Unfortunately they can afford to alienate their U.S. based customers because their international customer base is 5-times larger than the U.S. customer base. It's all a numbers game. Things will get worse for Harley before it gets better but it WILL get better for their profit margin.
Yeah, NO! Harley-Davidson is causing their own demise. Start with that woke foreigner who never should have been given the role of CEO of an American company. He has no understanding of the culture and lifestyle of the biking community.
You do realize no one was buying Harleys before he became ceo either right? HDs sales have steadily been dropping for a while. They're always on the brink of bankruptcy. Bc no one wants their outdated overpriced obsolete trash. Not even you boomers were buying them. That's why they had to try new things and try to expand their market. If y'all really love HD so much you should be supporting them so can stay in business rather than throw tantrums everytime they try something different or try to expand their market so they can stay in business. That's literally what this is all about. They didn't change their bikes. They just very slightly updated them and advertised to a new demographic and you boomers lost your minds. Even though none of you were buying Harleys anyway which is what originally caused them so much financial trouble. Y'all are seriously bigger snowflakes than the libs y'all talk shit on
Well, arguably neither did the previous American CEOs, as they've also consistently made the wrong decisions. Harley has been in a bad spot off and on for many decades and it seems unwilling or incapable of learning from previous mistakes.
Harley-Davidson is their own worst enemy. From making beautiful great sounding bikes only to put cheap parts in the engine and expecting you replace the inferior parts with Screamin Eagle, to getting out of touch with their prices, to eliminating the real Sportster and replacing it with that horrendous thing they call a Sportster now. You can't keep selling a blank canvas for the price of a Picasso and expect people not to catch on. I rode Harleys for the past 20 years but now I'm opening my eyes.
Woke, the African-American English synonym for the General American English word awake, has since the 1930s or earlier been used to refer to awareness of social and political issues affecting African Americans, often in the construction stay woke. People were being lynched.
I completely agree with you. On top of the things you mentioned, I think the biggest problem is their limiting the appeal of HD motorcycles instead of broadening it. The Bronx, if done right, would have appealed to the sport/naked bike market. They haven't released a mid-sized version of the Pan America. The largest segment of adventure bikes right now is the mid-size (650-900cc). Premium brands do great when the overall economy is doing great (i.e. when people have more money in their pockets). The past 4 years has not been that case. This is when HD should have been focusing on cheaper options, not eliminating them.
Yes they definitely should have a decent midsize range at a Affordable price point, Not made in China or Asia. We Have to bring America back for America 🇺🇲🏁
@dionrau5580 these younger generations can't afford 30 pluk K ....for a motorcycle. ..the ones that can now are the older generations that had great jobs with great pensions. ...they have left their base in the past ..
If HD had a 65hp 750 air-cooled engine with slick transmissions that captured cool like the Royal Enfield 650 bikes for under $8000 they will kill it. The "woke" argument is not the real issue. If they made a quality product that was a value and actually desirable to riders under 50 they would sell...
@@DanTheMailman330 A friend of mine has been a Harley rider for 50+ years now. He says they screwed themselves by eliminating all of the more affordable bikes from their lineup (he still has his old shovelhead!), by refusing to supply parts/service for bike older than 10 years, by replacing their mechanics with technicians, and by turning into a clothing/accessories shop that also sells a few motorcycles.
The European Union has stricter regulations on emissions. That’s why the Sportster was discontinued, and doesn’t look good for the touring models being air cooled. They may not be able to sell them too much longer in the Western European markets. HD saw it coming a long time ago before any of these sudden suggestions came along.
Some blame has to be on stockholders too. But yeah, the BoD is a huge part of the problem which they made worse by hiring Jochen Zeitz. Edit: I know stockholders are in it to make money and probably do not care about riding, but they have to know that the direction of the company is not right. They elect the board, which is why I lumped them into this.
Motorcycles are bought with discretionary money. Discretionary money has been eaten up by inflation the last 4 years. Combine that with an awful CEO and an awful Board of Directors you get this. If Harley were smart they would hire guys like you, Thrashin Supply, Adam Sandoval, Two Lane Life, Just Que, Too Tall, Ride to Food etc etc to be their marketers. Those guys and gals are way better marketers than anyone at HD corporate. Any decent motorcycle lover with a modicum of business sense and an attachment to reality could turn HD around in less than a year.
Harley Davidson is no longer Harley Davidson. Look up the main share holders and number 2 on the list is Blackrock. The main shareholders do not care about the company. They're not a party of its history and heritage. They would absolutely rather see this company disappear than go against their politics. After all, they will still be wealthy.
Harley done it to there own self by going over sea to produce there products cheaper as long as they are over there I will never buy another one and I have been riding a Harley for 60years
10 - 20 years ago it wasn’t totally crazy that a person in their 20’s bought an Iron 883, 30’s a softail and someone in their 40’s a Street Glide. That’s all gone. Unless you’re simply rich or inherit some property you didn’t count on and didn’t need, a new softail or touring model is a lot of money to put together. I live in the EU now and it’s a fact that the tariffs made the problem worse, but sure AF that wasn’t THE issue. The issue is that the directors are a bunch of woke elitists and don’t seem to know anything about bikes or bikers.
Trump wasn't hammering Mexico over immigration. He was hammering Mexico over ILLEGAL immigration. Big difference. Harley's woke CEO and board did this to themselves.
Harleys downfall is because of its own riders "gatekeeping." You don't see Ducati or Triumph riders disparaging other riders of the same brand as having "girl bikes" Harley is a t-shirt company that sells motorcycles as an afterthought.
I disagree 100%. Ducati people are the very worst. They can’t help, but spew elitist BS to justify spending too much on a rattle trap, that’s slower than a Yamaha, and a Suzuki.
There are haters in every group. If this is part of it, it is just a small part. I really think it is the BoD and CEO that is the problem. Jochen Zeitz actually said he wants HD to be a "boutique" brand and wants 100% electric motorcycles by 2030. Yeah, he can F* himself w/ that.
Thank you sir. I'll go out on a limb here ( out on a limb is where the fruit is) Who is making the decisions concerning canceling models and creating new ones? And what information are these people considering that influences these decisions? I understand that tariffs on steel raised the cost of Harley under Trump bc steel prices rose? So there's that. We had the death of the Dyna - why? Then there was the death of the air cooled Sportster. (I understand that emission standards in Europe were to blame) But why cease ALL production? The recent craze is high performance baggers and not just that. Let's go fast and loud on our Harleys, do stunts and push the engine size beyond its limits. Just who benefits from this? The Dyna supposedly went by the way of the dodo bird bc allegedly a segment of Harley riders was not buying those bikes at the same rate as before. So what was the solution? Kill that lineup and turn your back on those middle age riders. Emissions in Eurooe allegedly affected sales of the air cooled Sportster. So what was the solution? Kill that lineup and turn your back on those folks that love a Sportster- the look, the sound, the price and the Sportsters heritage. In 2018 when the Pan American was introduced rumors began immediately. A segment of Harley Davidson loyalists- probably up in age BUT interested in adventure bikes nonetheless made it known a smaller version of the Pan American would be welcome. What happened? No smaller version of the Pan American ever came to production. Instead rumors of the Bronx abounded (then quickly disappeared) and 2 versions of a Sportster, liquid cooled with a higher pricetag were introduced. Quite frankly nobody asked for those Sportsters and obviously not many people want them. Remember the Harley branded Aermacchis that AMF killed? 2 stroke Harley badged Aermacchis were selling. And as the Aermacchi segment was coming to an end Harley was developing a liquid cooled 2 stroke. Look were liquid cooled 2 strokes are today. Again, when Harley discontinued almost 2 decades of dirt bikes and versions of the German DKW RT125 l7ke the Hummer along with the Sprint they turned their back on a segment of loyal riders leaving a vacancy. LOYAL TO HARLEY BUT SEEKING A CHANGE I'm a 66 year age disabled veteran and loyal to the brand - well, used to be. I waited 8 years, like others for a smaller version of the Pan American and it never came. So I recently purchased a 2024 Kawasaki klr 650. I still ride a 2007 Ultra Classic but not as much. Blame it all on whatever; aging riders, emissions, the current bagger fad, high performance machines and what you come up with is a lack of ingenuity on Harleys part. And those making decisions clearly don't care about those who have been loyal to the brand for decades. Instead of being clever, inventive and original the people at Harley are kowtowing to fads and turning their backs on loyal buyers as they have for decades except peopleare now waking up to this fact. Take from this what you will. I'm no longer loyal to the brand. And one more thing. Why is the clothing store at the Harley dealership called a boutique?
