Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to 
julimike54
Forum Supporter
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2016
- Messages
- 1,811
- Reaction score
- 357
- Location
- Euless
- First Name
- Mike
- Last Name
- Hayden
This has been an interesting whipsaw thread. Gone from HD wanting to attract youth. According to articles I've read the entire industry is lamenting this.
We are needing to attract youth off the couch, I'm not sure how that got in here,
just one example of our kids activities including hiking, golf, swimming, surfing, softball etc..... and still have an electronic device in use & of course all their friends doing likewise.
Funny I've had a bike around the whole time they never were gaga over that, in fact they aren't at all like me with something mechanical in pieces. My folks tell me I took one of the grandparents clocks apart that didn't work and put it back together & it worked (I don't remember it). But the point is it was part of their life, just showed mild interest, maybe later?
Then we have the HD clothing is all that's keeping it afloat, really? I'm one that in the mid '80s wanted a touring bike & really an HD. Went to that ratty dealer on Harry Hines, did a test drive, told the salesman I'll think about it, but left thinking that it was the biggest joke of a machine ever made. Test drove the Wing I still own & was sold. Now one might think I'd have thought I'd never buy an HD (I did think that). Well the reason I own one has nothing to do with wanting to be "in" or what ever. I wanted to buy a machine that was like a bike I saw in my youth at the dragstrip. You have to go through mid-life crisis sometime, I figured I better get it over with, haha. I wanted a bike that was stripped of bags, screens etc. The places I went, quite a few, nothing 'moved' me. Someone early stated that it is emotional, I believe they are correct. Anyway I wound up with this
something I never thought I would buy. Hey I guess never say never. As a side, I got to drive the Livewire (wow). That will be the future I think. Up until recently I figured they (electric) would never make it, then I just read about a tour a guy made on a Zero. He modded it up and traveled 300+ miles a day. The future is getting closer
Points as to HD losing sales, all of which are probably true, but HD is not alone. Recently read an article that BMW is also losing sales. Reason claimed that KTM has grown more than any company, they are going after the market, not just off road, adv, but the street market. I think all of the "established" bike manufacturers are losing sales because the pie is X size and how many 'new' manufacturers are getting into the fray. The industry needs to figure out how to make X bigger.
It will be interesting!
ps sorry for the long winded post
We are needing to attract youth off the couch, I'm not sure how that got in here,
just one example of our kids activities including hiking, golf, swimming, surfing, softball etc..... and still have an electronic device in use & of course all their friends doing likewise.
Funny I've had a bike around the whole time they never were gaga over that, in fact they aren't at all like me with something mechanical in pieces. My folks tell me I took one of the grandparents clocks apart that didn't work and put it back together & it worked (I don't remember it). But the point is it was part of their life, just showed mild interest, maybe later?
Then we have the HD clothing is all that's keeping it afloat, really? I'm one that in the mid '80s wanted a touring bike & really an HD. Went to that ratty dealer on Harry Hines, did a test drive, told the salesman I'll think about it, but left thinking that it was the biggest joke of a machine ever made. Test drove the Wing I still own & was sold. Now one might think I'd have thought I'd never buy an HD (I did think that). Well the reason I own one has nothing to do with wanting to be "in" or what ever. I wanted to buy a machine that was like a bike I saw in my youth at the dragstrip. You have to go through mid-life crisis sometime, I figured I better get it over with, haha. I wanted a bike that was stripped of bags, screens etc. The places I went, quite a few, nothing 'moved' me. Someone early stated that it is emotional, I believe they are correct. Anyway I wound up with this
something I never thought I would buy. Hey I guess never say never. As a side, I got to drive the Livewire (wow). That will be the future I think. Up until recently I figured they (electric) would never make it, then I just read about a tour a guy made on a Zero. He modded it up and traveled 300+ miles a day. The future is getting closer
Points as to HD losing sales, all of which are probably true, but HD is not alone. Recently read an article that BMW is also losing sales. Reason claimed that KTM has grown more than any company, they are going after the market, not just off road, adv, but the street market. I think all of the "established" bike manufacturers are losing sales because the pie is X size and how many 'new' manufacturers are getting into the fray. The industry needs to figure out how to make X bigger.
It will be interesting!
ps sorry for the long winded post
