HD is looking for a new CEO! Anyone got any great idea's to turn market around?

[cowpuc]

WOW,,, https://yournews.com/2020/02/28/1475672/harley-davidson-ceo-matthew-levatich-steps-down/

 

Soo,, here's my brainstorming suggestions...

I think the days of yesteryear when High School's had "shop classes" that taught youngens there was nothing wrong with being a gearhead and promoted Auto Repair, Welding, Electronics, Hard Materials (included machining and foundry at our High School) and Wood Working (all areas that grease monkeys like yours truly spent my growing up years in and LOVED em all) had something to do with why, as biker boomers,, we are what we are,, IMHO of course.

Then when the Japanese came out with reliable and CHEAP (our High School parking lot was filled with bikes during Spring classes, we had a Honda Shop in town that sold the 72 CL350 for 395 bucks = there were zillions of um buzzing around singing their lucious parellel twin, four stroke song ) bikes in the mid 60's and caught on to raising kids right by promoting the 69 Z-50 minitrail by linking with Sunoco Gas Stations and giving away Mini's and wrote the tune "Hills and Trees and Flowers and Bee's all lookin like a picture post card,,, get yourself a Hondaa" (funny how I can still sing ALL those early comercial songs - just like it was yesteryear = BET YOU CAN TOO) = ALL the gearheads in West Michigan were hooked for life and ultimately,, the market made BILLIONS AND BILLIONS of dollars of us!!

Present day,,,, kids dont seem to care about being gearheads much IMHO... Phones, Puters, Texting,, VIDEO GAMES,,,... Something they do tend to care about though is this modern day thing of saving the planet and looking for ways to survive affordably in the process...

Ok Mr. New CEO,, here is what I suggest... I think the previous CEO was actually onto something with the Electric scoot idea.. Thing is,, 30 grand is insane,, aint gonna happen,, face it biker world,, your over priced.. I am one of those hard core life long biker dudes,,, from mini's to mighties,, been there and now,, as your article suggests,, I timed out... My current mode of cross country touring (what I did on bikes in my early years, as well as dirt riding and then exclusively up to bike retirement) is a Hybrid Car.. Our Ioniq has a combined Engine/Motor HP of 140 horse.. It will run all day at triple digits and still maintain 50 MPG.. Running normal highway speeds it gets 60 mpg.. Play with its "Eco" mode in the hills at slow paces it will see close to 70 mpg... Brand new the car's MSRP was 24 grand... I STRONGLY believe that the first Bike Company that builds/patents a Hybrid motorcycle that (Electric bikes, as cars, are not going to fly = kids today are not patient enough to do the plug in trick and wait for ever to fuel up) exceeds +100 mpg, will run highway speeds and is comfortable enough to commute on, cruise on and tour on will attract those youngens like a new I Pad... I would suggest you start with a smaller machine in the +200 mpg range and then work up to full size bikes... Make them affordable,, say half the price of a new Hybrid car for the Touring Model (12 grand = your pulling in BILLIONS of dollars off a mature/fully developed market are over for a while) and under 7 grand for the smaller bike... This younger generation REALLY enjoy the technology of today.. They actually look for it to save the planet.. It's your job to make that connection for them just like you did for us in days gone by,, build a new markey... Bottom line Mr. New CEO,,, IMHO,, if you build it,, they will be there just like we were...

Next step will help you draw them in.. I been saying this for years,,, you need to develop a training simulator similar to a flight simulator.. A modern machine these kids can climb onto,, have virtual cars coming at them and riding thru intersections as if they are on an actual motorcycle.. Something that monitors all their clutch/throttle/braking/eye movement/body language and on and on and scores their ability.. Sort of a living video game, motorcycle experience... Promote REAL safety,, show you care about their staying alive,,, something beyond just telling them if they strap a hat on they will be fine...

Actually,, if you think about it,, its possible that just the above paragraph will become your new market,,, by gosh I hope not,,, a lifetime of REAL motorcycling was a life worth living IMHO...

Puc

[AGrengs]

WOW,,, https://yournews.com/2020/02/28/1475672/harley-davidson-ceo-matthew-levatich-steps-down/

 

Soo,, here's my brainstorming suggestions...

 

I think you're onto something with the hybrid idea, I've advocated for them for a while now. That would work well for larger, touring bikes where one could go long distances on little fuel. For smaller bikes ridden mostly local, however, I like the fully electric and I think that appeals to younger riders also. the problem I see with the electrics coming out is that they all seem to be aiming for the contortionist sport biker. If there were an affordable (

[tz89]

Puc sounds like you could be that new CEO. Milwaukee is not too far away!

 

I agree on both counts. A larger touring bike has to be a gas hybrid. A small all electric seems like a maybe for around town, but then you have to have a place to plug it in, and that market doesn't necessarily have a garage in the burbs. So back to hybrid.

 

Please send me a gas hybrid version of my old 750 Midnight Maxim Tour with factory fairings and bags. I'll be happy.

 

[AGrengs]

Puc sounds like you could be that new CEO. Milwaukee is not too far away!

 

I agree on both counts. A larger touring bike has to be a gas hybrid. A small all electric seems like a maybe for around town, but then you have to have a place to plug it in, and that market doesn't necessarily have a garage in the burbs. So back to hybrid.

 

Please send me a gas hybrid version of my old 750 Midnight Maxim Tour with factory fairings and bags. I'll be happy.

 

https://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=118437

 

 

That's a nice bike, it's the seating position I was talking about.

[gmarshall]

Maybe they should make a four cylinder water cooled street glide?

[DMW]

#1 : Get the price down

#2 : To many models ( design for dealership options to change look)

#3 : Remember most are Toys nice to have not necessary

[WildBill1]

The next CEO should take those Harley Ultra Classics that have been setting not sold forever at the Dealers and refurb them. Take out that Vtwin put in a Yahama 1700cc V4 water cooled engine. This is how to have a great low center of gravity good handling bike and power to spare. It could be an American Japanese Venture the best of both worlds. But what do I know just been riding for 50 years.

[Patch]

Been staring at the screen wondering if I can associate with with the comments??

Then I remembered a time when... So I went to make a coffee on my way to the kitchen or back to the laptop??? I forgot what I remembered!?

 

The K car;) remember the changes that followed around the struggle to survive & Lee Lacocca.. Likely that is the cycle we are seeing again?

 

Now question is, have I remembered what I forgot or am I still sleeping? Hmm

[bpate4home]

Been staring at the screen wondering if I can associate with with the comments??

Then I remembered a time when... So I went to make a coffee on my way to the kitchen or back to the laptop??? I forgot what I remembered!?

 

The K car;) remember the changes that followed around the struggle to survive & Lee Lacocca.. Likely that is the cycle we are seeing again?

 

Now question is, have I remembered what I forgot or am I still sleeping? Hmm

 

God the K Car. I had 2 of them and couldn't kill those 2. I was in IT consulting at the time and would put 75K mi a year on a car. I bought 1 used with 105K on it and added another 100K In 3 years with the new one I put 190K on it. I had gotten out of consulting while I owned that on but the wife and I drove it everywhere. We couldn't fit 2 additional little humans on the bike I had at the time.

[snyper316]

So that's how I got a new Harley!

 

Still.got Riva too