The down fall of harely davidson is coperate culture. The current iteration of this does not support a motor cycle company that sells large displacement motor cycles. Don't turn on your customers.
How in the h-e-double hockey sticks is the lack of marketing & ESG bullsheet & CEO world view, the fault of DJT?? I don’t even understand the question.
Still riding my first and only Harley. A 1995 springer softail. It’s been very reliable, still runs great and the original paint still shines up nicely. It’s not fast and doesn’t stop on a dime but i still get a grin whenever I throw a leg over it. It’s easy to maintain and on the rare occasion something goes wrong it’s easy to fix yourself. What more can you ask for in a bike?
Dude the importing companies DO NOT PAY Money because of Tariffs! We pay the higher prices in the end consumer price. In theory that is supposed to stop us from buying foreign goods
Hi from the UK I think your spot on everyone knew the the CEO agenda when he more or less gave himself the job or people should have with the board Harley have not sure it will take 5 years love my harley and the fact you guys and girls bolted her together. Over here dealership closing at a rate I've not seen in my 45 years of rideing I wish you guys luck ride free
Trump didn't help Harley. But at the end of the day Harley's problem is their product is too expensive for buyers. If you really want a Harley and you're working class, you got a shop used. It's only doctors and lawyers. Rubs that can afford to purchase new. They've forgotten who their fan base really is.
That would not be bad at all. Make them simple but only parts made in USA, the most affordable they can, barebone technology and then give them free, after a year work, to all the people that works for government. This would bring HD on first place fast.
The biggest problem I see is the value of my current Harley.If I can’t get a decent price for my old motorcycle,then this turns me off to buying a new one.
You pretty much nailed this on the head. It is a combination of factors and Harley Davidson did it to themselves. I am not a Harley hater. I just don't fit well on their motorcycles. The cost of mods to make it rideable would have been prohibitive. Even the dealership personnel told me that. This is a multi-decade progression and a new generation just isn't interested.
rofl...HD has been slowly dying (both figuratively and literally their customer base) since the recession (we have the numbers to prove it) with no efforts made to get new people. the DEI stuff is just the HD riders recent cope about why HDs are overpriced, underpowered bikes that perpetuate a us v. them culture.
@travisc231 I know what your saying is true about overpriced but I know that they also hurt their sales with their woke CEO because like I said there are a lot more straight bikers than woke bikers. Look over social media at all the people destroying their Harley's because of that woke CEO. Hell look at all the people that voted for Trump because their against the woke agenda.
They are getting parts from all over the world and yet they have a high price tag with little value for money? How much would it cost then if all the parts were US made? Something is fundamentally wrong here? I think HD has exploited the loyalty of their riders far too long and far too much to fill their own cofers. HD motorcycles are losing their shine over to other manufacturers that produce superior bikes with value for money.
Tariffs have nothing to do with it. We used to tariff the hell out of countries. This has to do with Jochen Zeitz. His idea of hiring only certain groups within the protected classes has ruined Harley along with inflation. Sales are not going to pick back up. I worked under contract for them and even though the idea was to make the workplace less hostile, the policy enacted by Zeitz made it more so.
My biggest disappointment with the MoCo is the fact they charge premium prices for their bikes and then load them up with cheap internal parts and lousy suspension.
a new 2025 cvo road glide in vancouver has a sales pricetag 64000.00 before taxes and fees how many people will pay this i bought my 2015 cvo road glide in 2017 used for half this amount now the 25 has some upgrades but they are not worth $35000.00
So many elements to this stuff. There's the nuts and bolts of it; raw materials, parts, etc. Products, price points, etc. There are some other macro factors also. The market, bikes in general, has shrunk. Seems the simple reality is there are only so many buyers and that's much much smaller than its been in the past. Why? Seems to be a few reasons. Disposable income is down. U could argue that should boost entry level bikes but that seems to be countered by safety issues. Knowledge is out there. The internet has exploded with health issues, fitness etc. As an example, cigarette sales have plummeted. Motorcycles are simply more dangerous and cars have gotten safer and safer. When full autonomous cars come out, deaths will plummet. So, the population at large is simply not risking it. Younger peeps are glued to phones, they are not out there shaking it up on the sports fields. That attitude decimates all things active. Speaking of attitude, the south park episode really put a huge chunk of Harleys in a specific, and accurate, light. Who wants to be part of that? Peeps, possible buyers, under 30 see that and say no. Peeps here aren't going to want to hear this, but maga dominates Harley. That alone limits the buyer base. Maga is not inclusive. Why would anyone outside of that want to join? Confederate flags and nazis symbols waved around? No thx. You guys screaming, "Woke!" is ridiculous and limits people joining. News flash, every business and corporation is "woke" to some degree or another. Capitalism actually demands it. That's my opinion on some of the broader forces at play. Complex stuff and interesting
I think harley put their nail in the coffin going woke . Not to mention my friends as well as I hate the new bikes I have a 2017 sgs, my buddy had had a 2020 sgs . We both will never won't ungrade as well as others. Bags look like a yamaha . To many electrics all controlled by their notorious garbage untrustworthy radios. Also not to forget 30,000 for an overpriced bike where you have to replace pretty much everything
I just got my first harley 2004 heritage. Im new to riding and im hooked. Its used but new to me. I turn heads and only see a few riders on the road. Its more affordable that a full sized vehicle. Ive been telling everyone who will listen to get a bike
Most recent ride was an '11 Sportster until being sideswiped by a truck. Ouch! Threw my leg over a V-twin 750 a few years ago. Could def. go there. Looking at Nightster w/ passenger pillion. Looking at my personal energy and budget for when Buffalo, NY is not under snow warnings. Why has to be so heavy and expensive? Really want decent passenger seating and center stand!
What if, maybe its far off, but just imagine if powers that want everyone to go EV, Harley and a few other vehicle manufacturers are against it would perhaps be easier to just sink Harley then forcing the company to go green???
If you wanna know why ultimately, just go to a dealership and look at the prices. People are hurting financially and $18k bikes just aren't on the menu right now.
Let's cut the crap and stop blaming this guy or that. Me: "Would you Iike this brand new Harley or this latest Eye- Fone? " "Young Cat: I'll take de fone." There's the problem that all recreational vehicle manufacturers lie awake at night trying to solve.
Recently I looked at a Sportster with 2000 miles and surface rust and no real history that was left outside with no protection. They wanted about $6k. An independent shop close to me has a immaculate sportster with reasonable miles for a $4000 price. Dealers have to pay for all the dealership requirements. I suspect HD dealer adder is $4-6k on the average. BTW love my Softail.
@@johnneal00 business don't think about people they think profit. John Deere moving production to Mexico isn't about bringing good jobs to the Mexican people, it's stone cold about profit and loss. Tariffs are in the end paid by the end consumer. Sad
@@DavidClifton-f1t The idea is to reduce/remove federal income tax and then supplement with tariffs. The people get paid more and get to choose whether they want the french cheese with the tariff or the American brand that's cheaper.
