HD Needs a New Generation of Riders

[JD Hog]

THIS ARTICLE is a long read but has very interesting facts about the motorcycle business for the future.

[rolfe]

I think Marketing is the Key. Harleys basic marketing is "here is the price" buy it or don't.

The other major Key Factor is how much Mid Management on up to CEO make per year $$$$$$$ plus incentives plus allowances. It's just plain disgusting!

Stock Holders should fire every last one of them (not only HD). It's like any other company the top upper management always makes the dollars and create escapes for themselves.

Upper management always create the smoke screen when things are going south for a company - but I guarantee you they have protected themselves.

Let's look at Harleys latest plant closing laying off hundreds of workers.
1. upper management spent big dollars to study what if they close.
2. then spending money closing.
3. then they spent more money moving plant equipment.
4. then they fired off workers one shift at a time.
5. shifting everything creating a big smoke screen moaning about this and that.

But yet top management is still raking in their salaries,bonuses, allowances etc...

Look at HD upper management salaries and compare that to the recent plant closing along with HD Marketing. The numbers do not jive.

It's obvious to me that upper management of any failing company can't even piss in the wind the right direction.

First they should not even be in upper management.

It's the workers - they know how to work -

Just my thoughts.

Workers Rights !

Originally Posted by JD Hog

THIS ARTICLE is a long read but has very interesting facts about the motorcycle business for the future.

[cactusjack]

That's a good article. Yes, Harley-Davidson has its issues, but I think the bigger problem is motorcycling as a whole. A lot of younger people have been shielded and coddled by overbearing parents, teachers and society to the point where they have developed a fear of things that seem risky. Sure, there's the adrenaline junkies who do wheelies on crotch rockets at 70 MPH on the freeways, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

I'm getting close to 60 and live in an area where there are a lot of retired people. Many of them live in "active adult communities" where the minimum age is 55 years old. That type of community appeals to older baby boomers and the generation before them, which is who many of these communities were built for. However, living around a bunch of old farts has zero appeal to me or my wife. It's just a changing demographic.

I think the same thing applies to motorcycling. It really was the WWII generation that popularized motorcycling and it was this same group that started many of the outlaw motorcycle clubs that still exist today. Most of these bikers aged out of participation years ago. I'd wager that out of all the members of this forum that a small number (if any at all) would aspire to be a Hells Angel, Bandido, or Mongol. Again, changing demographics.

I think more people can afford a motorcycle than the industry analysts think, they just choose not to, for a number of reasons.

[redjay]

In the U.K I got into motorcycling because I could get a motorcycle at 16 and the age for a car was 18, not that I could afford to buy a car on the wages I was making as a 16 year old apprentice. All I wanted was a way to get around without having to pedal a bicycle. A Honda 50 fulfilled that role.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by rolfe

I think Marketing is the Key. Harleys basic marketing is "here is the price" buy it or don't.

The other major Key Factor is how much Mid Management on up to CEO make per year $$$$$$$ plus incentives plus allowances. It's just plain disgusting!

Stock Holders should fire every last one of them (not only HD). It's like any other company the top upper management always makes the dollars and create escapes for themselves.

Upper management always create the smoke screen when things are going south for a company - but I guarantee you they have protected themselves.

Let's look at Harleys latest plant closing laying off hundreds of workers.
1. upper management spent big dollars to study what if they close.
2. then spending money closing.
3. then they spent more money moving plant equipment.
4. then they fired off workers one shift at a time.
5. shifting everything creating a big smoke screen moaning about this and that.

But yet top management is still raking in their salaries,bonuses, allowances etc...

Look at HD upper management salaries and compare that to the recent plant closing along with HD Marketing. The numbers do not jive.

It's obvious to me that upper management of any failing company can't even piss in the wind the right direction.

First they should not even be in upper management.

It's the workers - they know how to work -

Just my thoughts.

Workers Rights !

It's a little more complicated than that. Ultimately, it's a publicly traded company and they have a bottom line. If moving some manufacturing overseas because of changing economic conditions due to economic policies, they have to consider it at the very least. Any company's first responsibility isn't to hire people or keep people employed per se. I would say this is positive as they realize, finally, that what they've always done isn't working. Still, economic policies have repercussions and often they trickle down in this way.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

That's a good article. Yes, Harley-Davidson has its issues, but I think the bigger problem is motorcycling as a whole. A lot of younger people have been shielded and coddled by overbearing parents, teachers and society to the point where they have developed a fear of things that seem risky. Sure, there's the adrenaline junkies who do wheelies on crotch rockets at 70 MPH on the freeways, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

I'm getting close to 60 and live in an area where there are a lot of retired people. Many of them live in "active adult communities" where the minimum age is 55 years old. That type of community appeals to older baby boomers and the generation before them, which is who many of these communities were built for. However, living around a bunch of old farts has zero appeal to me or my wife. It's just a changing demographic.

I think the same thing applies to motorcycling. It really was the WWII generation that popularized motorcycling and it was this same group that started many of the outlaw motorcycle clubs that still exist today. Most of these bikers aged out of participation years ago. I'd wager that out of all the members of this forum that a small number (if any at all) would aspire to be a Hells Angel, Bandido, or Mongol. Again, changing demographics.

I think more people can afford a motorcycle than the industry analysts think, they just choose not to, for a number of reasons.

It's also how they were raised in terms of what is play and fun. Digital devices and gaming have replacing playing outside and doing hands on stuff.