whoever is saying HD sales are plummeting really is speaking without any facts. Sure they have declined a bit but in no way are they plummeting. They are as strong as ever. I sell Indians and while our brand has been taking off we still are nowhere close to HD sales. Our competition is down the street at Policaro HD and they are pushing 40-50 bikes a month. They have a second store opening in brampton. The bagger section is the new trend now, your typical Electra glide customers are dying off but the street glide and road glide guys are stronger than ever. Alot of guys 25-30something are moving on to the baggers. This is factual data that we are provided by both brands Indian and HD
I’m with you. Walk into a Harley dealer on a weekend and the place is absolutely buzzing. I waited probably around 20 minutes to speak with a salesperson one day.
I’m 34 and been on a bagger for 3 years. Won’t be getting off of one anytime soon.
Despite what people seem think, HD has always kept up with technology but they must integrate in into their decades-old designs to keep their customer base happy. They do a pretty good job of it I think.
whoever is saying HD sales are plummeting really is speaking without any facts. Sure they have declined a bit but in no way are they plummeting. They are as strong as ever. I sell Indians and while our brand has been taking off we still are nowhere close to HD sales. Our competition is down the street at Policaro HD and they are pushing 40-50 bikes a month. They have a second store opening in brampton. The bagger section is the new trend now, your typical Electra glide customers are dying off but the street glide and road glide guys are stronger than ever. Alot of guys 25-30something are moving on to the baggers. This is factual data that we are provided by both brands Indian and HD
I’m with you. Walk into a Harley dealer on a weekend and the place is absolutely buzzing. I waited probably around 20 minutes to speak with a salesperson one day.
I’m 34 and been on a bagger for 3 years. Won’t be getting off of one anytime soon.
wondering what % of HD dealers walk in customers
are potential bike buyers?
they do a ton of business off clothing sales
and this is not a slight against their business model
I actually have several HD T shirts from some places I've visited
I will quite likely buy one some day
but I fit the demographic
most bike buyers nowadays don't
I will say in my experience, HD dealers treat you better than anyone else, maybe its because they know their customers are paying a premium for just a badge, but they usually roll out the red carpet compared to others
Maybe the story changes after you purchase and your treated differently
I would think the 19 inch front and 18 inch rear tires have a lot to do with it, as well as the generous rake to the fork geometry.
With 17 inch rims and a shorter, steeper rake that bike would handle much better I'm thinking.
I will say in my experience, HD dealers treat you better than anyone else, maybe its because they know their customers are paying a premium for just a badge, but they usually roll out the red carpet compared to others
Maybe the story changes after you purchase and your treated differently
That is cool for the money being spent.
I dont want to pay for the red carpet. When I walk into St Onge, Mission Cycle or Barrie Honda, the parts guys and girls all know my name and give me a smile and a greeting. That's because they're all local to me and I've been supporting them for 20 years.
agree that is a gorgeous looking bike
don't really know who's gonna buy it though
18K for a bike that really should be aimed at the ADV crowd
but it has zero protection from the elements
giant dual exhaust out the right allows for a pannier only on one side
off pavement it's going to be too heavy
and you can't tour with it
agree that is a gorgeous looking bike
don't really know who's gonna buy it though
18K for a bike that really should be aimed at the ADV crowd
but it has zero protection from the elements
giant dual exhaust out the right allows for a pannier only on one side
off pavement it's going to be too heavy
and you can't tour with it
Just a cool motorcycle for someone that likes to go for 1-2 hour blast around and then come home again. I look at it like a Ducati Monster, Triumph Thruxton, Ducati Scrambler and others. Not particularly great at anything but just a bunch of fun that looks and sounds cool.
Actually might be the perfect Ontario bike. Other nakeds in the price range are just too good that they can be a little boring sometimes because you can’t use anywhere near the capabilities they have with our straight no fun roads. I think the disappointment for some of the people that have test ridden it expect it to be as good as a Tuono, Duke 1290 or S1000R. That’s not this bike.
Just a cool motorcycle for someone that likes to go for 1-2 hour blast around and then come home again. I look at it like a Ducati Monster, Triumph Thruxton, Ducati Scrambler and others. Not particularly great at anything but just a bunch of fun that looks and sounds cool.
Actually might be the perfect Ontario bike. Other nakeds in the price range are just too good that they can be a little boring sometimes because you can’t use anywhere near the capabilities they have with our straight no fun roads. I think the disappointment for some of the people that have test ridden it expect it to be as good as a Tuono, Duke 1290 or S1000R. That’s not this bike.
Plenty of great Ontario roads out there. Get out and explore! We did 1300kms on the weekend of straight up twisties. Was actually nice to have a break on the 401 for 20 mins! Oh, did it on a Monster. It's actually really good at a lot of things!
agree that is a gorgeous looking bike
don't really know who's gonna buy it though
18K for a bike that really should be aimed at the ADV crowd
but it has zero protection from the elements
giant dual exhaust out the right allows for a pannier only on one side
off pavement it's going to be too heavy
and you can't tour with it
Sales N. America wide are down huge! Not just for Harley. HD still owns half the N. American market. All the other manufacturers combined, make up the other half. They'll be just fine!
I wouldn't want to be the test bunny for an engine that is substantially changed. This is not knocking HD, I would have the same concerns for any manufacturer that came out with an entirely new design. Things may work well, or it could be a disaster and you are stuck with a stinking turd (and in the case of a Road Glide, potentially an expensive stinking turd). Now if you are hoping to pick up a 2019 at a substantial discount because a newer/better one is out, I am all over that plan.
I believe the new engine is for the new line, first up being the Pan America. The touring line got the M8 engine in 2017 so I don’t think they will get new power for a few years.
Spy shots out there of the 2020 Indian Challenger which looks to be a road glide styled bike. That might be worth looking at.
I appreciate HD for the heritage and style, kinda like how I appreciate a 55 Chevy Nomad. If I needed to be first through the canyon, I'd probably pick a different bike.
So you read the financial results... Did you understand them? The company made about half a billion in profits for the first half of the year. Worse then last year yes, but that's a lot of potatoes for a struggling company. They have a billion in cash and are hitting targets in their strategic plan.
Few companies can keep an upward trajectory 100% of the time, they are still firing on two cylinders and as long as they are hitting strategic goals, I think they will be just fine. I'm not likely to buy a HD motorcycle anytime soon, I might take a ride on some HOG shares.
I appreciate HD for the heritage and style, kinda like how I appreciate a 55 Chevy Nomad. If I needed to be first through the canyon, I'd probably pick a different bike.
So you read the financial results... Did you understand them? The company made about half a billion in profits for the first half of the year. Worse then last year yes, but that's a lot of potatoes for a struggling company. They have a billion in cash and are hitting targets in their strategic plan.
Few companies can keep an upward trajectory 100% of the time, they are still firing on two cylinders and as long as they are hitting strategic goals, I think they will be just fine. I'm not likely to buy a HD motorcycle anytime soon, I might take a ride on some HOG shares.
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