Who is buying huge motorcycles these day?? Not the girlie Millenials.
The article is absolutely right about why people by Harleys, it’s been proven with the Japanese where owning a hog is a status symbol in the land of high-end motorcycles. It’s all about the brand and perception, and HD will lose that.
Moreover they acted precipitously since anyone knows that Trump is using tariffs and threats of tariffs as a negotiating tool. And he has a habit of winning. Take away the tariff in a year and how smart does HD’s decision look? They could have held off 6 months or a year easily, and it’s entirely possible they will reverse this decision before any production even begins in Europe.
The EU is the most difficult, costly, inflexible place in the world for a manufacturing business. Decisions like this are not made overnight either, they’ve had this plan in the works for a long time and just found what they think is a convenient excuse to trigger it. HOG stock still hasn’t recovered.
And what happens when the trarrifs end. Do they move back?
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H-D screwed the pooch bigly here.
Trying to blame PDJT for their inability to plan, manage, and budget is not sitting well with engaged, informed Trump supporters.
I was considering a Harley to assuage my late-in-life crisis (blew right past the mid-life one), but now I’m looking at an Indian Scout.
As I understand it, they wanted to move Production there to manufacture Motorcycles for the European Market, not our Market.
This wasn’t due to POTUS Trump’s Trade Polices, but the Policies of the EU.
If what I understand is true, I don’t blame them one bit.
Harley-D has been moving ops overseas for years now. India. Brazil. Australia. And they announced the shutdown of KC factory back in January! Unions. Just cannot compete. Period.
Some people ride motorcycles to be seen. I ride to disappear. And that’s why I ride a KLR 650.
This is my KLR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M62y6BgvO-0
Harley is dead. They banked on old 1938 engine design. It is over.
And what is Harley supposed to do? Currently 40% of their market is overseas and that market, unlike the domestic market, is growing. In order to avoid being priced out of competition by tariffs they have no alternative except to manufacture in foreign countries for foreign consumers. Check that, they do have one other alternative. Bankruptcy and liquidation.
Tr-i-ump Stock Shares Up in other News!
I ride a triumph speed triple. Looks awesome and is hands down the best bike ive ever ridden.
It was a head fake. They are going to build harley bicycles in Europe. Likely electric ones. Virtue signaling bites another in the butt.