@@johnneal00 Capitalism likes free trade the dollars gotta flow to the elites Tarriffs are just Commie socialsim i blame Musky an his Woke cars trying to shaft oil workers why does Apple and Xbox get made in chine then why does china own American debt coz the Money heads like Musky want it that way so they can sell more woke-mobiles
A couple things: 1) companies started to outsource their production as a result of NAFTA, not any tariff issue-and LONG before any Trump policy. 2) I am of the mind that since the board and CEO are so disconnected from real people, nothing other than converting HD back to a private company will work. They all need to go. 3) Starbuck claimed that he removed DEI from HD (and many others) but has not removed it at HD. It is still there. He lied. I agree with you overall, HD did this to themselves, and more than anything the leadership is to blame for ALL of it. Nice video.
You’re insane if you’re trying to compare a Rolls-Royce to a Harley Davidson. When was the last time you saw a methed out Boomer riding in a Rolls-Royce?
I think it’s cool that Indian now has an entry level Scout Sixty for $9,999. And it’s made in America, not Thailand. Personally I like the Scout 101, but I hope the new Sixty does good.
I bought an Indian for several reasons. Every cruiser around here is HD and I just wasn't looking to be yet another HOG on the road. I really like the new models and don't have a problem with a 'Polaris' Indian. I got a better deal for my money and really don't need to do much, if anything, to make my bike what I want it to be. I am happy with my purchase but don't think for a second maintaining an Indian is any cheaper than HD. American motorcycle pricing is completely ridiculous. I feel like it's aimed at higher income individuals and not so much the blue collar guy, who wants to ride American, but can barely afford it. I'm surprised these companies haven't priced themselves out of business.
The problem with Harley is simply that their bikes are too expensive. I'm in Canada and their basic models start at around $20k with full dressers are running $40K and the only demographic that can afford that for what is essentially a weekend toy are the 50+ doctors, dentists, successful etc. As 60+ year old I went into the dealership earlier this year and they came up to me and asked me if I wanted to test ride one. It was a nice bike but this is a CAD50K bike. For me, even though I have that kind of money available, as a "value" orientated consumer I simply don't want to spend that kind of money on a motorcycle when I can go buy a 2-4 year old Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager for CAD14K, spend a couple of thousand $ and have something that will do everything a Harley can do and more reliably. Yes the finish and looks are not as good but for the price who cares. HD's wokeness does not help but the real issue is simply the bikes are too expensive for what they are.
Harley did it to themselves. A new Harley was once a treat to own. They had waiting lists. They were made in America with American parts. They flooded the market and started using Asian workforces. They charge 50k for a 25k motorcycle.
Trump couldn't pass an 8th grade civics test, OR economics test. Tariffs bailed Harley out in the 80's, and tons of people still bought Japanese bikes, they just payed more. This time around, Harley priced themselves out of business.
You are wrong on so many levels it will simply take up too much time to explain and even if I do I can tell you won’t understand the basic fundamentals as to why manufacturing (full stop) is failing in the US and HD’s problems are much more than any administration and or CEO. It all comes down to the end consumer and the reliance on China (for cheaper everything. Your clothes, your appliances, electronics, components, etc). America led this movement well before you actually think as it started 3 decades ago with offshore manufacturing. Is it too late for HD? The short answer is yes. Who is to blame? The consumers of any said product.
I think you’re wrong on a few levels. The past 20 years Harley has not made the working man’s bike. They made high end bikes. Also, the new Harley wants to change the culture. You can see that on the new marketing campaign. They don’t want the over weight tattooed, I don’t shave or wash myself looking rider. They want new riders that don’t scare the public and that will take a while. Harley wants to go back the original format brought on by the Harley family when they first made bikes. Up to date technology, bikes for everyone. Harley now has these super new engines because they threw out the old tech but still kept their heritage and that’s a good start.
Harley Davidson sunk themselves. As mentioned, the death knell was hiring the current CEO & board. I have been a die hard Harley rider for 45 years. Shovel to 2024 Road Glide, 10 HD's. I live and love the bikes and culture but this fool has sunk the company. Also, the greed on the part of the dealer principals and their mega car dealership owners and mentality. Most will try harder to find a reason to deny a warranty fix than to work with the owner to resolve issues. Many of the bikes are rushed to production and have the owners act as beta testers. Ridiculous. Love the bikes, hate the company. Personally, I hope they do fail, they deserve it. They abandoned their loyal base. Actions have consequences. The only way for the Motor Company to survive is to get rid of the sneaker salesman and the woke board. The only way that will happen is for a major drop in sales across the board (bikes, parts, apparel etc). They have priced themselves out of business trying to develop an elitist crowd. Sneaker boy better pay attention, the woke, elitist crowd just got sent packing on November 5th. He and his board need to be sent the same way. I have the ability and tooling to maintain and fix the majority of my bikes, unfortunately, many newer owners do not. They are the ones that need to start making noise for change if they want to continue riding Harley's.
It's not that other countries don't have the same values. Alot do. It's just if you want to compete or even just survive on a global stage, you have to think globally. Not an easy pill to swallow i grant you but there it is. Harley Davidson hasn't been about the working man for over 40 years! There's no way an average bloke can buy a new H D. Let's face it, not even a second hand one. Ferrari is a premium brand. Who the hell can afford one of those? With the state of the motorcycle industry and the amount of competition out there, Harley doesn't stand a chance. And to be honest, maybe they shouldn't. They don’t care about their customers. Unless they're rich! Let's face it, if Reagan hadn't stepped in to help H D back in the 80's, they'd have disappeared 40 years ago! America is expensive to build anything. Europe is for the same reason. Like it or not, the free market dictates what will survive and the free market is what the USA is supposed to be about. You can't just pick and choose and bleat that it's not fair. Life isn't fair. I reckon, even if they voted out the board of directors and the CEO, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Generation Z is the first generation that is worse off than they're parents. They aren't going to spend their hard earned on a 20 or 30 grand bike. I own a Royal Enfield Classic 350. Designed in England. Built in India. 4.5 grand new with a 3 year unlimited mile warranty. It looks, sounds, and is great to ride. I'm pretty broke but i get 100 smiles to the gallon. Do i wish it was made in England? Absolutely! Could i afford it if it was? Absolutely not! Their 650cc bikes are under 8 grand! They are a good quality bike for the kind of money that a poor, working class bloke can actually afford. It's a no brainer! Americans are just going to have to swallow a pill that we had to swallow 50 years years ago. It's a shame. It's life. It ain't fair!
So many companies are getting stupid. Companies hire CEO's that don't understand their market. Luckily it is slowly changing. I wish Harley would get smart and offer a $7,000 beginner bike. I am personally not in the market for a beginner bike but this is the best way to bring new riders into the brand. All brands are doing it now. Ducati, BMW and KTM offer entry level bikes. All three of those companies make high end bikes also.
Great insights Hegshot! Started watching your gun channel years ago. Now watching your motorcycle stuff. Thank you for being truthful and not trying to win brownie points with the woke mob. I've lost a lot of so called friends doing that. Just wanted to say thank you.
Apparently Harley is a company that cares 15:34 about the heritage of itself with his company. Heritage Softail Classic... I don't think anything can beat that!
It is inevitable Harley Davidson will fail unless the CEO and entire board of directors is fired! Like you said it would do no good to get rid of the POS CEO. The board would just find someone new to do their bidding!
The revolution max motors on bikes sold in the U.S. are made here in the U.S. I am currently working at the Milwaukee engine plant and they are made here
Motorcycle Sales of all brands are way down right now, thanks to Bidenomics. The only bikes that are still selling well are small adventure bikes and small street bikes. Two Sectors that HD does not have a model available in the USA. They sell the Benelli Designed Chinese Built bikes in Europe and Asia .
