You guys think Harley Davidson will last?

It's pretty humorous to see Harley trying to expand it's influence in forms of motorsport other than drag racing. Bagger racing? Indian takes the win. Winter hill climb? KTM annihilates.

Gotta give it to Harley for trying, though.

None of the 2020 models have the heel shifter anymore. HD did away with the vent closer on the touring models as well.

What about the most obvious discipline: flat track. First Kawasaki, then Indian.

Rearsets exactly where the passenger pegs are on the Dyna would be perfect for me. I rode mine with my feet on the passenger pegs most of the time, just moving my left leg forward to the mid peg to shift.

Maybe but somehow I doubt it would be comfortable for most of Harley demographics.

I love that high seat look. I’ve been begging for a high seat and mids on cruisers for years. The Indian Scout. The HD Sportglide. The new BMW R1800.

Anybody still interested in the original question might find Harley's earnings report today interesting. Their stock jumped 10% today on news that earnings were at .78 a share versus the forecast .19. Sales were $964 million versus the forecast $844 million. Their 'restructuring' activity is forecast to drop $115 million to the bottom line starting next year. They're not committing to a year end number, but noted that they were selling 2020 bikes for full MSRP, and that used bike prices were up significantly. They delayed the release of 2021 bikes citing the pandemic, although a more cynical take would be that adding supply isn't going to help margins.

I think there are two interesting ways to look at this. One view might hold that this is a validation of the traditional core Harley value proposition. The other might hold that this is what happens when you're cutting development costs to fatten dividends and happen to luck into a supply constraining pandemic (you can tell which one I'm leaning toward). But the one thing you can't argue is that the American market continues to love these bikes, at least for now.

Baggers at Laguna Seca! The world is coming to an end!! I'm anxious to get my Vulcan Classic VN1600 bagger on the small track at Road America to compare how it handles versus my BMW R1200RT on the same track. I plan to use my Vulcan to teach the Street Skills courses at Road America, so I can get a riding reference to the students on cruisers and baggers. But that'll be after I redo the front fork, raise the suspension and floorboards. For general riding its ok, but drags the floorboards WAY too easy. I already converted the wheels/tires to 17" front and back from the Mean Streak so I can run 17" sport radials if I so chose. I also converted the front discs to the larger full floaters from the Mean Streak. Watching that video of the bagger racing, makes me think HD should bring back a new lighter version of the 80's FXRT and FXRS with the new Revolution engine? But.

Now the new CEO of HD announces HD is no longer planning bikes and models to attract younger riders. HD plans to downsize (like we've all talked about) and reduce the number of models (like we've all talked about), reduce costs (yup, that too) and scale down the company (how many times have we all said that?). The new HD CEO even talks about reducing the number of dealers across the country. Not sure if that's a wise idea. So HD is going back to focus on its core products and not go after the youngin's with the likes of the Street 500/750, the Bronx, the Panamerica? Hmm, we all could see that coming. For now, cutting costs and complexity in the market "should" increase profitability, but at the sake of market share and new market gains? Probably the easiest things HD can do quickly to regain profitability. Then maybe come back to some new market ideas once stability is gained?

My son got pit passes signed by all the riders from work. A few of the riders in the race (including the one that won) were racers they sponsor.

Never thought this could happen.

Mischler's HD & BMW

3tlSgdponshorerd ·

It is with deep regret after 62 years of serving the Beaver Dam community, Mischler’s Harley-Davidson and BMW will be closing our store permanently turning the key for the final time on December 23, 2020. The current business climate has left us with no other viable option.
To our customers who have supported us through the decades, Thank you! We have also been blessed with the most loyal staff that we consider our family, and they have answered to every request presented to them with advancing their education and challenges made. We thank you!
We will continue to offer storage through the winter for your motorcycle. Pick up times will be scheduled in April 2021.

Strange, since HD fingered this out for cop bikes with the tractor seat and it's ergos.

