Hate to say this (well, a bit anyway), but if Harley Davidson were to build a plug-in electric hybrid scooter which gets 100 miles / gallon.
They’d have to re-open all three of those assembly lines.
And still wouldn’t keep up with demand.
But instead yet another company sticks stubbornly with outdated designs, refusing to in any way mimic more successful foreign competitors because it’s convinced customers want only something “unique”.
Gas is $3.00 a gallon. Why would a new rider, decide to buy an expensive motorcycle which gets worse gas mileage than their car??
There are a (lot) of new riders entering the market.
Most will buy something smaller than 600cc.
Many will be zooming around on 50cc.
But no. That wouldn’t be “Harley” enough. So instead, the factories are closed.
Cyclical.
The math has finally caught up to Harley Davidson. For years they’ve created a false shortage of their motorcycles as a means of keeping the price sky high. When you are overcharging for the bike in the first place, then requiring those interested in paying too much for the ‘status’ six months for delivery, eventually the marketplace will force a fall in sales.
The exorbant costs of purchase, and then maintaining, these American Icon’s has finally caught up.
My Suzuki Intruder, with 10,000 miles, has never broken down, looks as good if not better than its Harley Davidson counterpart, and cost $9,995 dollars when I drove it off the dealership lot four years ago. Its never broken down, its never failed to start.
The fact it costs a minimum of $10,000 LESS is the primary reason Harley Davidson is once again teetering on the brink of financial collapse.
Just my opinion, after watching HD’s travails for four decades plus.
Is it a rough idle?
Wow, this is a real shocker, people cant now afford 15-20k+ for (Nostalgic Technology) Harleys.