So how does the moco atttract young motorcycle riders into its brand?

MILWAUKEE—Harley-Davidson Inc., long associated with the 1960s counterculture movement, now needs to spark a new one.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/can-harley-davidson-spark-a-motorcycle-counterculture-1434706201?ru=yahoo?mod=yahoo_itp

HD shares don't look too flash either....

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=HOG+Interactive#{"range":"2y","allowChartStacking":true}

 

 

The Street 500 and Street 750 are a start but it will take more than those, I reckon Harley are on the edge of a downturn personally.

Unless they do something I agree.

They are failing young riders for two reasons….

1. Lack of trail or sport bikes

2. Price

An 18 year old who has just left high school is flat out with a job yet alone having $25K up their sleeve.

Our Jacob spent $10,000 on a Honda CB500R + a muffler ($500) and riding gear ($1500) and several of his mates have those plus a couple of Ninja 300s (not much cheaper).

I'm thinking that around the $10,000 price point (where the Street 500) is for a LAMS bike is about right but Jacob and his mates wouldn't even consider the Street 500 because it's not 'sporty' enough.

I'd like to see a cafe race version of the Street 500, maybe a modern tribute version of the XLCR 1000 sporty? But even that might be a bit to retro for most young guys.

The Iron and the 48 seem to be selling ok to guys younger than me (maybe not young but younger) so maybe Harley should be pushing sporties a bit harder in the advertising too.

 

 

 

I think this has been general knowldge for some time. average age of new HD buyers would be close to 50, but few years back was 40+.

when i bought my first HD, the price of a new HD would go up $500 per year, at that time $500 would buy a lot more than it does today & our $ was around $1.35us . so was a good investment you could also totaly rebuild the motor with genuine HD parts so they lasted a liftime ( at that time ).

plus nothing much changed year to year, so you rushed in to buy one before the price rise. Today they build throw away in ten years bikes, the prices have stayed same for ages, but each year they make changes so people go out to buy the new model. also in past you always did your own services, if you could not work on your bike, you would have to learn. not many took the bike back for a service. today thats big money but no matter what you are led to beleive, that old motor basicaly the same. just keeps getting bigger but heavier too.

also in NSW the third party MC green slip insurance for bikes over 250cc a bit high for a young guy in a tight budget. i know they have increase engine size limit & put restrictions on engine output for LAM , but AFAIK insurance go off engine size not power out put corect me if i'm wrong.

hope the factory can turn things around.

 

If I see a Sporty Iron or a 48, its generally young guys that are riding them.
The majority of young blokes that I know have bought VRods or Stage one Dynas. Only a couple have bought Jap Sport bikes.

I always had my eye on a Harley, but costs vs what I wanted always drew me to Jap bikes instead and I finally made the plunge at 29 - probably not the smartest financial decision I've ever made but certainly one that I don't regret! Most of the guys around my age that I ride with all like Harley's, but the cost factor and perceived ongoing maintenance and cost of OEM parts seem to make them keep their distance.

By geez, I woulda loved to have been able to buy a Harley back when I was a first or second year apprentice. At the time (very early 80's) they were about 8 grand,. That would only have bought a shovelhead too,and we all know how reliable they were.On my $65 per week there was no hope. Eventually bought a Guzzi in 83 for $3200 and still got it. Did not buy a Harley till way later.

If Harley is worried about sales to younger riders then in my mind they are worrying too much about the wrong things ....betcha Porsche, Lamborgini,Ferrari etc dont give a rats about the younger buyers.

Truth is Harleys are not cheap to buy. Second hand Jappers are.

 

Mercedes Benz and BMW !

Now there are  some cheaper options to appeal to the youth. And the youthless!

Bugger the young poor folk, people are living way longer these days. 20 beers tells me I'm right! Might just slink under a rock and die.

Don't wory the young folk will be older when we are dead, and they will carry the spluttering torch. And buy Harley's

yeah FC, know what your sayin mate 72 bucks a week for my 1st year app wages, I wasn't implying I bought a Harley back then but rather owned various and many shitboxes, always 2nd hand and mostly other peoples problems I guess since I was always workin on the cunts. I too, didn't buy my first Harley til many years later

And Geoff, the young guys of today are the old guys of tomorrow mate, so there will always be a market, we were young once and had sportsbikes, dirt bikes and trails, not Harleys, we grew into those with maturity by not losing the spirit and freedom of riding

Yeah!

It is a bit of a priveledge to ride one of these things methinks.

Fuck the young uns. Let em break legs on the cheap Jappas.

25 Beers of wisdom now.

I'm sure its a state of the mind thing. Before I turned the big 50, I couldn't have cared less about a Harley and thought people that rode them were wankers. Then the MLC hit me and I fell in love with the look, sound, and chrome and had to have one. I was never going to buy into the whole Harley brand merchandise thing cause only wankers wore that kit. Next thing, over a dozen Harley shirts, 4 or more jackets, boots, belts and gloves. Can't get enough now.

