Waving to become extinct

[Big Dave]

http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/2010/01/and-largest-market-share-is.html

Well for over 25% anyways!

[dogsnbikes]

Thats alot of anti social bastards:innocent:

[The Everlasting]

Oh dear..:doh:


Oh well,less waving.

[steve_t]

LOL. How did they get the figures? Sales? Does it account for the owners that have crashed and bought another one? :laugh:

Homer - "Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything. 14% of people know that."

[R6_kid]

Thats alot of anti social bastards:innocent:

I reckon, they should ride their bikes more rather than leaving them in the garage all year!

[Big Dave]

>>How did they get the figures? Sales? <<

One of the Trade organisations publishes the figures (don't remember which one - you have to be a member to eyeball it) and H-D put that out as a press release. I edited it a bit to make it less....errr....'inflammatory'.

[Ixion]

http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/2010/01/and-largest-market-share-is.html

Well for over 25% anyways!

Nah, tractors never have waved , it was only ever motorcyclists that waved.

[Big Dave]

There was a time when Fat Boys weaved.

[Pixie]

It's inevitable.The biking population is aging and senility has it's consequences.

[Swoop]

Sales of tassles should skyrocket!

[Pwalo]

So no actual sales figures to back this up then? I could almost go with it if the figures were for the cruiser market, but overall?

[steve_t]

So no actual sales figures to back this up then? I could almost go with it if the figures were for the cruiser market, but overall?

It does say at the bottom of the page that they suspect these figures are only for the over 750cc market

[pritch]

Lies, damned lies, and statistics?

I'm told that sales in Unzud are down 20% so the "increase in market share" may reflect few actual sales? Any increase is better than a decrease though.

Triumph has increased sales in Britain in the past year despite the recession.
The British market has suffered a significantly smaller drop than we did, whereas they had a real recession and we only had one that we dreamed up for ourselves. By which I mean that Britain actually experienced bank crashes and we didn't, but our politicians decided we should have a recession anyway.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/7094364/London-bike-show-preview.html

[Pwalo]

It does say at the bottom of the page that they suspect these figures are only for the over 750cc market

Yeah, I saw that, but that's conjecture too at this stage.

[Big Dave]

I'll ping 'em for confirmation after the weekend.

[Maha]

There was a time when Fat Boys weaved.

And now they go to weaving classes....

Going by those figures, AMPs would have over 40% of the market share in Auckland?

[Big Dave]

Could be more if all the Suzukis and Yamahas were sold in Chch eg.

Sounds implausible though

[Slyer]

Hardly surprising considering that they don't sell any bikes under 750 and how expensive they are compared to other bikes.
Over 750cc must be what... 25% of the market?

Honda would still dominate overall.

On a side note, the XR1200 is one of the few Harleys I would actually consider buying. Good bike Big Dave?

[Big Dave]

I think it's a very good street or 'standard' motorcycle, Yeah.

Nice character v-twin with 90 something horsepower, showa suspension, nissin brakes, and dunlop qualifier rubber.
Perty thang too.

Good round town and as a day rider. No so good for a passenger or a long tour. Horses -> courses.

$17.5k. Ya know!

[KiWiP]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Harley-Davidson Inc reported a larger-than-expected quarterly loss on Friday and warned that 2010 would continue to present challenges, sending its shares down more than 4 percentfull article - http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20100122&id=11050844

I understood HD to be in the shit since this is their 4th quarter loss with no outs. They have massive borrowing and their outdated manufacturing processes are causing them to be more expensive than the market can bear. Yes they are selling more bikes but at such a price they are not making any profit. A business can not go on for too long like this.
Even though they are haemorrhageing money they still gave a 10c dividend in December. ("PLEASE don't sack us" squeak the board) They are restructuring but is it too late?

[Big Dave]

their outdated manufacturing processes are causing them to be more expensive

I think the expensive thing is US Union Labour - and you know, they are currently not *that* expensive.

Where it turned to custard is at the consumer end. Their typical US customer is hurting financially and recreational vehicles aren't on the agenda.

The product and its pricing is currently the best it has been in my time riding and following the brand.

[Big Dave]

Vehicles over 650cc.

[McJim]

I am so pleased not to be going with the crowd :2thumbsup
It's all about individuality.

[KiWiP]

I think the expensive thing is US Union Labour - and you know, they are currently not *that* expensive.

Where it turned to custard is at the consumer end. Their typical US customer is hurting financially and recreational vehicles aren't on the agenda.

The product and its pricing is currently the best it has been in my time riding and following the brand.

Agree and I did say
more expensive than the market can bear.

Their core market is blokes with a lot of disposable income. There were a good few of them a few years ago but with falling investments worldwide this disposable income has dried up. This may be the same for all sectors of biking but if your margins are very tight (as with HD and high labour costs, and inefficient production) you need to sell a lot of bikes to overcome this shortfall in profits.

[Big Dave]

Yeah - and they have been doing some rather heavy pruning too.

[Elysium]

Yep..the number of retiring baby boomers is sure getting large.

[Big Dave]

Yeah - more disposable income as they get older. Not necessarily retired though. Of the two friends of mine that bought a Hog this month - one is a CEO of a health group, the other is Journo.

[Bren]

Give me a Rat over a Hog anyday

[Big Dave]

I like both. New Thunderbird I could quite happily ride the wheels off too.

[R6_kid]

I saw no less than four Harley Davidson Iron 883's within about 15mins today. Are they the new GSXR?

From the advert "looking cool doesn't have to be expensive"...