Honda Gold Wings are selling. They hold their resale value very well. Unlike HD. I lost 18K on my 2017 Road Glide with 4000 miles on the POS. All HD look alike. So everyone including myself dumps tons of money into the bike to make it look different. Rode HD 45 years. I will never buy another overpriced hot in the summer bike like HD. I could careless about the sound or the tough guy image projected. My next bike will be a Gold Wing.
@@kevindecker9444 Up until Recently HD's have had a very high re-sale Value.. I don't know why other than being brainwashed. You can buy older Gold Wings very cheap. They are much more Reliable than HD's are. I paid $4,500 for a 2008 Buell Ulysess in 2022 with 15,000 miles on it. It eats Harleys for lunch. It came with side cases and a top case. It needed new tires a taller windscreen ect. It does roast my balls on hot days for sure.
that interceptor looks like a lot of fun; Royal Enfield is doing things harley should be doing making and developing first time riders who will stick with the brand. Enfield and Triumph both are doing this and are taking share from HD.
@@sean8470 you mean Thai-umph and Royal India-field both Fakes cashing in on nostalgia for the Brit bikes which ironically Died outdue to cheap bikes made elsewhere
The challenge is HD wanted to go global . Globalization requires that a company see the views of the entire world not just the USA… HD real challenge is its traditional customer base has aged out.
Political views aside... Politicians should not point out woke companies.... And even more so as a sound bite .. the real reason for a company to have diversity and green foot print is about taxes in foreign markets, other than the USA carbon tax, most counties give huge tax savings and sometimes they are prevented from doing business without these policies in place... So a guy in Nebraska doesn't like them allowing a gay mechanic working on his bike and the company agrees it will lead to smaller markets and their downfall....I know this as I worked with Google on the same issues.
I seen this 25 years ago when the twinke motor came out… tore another hardly down to nuts n bolts for a custom-ish powder coat and very sadly found a lot of made in Korea Japan or wherever other than “made in USA” what a joke. I flipped my patch, people would ask why? “If I have to explain you wouldn’t understand”😂
I watched Motorola, a once global powerhouse, deteriorate around me into the tiny company they are today because of arrogance and narrow minded thinking. They couldn’t admit digital phones were better that analog ones. They, among others, put up a satellite system called Iridium. These two decisions, plus the CEO stepping down, were the demise of this great company. I hope Harley-Davidson does better because no company is too big to fail unless, of course, the government bails them out like it did in 2008 with certain financial institutions.
Harley has destroyed Harley Davidson. No different to a lot of bike manufacturers that are knocking out big displacement machines, they just aren't selling in enough numbers anymore, people are going for lower displacement machines, plus people just haven't that kind of stupid money that Harley ask, then you have to look at how fewer younger riders are coming through and embracing that lifestyle. The adventure bike scene is doing well but again they can be expensive, the one scene that is going through a major resurgence here in the UK and mainland Europe is the chopper scene, you need a donor bike and a frame or some good welding skills and you have a cool ass bike for pocket money, not taking a loan out for 35k dollars.
I've ridden Harley-Davidsons since the 1960s. The "motor company" lost a ridership among a lot of younger riders. H-Ds are perceived as "an old man's bike," Cheaper imported motorcycles also lead to H-D's troubles. I worked at a Honda dealership, so I know what happened back in the 1980s. Back then, the USA was flooded with foreign-made bikes. Trump had nothing to do with H-D's troubles. Upper-level management at H-D is to blame. Building bikes which must comply with European regulations isn't helping either. I'm a big fan of air-cooled motorcycle engines. Radiators belong on cars. The newer bikes look like they're put together with model glue. H-D's liquid-cooled bikes have all the aesthetics of a chunk of gravel. For those who can afford them, buy aftermarket engines from S&S and Ultima. Transmissions from Baker Driveline are pricey, but they are solid (and American-made). In short, learn how to turn and burn metal. Learning new skills is great for a guy or gal. Fire that CEO at H-D and put an American at the helm -- a guy like Willie G. Bring H-D jobs back to the USA! Ride safe -- W
you had Americans in charge when they sold it to AMF and when they opened the Thai plant Bad leadership is Bad leadership doesnt matter from where they hail. you have to look at what they are selling take the CVO st it has worse spec than my 848 ducati evo corse and that was a 2012 bike the equipment they come with is what you would expect on some cheap chinese made 250cc , my Road Glide ST has worse suspension than the forty eight or Lowrider St i had , the dealer said its for riders 500lb plus or doesnt work i mean who do they expect to ride these bikes Jabba the Hutt !!!
We can see that HD, Inc is starting to publicize the advantages of buying a police model. Like the discontinued FLHT, these are basic, no frills machines. Truer Harleys than any of the lineup. Bikes made for the working man so he can afford to own a piece of America, once upon a time.
Sadly they won't change with the times and giving a more younger base any choices. There prices are out of range for most realistic people. My friends at work are HD riders for years , extremely disappointed in HD and would not invest and tells others not to bother. That's bad from a 2 dedicated riders i was considering the Pan American but now BMW and Ducati have copied and surpassed the tech from that very model
Done with Harley , to many hidden cost , Repair cost totally out of hand, recalls you have to fight with the company. The cost of a Harley n what you get is totally ridiculous.
Harley Davidson’s greed caused their own downfall…have you seen how much HD motorcycles cost these days. Many of their products are not even made in USA.
I totally agree. Harley sealed themselves from my wallet. Alienating your customer base has consequences.
Unfortunately they can afford to alienate their U.S. based customers because their international customer base is 5-times larger than the U.S. customer base. It's all a numbers game. Things will get worse for Harley before it gets better but it WILL get better for their profit margin.
CEO gotta go.
Not just the CEO. The whole board of directors approved the CEO.
Yeah, NO! Harley-Davidson is causing their own demise. Start with that woke foreigner who never should have been given the role of CEO of an American company. He has no understanding of the culture and lifestyle of the biking community.
Then embrace the shrinkage.
Who wants to join u guys screaming "woke!"? There are only so many of u out there and the market is showing that.
You do realize no one was buying Harleys before he became ceo either right? HDs sales have steadily been dropping for a while. They're always on the brink of bankruptcy. Bc no one wants their outdated overpriced obsolete trash. Not even you boomers were buying them. That's why they had to try new things and try to expand their market. If y'all really love HD so much you should be supporting them so can stay in business rather than throw tantrums everytime they try something different or try to expand their market so they can stay in business. That's literally what this is all about. They didn't change their bikes. They just very slightly updated them and advertised to a new demographic and you boomers lost your minds. Even though none of you were buying Harleys anyway which is what originally caused them so much financial trouble. Y'all are seriously bigger snowflakes than the libs y'all talk shit on
I agree
Bingo!
Well, arguably neither did the previous American CEOs, as they've also consistently made the wrong decisions. Harley has been in a bad spot off and on for many decades and it seems unwilling or incapable of learning from previous mistakes.
Harley-Davidson is their own worst enemy. From making beautiful great sounding bikes only to put cheap parts in the engine and expecting you replace the inferior parts with Screamin Eagle, to getting out of touch with their prices, to eliminating the real Sportster and replacing it with that horrendous thing they call a Sportster now. You can't keep selling a blank canvas for the price of a Picasso and expect people not to catch on. I rode Harleys for the past 20 years but now I'm opening my eyes.
Everyone wants to blame Trump for everything. Harley’s woke CEO and Board of Directors are destroying the brand.
The current CEO's tenure has been mostly in a Democratic woke craziness. Harley does it to themselves
Woke, the African-American English synonym for the General American English word awake, has since the 1930s or earlier been used to refer to awareness of social and political issues affecting African Americans, often in the construction stay woke. People were being lynched.
@ like many other words the left has changed the definitions. What word would you prefer we use?
@@robertradke8026 anything other than disrespecting all the people that died for civil rights or just being black in America.
