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[GregKhougaz]

     This is not boding well,  Another Quarter, Another Plunge In Harley-Davidson Sales

[Ironhorse]

C'mon Greg, it's not like we didn't see this coming.

[Eqcons]

What do they expect with the prices of bikes, clothing, and P&A being stratospheric?  They are steadily killing the goose that laid the golden egg..... 

[FLSTFI Dave]

With our inflation and high interest rates are not helping at all.  People tend not to buy toys when money is tight.  I wont pay 6% or more to finance a motorcycle or any other toy.  Sure SS has gone up, an this years SS increase is 280 less than my property insurance and tax increase. 

[geezerglide]

From what I heard. Less bikes are sold at higher prices—more profit.

[RivRaptor]

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/harley-davidson-cuts-full-year-revenue-forecast-2024-10-24/

HD expected 39% production cut to even out inventory in next quarter.

Note: It's interesting that checking the link right after posting, that the article updated and dropped / reworded the article to drop my stated percentage.

[pauly_2]

What did they expect? They now say brand new Harley Davidson M8 engines are supposed to consume up to 1 litre of oil, every 2500 kilometers. After all these years they cannot make an engine that doesn’t burn substantial amounts of oil? Every time something is out of spec, rather that fix it, they just change the specs. (Flywheel runout anyone?)

 While I love the Harley engines, I hate what the company is doing and feel that unless they start respecting their customers again, they are heading for a fall.

Thanks
Pauly

     This is not boding well,  Another Quarter, Another Plunge In Harley-Davidson Sales

[Eqcons]

They need to figure out how to market to a younger audience.

Younger folks have less disposable income, in general, Dave, so they are not going to pay the ludicrously high prices for Harley bikes, parts, servicing, teeshirts and all the rest of the branded bric-a-brac.

As I said above, with the prices, HD are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.  When you can buy a highly specced, reliable car for much less than the cost of a(n often unreliable) Harley, people are rightly going to not buy a Harley. I've had seven Harleys, six of them new, 5 of those CVO Ultras.   I won't buy another one.  Could I afford it?  Yup.  But with current pricing, they are taking the mickey, and the price and value are a million miles apart.

[dayne66]

I've bought my last new Harley....for all the reasons stated below!

[FLSTFI Dave]

Younger folks have less disposable income, in general, Dave, so they are not going to pay the ludicrously high prices for Harley bikes, parts, servicing, teeshirts and all the rest of the branded bric-a-brac.

As I said above, with the prices, HD are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.  When you can buy a highly specced, reliable car for much less than the cost of a(n often unreliable) Harley, people are rightly going to not buy a Harley. I've had seven Harleys, six of them new, 5 of those CVO Ultras.   I won't buy another one.  Could I afford it?  Yup.  But with current pricing, they are taking the mickey, and the price and value are a million miles apart.

I certainly agree on tee-shirts.  We rode to TX earlier this year, Stopped at Texarkana Harley.  Had a tee-shirt I loved.  At 38.99 they kept the tee-shirt, that price is insane.

I believe the dealer I use has realized the service prices are nuts.  Last month they lowered the cost of your 5, 10 and 15K services significantly.  The ones above that are lower too.  They also lowered the cost of tires and the labor to install them.

It is nuts the cost of a touring bike or touring CVO.  30 0r 50K for a bike riding on a 15 year old frame.  Seems little to no R&D.  Premium price with out premium suspension, performance or audio.

24  Street Glide and Road Glide number 1 complaint is you can't here the audio at speed.  50 watt per channel is their claim.  When tested its 15 watts to each of the two speakers.  Harley says there is no problem.

In this economy not on do the young people have no disposable income, much of the middle class has no disposable income.  Couple that with high interest rates.  Lots of people are not buying.  They are waiting for rates to come down, and for deals to be had.  I've been watching new corvettes.  They are finally make deals but interest rate is still to high.

[English Pete]

Here in the UK a fair number of Harley dealers have shut up shop, some have been dealers who have a number of shops. But it seems it's not just Harley shops closing there's been quite a few other brand dealers going bust.
Motorcycle sales have been hit by a cost of living crisis with people having less money to spend on their toys, plus it seems youngsters don't seem to coming into biking, that and Harley don't do a bike that's affordable to youngsters.

[FLSTFI Dave]

Here in the UK a fair number of Harley dealers have shut up shop, some have been dealers who have a number of shops. But it seems it's not just Harley shops closing there's been quite a few other brand dealers going bust.
Motorcycle sales have been hit by a cost of living crisis with people having less money to spend on their toys, plus it seems youngsters don't seem to coming into biking, that and Harley don't do a bike that's affordable to youngsters.

I agree the economy / cost of living is hurting sales.  I also agree Harley doesn't do Affordable bike's for anyone.