How to save Harley Davidison
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From: The Older Gentleman on 15 Jul 2010 02:20 S'mee <stevenkeith2(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > On Jul 14, 12:25 pm, totallydeadmail...(a)yahoo.co.uk (The Older > Gentleman) wrote: > > > I wonder if they'll ever dust off the old Porsche designed lump? I've > > got an article about that in my magazine archive, dating from about > > 1982. Very interesting. > > The Nova? I dunno, might need to be seriously reworked imo. But that's > just my take on it. Oh, I'm sure it would have to be, after 30 years. Just a thought. -- BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Honda CB400F Triumph Street Triple Suzuki TS250ER GN250 Damn, back to six bikes! Try Googling before asking a damn silly question. chateau dot murray at idnet dot com
From: Robert Bolton on 15 Jul 2010 02:43 On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:54:39 -0700 (PDT), BryanUT <nestle12(a)comcast.net> wrote: >On Jul 14, 7:17�pm, "tomor...(a)erols.com" ><tomorrowaterolsdot...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: ..... >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. That's for sure. The US Government spends quite a bit of its time supporting business. Fights wars, overthrows banana republics, etc, etc. Money is the name of the game. Robert
From: TOG on 15 Jul 2010 06:02 On 14 July, 17:12, "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. > That's a fair comment. Not sure it's entirely true - you can argue that the Japanese opened up whole new markets and brought in customers who'd otherwise never have bought a motorcycle, but still, yes, fair comment.
From: J. Clarke on 15 Jul 2010 08:07 On 7/14/2010 9:54 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: > 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? How about they try filling every major niche in the motorcycle market?
From: T.J. Higgins on 15 Jul 2010 10:11
In article <i1lq360239a(a)news2.newsguy.com>, J. Clarke wrote: >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. AFAIK, Victory does not make a standard. -- TJH tjhiggin.at.hiwaay.dot.net |