I completely agree with you. On top of the things you mentioned, I think the biggest problem is their limiting the appeal of HD motorcycles instead of broadening it. The Bronx, if done right, would have appealed to the sport/naked bike market. They haven't released a mid-sized version of the Pan America. The largest segment of adventure bikes right now is the mid-size (650-900cc). Premium brands do great when the overall economy is doing great (i.e. when people have more money in their pockets). The past 4 years has not been that case. This is when HD should have been focusing on cheaper options, not eliminating them.
Yes they definitely should have a decent midsize range at a Affordable price point,
Not made in China or Asia. We Have to bring America back for America 🇺🇲🏁
@dionrau5580 these younger generations can't afford 30 pluk K ....for a motorcycle. ..the ones that can now are the older generations that had great jobs with great pensions. ...they have left their base in the past ..
If HD had a 65hp 750 air-cooled engine with slick transmissions that captured cool like the Royal Enfield 650 bikes for under $8000 they will kill it.
The "woke" argument is not the real issue. If they made a quality product that was a value and actually desirable to riders under 50 they would sell...
@@DanTheMailman330 A friend of mine has been a Harley rider for 50+ years now. He says they screwed themselves by eliminating all of the more affordable bikes from their lineup (he still has his old shovelhead!), by refusing to supply parts/service for bike older than 10 years, by replacing their mechanics with technicians, and by turning into a clothing/accessories shop that also sells a few motorcycles.
The European Union has stricter regulations on emissions. That’s why the Sportster was discontinued, and doesn’t look good for the touring models being air cooled. They may not be able to sell them too much longer in the Western European markets. HD saw it coming a long time ago before any of these sudden suggestions came along.
The board will rather let it all vanish into dust. ESG and DEI policies in a nutshell.
Some blame has to be on stockholders too. But yeah, the BoD is a huge part of the problem which they made worse by hiring Jochen Zeitz. Edit: I know stockholders are in it to make money and probably do not care about riding, but they have to know that the direction of the company is not right. They elect the board, which is why I lumped them into this.
The only reason Harley is still around is its impossible to do a blindfold test on a motorcycle.
Motorcycles are bought with discretionary money. Discretionary money has been eaten up by inflation the last 4 years. Combine that with an awful CEO and an awful Board of Directors you get this.
If Harley were smart they would hire guys like you, Thrashin Supply, Adam Sandoval, Two Lane Life, Just Que, Too Tall, Ride to Food etc etc to be their marketers. Those guys and gals are way better marketers than anyone at HD corporate.
Any decent motorcycle lover with a modicum of business sense and an attachment to reality could turn HD around in less than a year.
100%
Harley Davidson is no longer Harley Davidson. Look up the main share holders and number 2 on the list is Blackrock. The main shareholders do not care about the company. They're not a party of its history and heritage. They would absolutely rather see this company disappear than go against their politics. After all, they will still be wealthy.
Honda can produce in the USA and they don,t charge you 50000 for old tech
In a nutshell.
Big difference between a shoe company and harley
Harley done it to there own self by going over sea to produce there products cheaper as long as they are over there I will never buy another one and I have been riding a Harley for 60years
Likewise I have owned several H-D until they ruined my good name
Which models do they make overseas and sell in the US?
10 - 20 years ago it wasn’t totally crazy that a person in their 20’s bought an Iron 883, 30’s a softail and someone in their 40’s a Street Glide. That’s all gone. Unless you’re simply rich or inherit some property you didn’t count on and didn’t need, a new softail or touring model is a lot of money to put together.
I live in the EU now and it’s a fact that the tariffs made the problem worse, but sure AF that wasn’t THE issue. The issue is that the directors are a bunch of woke elitists and don’t seem to know anything about bikes or bikers.
With their unreliable and WOKENESS, Harley did not need any help. Thank you for listening.
With the woke German CEO.
Super reliable bikes for many years now. Thank you for listening.
If I had to choose between my Harley Davidson and President Donald Trump, I would choose Trump 1,000 times out of 1,000.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
💯
you'd look damm silly riding to Sturgis on Donald J
@@scooternut7198 🤣
Trump wasn't hammering Mexico over immigration. He was hammering Mexico over ILLEGAL immigration. Big difference. Harley's woke CEO and board did this to themselves.
I agree!!! Indian is a More American bike now. I left Harley and bought an Indian.
Put a Davidson in charge if available and they are not woke. Willie G was a big benefit in the 80's and 90's because he knew the culture.
Harleys downfall is because of its own riders "gatekeeping." You don't see Ducati or Triumph riders disparaging other riders of the same brand as having "girl bikes" Harley is a t-shirt company that sells motorcycles as an afterthought.
I disagree 100%. Ducati people are the very worst. They can’t help, but spew elitist BS to justify spending too much on a rattle trap, that’s slower than a Yamaha, and a Suzuki.
@soldierboy425 you just proved my point.
@@slevenc-1377he completely disagrees with you and you claim he proved your point! 🤦♂️
Years ago you would have kicked an ant hill.
There are haters in every group. If this is part of it, it is just a small part. I really think it is the BoD and CEO that is the problem. Jochen Zeitz actually said he wants HD to be a "boutique" brand and wants 100% electric motorcycles by 2030. Yeah, he can F* himself w/ that.
💯 on the board and CEO, definitely need to change up
Thank you sir.
I'll go out on a limb here ( out on a limb is where the fruit is)
Who is making the decisions concerning canceling models and creating new ones?
And what information are these people considering that influences these decisions?
I understand that tariffs on steel raised the cost of Harley under Trump bc steel prices rose?
So there's that.
We had the death of the Dyna - why?
Then there was the death of the air cooled Sportster. (I understand that emission standards in Europe were to blame) But why cease ALL production?
The recent craze is high performance baggers and not just that.
Let's go fast and loud on our Harleys, do stunts and push the engine size beyond its limits.
Just who benefits from this?
The Dyna supposedly went by the way of the dodo bird bc allegedly a segment of Harley riders was not buying those bikes at the same rate as before.
So what was the solution? Kill that lineup and turn your back on those middle age riders.
Emissions in Eurooe allegedly affected sales of the air cooled Sportster.
So what was the solution? Kill that lineup and turn your back on those folks that love a Sportster- the look, the sound, the price and the Sportsters heritage.
In 2018 when the Pan American was introduced rumors began immediately.
A segment of Harley Davidson loyalists- probably up in age BUT interested in adventure bikes nonetheless made it known a smaller version of the Pan American would be welcome.
What happened?
No smaller version of the Pan American ever came to production.
Instead rumors of the Bronx abounded (then quickly disappeared) and 2 versions of a Sportster, liquid cooled with a higher pricetag were introduced.
Quite frankly nobody asked for those Sportsters and obviously not many people want them.
Remember the Harley branded Aermacchis that AMF killed? 2 stroke Harley badged Aermacchis were selling.
And as the Aermacchi segment was coming to an end Harley was developing a liquid cooled 2 stroke.
Look were liquid cooled 2 strokes are today.
Again, when Harley discontinued almost 2 decades of dirt bikes and versions of the
German DKW RT125 l7ke the Hummer along with the Sprint they turned their back on a segment of loyal riders leaving a vacancy.
LOYAL TO HARLEY BUT SEEKING A CHANGE
I'm a 66 year age disabled veteran and loyal to the brand - well, used to be.
I waited 8 years, like others for a smaller version of the Pan American and it never came.
So I recently purchased a 2024 Kawasaki klr 650.
I still ride a 2007 Ultra Classic but not as much.
Blame it all on whatever;
aging riders,
emissions,
the current bagger fad, high performance machines
and what you come up with is a lack of ingenuity on Harleys part.
And those making decisions clearly don't care about those who have been loyal to the brand for decades.
Instead of being clever, inventive and original the people at Harley are kowtowing to fads and turning their backs on loyal buyers as they have for decades except peopleare now waking up to this fact.
