No doubt HD agrees completely with the explanation above, but I'm not feeling a lot of sympathy for this aspect of their problem. Sure, part of their problem is caused by the aging of their main buyers, but part of their decreased sales are due to their quality problems and the premium price they charge.
In large part, that's due to Wandell's (their previous CEO) deliberate strategy to cut the price of every component and assembly process that goes into the bike...leading directly to a decrease in quality...while increasing the already-premium price. Add in the lousy warranty service, failure to do recalls due to manufacturing/design defects, and the high cost of parts and service...well, the new CEO inherited the $hit $how, and he's between a rock and a bulldozer.
Harleys problem is bigger than an aging customer base. Part of there problem is competitive. I owned and rode Harleys for 28 years, when BMW introduced the new K1600B or Bagger I was intrigued by the design, when I test rode it I was sold. Bought one the next day. 6cyl putting out 160hp along with comfort, handling and modern features I longed for on my Harleys.
Since buying my BMW I have met several other guys that have done the same.
It's nice buying a new bike with more performance than any V-Twin, regardless of the stage kit. That rides and handles as you expect with stock suspension. Could go on and on but you get the picture.
Still love Harleys but accept there limitations. By the way, my new 18 BMW K1600B has not had a single warranty issue. It's built so well I really don't expect problems. If I do, I was able to buy a 6 year extended service contract with no deductible and unlimited miles for $1500.
My point, Harley has competition like never before, not just from BMW, from Indian, Honda, Yamaha, on and on.
Harley needs to up there game. Build top quality bikes backed with great service. They need to be the "Snap On" of motorcycles.
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