Hypothetical - you're in charge of HD. What would you do?

[Mac]

I'd add a scooter line- possible sold at in separate chanel.

Seriously - their demo is aging and the city kids these days are buying 'em up trying to be all euro.  

Something like this maybe:

[Carbonero]

Something like this maybe:

Annnnnnnd, there goes the idea of a serious discussion...  

[atadaskew]

V-rod based heavyweight tour model. Full bags, topcase, the works.

I think this is a good idea.  
I would go with the belt drive over shaft, because Harley's belt drive is smoother than any shaft drive I've experienced - my current Guzzi Griso SE, my old Wings (1200- 1800), my Valk, any BMWs I've ridden.

Harley knows how to make a perfect belt drive.  So why risk a shaft drive debacle?....

[Moto Morphin Power Ranger]

  and I'd buy Moto Guzzi.... That way I could also sell 100 year old technology with alittle Italian flare!!!

We're only 91 Years old!    

I would develop smaller 500 bikes.

[JReazor]

Go road racing in Europe. Build a modern, compact, water cooled V-Twin and put it in a sport bike. I'm not talking about the VR1000 homologation special that was only sold in Poland(I think it was Poland, could be wrong). Sell it for real. In Europe. It would be expensive but worth it. It would have top shelf suspension and brakes, carbon fiber for the sake of carbon fiber, you know, the usual. Think Panigale S.

Then a few years later I would release a lower priced. lower spec sport bike. I would also put a larger, stonkier version of that motor in an FJR/C14/Trophy/R1200RT competitor at a competitive price. Probably lower then the BMW but higher than the Kawi. A few years after that, I would bring them to the States.

In the mean time, I would develop an inexpensive 450 Sportster and turn the marketing machine on to get 18 - 25 year olds on them. There would be a spec road race series and a flat track class.

Oh, I'd also bring the FXDX back because it's awesome.

[bomber]

given their fiscal health  . . . . .  .the same thing they've BEEN doin . . .

[DogBoy]

Go road racing in Europe. Build a modern, compact, water cooled V-Twin and put it in a sport bike. I'm not talking about the VR1000 homologation special that was only sold in Poland(I think it was Poland, could be wrong). Sell it for real. In Europe. It would be expensive but worth it. It would have top shelf suspension and brakes, carbon fiber for the sake of carbon fiber, you know, the usual. Think Panigale S.

Then a few years later I would release a lower priced. lower spec sport bike.

How many times does HD need to crush Erik Buell? Once not enough?  

[JReazor]

How many times does HD need to crush Erik Buell? Once not enough?  

It does sound kind of familiar, doesn't it?

[Zixxerpilot]

Well, the biggest flung they had is what they did to Buell. Not just the killing off,  but the whole way Buell was treated and marketed.

They lost a major sales channel into the younger crowd right there. They now offer nothing for new riders and nothing appealing to most buyers under 35.

So, that would be my first remedy.

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[Carbonero]

In the mean time, I would develop an inexpensive 450 Sportster and turn the marketing machine on to get 18 - 25 year olds on them. There would be a spec road race series and a flat track class.

Oh, I'd also bring the FXDX back because it's awesome.

I absolutely LOVE these two ideas.

[atadaskew]

They lost a major sales channel into the younger crowd right there. They now offer nothing for new riders and nothing appealing to most buyers under 35.

And yet the Dark Series bikes - especially the Sportsters - are by far and away the best selling bikes over 750cc in the 18-35 year old demographic.
Much better than any Japanese bike.

The younger crowd is attracted to what is hip, urban, and cool.  Japanese supersports do not hit that mark.

[DogBoy]

And yet the Dark Series bikes - especially the Sportsters - are by far and away the best selling bikes over 750cc in the 18-35 year old demographic.
Much better than any Japanese bike.

The younger crowd is attracted to what is hip, urban, and cool.  Japanese supersports do not hit that mark.

Thats confusing because; 1) the Japanese sell ten of thousands of under 750cc bikes to that demographic in the US, and; 2) isn't the recently discontinued Nightster among the "dark" Sprotsters?
 
Do you have any numbers on sales? I don't doubt they are selling a lot the urban Sportsters. The Nightster, 883 Iron and Forty-Eight are damn cool looking bikes.

[atadaskew]

Thats confusing because; 1) the Japanese sell ten of thousands of under 750cc bikes to that demographic in the US, and; 2) isn't the recently discontinued Nightster among the "dark" Sprotsters?
 
Do you have any numbers on sales? I don't doubt they are selling a lot the urban Sportsters. The Nightster, 883 Iron and Forty-Eight are damn cool looking bikes.

http://investor.harley-davidson.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=87981&p=irol-demographics

I think the Nightster was dropped because of the Iron, 48 and now 72 bikes.

