Posted on 04/13/2005 11:55:31 AM PDT by Cagey
HD's real problem is the aging baby boom generation. They spurred the huge increase in heavy duty bike sales in the late 1990s/early 2000s, but fifty and sixty year old bones don't heal like 20 year old ones' do. This could be the beginning of HD's long goodbye.
I think a lot of Harley's future problem will be generational. Not too many post-Boomers and later generations seem all that interested in Harleys. Just my anecdotal observation. I certainly haven't done any research on it. Just looking at who's riding what.
You could be right! :>)
over-priced,under-reliable.
The "bad spring" is business-speak for trying to blame something out of their hands... I swear, every company reporting lower earnings last fall/winter blamed the hurricanes in the SE....
Probably the later. Harley is not down nor out! Just a little regrouping. I'm no stock expert, but isn't it just like a normal correction or something? Plus, investors like to buy buy, then sell, sell and profit take. They'll be fine as long as the corporate stockholders hold firm and don't get greedy like other corps. and take ALL the profits.
You are paying for the legend and a one of a kind bike. Buy a rice burner.
Harley needs to trim it's corporate fat by about 50%. It's an incredibly bloated company.
I've owned both to include Triumph and Beemer. Still can't figure out why Harley riders won't wave at a fellow biker unless they're on a Harley. Snooty muthers.
Yeah right...102 years old
Harleys are excellent investments too, they hold their value the best and the older ones are worth more than you paid for them.
Let's see...I'd say its a '48 Panhead. How'd I do?
Perfecto! Believe it or not, it's my mom's.
I always make it a point to wave at all bikers, no matter the make. It is still a big brotherhood...and a lot of those rice-burner owners got more iron butt than I do.
Sooner or later this bubble has got to burst. Although I've been saying that for 5 years. I just don't see how the demand for motorcycles costing from $7,000 to 20,000 and up can be sustained. I would think that, after awhile, everyone who would want one or could afford one would have bought one. It's not like cars where you need one and you drive it everyday. Most people I know put 5,000 miles or less a year on their bike. And they baby them, most of the bikes look better after a couple of years than when they were new. If I owned Harley stock I believe I would be selling it quickly.
As a rice burner owner myself, I always appreciate the wave and make it a point to put my hand out there when I see a bike coming toward me.
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