Jamie

Sobering corporate news: A major US Harley dealer (Barnett, I think) just has had the audacity to add another brand to his offering:

Viper Motorcycles

Why should he? After all, the 2011 103 cc motor offers 9% more torque (to quote CW, power remaining suitably undisclosed), a lower seat height and new-for-2011 colour schemes.

Jamie

The Prophet

Oddly, that very same CW November 2010 issue proclaims that HD is number one with the 18 to 35 year old group? Is this true? (Refer to the review of the 2011 HD's, page 46, paragraph 3)).

If so, why are there so many 18 to 35 year olds riding around on HD's with white hair, short white ponytails, and white goatee's? They all look like they could use a comprehensive work-out (or diet?) plan as well.

Perhaps loud pipes cause premature greying? Aging? Let's get to the core of this!

Ride Safe!

Bob

__________________

• A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu
• Motorcyles are not my whole life, but they make my life whole. ` me

Jamie

I just don't trust that claim either.

Unless Hardly Avidson actually refers to the age of the sons and daughters of its current "customer base"?

Take care. Jamie

The Prophet

That may be very true, as bikes are being being handed down from one generation to the next, once the original rider is no longer capable of riding due to advanced age, etc., a distinct possiblilty.

Maybe we need to break it down...

The article refers to the 18 to 35 year old STREETBIKE buying sector.

Maybe they mean Street... Bike... as opposed to sportbike, adventure bike, perforrmance bike, etc. "Streetbike" in this context I guess could be strategically translated from "Cruiser"?

Still sounds very suspicious. What with all the Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory, etc. variations and offers of the cruiser style bike, Oddly Orbison comes out as No.1?

Methinks he was merely mind-farting out loud in biznizspeek, and not aware of any actual numbers.


Ride Safe!

Bob

Speedtrip

In 2009 total street bike sales in the US where 357,691 of those HD sold 223,023 with those numbers HD should dominate every demographic, but the chart below doesn't break it down by age. As a percentage of sales by manufacturer I would imagine that HD has a much older customer base due to many factors such as price point and a lack of sport, dual sport and dirt bikes.

Motorcycle Sales Statistics - webBikeWorld

Jamie

For want of precise definitions , these stats invite scepticism, don't they . And, as far as CW's throw-away remark about HD's being dominant (???) in the 18-35 age range is concerned, I would submit that Buell WAS at least a step towards "customer base" rejuvenation.

Jamie

The Prophet

These charts are all over the place - biznizspeek wise.

"sales are down 10.7% when compared to Q2 in 2008, but 11.62% up if compared to Q3 of 2009, assuming buyers were wearing purple and green hats and standing on one leg..." and so on. To me, this style of reporting almost always belies something being hidden, exaggerated or whitewashed.

The Bar Chart in the middle of the report displays almost a perfect textbook example of a "Bell Curve", illustrating that the particular product trend has peaked normally, and the trend is decreasing at the same rate as the original increase. This makes perfect sense.

The wise and alert "Freedonia Group" (if $5700.00 well spent dollars is ... free?) - oddly (and incorrectly thus far) predicts an 8% increase up to 2013. Wonder what data they are studying (or smoking?).

At any rate - maybe the HD statements are correct. Come to think of it, I'll go out on a limb to say at least half(?) - more likely more - of the bikes I see daily are Harleys. Perhaps we don't notice so much as they are so common? No one ever says "Hey look... a Harley!", as opposed to "Hey look... a Ducati!" for example. Harley, the new Coca Cola!

That said, they may have snuck up in the standings without anyone noticing. It would be interesting to collect data on "Average Miles per Annum" on these very same HD bikes. My guess would be in the 1000 to 1500 mile range. I personally know of four guys who put on no more than 1000 miles a year on their HD's, not counting the yearly August pilgrimage to Sturgis. These are the very same guys that stated "Triumph?, never heard of 'em... is that a new company?", when first viewing my Bonneville. Gotta love them "Bikers".

Twice a month rides of 5 miles to the nearest "Biker" bar hangout and back does not a rider, nor a motorcyclist, make.

In defense of the many great HD riders and enthusiasts - and I assume there are many - not ALL HD riders are bad, just the most obvious ones we see daily I guess. There ARE good ones out there, so lets hear from them!

Ride Safe!

Bob