•Harley-Davidson sells more motorcycles to young adults 18-34. Harley-Davidson captured the all displacement (all cc) market leader position with the young adult 18-34 segment in 2008, and expanded this leadership position in 2009 to 2011. All displacement motorcycles include on-road performance, touring, custom and standard motorcycles of all engine sizes. Based on national R.L. Polk & Co. motorcycle registrations 2006 through 2011.


•Harley-Davidson is relevant to new generations
In 2011, Harley-Davidson sold more new motorcycles to today's Millennial generation young adults in the U.S. than it did when the Baby Boomers generation (today's "Core Customers") was 18-34 (1988). Based on internal Company demographics and/or studies.


•Dark Custom™ Motorcycles resonate with young adults
Purchasers of new Harley-Davidson Dark Custom™ motorcycles contain a higher percentage of young adult men and women age 18-34 than any Harley-Davidson family of motorcycles. Based on national R.L. Polk & Co. motorcycle registrations 2006 through 2011.

[DogBoy]

Thanks for the link.

I see where HD states they sell "more" bikes to that demograhic but I don't see "far and away".

I'm taking issue with the "far and away" comment in your post and your theory that Japanese supersports don't appeal to the "younger crowd" where you state Japanese supersports "miss the mark". I'd have a real hard time believing the overwhelming majority of Japanese supersports aren't sold to 18-35 year olds.

Poking around the site we see HD shipped* about 50,000 Sportsters to dealers, domestic and international, in 2011. Even if we guess that that 80% percent of those were to 18-35 year olds that would probably be right in the range of US supersport sales from the Big 4. Supersports are big sellers for the Japanese brands.



* Remember, shipments don't always equal sales numbers to customers.

[jpaul]

I would take some pictures and articles of the Motus down to engineering and ask everyone there why they didn't think of that engine concept as an idea do broaden the HD product line. Then I'd bitch slap everyone who didn't come up with an acceptable answer.

[Cricket1]

I would take some pictures and articles of the Motus down to engineering and ask everyone there why they didn't think of that engine concept as an idea do broaden the HD product line. Then I'd bitch slap everyone who didn't come up with an acceptable answer.

Yeah you are correct, problem is that you would be bitch slapping all of them. 

The response from Harley would be:

 ITS NOT A V-TWIN!!!

We make an assload of money on V-twins, and we are the MARKETING GODS of the WORLD!!!  ITS NOT A V-TWIN!!!!!

You go away with your V four little girly engine.

[falconati]

They could just sell it as a bike with TWO HARLEY ENGINES!!!  

[misanthropist]

I don't have any idea how feasible this is but if I were running the show over there I would probably look at developing and sponsoring some form of motorcycle racing that HD bikes could dominate.

I am sure there would be a way to set up restrictions on the bikes so that it would heavily favour air cooled twins with a certain minimum displacement or something so that H-D bikes would be the obvious competitors, and then tag on to stock car racing or some sort of popular US racing sport, and convince a lot of people that HD bikes are not just the most luxurious or best constructed (as many believe) but also the best at a particular type of racing.

The Japanese and Italian manufacturers could conceivably compete but I would guess their racing budgets are pretty much spoken for, in classes they can do well at already.

That might pull in a whole new generation of more adrenalin-focused buyers.  It also might generate more Roadster-type Harleys, which would be good for people like me.


Sent from my brain using my hands

[Carbonero]

Yeah you are correct, problem is that you would be bitch slapping all of them. 

The response from Harley would be:

 ITS NOT A V-TWIN!!!

We make an assload of money on V-twins, and we are the MARKETING GODS of the WORLD!!!  ITS NOT A V-TWIN!!!!!

You go away with your V four little girly engine.

You might want to talk to someone who actually works for the company before making the declarations. There's a whole R&D office doing stuff, and in the end, it all comes back to what will SELL TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC.

On the upside, I won't be hiring too many ST.Ners to run my business any time soon.  

[Cricket1]

...... and in the end, it all comes back to what will SELL TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC.

On the upside, I won't be hiring too many ST.Ners to run my business any time soon. 

Exactly my point.  It's what will sell.  Time and again the Harley faithful have proved over and over, if it's not a Vtwin, they won't buy it.

There is nothing wrong with that, because as has been pointed out here many, many, many, many, many times, its a business and they do a great job making money.  Since their customers have ZERO interest in anything except a Vtwin my response to Jpauls post makes sense.  To think that anyone at Harley would seriously entertain the thought of using a V four liquid cooled engine ala Motus??  ... I just don't see it happening.