I look at my mates with envy who've got younger sons and mentored them onto a Harley. Those youngsters couldn't be happier. I do fear that they are going to kill themselves however because they like to show off and ride like they're on high performance jap bikes that will handle and stop.

Having said that, some on this forum never grew up.

you know what they say steelo,
you don't stop playing because you get old
you get old because you stop playing

You couldn't be more right FD 

*edit* double post

Then you have the "Hipsters" spending big bucks on everything from sneakers, haircuts, brand shirts etc et etc (See Deus Ex Machina).

They also spend big money on bikes but are often smaller CC's and the money is in the mods and bolt ons. I was in Deus today and saw a 2013 Triumph Bonnie that had some bolt ons a new tail section and a nice paint job for $23990.00

Also had a 90's evo sporty built like a tracker for $21,000+, again mostly bolt ons with a few well made bracketry.

The money is out there and those in their mid 20's to Mid 30's seem to have a hell of a disposable income, they just ain't buying just harleys
The big thing at the moment is Bobbers and a growing trend for cafe racers again, I reckon the sporty and the new 500 are ideal for this market.

Maybe some factory "very stock" options with well priced after market goodies to build these would be the way to go, but then what do you do next week when the "Hipsters" are last weeks news and there is another fad.

Not a good time to be trying to increase sales volume, glad I dont work for the MoCo.

You know i don't think its the money , Harley virtually make a bike for every one cheaper sportsters to the road king to the cvo hamburger with the lot . I think the mystique of owning a harley is dropping off ,

Thought I might weigh in with my first post.

Finally bought a HD after wanting one for twenty years. Just turned 40 so I guess I'm no longer in the young bracket. Why didn't I buy one earlier? Yes price was part of the decision, but so was the perception of HD as bikes for old people. I wanted one, but none of my friends rode them, so I went with the crowd. Many years later I don't regret that decision. I had alot of fun, riding in the freezing winter cold of Canberra at 2am, or zipping to work through Beverly Hills in Sydney - before the ED was built - laughing at the cars on my way to work. I did not care what kind of bike I was riding, I was riding and that was all that mattered.

After a few years of being stuck in a cage I finally decided to extract the digit and get another bike. There was no question in my mind what it would be. I first sat on a Harley when I was nineteen. I had just bought a 250cc Fizzer and a softail was sitting out the front of the motorcycle shop. Being young and a little stupid I put my arse onto it without a second thought. The owner, a rather large biker with a long grey beard, walked out and looked at me. Suddenly realizing the bike was NOT for sale, and was in fact HIS, I jumped up off it. He smiled and actually had a few kind words. I hurried away and decided I would never sit on another Harley again unless I owned it. Many years later, I went out and bought myself a brand new Dyna and finally sat on a Harley again. In a way I am glad I waited. I ride almost everyday and still laugh at people in cages, now I just look f*&^in cool doing it.

I don't care about the resale value, only ever sold one bike I owned, and that was to a mate for next to nothing. What matters is the next ride, and the next adventure, and on a Harley life is just good. Maybe I think I had to pay my dues before I rode one, but one thing is for sure, I don't care what you're on, if you ride you know -- if you don't you don't. But if you ride a Harley there is nothing in life sweeter than twisting that throttle, well almost nothing...

"They need new customers of they'll eventually go broke and yeah that won't effect you or me but it's the job of the people running the company to look further ahead than just the next few years."

 

Are you sure, there's a new generation that turns 50 every year?

 

I don't know why you say the Street is a shitbox, I had a blat on one at a dealers day. It seemed ok, for what it is .Lets face it , every new Harley needs a few things done to it, that's half the part of owning one.
To me a shitbox, and ive had a few, is an unreliable , slow, ugly bike that has a habit of leaving the owner stranded isn't good to ride. etc.
. I see no reason why a brand new 500 street would fall into any of those categories.
Im sure in 110 years the Mo Co has had its ups and downs, Im sure they have strategies in place to continue on. Im glad they still make a big twin that is readily recognisable to those that came before.
I also like the way they are introducing initiatives like water cooling .Fuel Injection. etc within that same engine configuration.They have always been relatively simple for the owner to maintain.
Harley can make wild fast bikes. They have a huge racing heritage in many forms of bike racing. Im sure if the big twins stopped selling they would go in another direction, but that's just the thing, Harley doesn't follow the market, They produce a certain type of bike and so far, for the last century at least its been what sells.
Ive always thought they should produce a trail /explorer bike type using the XR 750 engine. Imagine a sports bike type using that engine platform as well? They've raced them for years so you'd think it would be a logical choice. Obviously Harley Davidsons marketing team don't think they would sell enough of them .To Take on the Sports bike sector you have to be heavily involved in racing and that is expensive.
The Mo Co just cruises along doing what its always done.