[Testiphony]

People working at Harley-Davidson are sure to be happy campers since sales for the brand have been continuously growing year after year. In the first nine months of 2014 sales grew by 5 percent. This is thanks in part to new models, like the Street.

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In Japan and Canada sales dipped slightly in the last quarter, though that is thought to be partly because of currency fluctuations. Asia saw sales rise 28 percent, Latin America saw a 7 percent increase, a 3 percent increase in the US, and a 2 percent increase for Europe in the most recent quarter.

Harley has also been doing a great job with its margins. It makes $16,307 in revenue on average for every motorcycle sold. That is a 7 percent improvement over 2013.

The Harley-Davidson Economy Is Running Just Fine - Businessweek

 

[HDGuy]

Not bad at all, good to see they're experiencing great growth, and bikes llike the HD street will help continue that.

 

[StoneFree]

Harley is doing everything right from offering great motorcycles to promoting motorcycle riding to women.

 

[HDGuy]

Harley is doing everything right from offering great motorcycles to promoting motorcycle riding to women.

Yeah that's what i have noticed with them.
Even with coming out with a product like the street that does a good job of pulling new people into the brand.

 

[StoneFree]

Yeah that's what i have noticed with them.
Even with coming out with a product like the street that does a good job of pulling new people into the brand.

What I'd love to see Harley do next is introduce an air-cooled V-twin 250cc and a single cylinder air-cooled 125cc motorcycle in both street and dual sport configurations. Remember that at different points in times Harley-Davidson actually offered motorcycles starting at 50cc and up. When I was in college I lived with a man that had a H-D 50 and just recently I sold my 1976 SS-250 that my partner and I restored to museum quality. I'm very proud of the SS-250 restoration that won first place in the only judged shows were it was entered. There are better pictures in my "garage" if you care to look.

 

[Yusef]

Diversifying the portfolio even more would be great. A Scrambler style bike would be cool. Even a sport bike might be interesting. They are getting back into racing aren't they?

 

[bbally]

Diversifying the portfolio even more would be great. A Scrambler style bike would be cool. Even a sport bike might be interesting. They are getting back into racing aren't they?

Yes 750 class this year unlimited.

 

[StoneFree]

Diversifying the portfolio even more would be great. A Scrambler style bike would be cool. Even a sport bike might be interesting. They are getting back into racing aren't they?

Harley-Davidson has never left motorcycle racing in the US where they've consistantly competed in AMA flat track (dirt) racing and drag racing. There is also a H-D exclusive road racing championship series.

Motorcycle Racing | Harley-Davidson USA

It would be sweet to see H-D compete in the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix with a new 250cc motorcycle. In 1975 and 1976 Harley Davidson won the world road racing championship in the 250cc class and in 1977 they won the 350cc championship (that no longer exists). This was with the 2-stroke (no longer allowed) Aermacchi Harley-Davidsons produced in Italy and is sort of ignored by Harley-Davidson history as the motorcycles didn't sell all that well in the US and AMF, when it took control of Harley-Davidson, soon sold the H-D interests in Aermacchi that was producing the motorcycles.

That said it would still be very cool to see H-D back in the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix series in the 250cc class that it won during two consecutive years in the 1970's.

 

[harleyhoonigan]

Hopefully they do take part in a racing series like that, i'd be cool to see how good or bad they can do in a series like that.

 

[StoneFree]

Hopefully they do take part in a racing series like that, i'd be cool to see how good or bad they can do in a series like that.

While I love motorcycle racing the real point is to provide motorcycles for teenagers to ride. Remember the movie Bad News Bears with Walter Matthau? There was the "bad kid" that was riding a 175cc Aermacchi Harley-Davidson in the movie. 125cc and 175cc motorcycles are perfect size motorcycle for a high school kid to ride. A 500cc is a bit big for them to start out on IMHO.

When I grew up once you got a learners permit (at age 15 1/2) you could ride a motorcycle as long as you didn't have a passenger. Of course the laws have become tougher today (we don't want kids to have fun anymore) but a kid can still get a license and m/c endorsement at 16 as far as I know. They need something to ride and Harley should be addressing that market which is the pre-Street 500/750 market. Hook 'em on Harley from day one.

 

[bbally]

Absolutely agree. I would like to see something like the SR400 in a 250 put out by harley. In colorado they can ride with a helmet from 10 years old if they have a shovel on it for doing farm work. I cannot tell you how many I have introduced to the old surplus Entrenchment tool. Keeps em legal.

 

[Yusef]

Rules like that are funny.

When I lived in Quebec the rule was that you could drink in the park but only if you were eating too, so you'd always have to make it a picnic.

 

[StoneFree]

In colorado they can ride with a helmet from 10 years old if they have a shovel on it for doing farm work. I cannot tell you how many I have introduced to the old surplus Entrenchment tool. Keeps em legal.

Rules like that are funny.

When I lived in Quebec the rule was that you could drink in the park but only if you were eating too, so you'd always have to make it a picnic.

Yes they are. In California that has very restrictive concealed firearm laws you could carry a concealed pistol if you were "going to or from, or engaged in fishing" so a fishing permit and a piece of fishing line with a hook was all that was required to carry a concealed handgun.


When it comes to motorcycles we need also remember that the age limits only apply to riding on the public roads. A child of any age can ride on private property or off-road on public lands and different motorcycle companies cater to this riding with micro-dirt bikes and cafe racers. Of course we built our own mini-bikes with the old reliable 5hp Briggs and Statton engines, belt drives with a centrifical clutch and often using our feet for braking when I grew up. We didn't even know what a helmet was in those days. LOL