Take from this what you will. I'm no longer loyal to the brand.
And one more thing. Why is the clothing store at the Harley dealership called a boutique?
The down fall of harely davidson is coperate culture. The current iteration of this does not support a motor cycle company that sells large displacement motor cycles. Don't turn on your customers.
Almost any corporation in America has this problem
How in the h-e-double hockey sticks is the lack of marketing & ESG bullsheet & CEO world view, the fault of DJT?? I don’t even understand the question.
I love everybody and their “i’ll pay more to buy american “ but everything they own besides their Harley is made somewhere else.
Maybe they should reconsider CEO and executive compensation. These companies have been eating the American workers lunch since 1978.
Still riding my first and only Harley. A 1995 springer softail. It’s been very reliable, still runs great and the original paint still shines up nicely. It’s not fast and doesn’t stop on a dime but i still get a grin whenever I throw a leg over it. It’s easy to maintain and on the rare occasion something goes wrong it’s easy to fix yourself. What more can you ask for in a bike?
That entire board needs to be replaced with people who actually ride and have the pulse of the customers who buy Harley.
Please explain to me why your backdrop has to look like an ad for Militia Recruiting? 🤔
Dude the importing companies DO NOT PAY Money because of Tariffs! We pay the higher prices in the end consumer price. In theory that is supposed to stop us from buying foreign goods
You are the only one here that is correct and spot on!
Hi from the UK I think your spot on everyone knew the the CEO agenda when he more or less gave himself the job or people should have with the board Harley have not sure it will take 5 years love my harley and the fact you guys and girls bolted her together. Over here dealership closing at a rate I've not seen in my 45 years of rideing I wish you guys luck ride free
Trump didn't help Harley. But at the end of the day Harley's problem is their product is too expensive for buyers. If you really want a Harley and you're working class, you got a shop used. It's only doctors and lawyers. Rubs that can afford to purchase new. They've forgotten who their fan base really is.
Here's a thought Trump or Musk buys Harley to make Harley's great again!
That would not be bad at all. Make them simple but only parts made in USA, the most affordable they can, barebone technology and then give them free, after a year work, to all the people that works for government. This would bring HD on first place fast.
@@xchalibur77 sounds like Communism to me, MUskY makes godamm electrickerzity woke Cars ,think of all the US Oil workers he'll dump on
The board of directors are they riders . If not, they should be then they'd understand
Jeep/Chrysler/Dodge in trouble too. 😀😀😀😀 Prices too high for new vehicles!!
I say in five years they want be Harley’s anymore just the 2000 or older bikes
The question is: will Honda return Goldwing production back to America.
The biggest problem I see is the value of my current Harley.If I can’t get a decent price for my old motorcycle,then this turns me off to buying a new one.
Indian now do 3 types of the Basic scout for under 10K
The European tariffs on American motorcycles were repealed a couple of years ago.
You pretty much nailed this on the head. It is a combination of factors and Harley Davidson did it to themselves. I am not a Harley hater. I just don't fit well on their motorcycles. The cost of mods to make it rideable would have been prohibitive. Even the dealership personnel told me that. This is a multi-decade progression and a new generation just isn't interested.
Harley needed to realize there are a lot more straight bikers than woke bikers that by bikes but I think it's to late to fix their mistake now.
rofl...HD has been slowly dying (both figuratively and literally their customer base) since the recession (we have the numbers to prove it) with no efforts made to get new people. the DEI stuff is just the HD riders recent cope about why HDs are overpriced, underpowered bikes that perpetuate a us v. them culture.
@travisc231 I know what your saying is true about overpriced but I know that they also hurt their sales with their woke CEO because like I said there are a lot more straight bikers than woke bikers. Look over social media at all the people destroying their Harley's because of that woke CEO. Hell look at all the people that voted for Trump because their against the woke agenda.
They are getting parts from all over the world and yet they have a high price tag with little value for money? How much would it cost then if all the parts were US made?
Something is fundamentally wrong here? I think HD has exploited the loyalty of their riders far too long and far too much to fill their own cofers.
HD motorcycles are losing their shine over to other manufacturers that produce superior bikes with value for money.
I didn't get rid of my Harley because of Trump I got rid of it because of their woke CEO.
Tariffs have nothing to do with it. We used to tariff the hell out of countries. This has to do with Jochen Zeitz. His idea of hiring only certain groups within the protected classes has ruined Harley along with inflation. Sales are not going to pick back up. I worked under contract for them and even though the idea was to make the workplace less hostile, the policy enacted by Zeitz made it more so.
My biggest disappointment with the MoCo is the fact they charge premium prices for their bikes and then load them up with cheap internal parts and lousy suspension.
buy Indian Motorcycles get more bike for your money and still made in America
a new 2025 cvo road glide in vancouver has a sales pricetag 64000.00 before taxes and fees how many people will pay this i bought my 2015 cvo road glide in 2017 used for half this amount now the 25 has some upgrades but they are not worth $35000.00
So many elements to this stuff. There's the nuts and bolts of it; raw materials, parts, etc. Products, price points, etc.
There are some other macro factors also.
The market, bikes in general, has shrunk. Seems the simple reality is there are only so many buyers and that's much much smaller than its been in the past.
Why?
Seems to be a few reasons.
Disposable income is down. U could argue that should boost entry level bikes but that seems to be countered by safety issues. Knowledge is out there. The internet has exploded with health issues, fitness etc. As an example, cigarette sales have plummeted. Motorcycles are simply more dangerous and cars have gotten safer and safer. When full autonomous cars come out, deaths will plummet.
So, the population at large is simply not risking it.
Younger peeps are glued to phones, they are not out there shaking it up on the sports fields. That attitude decimates all things active.
Speaking of attitude, the south park episode really put a huge chunk of Harleys in a specific, and accurate, light. Who wants to be part of that? Peeps, possible buyers, under 30 see that and say no.
Peeps here aren't going to want to hear this, but maga dominates Harley. That alone limits the buyer base. Maga is not inclusive. Why would anyone outside of that want to join? Confederate flags and nazis symbols waved around? No thx. You guys screaming, "Woke!" is ridiculous and limits people joining. News flash, every business and corporation is "woke" to some degree or another. Capitalism actually demands it.
That's my opinion on some of the broader forces at play.
Complex stuff and interesting
I think harley put their nail in the coffin going woke .
Not to mention my friends as well as I hate the new bikes I have a 2017 sgs, my buddy had had a 2020 sgs . We both will never won't ungrade as well as others. Bags look like a yamaha . To many electrics all controlled by their notorious garbage untrustworthy radios. Also not to forget 30,000 for an overpriced bike where you have to replace pretty much everything
I just got my first harley 2004 heritage. Im new to riding and im hooked. Its used but new to me. I turn heads and only see a few riders on the road. Its more affordable that a full sized vehicle. Ive been telling everyone who will listen to get a bike
Most recent ride was an '11 Sportster until being sideswiped by a truck. Ouch! Threw my leg over a V-twin 750 a few years ago. Could def. go there. Looking at Nightster w/ passenger pillion. Looking at my personal energy and budget for when Buffalo, NY is not under snow warnings. Why has to be so heavy and expensive? Really want decent passenger seating and center stand!
Dump the HD CEO.
What if, maybe its far off, but just imagine if powers that want everyone to go EV, Harley and a few other vehicle manufacturers are against it would perhaps be easier to just sink Harley then forcing the company to go green???
If you wanna know why ultimately, just go to a dealership and look at the prices. People are hurting financially and $18k bikes just aren't on the menu right now.
Let's cut the crap and stop blaming this guy or that. Me: "Would you Iike this brand new Harley or this latest Eye- Fone? " "Young Cat: I'll take de fone." There's the problem that all recreational vehicle manufacturers lie awake at night trying to solve.
Walmart is wising up on DEI, I hope Harley is taking notes.
