Stripped-down Harley rebounds from recession

Administration Propaganda(AP) ^ | 6-9-13 | M.L. JOHNSON

[TurboZamboni]

MILWAUKEE—Some motorcycle enthusiasts feared Keith Wandell might be the outsider who drove Harley-Davidson into the ground. Instead, he may be remembered as the guy who kept the motorcycle maker on the road. Wandell grabbed the handlebars at the motorcycle maker in the heart of the economic crisis in 2009. Harley lost $55 million that year, as buying a motorcycle stopped being an option for many consumers.

"We had to make, quickly, some big, bold, decisions," he said in a recent interview.

Wandell was the first CEO from outside Harley, so those decisions were watched closely. Not all were well-received. He got the union's approval to use temporary workers, which enabled Harley to time its production closer to the peak bike-buying season, saving time and money. He relied less on middle-aged men in the U.S. to buy the bikes. And he focused the company on doing what many say it does best: making big, powerful, premium-priced Harleys. But that meant getting rid of some popular secondary brands.

The company made $624 million last year, the best annual profit since 2008. It also boosted profit by 30 percent in this year's first quarter, compared to the same period in 2012. With lower costs and more efficient production, analysts say Harley is in a good position to grow as the global economy improves and in better shape to weather any future downturn.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Crappy engineering for poseur baby boomers trying to fine some “badness” to give their lives meaning.

[Gay State Conservative]

Having worked in a major hospital's ER for many years I can confirm one thing and refute another...1) ER personnel do *not* pay attention to your underwear if you're seriously ill.If you're *not* seriously ill,OTOH,we're known to get a chuckle or two in certain cases...2) the old saying "donorcycles" *is* used in hospital ERs.Many an unfortunate person in this country has received a new heart...liver...lung...kidney..cornea courtesy of Mr Harley and Mr Davidson.

I'm just sayin'...and don't bother to flame,all the flames in the world can't change the truth.

[al_c]

I’m willing to bet most of the donors were courtesy of Honda san, Kawasaki san, and Suzuki san.

[gorush]

Harleys are the reason bikers are so mean.

[entropy12]

All the money spent over and above basic needs of food & shelter is spent foolishly by everyone. Some buy Harley’s, others buy new cars every few year, others gamble in casino’s & stock market, but the most money spent foolishly is chasing attractive women who are not reliable.

[llevrok]

[pabianice]

“...One day finds me in Rehab waiting my turn and feeling sorry for myself. It’s hard not to spend some time in self-pity though I usually can keep such feelings at bay. As I sit in my chair a gurney is wheeled into the room and parked behind me. I turn and observe a young guy lying on his back, bare-chested and wearing a “halo.” Halo is the name given to a full neck brace that locks to the head with metal screws through the skin to the skull and secures to the shoulders. It is definitely a serious gizmo and makes me queasy when I see one since about the only thing not broken in my accident was my spine. The guy wearing it lies motionless and because I can’t see his face don’t know if he is awake. When my therapist arrives to accompany me to the Crip Board, I ask about the young guy lying silently on the gurney. I learn that one night a week or so ago he drank a six pack and then thought it would be great fun to take his motorcycle out and see how fast he could go through the city streets. He ended his ride with some superficial cuts and bruises plus a fractured C2 vertebra the same injury actor Christopher Reeve suffered in his horse-riding accident. The guy with the halo is 20 years old and can now look forward to being paralyzed for life, baring any unforeseen medical breakthroughs. I suddenly feel not so bad...” — “What I saw After The Crash”

[Carbonsteel]

Sure!

Because no one ever gets killed in a car, truck, or SUV.

Also, no one has ever been maimed, injured, or killed by: trains, bicycles, or airplanes.

I also don’t think pedestrians are ever hit, injured, maimed, or killed while out walking about in or around our nations highways!

It’s just motorcycles that kill people in the transportation arena.

[metalurgist]

Well, while we're throwing stones, lets bring up the fact that medical mistakes your profession makes kills about 200,000 people a year. Hospital or Abattoir?

[Neidermeyer]

Harley Davidson was a MAJOR recipient of CASH from Bernanke and friends in 2008 which was never disclosed and was applied directly to falsifying their quarterly and annual reports to show that they were still profitable ,, the money was funneled through their lending arm. For this reason I will not buy the one good motorcycle that the make ,, the XR1200.

[Carbonsteel]

I’ve been riding for over 20 years on everything from Harley s to BMW’s.

My motorcycle is a daily driver and I usually put more miles on it then in my car.

I hardly call it foolish since the weather here affords me year round riding and saves tons of gas.

My bike is 15 years old and I paid less than $5,000 for it.

Some on this thread probably drive a car, truck, or SUV that they paid over $30,000 for.

But hey, only motorcycles are frivolous....right?

[Carbonsteel]

That was disappointing!

There’s always the Victory/Indian line if you want a good American motorcycle.

I know lots of Harley riders who are making the transition.

[martin_fierro]

	FReeper Motorcycle Hooligans >> PING <<
Visit the FMH Swag Store & support FR!
Send FReepmail if you want on/off FMH list
The List of Ping Lists

[Hardastarboard]

Pretty much every “motorcycle hurt him bad” story I have heard starts with “He drank a whole lot of beer and then the bike threw him.” Funny how irresponsible bikes are when their owners are drinking.

[driftdiver]

You must be fun at parties.

[TurboZamboni]

[gorush]

Here's a picture of a Gila Woodpecker:

[School of Rational Thought]

Having worked in a major hospital's ER for many years I can confirm one thing and refute another...1) ER personnel do *not* pay attention

You should have stopped right there before making a fool of yourself. Doctors and even you orderlies, kill more than 200,000 every year and that does not even count the hundreds of thousands who get serious infections because medical staff cannot even wash their hands properly (or you orderlies you cannot clean appropriately). That is the unfortunate truth.

[entropy12]

You are right. Most motor cycle riders are safety conscience and do not end up donating organs. Scooters are even more economical and a bit safer. Countries of Asia & Southern Europe have tons of scooters in use.