Whadda ya think? Harley to focus on used bikes

From Reuters via Jalopnik:

A booming demand for pre-owned Harleys until now has been a drag on the company’s U.S. retail sales, which have declined by nearly 40% since 2014.

As its motorcycles do not wear out or go out of fashion quickly, used Harleys tend to be more in demand vis-à-vis pricey new models.

Zeitz has tried to address the problem in the past year by tightening the supplies of new bikes. Leaner new inventory together with the increased demand for outdoor sports have driven up the prices of pre-owned bikes.

Still, the company estimates there are 3 million unsold used Harleys in the United States, far more than the approximately 80,000 new bikes it shipped last year.

“The biggest competition for a new Harley-Davidson bike is not an Indian bike or a Honda, or a Suzuki bike, but is a used Harley-Davidson bike,” said Hardiman.

https://jalopnik.com/harley-davidson-is-making-a-big-bet-on-used-1846441565

I don’t think this is limited to just H-D.

Take a look in the Marketplace or any other used bike listing area and you’ll find a plethora of used late-model RT and GS bikes listed, with pricing very attractive. When I bought my 2018 GS in late 2019 I was dealing on a new 2020 R1250GS and saw the private-sale ad for the 2018, equipped the same as the 2020, with 2k miles and warranty still in effect—for over $5k less than the 2020. $5k buys a lot of farkles or travel expenses. I think that’s a scenario that’s playing out across a number of marques, sometimes due to new model releases and owners who want to jump to the newest models or features, sometimes due to other factors like owners who have found it necessary for economic reasons to unload the bikes they bought pre-pandemic. Maybe in a year or two the used bike market will level off again?

Best,
DeVern

bigjohnsd said:

From Reuters via Jalopnik:

A booming demand for pre-owned Harleys until now has been a drag on the company’s U.S. retail sales, which have declined by nearly 40% since 2014.

As its motorcycles do not wear out or go out of fashion quickly, used Harleys tend to be more in demand vis-à-vis pricey new models.

Zeitz has tried to address the problem in the past year by tightening the supplies of new bikes. Leaner new inventory together with the increased demand for outdoor sports have driven up the prices of pre-owned bikes.

Still, the company estimates there are 3 million unsold used Harleys in the United States, far more than the approximately 80,000 new bikes it shipped last year.

“The biggest competition for a new Harley-Davidson bike is not an Indian bike or a Honda, or a Suzuki bike, but is a used Harley-Davidson bike,” said Hardiman.

https://jalopnik.com/harley-davidson-is-making-a-big-bet-on-used-1846441565

Click to expand...

Well, this is sort of a no-ship-sherlock point of view. I believe the same is true of Honda, BMW, Yamaha, Suzuki, Chevy, Ford, Toyota, and most other vehicle makers with the obvious exception of Yugo.