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Harley-Davidson Spirals Down, Announces US Layoffs, Builds Factory in Thailand
Wolf Street ^ | 18 July 2017 | Wolf Richter

Posted on 07/21/2017 8:13:13 AM PDT by Lorianne

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To: LouAvul
The new M8 engine has the same design flaw that HD will probably never change. Look at where the piston rods attach to the crankshaft and how they try to address the inherent balance problem:


61 posted on 07/21/2017 9:54:25 AM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
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To: Charles Martel
Young people don't want cars or bikes, they want little silent bubbles of autonomously-guided safe space where they can stay uplinked to the nearest source of social media.

Haha!

62 posted on 07/21/2017 9:57:11 AM PDT by AAABEST (Got Traditional Catholicism? - Angelqueen.org)
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To: RegulatorCountry
I’d say some of the problem, maybe most of it, for Harley-Davidson is the success of Polaris with Indian. The rest of the industry may be in a slump, but Indian isn’t, they’re gorgeous, they’re stepping on Harley’s stock in trade while being more reliable.

Ditto that re: Indian

63 posted on 07/21/2017 10:11:22 AM PDT by onona (Stop stonewalling Judicial Watch and release the documents)
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To: Lorianne

I wish Harley would make small off ride models. I don’t ride on the streets here (both cyclists and drivers are lousy), but I love off road motorcycling in the woods. Me, I grew up with Honda and I have a 250 Honda for playing in the woods.


64 posted on 07/21/2017 10:15:55 AM PDT by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is DEPLORABLE :-))
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To: Sequoyah101

You haven’t been to China or Japan recently have you?


65 posted on 07/21/2017 10:30:58 AM PDT by TheTimeOfMan (A time for peace and a time for war)
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To: JDoutrider

...


66 posted on 07/21/2017 10:31:50 AM PDT by JDoutrider
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To: Deplorable American1776

Harley partnered with Europeans in the 1960’s and 1970’s and sold those bikes. My brother had a HD 250 cc 2-stroke.


67 posted on 07/21/2017 10:42:10 AM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
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To: LouAvul
Finally, people who are inclined to buy new are waiting for the M8 motor on the 2018 HDs.

Now that's interesting!

68 posted on 07/21/2017 10:50:02 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (How many ways do liberals hate the bible?)
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To: bert

I have to laugh at you and that is about all the consideration I can give.


69 posted on 07/21/2017 11:26:32 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: Lorianne

Thailand?


70 posted on 07/21/2017 11:28:51 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: DungeonMaster

And that is why I didn’t buy a bike when I retired. Oh I wanted to but see no reason to put my wife through all of this kind of mess. The thing about a bike is not that you can’t be too careful but that you can’t be careful enough.


71 posted on 07/21/2017 11:30:14 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: Lorianne

Tim Allen out walking his motorcycle
http://lazzara.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/born-to-be-wild.jpg


72 posted on 07/21/2017 11:31:40 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: Openurmind
Their own fault, they have priced themselves right out of business. 20,000 Dollars could buy 20 acres of land in a rural area or go a long ways towards a down payment on a home.

You obviously haven't priced Harleys recently. You can easily pay 40k for a cruiser, like a Road Glide or Street Glide. I've seen the trikes for almost 50k. Personally, I like HD bikes, though I now ride a Gold Wing. I'm looking at getting a (used) Sportster again though for local rides. Can't beat the Gold Wing when you're 8 hours into a road trip though.

73 posted on 07/21/2017 11:32:10 AM PDT by zeugma (The Brownshirts have taken over American Universities.)
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To: discostu

Two best days of a boat owner’s life are the day he buys one and the day he sells it.

If something Floats, Flys or F____; rent it. Its cheaper in the long run for most people. There are other things that fall into that category.

Problem is that there is no adventure or recklessness in following this rule.


74 posted on 07/21/2017 11:32:57 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: elcid1970

I can tell you for sure it isn’t a HD!


75 posted on 07/21/2017 11:37:20 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: Lorianne

Part of the problem is that the biggest bike buying demographic group is the Boomers and they are dying off.

Harleys have had high proportions of foreign sourced parts for a long time. They try to keep that fact quiet. And the dentists and lawyers who buy Harleys and put maybe 500 miles a year on one also overlook it. But moving overseas would be disastrous. Harley banks on sales to people who want to appear patriotic without actually having to DO anything or suffer any personal inconvenience over it. Moving to Thailand would defeat that.


76 posted on 07/21/2017 11:40:54 AM PDT by Seruzawa (FABOL)
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To: Lorianne

I’ve been seeing more on/off road bikes in the past several years..?


77 posted on 07/21/2017 11:43:27 AM PDT by Leep (Less talk more ACTiON!)
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To: Lorianne

I love my 2009 Triumph Bonneville and the best thing about it after three years was having something few Harley Davidson owner’s had with their bikes...the Title!


78 posted on 07/21/2017 11:53:17 AM PDT by Geronimo (God Bless America and President Donald J. Trump...)
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To: LouAvul

I own a Tiger also. Love the 500lb wet weight and the comfort is better than a Gold Wing. My wife loves the back seat, also better than the GW. I’m so used to the agility and power now that I can’t ever see going back to a big twin or other touring gunboat.

I don’t hate Harleys at all. I sometimes think about restoring an old ironhead Sportster. But I couldn’t go back to HD for a daily rider or tourer.


79 posted on 07/21/2017 11:58:56 AM PDT by Seruzawa (FABOL)
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To: mom4melody

My wife has the same problem she gave up trying to find a motorcycle that will fit and so I keep her in scooters. Right now she’s riding a Kymco. Sucks but what can you do. Even if the bike is low enough they are too wide for her.


80 posted on 07/21/2017 12:09:37 PM PDT by Seruzawa (FABOL)
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