Posted on 06/29/2018 9:34:30 AM PDT by Thalean
Harley-Davidson on Monday announced that it would move production for its European customers overseas, in order to avoid the European Union’s (EU) new import duties. President Trump slammed the move and accused the company of raising the “white flag” of economic surrender on Twitter.
Trump is right. Harley-Davidson’s decision is perhaps the most incompetent public relations blunder since Starbucks said it would replace 10,000 American workers with Syrian refugees—no doubt they will pay a heavy price.
In the meantime, Harley’s loss is our gain, as every individual failure makes the whole stronger.
(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...
It was a head fake. They are going to build harley bicycles in Europe. Likely electric ones. Virtue signaling bites another in the butt.
I bought a brand new FXSTC (Softail Custom) when I was 31. The friend who went to the dealer with me was a couple of years older than me and ended up buying a new FXDL (Dyna Low Rider) a few months later. His brother who was in his late 20’s then bought a new FXSTB (Night Train). The brothers had a few other friends we rode with in their late 20s/early 30s who bought new Harley’s too.
I honestly don’t know too many old people with Hogs. Hell, a guy in his late 40’s that worked with us ended up getting a Honda VTX1800 instead of a Harley as did his other old friend.
I also have a friend who is a Trump supporting USCG vet who bought a Harley. She’s a Puerto Rican/Italian mix from Staten Island, in her early 30’s and definitely not fat!!!
Well, results may vary I guess.
Well Harley did sell nearly 80,000 more motorcycles than BMW last year, so is it over for BMW too?
242,788 to 164,153 in 2017. They sold 48% more bikes than BMW.
They planned the move long before June 22.
Moving isn’t cheap. Or starting up new site in another country.
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Hogs abound, presently, but they’ll regret this blunder.
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Nothing sells like a Hog!
(and everybody else seems to be copying their engines these days)
Owned bikes most of my adult life. Never owned a Harley. Had Yamaha’s; Honda’s and am now riding my second BMW.
Found the Harley to be more of a status symbol. Also live near one of the largest Harley dealers in the Midwest (if not the country) and see all the pseudo “bikers” sitting at the sports bar next door. Harley makes a pretty decent bike for what it is, but for some reason, they just never appealed to me.
Frankly, the best bike I ever owned was my BMW R1100RT. Quick, nimble, and you could travel two-up long distances and not get tired. Sold it and bought a K12, wish I had kept the R1100.
Keep kidding yourself.
About what? Those are the sales numbers. Harley dominates heavy-weight motorcycle sales.
I mentioned that same thing on another thread. Japanese twins are too smooth. Honda ditched the staggered crank pin for a single crank pin (ala Harley) to make the potato-potato-potato sound on the VTX1300. Yamaha even ditched OHC's for OHV's with pushrods and went with air cooling on their Star lineup. They went backwards in tech to copy the Harley engine.
I’ve only had Japanese bikes and a Harley. KLR650, VZ800, RM125, XR650R, CR250R, RC51 and an FXSTC.
Rented a BMW in France once. I was in love with the R1200GS but they only had an F650GS. I didn’t really like the pint size version, but I still would love to ride and maybe own that R1200GS.
That or the only other bike that caught my eye is this new Polaris-Indian FTR1200 coming out next year.
Can’t really justify another bike with four in the garage at the moment, so maybe if I get rid of the XR650R. Technically it’s not street legal despite the S/L kit I put on it. NY State has too many rules. I just swap plates on it when I ride in the street. Only been impounded once, but it took nearly a year to get it back.
Also, I had to look up the difference between the R1100RT and K12. I’ve never had a four cylinder. Just love the sound of thumpers and twins, so right away I’d likely prefer the R1100RT on sound alone. Out of curiosity, what did you like better about it than the K12?
BTW one of the reasons I did not like the F650GS is that my girlfriend would keep sliding forward into me, and that would mash my crotch into the tank. It was a very uncomfortable bike.
As for my Harley, I always hated Harley guys’ attitudes. They gave me a lot of shit for “Hardly-Davidson” metric cruiser. Years later, I rented an XL883 in Arizona. Thought it would be cool to ride out on some desert roads with one. Fell in love with it as soon as I fired it up.
Bought my own FXSTC four months later. I love my Hondas, but the Harley is easily my favorite. It doesn’t sit outside of sports bars. I live in NYC and I’ve ridden it to New Orleans and Las Vegas along with multiple short trips to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Boston and all over upstate NY.
K12 is/was the ultimate touring bike by BMW. Easily the best riding of all Beemers, but it is big, heavy, and can be a handful for a new rider.
I was looking for the GoldWing ride without the downside of the Wing. I’m 6’7” and the Wing was designed for people under 6’. It seemed like I could never get comfortable on the bike.
The things I liked about the R-1100 was the combination of nimble riding plus the removable luggage which could allow me and the wife to tour as well. The seat on the RT is also adjustable fore and aft so I never had a problem riding.
The K12 had the amenities of the Wing, but it is definitely a cruiser, it’s not something you can throw around.
Thought about a Harley, but again, the BMW was such a good ride I couldn’t pass it up. But on ride alone, the RT is still my favorite.
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