British Motorcycle Gear

This article in Barron’s on Harley’s sales popped up recently.  The bottom line is that Harley’s sales are dropping more than predicted, and things are not looking good in Milwaukee.  It’s simultaneously interesting and disappointing.  I don’t like it when any motorcycle company has bad news, and I’m hoping that Harley gets it turned around.  Harley is introducing new, smaller motorcycles, and I think that’s the ticket back.  The question is:  Can they do it quickly enough?

Harley has a tough row to hoe, having built their business selling overweight, underperforming, uber-expensive bikes to a clientele that is aging out.  The smart move would be to acquire a small motorcycle manufacturer or importer with a proven track record and to then build on that success, but hey, what do I know?   I know there aren’t too many people left willing to shell out $20K to $40K for chrome, conchos, and leather fringe.  I also know that you can’t get inventory fast enough when you’re selling new motorcycles for $2K, or maybe $4K.

We’ll see.

Your thoughts on all of this?   Leave us a comment and let us know where you think the market is going, why a great old company like Harley is having such a tough time in a booming ec0nomy, or any other topic.


Hey, one more thing:  There are less than 4 more days left to get in on our moto-adventure book drawing!  Just leave your email address for automatic email notifications, and you’re entered!

Joe Berk

Recent Posts

ExNotes Review: UABRLA Tire Inflator

By Joe Gresh There's a reason we call this pump a tire inflator instead of…

1 day ago

World War II Harleys

By Joe Berk Harley-Davidson built four military motorcycles during World War II: The WLA, the…

5 days ago

ExNotes Long Term Test: Oxilam LED Headlight Bulb

By Joe Gresh As you'll recall from the Oxilam headlight review we published on ExhaustNotes…

1 week ago

Shinya Kimura at the Harley Museum

By Joe Berk Astute readers will remember our post on Shinya Kimura, an artist who…

2 weeks ago

Krabi, Thailand

By Mike Huber After 5 weeks on Koh Tao it was time to move on…

2 weeks ago

A Stag Film?

By Joe Berk For a guy who doesn’t collect knives, I sure seem to have…

2 weeks ago