HD Adventure Bike

Visian said:

Product (it's features, benefits, value) is part of marketing. Those are some pretty compelling bikes that HD just came out with, so from first looks it appears they're off to a good start.

Your point about distribution, also part of marketing, is also critical to success.

This past summer I had the good fortune to tour for three weeks with an HD dealer that owned 3 stores. He definitely knew the problem you described and shared a lot of things that HD is doing in promotional marketing that we beemer peeps like you and I never see. I bet you HD will train the living crap out of their existing dealers and also try new channels and methods.

Ian

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Its good if the dealers are starting to understand the challenges, and its great if they react and get in front of the problem. I don't want any manufacturer to fail or sell out, competition is a good thing and just because I would not buy any current HD offering doesn't mean I wouldn't consider one in the future. I am sure that there are a lot of folks out there like me that are willing to give them a chance but it all starts in the distribution channel as nothing will put off a potential customer faster than a bad dealer experience.

earthling said:

... it all starts in the distribution channel as nothing will put off a potential customer faster than a bad dealer experience.

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It's where the rubber meets the road.

That video by Lemmy of Revzilla said it best, when Harley succeeds, America's perception of motorcycles will change and expand... we need that!

Visian said:

I think BMW actually changed more with the introduction of the HP2 Enduro and subsequently the S1000RR. Contacts inside BMW told me that the HP2 was the company's way of saying "things are going to be different" and that the company had made a strategic shift toward high performance, low weight and serious horsepower. They also committed to WSBK competition at that same time.

Ian

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The “Great Change” I referred to was BMW beginning to market the same kind of motorcycles as the Japanese. The F650 single, 650-850 twins, the K1200/1300’s, the S1000, Gt650, and 310 all have Asian analogues. Up until then (70 years?) BMW’s “signature” design was fairly unique, much like Harley still is today. BMW was able to become a generic bike brand, the question is, will Harley be able to do the same?

Well I think the new direction at HD doesn’t really doesn’t come as any big surprise. Anybody who follows the news and who has kept up with what’s been plaguing HD and the motorcycle industry in general saw this coming from a mile away. I still consider myself an HD guy though I sold off my HD Ultra Classic and now just have Der Beemer in my garage.

Still...I love the HD brand, the company and its long history. I want to see HD succeed and I believe they will in the long run, albeit not without going through some major growing pains. I believe the general public largely will embrace the new models and come to accept them in the same way people have grown accustomed to seeing BMW logos on GSA’s, RT’s, GTL’s and everything in between. The audience that will be perhaps the hardest to impress will be the hardcore HD loyalists. That said, those individuals who would not be inclined to buy a naked sportbike or adventure bike aren’t the target audience anyway and they aren’t necessarily going to suddenly abandon the brand and suddenly start riding Honda’s. HD knows this. For them, HD will continue to produce heavyweight cruisers to keep that market segment covered. Yes, hardcore fans will grumble and be vocal about their dislike and say things like, “It’s not a REAL Harley”, etc. but those people will probably continue to ride HD’s in the same way BMW loyalists stuck with their brand throughout its evolutionary cycles.

akbeemer said:

I always thought that this Harley was pretty adventurous.......

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Then they released a 1200cc version. It IS fun!