If it doesn't have a "Pro" level on x-box, they're not interested.

I suspect more sport bikes sell, because the attrition rate is higher?

SKWEARpeg wrote:
If it doesn't have a "Pro" level on x-box, they're not interested.

I suspect more sport bikes sell, because the attrition rate is higher?


Not because they have all them shiny plastic panels?

Think 'techno-nut'.

Kids today are raised with the finest of technology at their fingertips daily. Anything less is last week's fab.

They apply the same to bikes. An old school cruiser has no purpose to them. Go fast, high tech, beauty in design, hair raising fun is what they're seeking. Ever run 200+ MPH down the track on a video game? You don't see a lot of Harley's in that genre.

The days of 'Easy Rider' have long since passed. Fast and Furious is today's mindset.

Japanese cars.

People associate quality and value with Japan. Techno-nuts are already wired in.

I think it goes much deeper than that.
'
Younger folks are using and spending their money in different ways than our generation.Its not wrong, just different. Many have no interest in cars, owning a home or bikes or many other things we thought were great. They see past them to other things and are open to them.

I hate to join into bashing threads about HD, mainly due to being a HD fanatic since I was about 11 (48 now)

However.... I have not been without a HD for the last 19 years. (got my first one 27 years ago)
I still love the HD bikes as they seem to fit everything I like the best. (fit, finish, looks, and sound)
I am not impressed with some of the cheap quality features (mainly chain driven cams, and bad compensator's ), and the fact of how difficult they make it to do any work on these bikes. Seems like everything requires you to remove several other items to do any work.
I also hate the fact that the very image that has made HD what it is, has changed. Not that I am a 1%er by any means. Now days it is 80% yuppies riding HD's. The people that used to buy them were the guys that built their own bikes and not the ones that paid the dealers to change their mirrors for them. This is what drew me to them as a kid. Actually the rat/bobber jap bike crowd are more inline with the older HD generation (at least to me) them what the newer Hd crowd is.
The moco (including the dealers) is a whole different topic that I don't have the time to really get into. When dealers wont put prices on their bikes so you don't know the price until you talk to a high pressure salesman or manager, or when the parts guy see the shock on you face at the price of something and he says "It doesn't really matter what the price is, your bike is worth it isn't it?" it should be a big red flag that they are taking advantage of you.
I know i'm ranting some, but i'm one of those guys that as much as I love my HD bike, i've been looking for something else. I'm pretty sure i'm going to try an Indian.
It does not surprise me that sales are down. The Moco has been riding on a high for so long that they have forgotten their customers and have taken for granted that the customers will always be there laying down cash no matter how they treat them.

Sorry, i'll stop ranting now before I type several pages

Hard for me to bash H-D as well when there's one in the garage, but I do anyway. But right now, I think H-D is OK. I see M/C sales as a whole sliding somewhat. I'm concerned about the future of Indian more than H-D. I'm seeing a few unsold 2016's and now 2017's out there. 2014's slipping to under $10K...already? That's not healthy. I think Polaris might be happier just making powersports and getting out of the motorcycle business. The writing is on the wall.

I'd add that for me the profusion of models is overwhelming at HD.....when really its about 1 or 2 bikes. Same really though with each manufacturer.
I went to Triumphs site the other day looking for a particular model and it took me longer than it should have to figure out which one it was (I'm old and maybe not that bright but geez....).
I'm not sure how any manufacturer can support properly or build that many models. Just my two cents since Is tarted this whole thing.

MOCO aka Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) has been spending big coin to revamp the entire motorcycle lineup. Hopefully that will stem the market share decrease of 4%. I Wish them well.
Indian has seen sales increase 20%.
I wish all the motorcycle companies success no matter what the brand.

Today Q 3 Results for Polaris and Moco

Polaris Industries Inc. reported third quarter 2017 sales of $1,478.7 million, up 25 percent from $1,185.1 million for the third quarter of 2016.
North American consumer retail demand for the Polaris motorcycle segment, including Indian Motorcycle and Slingshot, was up mid-single digits percent during the 2017 third quarter. Indian Motorcycles increased retail sales 16 percent, partly driven by new model introductions including the new Chieftain Elite and Limited models and Roadmaster Classic. Indian Motorcycle market share surpassed the ten percent mark in September. Slingshot's retail sales were down although the rate of decline decelerated during the quarter. Motorcycle industry retail sales, 900cc and above, were down high-single digits percent in the 2017 third quarter.

Harley-Davidson reported its third quarter results with worldwide retail motorcycle sales down 6.9 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2016.
The company's third quarter 2017 diluted EPS decreased to $0.40 from $0.64 in the third quarter of 2016. Third quarter net income was $68.2 million on consolidated revenue of $1.15 billion versus net income of $114.1 million on consolidated revenue of $1.27 billion in the third quarter of 2016.

Pobasturd wrote:
Hard for me to bash H-D as well when there's one in the garage, but I do anyway. But right now, I think H-D is OK. I see M/C sales as a whole sliding somewhat. I'm concerned about the future of Indian more than H-D. I'm seeing a few unsold 2016's and now 2017's out there. 2014's slipping to under $10K...already? That's not healthy. I think Polaris might be happier just making powersports and getting out of the motorcycle business. The writing is on the wall.


I'm thinking Polaris is pretty happy after only 4 model seasons.

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2017/10/24/indian-motorcycles-market-share-hit-double-digits.html

thebru wrote:
Pobasturd wrote:
Hard for me to bash H-D as well when there's one in the garage, but I do anyway. But right now, I think H-D is OK. I see M/C sales as a whole sliding somewhat. I'm concerned about the future of Indian more than H-D. I'm seeing a few unsold 2016's and now 2017's out there. 2014's slipping to under $10K...already? That's not healthy. I think Polaris might be happier just making powersports and getting out of the motorcycle business. The writing is on the wall.


I'm thinking Polaris is pretty happy after only 4 model seasons.

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2017/10/24/indian-motorcycles-market-share-hit-double-digits.html
I definitely have to agree it is like a phoenix it came back to life the third time