How to save Harley Davidison
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From: don (Calgary) on 15 Jul 2010 20:35 On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:44:19 -0400, "J. Clarke" <jclarke.usenet(a)cox.net> wrote: >On 7/15/2010 7:02 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: >> On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:40:00 -0700 (PDT), "tomorrow(a)erols.com" >> <tomorrowaterolsdotcom(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> >>> On Jul 15, 2:20 am, totallydeadmail...(a)yahoo.co.uk (The Older >>> Gentleman) wrote: >>>> don (Calgary)<hd.f...(a)telus.net> wrote: >>>>> On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:49:16 -0400, "J. Clarke" >>>>> <jclarke.use...(a)cox.net> wrote: >>>> >>>>>> 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? >>> >>> The fact is, that the people who are running Harley-Davidson have >>> demonstrated for the past 29 years that they are pretty good at what >>> they do, and lots of companies have gone under straying from things >>> that they do very, very well. >> >> Considering the market they are in and the competition they have to >> face I'd say Harley is a model of success. The very fact HD is the >> most talked about company and their bikes are the most talked about >> machines in this forum speaks to their success. > >So being talked about on USENET is evidence of "success"? Being talked about period is a measure of success for a motorcycle company. Most non riders think motorcycle, they think Harley. > >> Factor in the Buffoon from Britain telling all who will listen he >> finds it odd HD is not making other styles of bikes and you know they >> are doing something right. > >So it seems that the "buffoon from Britain" is also "successful" by the >standard of "being talked about on USENET". I agree the Buffoon from Britain is a usenet success.
From: Odinn on 15 Jul 2010 21:46 J. Clarke wrote: > > > On 7/15/2010 6:51 PM, Odinn wrote: >> J. Clarke wrote: >>> >>> >>> On 7/15/2010 10:11 AM, T.J. Higgins wrote: >>>> 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. >>> >>> But Victory is a sideline for a snowmobile manufacturer that also owns >>> a good sized chunk of KTM, and Victory has been in existence for just >>> over a decade so it's a bit soon to be betting on their long-term >>> stability. >> >> Kawasaki Motorcycles is a sideline for a LARGE Japanese Conglomerate > > Yep, they can buy Harley out of pocket change. > >> Yamaha Motorcylces is a sideline for a musical instrument company. > > Yep, and they can buy Harley out of pocket change. > > But according to you diversification, which has worked hugely well for > everybody else, would be a horrible decision for Harley. >> >> > According to me what? I haven't said that it would be a good or bad decision. I'm pointing out your fallacy that Motorcycle companies need to diversify to stay in business when they are a sideline business for an already successful business like you stated with Victory. Get your facts straight. -- Odinn RCOS #7 SENS BS #154 Nothing but net to reply
From: tomorrow on 15 Jul 2010 22:15 On Jul 15, 7:50 pm, "J. Clarke" <jclarke.use...(a)cox.net> wrote: > On 7/15/2010 7:04 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: > > > > > > > On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:07:05 -0400, "J. Clarke" > > <jclarke.use...(a)cox.net> wrote: > > >> On 7/14/2010 9:54 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: > >>> On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:49:16 -0400, "J. Clarke" > >>> <jclarke.use...(a)cox.net> wrote: > > >>>> On 7/14/2010 7:19 PM, don (Calgary) wrote: > >>>>> On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:13:40 +0100, totallydeadmail...(a)yahoo.co.uk > >>>>> (The Older Gentleman) wrote: > > >>>>>> High Plains Thumper<h...(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? > > > Or they could simply build on a proven formula, cater to a growing > > number of prospective buyers, by doing what they do well. > > Yeah, capturing about 1 percent of the motorcycle market. Heh.
From: The Older Gentleman on 16 Jul 2010 02:26 don (Calgary) <hd.flhr(a)telus.net> wrote: > On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:11:40 +0100, totallydeadmailbox(a)yahoo.co.uk > (The Older Gentleman) wrote: > > >tomorrow(a)erols.com <tomorrowaterolsdotcom(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > >> I specifically stated that "MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT it was Honda's > >> response to dethrone the Kawasaki KZ900;" I never so much as hinted > >> that that was Honda's marketing thrust for the bike. > > > >Calm down. I'm not getting at you. Agreeing with you, iff anything. > >Blimey, it's like being on the receiving end of another misdirected > >Calgary posting :-) > > Of course if you could write with clarity, you wouldn't keep running > into this problem. BANG! And there goes another irony meter needle. You really *are* unintelligent. -- 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: The Older Gentleman on 16 Jul 2010 02:26
don (Calgary) <hd.flhr(a)telus.net> wrote: > As I noted before I doubt very much they care what you might think is > odd. *Shrug* I don't care what they think and I doubt anyone else does. I merely observe that there's an engine layout that they haven't used in about half a century. An engine layout hich is used successfully elsewhere, and which many people cherish. -- 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 |