How to save Harley Davidison
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From: don (Calgary) on 14 Jul 2010 21:51 On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:47:51 -0400, "J. Clarke" <jclarke.usenet(a)cox.net> wrote: >On 7/14/2010 7:02 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: >> On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:12:37 -0600, "Bob Myers" >> <nospamplease(a)address.invalid> wrote: >> >>> Beav wrote: >>>> I'm interested to know which bikes the Japanese produced were in >>>> competition with Harley? Until they produced the Harely clones I >>>> can't think of one. >>> >>> But you're not thinking in the right context. Any product that >>> is sold in a given market which can take a share of that market >>>from you is a competitor. At the time, Japanese standards, etc., >>> were seen as a possible alternative for buyers that might otherwise >>> have purchased a product from H-D. >>> >>> Bob M. >>> >> >> Excellent point. >> >> When I was in the retail business, my stores were in competition with >> every other store in a shopping center, regardless of whether they >> sold identical products to what I was selling. We were all competing >> for the consumers disposable income. > >Of course if someone wants a standard and Harley doesn't make one, >that's Harley's error. You can't win unless you play the game. We've seen what happened to auto manufacturers when they tried to be all things to all people and it wasn't pretty.
From: don (Calgary) on 14 Jul 2010 21:54 On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:49:16 -0400, "J. Clarke" <jclarke.usenet(a)cox.net> wrote: >On 7/14/2010 7:19 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: >> On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:13:40 +0100, totallydeadmailbox(a)yahoo.co.uk >> (The Older Gentleman) wrote: >> >>> High Plains Thumper<hpt(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >>> >>>> Actually, I'd like to see Harley put the water cooled V-Rod engine into >>>> a cruiser. I know it would break the mould of oil cooled offerings at >>>> the loss of the potato - potato - potato sound. But I feel that it is >>>> inevitable that such should happen. >>> >>> Agree 100%. >>> >>> I'd also like to see it in a more coherent touring bike than what they >>> make at the moment. Something with a decent chassis, more power >>> (obviously!), more ground clearance and the sort of sophistication that >>> would give BMW a few worries. >>> >>> They could do it - they just *choose* not to. Which is a bit odd. >> >> They could choose build a better mouse trap too, but that is not in >> their business plan. They know what they do well and they understand >> what their customers are looking for. To date they are doing a damn >> good job of keeping their customers happy. I doubt they care very much >> you find it "odd". > >But what is their objection to getting more customers of a different >kind from the ones that they have? >> So they should manufacture home furniture, because they could get more customers of a different kind?
From: BryanUT on 14 Jul 2010 21:54 On Jul 14, 7:17 pm, "tomor...(a)erols.com" <tomorrowaterolsdot...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > On Jul 14, 7:47 pm, "J. Clarke" <jclarke.use...(a)cox.net> wrote: > > > > > On 7/14/2010 7:02 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: > > > > On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:12:37 -0600, "Bob Myers" > > > <nospample...(a)address.invalid> wrote: > > > >> Beav wrote: > > >>> I'm interested to know which bikes the Japanese produced were in > > >>> competition with Harley? Until they produced the Harely clones I > > >>> can't think of one. > > > >> But you're not thinking in the right context. Any product that > > >> is sold in a given market which can take a share of that market > > >>from you is a competitor. At the time, Japanese standards, etc., > > >> were seen as a possible alternative for buyers that might otherwise > > >> have purchased a product from H-D. > > > >> Bob M. > > > > Excellent point. > > > > When I was in the retail business, my stores were in competition with > > > every other store in a shopping center, regardless of whether they > > > sold identical products to what I was selling. We were all competing > > > for the consumers disposable income. > > > Of course if someone wants a standard and Harley doesn't make one, > > that's Harley's error. You can't win unless you play the game. > > Of course, untold previously successful businesses have gone under, > "playing" that game. http://i.imgur.com/etfdW.jpg When governments subsidize industry we chastise local businesses because they can't compete. And some decry tariffs to level the playing field. Tariffs, subsides are a double edge sword. Business men and governments don't play fair. Never have, never will.
From: J. Clarke on 14 Jul 2010 21:51 On 7/14/2010 9:17 PM, tomorrow(a)erols.com wrote: > On Jul 14, 7:47 pm, "J. Clarke"<jclarke.use...(a)cox.net> wrote: >> On 7/14/2010 7:02 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >>> On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:12:37 -0600, "Bob Myers" >>> <nospample...(a)address.invalid> wrote: >> >>>> Beav wrote: >>>>> I'm interested to know which bikes the Japanese produced were in >>>>> competition with Harley? Until they produced the Harely clones I >>>>> can't think of one. >> >>>> But you're not thinking in the right context. Any product that >>>> is sold in a given market which can take a share of that market >>> >from you is a competitor. At the time, Japanese standards, etc., >>>> were seen as a possible alternative for buyers that might otherwise >>>> have purchased a product from H-D. >> >>>> Bob M. >> >>> Excellent point. >> >>> When I was in the retail business, my stores were in competition with >>> every other store in a shopping center, regardless of whether they >>> sold identical products to what I was selling. We were all competing >>> for the consumers disposable income. >> >> Of course if someone wants a standard and Harley doesn't make one, >> that's Harley's error. You can't win unless you play the game. > > Of course, untold previously successful businesses have gone under, > "playing" that game. And every motorcyle manufacturer in America except Harley has gone under by _not_ playing it.
From: S'mee on 14 Jul 2010 23:50
On Jul 14, 2:28 pm, "Bob Myers" <nospample...(a)address.invalid> wrote: > Vito wrote: > > Ahhh, lemme see, you know what is wrong but not what is right? > > Someone can easily know when a given proposition is wrong without > knowing what's right. I have no idea how gravity works, for instance, > but if someone tells me it's because there are tiny invisible elves > holding everything down, I think I'm pretty well justified in thinking > they're wrong. I say that the variations in the earths gravity indicate areas where there are fewer elves! Does the earths gravity vary? Why yes, yes it does and they know WHERE it varies, but not WHY. |