Recently I looked at a Sportster with 2000 miles and surface rust and no real history that was left outside with no protection. They wanted about $6k. An independent shop close to me has a immaculate sportster with reasonable miles for a $4000 price.
Dealers have to pay for all the dealership requirements. I suspect HD dealer adder is $4-6k on the average.
BTW love my Softail.
Tariffs are a good thing. Bring this manufacturing home and it wouldn't be a problem.
Unless you're willing to work for minimum wage, factory jobs are long gone.
@@DavidClifton-f1t Exactly what tariffs are designed to do. Bring those jobs back and reasonable wage
@@johnneal00 business don't think about people they think profit. John Deere moving production to Mexico isn't about bringing good jobs to the Mexican people, it's stone cold about profit and loss. Tariffs are in the end paid by the end consumer. Sad
@@DavidClifton-f1t The idea is to reduce/remove federal income tax and then supplement with tariffs. The people get paid more and get to choose whether they want the french cheese with the tariff or the American brand that's cheaper.
@@johnneal00 Capitalism likes free trade the dollars gotta flow to the elites Tarriffs are just Commie socialsim i blame Musky an his Woke cars trying to shaft oil workers why does Apple and Xbox get made in chine then why does china own American debt coz the Money heads like Musky want it that way so they can sell more woke-mobiles
They been using parts from over seas seats the 70s if it’s built in the states it should be only American parts not from other countries
A couple things: 1) companies started to outsource their production as a result of NAFTA, not any tariff issue-and LONG before any Trump policy. 2) I am of the mind that since the board and CEO are so disconnected from real people, nothing other than converting HD back to a private company will work. They all need to go. 3) Starbuck claimed that he removed DEI from HD (and many others) but has not removed it at HD. It is still there. He lied. I agree with you overall, HD did this to themselves, and more than anything the leadership is to blame for ALL of it. Nice video.
Does Rolls Royce hurt their bottom line by not offering a cheap model?? 🙄🤷♂️
You’re insane if you’re trying to compare a Rolls-Royce to a Harley Davidson. When was the last time you saw a methed out Boomer riding in a Rolls-Royce?
Apples and oranges! Harley may have made some opulent bikes but it was never, ever the Rolls Royce of motorcycles.
I think it’s cool that Indian now has an entry level Scout Sixty for $9,999.
And it’s made in America, not Thailand.
Personally I like the Scout 101, but I hope the new Sixty does good.
I bought an Indian for several reasons. Every cruiser around here is HD and I just wasn't looking to be yet another HOG on the road. I really like the new models and don't have a problem with a 'Polaris' Indian. I got a better deal for my money and really don't need to do much, if anything, to make my bike what I want it to be. I am happy with my purchase but don't think for a second maintaining an Indian is any cheaper than HD. American motorcycle pricing is completely ridiculous. I feel like it's aimed at higher income individuals and not so much the blue collar guy, who wants to ride American, but can barely afford it. I'm surprised these companies haven't priced themselves out of business.
Get rid of the foreign shoe salesman CEOoff the company payroll 😂
The problem with Harley is simply that their bikes are too expensive. I'm in Canada and their basic models start at around $20k with full dressers are running $40K and the only demographic that can afford that for what is essentially a weekend toy are the 50+ doctors, dentists, successful etc. As 60+ year old I went into the dealership earlier this year and they came up to me and asked me if I wanted to test ride one. It was a nice bike but this is a CAD50K bike. For me, even though I have that kind of money available, as a "value" orientated consumer I simply don't want to spend that kind of money on a motorcycle when I can go buy a 2-4 year old Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager for CAD14K, spend a couple of thousand $ and have something that will do everything a Harley can do and more reliably. Yes the finish and looks are not as good but for the price who cares. HD's wokeness does not help but the real issue is simply the bikes are too expensive for what they are.
Consumers pay the tariffs. Higher prices = less sales.
Harley did it to themselves. A new Harley was once a treat to own. They had waiting lists. They were made in America with American parts. They flooded the market and started using Asian workforces. They charge 50k for a 25k motorcycle.
Trump couldn't pass an 8th grade civics test, OR economics test. Tariffs bailed Harley out in the 80's, and tons of people still bought Japanese bikes, they just payed more. This time around, Harley priced themselves out of business.
You are wrong on so many levels it will simply take up too much time to explain and even if I do I can tell you won’t understand the basic fundamentals as to why manufacturing (full stop) is failing in the US and HD’s problems are much more than any administration and or CEO. It all comes down to the end consumer and the reliance on China (for cheaper everything. Your clothes, your appliances, electronics, components, etc). America led this movement well before you actually think as it started 3 decades ago with offshore manufacturing. Is it too late for HD? The short answer is yes. Who is to blame? The consumers of any said product.
Are you expecting a civil war or something? English person here. We don't have guns.
I think you’re wrong on a few levels. The past 20 years Harley has not made the working man’s bike. They made high end bikes. Also, the new Harley wants to change the culture. You can see that on the new marketing campaign. They don’t want the over weight tattooed, I don’t shave or wash myself looking rider. They want new riders that don’t scare the public and that will take a while. Harley wants to go back the original format brought on by the Harley family when they first made bikes. Up to date technology, bikes for everyone. Harley now has these super new engines because they threw out the old tech but still kept their heritage and that’s a good start.
Harley Davidson sunk themselves. As mentioned, the death knell was hiring the current CEO & board. I have been a die hard Harley rider for 45 years. Shovel to 2024 Road Glide, 10 HD's. I live and love the bikes and culture but this fool has sunk the company. Also, the greed on the part of the dealer principals and their mega car dealership owners and mentality. Most will try harder to find a reason to deny a warranty fix than to work with the owner to resolve issues. Many of the bikes are rushed to production and have the owners act as beta testers. Ridiculous. Love the bikes, hate the company. Personally, I hope they do fail, they deserve it. They abandoned their loyal base. Actions have consequences. The only way for the Motor Company to survive is to get rid of the sneaker salesman and the woke board. The only way that will happen is for a major drop in sales across the board (bikes, parts, apparel etc). They have priced themselves out of business trying to develop an elitist crowd. Sneaker boy better pay attention, the woke, elitist crowd just got sent packing on November 5th. He and his board need to be sent the same way. I have the ability and tooling to maintain and fix the majority of my bikes, unfortunately, many newer owners do not. They are the ones that need to start making noise for change if they want to continue riding Harley's.
It's not that other countries don't have the same values. Alot do. It's just if you want to compete or even just survive on a global stage, you have to think globally. Not an easy pill to swallow i grant you but there it is. Harley Davidson hasn't been about the working man for over 40 years! There's no way an average bloke can buy a new H D. Let's face it, not even a second hand one. Ferrari is a premium brand. Who the hell can afford one of those? With the state of the motorcycle industry and the amount of competition out there, Harley doesn't stand a chance. And to be honest, maybe they shouldn't. They don’t care about their customers. Unless they're rich! Let's face it, if Reagan hadn't stepped in to help H D back in the 80's, they'd have disappeared 40 years ago! America is expensive to build anything. Europe is for the same reason. Like it or not, the free market dictates what will survive and the free market is what the USA is supposed to be about. You can't just pick and choose and bleat that it's not fair. Life isn't fair. I reckon, even if they voted out the board of directors and the CEO, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Generation Z is the first generation that is worse off than they're parents. They aren't going to spend their hard earned on a 20 or 30 grand bike. I own a Royal Enfield Classic 350. Designed in England. Built in India. 4.5 grand new with a 3 year unlimited mile warranty. It looks, sounds, and is great to ride. I'm pretty broke but i get 100 smiles to the gallon. Do i wish it was made in England? Absolutely! Could i afford it if it was? Absolutely not! Their 650cc bikes are under 8 grand! They are a good quality bike for the kind of money that a poor, working class bloke can actually afford. It's a no brainer! Americans are just going to have to swallow a pill that we had to swallow 50 years years ago. It's a shame. It's life. It ain't fair!