This sucks! I've known Art Mischler since the early 90's, bought my 94 BMW from Art. Great guy, a main fixture in the motorcycle community of Wisconsin. I heard Art had a buyer from Illinois lined up to take the business but HD nixed the deal. That seems to match with the recent announcements by HD CEO of future downsizing at HD Corp and would include reduced number of dealerships. Funny though, a contact of mine that personally knows the Livewire production line planner at HD in Milwaukee, claims the planner told him HD is selling every Livewire they can build. Keep in mind that may only mean every HD dealer is getting at least two Livewire bikes. I find it hard to believe HD is selling any Livewire bikes.

A lot of Harley riding motorcycle instructors that are also cops, ride the police version Harley's with the higher seat that positions the rider further forward and higher. Also the police style handlebar positions the rider further forward and much more upright. Look at the LEO riding demos in the cone circuits and a lot of them ride the police-ergos version of Harley because it much better suits really handling the big twins.

HD just recalled more than 1,000 Livewires for a software issue so at the very least, over 1,000 have been sold.

Harley ditches products aimed at a younger audience while their current market ages out.
Good luck with that.
The Motor Company brand will be a nice purchase for Polaris in about ten years.

Look, with the pandemic, the political chaos, and the economic downturn and uncertainty - any motorcycle manufacturer that can ride out the next 6 months and survive to build bikes next year is doing fine. The strategy should be to survive, keep their customers and talent and position themselves for future growth.

Whether that's the strategy or its some thing more sinister - remains to be seen. If the CEO and board are too focused on extracting money from the company then it might become something else,like a caricature of itself - or worse, just a brand name to sell merch.

This agrees with what liberpolly posted
https://www.bizjournals.com/milwauk...y-davidson-dealers-report-sales-declines.html
Harley-Davidson Inc. dealers in the United States are seeing a low double-digit percentage decline in the third-quarter sales of new motorcycles, according to a new survey by Robert W. Baird & Co.

The dealer survey shows similar numbers to the estimate of a 12% decline by the analyst team at Milwaukee-based Baird led by Craig Kennison.

A 12% decline would be an improvement from the first half of the year when the company said it sold about 55,000 new motorcycles in the United States, which was down 22% from a year earlier, and about 93,000 worldwide, which was a 23% decline.

One cause of the sales slowdown is the decision by Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) to shift the timing of its new-product launch from the current quarter to early 2021, Baird said.

Under new chairman, president and CEO Jochen Zeitz, Harley decided to move its new model year introductions to early in the calendar year rather than during the prior summer, as it previously has done. That means 2021 models won't be officially announced until early next year.

Sixty-one percent of Harley-Davidson dealers reported new motorcycle inventory was too low, Baird reported.

“It’s hard to sell bikes when you don’t have them,” one unnamed dealer told Baird.

My local dealer has a big sign on the door that they are buying used bikes. They do have a large inventory of used bikes on hand. New models not so much.

Dealers are independent business, and they are going to do what makes them money.


A dealer can go to an auction, buy some low miles used bikes. Then detail and minor recondition them, keeping the guys in the shop busy during the winter. Then when spring comes make profit on a sale, easy to be more profitable than new sales. Everyone has the same road glide in new condition, so the cost is known. On that used one, no one has that exact model and condition. Not to say that a dealer is out to fleece anyone, but what they have in it is not public knowledge. The used one probably came with exhausts, intake and some chrome bits the new one does not have. Dealer can tune for low $$ since they have all the stuff. Harleys in milder states of tune tend to last a long time nowadays, It is not a bad deal for anyone. The occasional lemon can be parted off and recover most or all the investment. Not really good for Harley Davidson company, but good for the dealer. The dealers need to stay in business.


In the future, dealers will be need to be to be charging stations and rest areas selling drinks, food, stuff. Have the service folks look at the bikes coming in on the security camera for burned out lights, bald tires etc and then sell them.

That will be a interesting time.

Rod

I just got another message from the dealer I bought my Sport Glide from...wanting to buy my bike back. I replied to his email letting him know I had over 28k miles on the bike. That should end that enquiry.