How HD Killed Itself

[Mawsley]

Now, it's no video by Xtreme, but I reckon F9's channel is up there with the very best petrolhead viewing. Actually, I think it is the best.

I had a Harley and loved it. I went to get a Harley a couple of times afterwards and it was like they expected me to arrive at the dealerships with cake and a speech pleading to be considered for one. So I went off elsewhere. It's the one thing I think F9's missing from this excellent summary, the fact that the MoCo doesn't even care about its current customer base either - well, apart from the rufty tufty types and the Wild Hogs boys.

In an economic climate slammed by COVID, it's going to take some hard selling to shift those £32k glorified "mobility scooters". I can't see them making it out of 2020 in one piece. And charging twenty grand for something as ugly as the inside of a Daily Mail journo's head, that looks like a bike locked in permanent coitus with a video disk player, is probably not the best next step.

[Guest]

Yeh.....I like his vids as well!

[Leic STRS]

Im not sure in HD's case, but a dealership and a company are usually two separate entities.

[S-Westerly]

My local Ducati dealer also deals in HD's. Seems to offer a decent service. That said buying a Harley seems to entail buying into a "lifestyle" and most of the Harley people I see at the dealer are my age or older. I'm no youth sadly. Whereas you'll see younger guys mooning over the Ducatis you don't see them doing the same with the Harleys. I think HD really needs to try and broaden their appeal. Don't know how though.

PS I really enjoy F9's vids.

[gymwitch]

F9 is great. Have you seen The Million Dollar Bogan? He gets a stock HD from India to Mount Everest. That man is a journey unto himself !!! If you watch that series of his first it might help to know in advance that he has serious mental health issues.

[Bender]

Good watch, fired it up on TV this morning.

[skyrider]

Now, it's no video by Xtreme, but I reckon F9's channel is up there with the very best petrolhead viewing. Actually, I think it is the best.

I had a Harley and loved it. I went to get a Harley a couple of times afterwards and it was like they expected me to arrive at the dealerships with cake and a speech pleading to be considered for one. So I went off elsewhere. It's the one thing I think F9's missing from this excellent summary, the fact that the MoCo doesn't even care about its current customer base either - well, apart from the rufty tufty types and the Wild Hogs boys.

In an economic climate slammed by COVID, it's going to take some hard selling to shift those £32k glorified "mobility scooters". I can't see them making it out of 2020 in one piece. And charging twenty grand for something as ugly as the inside of a Daily Mail journo's head, that looks like a bike locked in permanent coitus with a video disk player, is probably not the best next step.

yea i more or less got the same attitude at the bmw dealership in preston so i just walked out

[Mawsley]

yea i more or less got the same attitude at the bmw dealership in preston so i just walked out

 

Just bizarre isn’t it. I don’t get it at all.

[skyrider]

no its not a great attitude from them is it if someone could be about to spend thousands with them and they start treating their customers like non entities they are not worth bothering with, peoples money will spend anywhere so they will take their wallets down the road

[Gerontious]

[Mawsley]

no its not a great attitude from them is it if someone could be about to spend thousands with them and they start treating their customers like non entities they are not worth bothering with, peoples money will spend anywhere so they will take their wallets down the road

 

I've found the same with other dealerships over the years. Some Guzzi, some Triumph, as I said I just don't get it. Local Guzz dealer refuses to do any work on bikes that weren't bought from him - these people just don't like money.

[skyrider]

yes its not bad when you can afford to be choosy like that obviously making too much money

[Guest Swagman]

no its not a great attitude from them is it if someone could be about to spend thousands with them and they start treating their customers like non entities they are not worth bothering with, peoples money will spend anywhere so they will take their wallets down the road

 

I've found the same with other dealerships over the years. Some Guzzi, some Triumph, as I said I just don't get it. Local Guzz dealer refuses to do any work on bikes that weren't bought from him - these people just don't like money.

 

Yes I went to a Triumph dealer a few years back enquiring about a pat ex on my Fazer For a new Bonnie bearing in mind they are also Yamaha dealers too, wouldn’t touch my Fazer said it was to old sell it privately, not been in there since.

[Throttled]

It is a great video and he certainly does his research and knows the subject.

I had a hire of a H-D Road King for my 50th and loved it. But I would not buy one because of the pressure to buy into the whole H-D experience. I do not want branded everything.