So many companies are getting stupid. Companies hire CEO's that don't understand their market. Luckily it is slowly changing. I wish Harley would get smart and offer a $7,000 beginner bike. I am personally not in the market for a beginner bike but this is the best way to bring new riders into the brand. All brands are doing it now. Ducati, BMW and KTM offer entry level bikes. All three of those companies make high end bikes also.
Great insights Hegshot! Started watching your gun channel years ago. Now watching your motorcycle stuff. Thank you for being truthful and not trying to win brownie points with the woke mob. I've lost a lot of so called friends doing that. Just wanted to say thank you.
Thanks man. I appreciate the support
Apparently Harley is a company that cares 15:34 about the heritage of itself with his company. Heritage Softail Classic... I don't think anything can beat that!
It is inevitable Harley Davidson will fail unless the CEO and entire board of directors is fired! Like you said it would do no good to get rid of the POS CEO. The board would just find someone new to do their bidding!
Tho Moco might dissappear, the aftermarket parts and apperal won't go anywhere
If things didn't end badly they wouldn't end. Harley hired the wrong people made their own bed now lye in it
I hear what you’re saying. A Harley Grom will save Harley Davidson.
Harley is finished. They will need new capital. IMO when they cut their dividend, you’ll know it’s over.
The revolution max motors on bikes sold in the U.S. are made here in the U.S. I am currently working at the Milwaukee engine plant and they are made here
Motorcycle Sales of all brands are way down right now, thanks to Bidenomics. The only bikes that are still selling well are small adventure bikes and small street bikes. Two Sectors that HD does not have a model available in the USA.
They sell the Benelli Designed Chinese Built bikes in Europe and Asia .
Honda Gold Wings are selling. They hold their resale value very well. Unlike HD. I lost 18K on my 2017 Road Glide with 4000 miles on the POS. All HD look alike. So everyone including myself dumps tons of money into the bike to make it look different. Rode HD 45 years. I will never buy another overpriced hot in the summer bike like HD. I could careless about the sound or the tough guy image projected. My next bike will be a Gold Wing.
@@kevindecker9444 Up until Recently HD's have had a very high re-sale Value.. I don't know why other than being brainwashed. You can buy older Gold Wings very cheap. They are much more Reliable than HD's are.
I paid $4,500 for a 2008 Buell Ulysess in 2022 with 15,000 miles on it. It eats Harleys for lunch. It came with side cases and a top case. It needed new tires a taller windscreen ect. It does roast my balls on hot days for sure.
Short stroke high reving bikes are boring !!! 🥱
@@kevindecker9444 You can buy older Gold Wings Real cheap they are a great value if you are into reliable road sofas
Im buying a Royal Enfield 650cc because I refuse to pay thirty thousand dollars for a toy.
that interceptor looks like a lot of fun; Royal Enfield is doing things harley should be doing making and developing first time riders who will stick with the brand. Enfield and Triumph both are doing this and are taking share from HD.
@@sean8470 you mean Thai-umph and Royal India-field both Fakes cashing in on nostalgia for the Brit bikes which ironically Died outdue to cheap bikes made elsewhere
@@scooternut7198 ok Harleys are made outside the US
When I heard that ceo say Harley Davidson is unsustainable I thought what does that mean. Now I know.
The challenge is HD wanted to go global . Globalization requires that a company see the views of the entire world not just the USA… HD real challenge is its traditional customer base has aged out.
Harley went queer as a football bat. Go woke, go broke
Political views aside... Politicians should not point out woke companies.... And even more so as a sound bite .. the real reason for a company to have diversity and green foot print is about taxes in foreign markets, other than the USA carbon tax, most counties give huge tax savings and sometimes they are prevented from doing business without these policies in place... So a guy in Nebraska doesn't like them allowing a gay mechanic working on his bike and the company agrees it will lead to smaller markets and their downfall....I know this as I worked with Google on the same issues.
I seen this 25 years ago when the twinke motor came out… tore another hardly down to nuts n bolts for a custom-ish powder coat and very sadly found a lot of made in Korea Japan or wherever other than “made in USA” what a joke. I flipped my patch, people would ask why? “If I have to explain you wouldn’t understand”😂
I watched Motorola, a once global powerhouse, deteriorate around me into the tiny company they are today because of arrogance and narrow minded thinking. They couldn’t admit digital phones were better that analog ones. They, among others, put up a satellite system called Iridium. These two decisions, plus the CEO stepping down, were the demise of this great company.
I hope Harley-Davidson does better because no company is too big to fail unless, of course, the government bails them out like it did in 2008 with certain financial institutions.
Bill Davidson president of Harley
Harley has destroyed Harley Davidson. No different to a lot of bike manufacturers that are knocking out big displacement machines, they just aren't selling in enough numbers anymore, people are going for lower displacement machines, plus people just haven't that kind of stupid money that Harley ask, then you have to look at how fewer younger riders are coming through and embracing that lifestyle. The adventure bike scene is doing well but again they can be expensive, the one scene that is going through a major resurgence here in the UK and mainland Europe is the chopper scene, you need a donor bike and a frame or some good welding skills and you have a cool ass bike for pocket money, not taking a loan out for 35k dollars.
I've ridden Harley-Davidsons since the 1960s. The "motor company" lost a ridership among a lot of younger riders. H-Ds are perceived as "an old man's bike," Cheaper imported motorcycles also lead to H-D's troubles. I worked at a Honda dealership, so I know what happened back in the 1980s. Back then, the USA was flooded with foreign-made bikes. Trump had nothing to do with H-D's troubles. Upper-level management at H-D is to blame. Building bikes which must comply with European regulations isn't helping either. I'm a big fan of air-cooled motorcycle engines. Radiators belong on cars. The newer bikes look like they're put together with model glue. H-D's liquid-cooled bikes have all the aesthetics of a chunk of gravel. For those who can afford them, buy aftermarket engines from S&S and Ultima. Transmissions from Baker Driveline are pricey, but they are solid (and American-made). In short, learn how to turn and burn metal. Learning new skills is great for a guy or gal. Fire that CEO at H-D and put an American at the helm -- a guy like Willie G. Bring H-D jobs back to the USA! Ride safe -- W
you had Americans in charge when they sold it to AMF and when they opened the Thai plant Bad leadership is Bad leadership doesnt matter from where they hail.
you have to look at what they are selling take the CVO st it has worse spec than my 848 ducati evo corse and that was a 2012 bike
the equipment they come with is what you would expect on some cheap chinese made 250cc , my Road Glide ST has worse suspension than the forty eight or Lowrider St i had , the dealer said its for riders 500lb plus or doesnt work i mean who do they expect to ride these bikes Jabba the Hutt !!!
We can see that HD, Inc is starting to publicize the advantages of buying a police model. Like the discontinued FLHT, these are basic, no frills machines. Truer Harleys than any of the lineup. Bikes made for the working man so he can afford to own a piece of America, once upon a time.
Remember the police bikes have No MSRP. They are highly negotiable.
Sadly they won't change with the times and giving a more younger base any choices. There prices are out of range for most realistic people. My friends at work are HD riders for years
, extremely disappointed in HD and would not invest and tells others not to bother. That's bad from a 2 dedicated riders i was considering the Pan American but now BMW and Ducati have copied and surpassed the tech from that very model
Done with Harley , to many hidden cost , Repair cost totally out of hand, recalls you have to fight with the company. The cost of a Harley n what you get is totally ridiculous.
Harley Davidson’s greed caused their own downfall…have you seen how much HD motorcycles cost these days. Many of their products are not even made in USA.
Ok yeah, done with Harley. Definitely going to go independent and keep my money away from Harley
PUMA.....$50 shoe vs $35K motorcycle.....large difference.