Comments on: How to Save Harley-Davidson – Step 1: Redefine and Reposition The Way You Market Your Brand

By: Racing Guy

Racing Guy — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 19:05:15 +0000

I think Haley is in trouble.
It’s true there are just going to be some people that ride a Harley but that doesn’t grow a brand. They really have to reach out to the disposable money crowd; whoever that is right now.

By: Gear Head

Gear Head — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:48:48 +0000

I always thought Harley made a great bike. But, more than that, they build a great image with the right marketing. But, times have changed and they have not kept up. SOmeone above mentioned they need to stop going after the over 50 crowd. That might be the case even though that is where to money is.

I am a sport bike guy but, having riden HD, I think Harley’s are heavy, look heavy, and have handling issues.

By: Donny

Donny — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:35:42 +0000

I hope harley makes the XB 12 SS BUELL ,they are the best motorcycles in the world,but you can not buy one,because the dealer will bit you and throw you out of the dealer ship,IF YOU LOOK AT ONE,and you can not buy a computer chip bike with out dealer support in 2010.(PS) IF THEY build the XB12 SS and name them harley davidson they will sell,and they will have dealer support,and the XR 1200 is not even close to the XB 12 SS in handling,touring ability that includes passenger,and its speed.

By: jeeko

jeeko — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:15:45 +0000

Mahal bagi kebanyakan orang,..

By: Englebert Humperdinck

Englebert Humperdinck — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:42:25 +0000

Stop marketing to fat 50 year old Republican has-beens. Step 1 would be to make a bike that would attract some people that think “riding” a bike is more than tooling up to the nearest bar to swill Yuenling Light with all the other fat 50 year old has-beens, all dressed *identically* in their gray hair, black Harley t-shirts and Levi’s (ooooh, you’re all such rebels!), and then riding the 2 miles back home again before their wives kick their ass for not mowing the lawn and playing with the kids like they should have been.

Harley’s are a joke, and Harley riders are the punchline. Wake me up when you decide buy a real bike instead of falling for a stupid marketing campaign.

By: Anthony L

Anthony L — Sun, 02 May 2010 20:40:53 +0000

I have visited your posts before. The more I read, the more I keep coming back! :-)

By: Ride to Live

Ride to Live — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:22:41 +0000

Rob,

Good point about the fund raisers for everything from local people needing medical help, or families trying to pay for outstanding medical costs after their loved one(s) died to anti-child abuse fund raisers, to animal shelter or animal rescue support fund raiser rides. Just this past Sunday there was a Motorcycle Awareness Rally at the state capitol with sponsors such as MAC (Motorcycle Awareness Campaign) and CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association), plus multiple local and statewide motorcycle riding clubs, and yes, the majority of bikes there were Harleys. Most of the bikes that I saw on the highway going away in the opposite direction on thehighway as I was headed to the state capitol were not Harleys. While I hear alot of people both Harley and non-Harley riders complain about mandatory DOT helmet laws and lacking protective laws for motorcyclists injured or killed by negligent motorists, but when there are rallies for these causes, guess who the majority of riders are that turn out, Harley riders.

I used to be guilty of going for a day long ride rather than going to the rallies or fund raisers, but since I bought my Harley, I have been aware of far more of such events and I know now, I can still go for a days ride of my own, while also stopping to support those in need and supporting those who are fighting for the rights of motorcyclists and ATV riders.

I don’t care if others do not want to ever buy a Harley, I ride because I love to ride and I only own motorcycles, and I ride year round, rain, shine, freezing or below, hotter than 100 degrees.

So, lets stop bickering about what color jacket one wears or what position one rides in, and lets stand together as motorcyclists, and do what we all love, “Let’s Ride!”

By: Ride to Live

Ride to Live — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:55:41 +0000

Fact is, Harley Davidson will survive this slump and they will at some point have to again, move forward in their design and technology department, just as they did when thy created the V-Rod series.

As far as nad dealership experiences, I own both Yamaha and a Harley motorcycles, and I have been to awesome dealerships for both and I have had awful customer service at other dealerships. Word of bad customer service usually travels far and fast, and nothing will make your business slump faster than word that your sales and/ or service department are not customer satisfaction based.

By: agentmule

agentmule — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 07:59:55 +0000

How to Save Harley-Davidson – 1) Redefine and Reposition: http://bit.ly/ax26yH 2) Shift Your Product into New Segments: http://bit.ly/dvitxM

By: Oscar India

Oscar India — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:09:24 +0000

Really thoughtful and well-written piece this, thanks. I support much of what is said but (with an eye on your follow up piece) I’d like to offer your a perspective from the UK.
I live in Oxford, England, where, by chance, HD has it’s EMEA HQ.
This is a rural area, but with lots of high-tech industry and academia and, consequently, lots of money. Kind of like Northern California if you like.
As a result you do see lots of Harleys around here, mostly at the weekend if it’s sunny. I’ve never, ever, seen one ridden by anyone under 40.
I’m 39, and I ride a BMW K1200s, but I really like Harleys. The reason I don’t have one is that the bike is my daily transport, rain or shine, and a HD just wouldn’t cut it for that job, and wouldn’t survive a single British winter without endless cleaning and polishing.
And this is the key part of what I want to say, really; Harley’s are designed to run along long, smooth, sunny highways. Riding a bike as agricultural as a HD on the UK’s twisty, pot-holed, crowded, wet roads just makes no sense. As a result they’re sold as fashion items to the Boomer generation who ride once a week (in the main – there are exceptions of course).
HD has begun to address this with Euro-focussed models with less chrome, more modern suspension and so on, but ultimately this is tinkering with a product which doesn’t fit the market.
The answer, and many of you over there won’t like it, is European manufacture of European-spec bikes, built and marketed at European buyers.
Make the bikes better, keep the best elements of the brand image, scrap the 1950s build elements and the branding which goes with it.