMW did at enticing "young people."
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Nothing wrong w/ being in your 30's:|
 
Antarius said:
I know people say this; But have you actually seen this to be true? I hear people all day talking about how wonderful the "BMW S1000RR" is, yet I never see anyone buying them.
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I have two friends who have recently purchased S1000RRs. One of them was looking at a leftover zero miles 1098s and purchased the BMW instead. He's 37.

The other traded in his F800ST. He's 63.

Granted, neither of these guys are kids, but BMW is in the conversation now. I was talking to a mid-to-late-twenties gent whose 99 R1 wasn't fast enough for him anymore :rolleyes and was debating between the previously mentioned 1098s or the S1000RR. He figured the 1098 wasn't enough for him, but I do not know if he purchased the BMW. I think he was all talk, but have no proof.

*EDIT: Oops, somehow I missed your 10:08 reply. nvm.*
 
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Most of the 20 somethings I know either ride a 600cc sport bike or a scooter. I would guess many of the sport riders will finish their riding careers one way or another by middle age.:teeth
 
Im 24, looking at cruisers. I was seriously considering HD for quite some time.
 
Oceansides said:
Im 24, looking at cruisers. I was seriously considering HD for quite some time.
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Get a Versys, save a bundle. You can cruise it all you want, slow or fast, your choise.:teeth
 
i bought my HD at 30...
 
If every new Harley came with a lifetime supply of Viagra (in a chromed, Harley bar-and-shield box, of course), they might have a chance.

And based on the junk emails that I'm getting, I can hook up The Motor Co. with a very reliable supplier at reasonable rates.
 
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