Posted on 07/25/2018 7:03:56 AM PDT by Red Badger
When the President of the United States is an incredibly powerful and successful businessman, there literally is nowhere to hide for companies choosing to invest their resources outside of our great nation.
What President Trump lacks in political experience, he more than makes up for in business acumen, and he has brought that incredible and extraordinarily unique spin to the Oval Office with him. Originally coined the “Trump Effect”, the fact that the President is one of modern history’s most consummate and prosperous real estate developers has propelled our American economy forward in ways that we could only dream about under democratic rule.
And it’s not only a boost for those companies choosing to engage with the American workforce either. Companies who defy the United States’ ingenuity are finding themselves suffering as well.
Harley-Davidson said Tuesday that international sales of its motorcycles grew while domestic sales decreased in the second quarter, after the company angered President Trump by announcing it would shift some U.S. production overseas in response to his trade agenda.
The Milwaukee-based company reported that motorcycle sales in the U.S. dropped 6.4 percent to 46,490 for the quarter that ended on June 30, while international sales rose 0.7 percent to nearly 31,938. European sales grew 3.6 percent and Latin American sales grew 9.1 percent, while sales in Asia dropped 7.1 percent.
Total revenue dropped slightly to $1.53 billion for the quarter, as overall motorcycle sales dropped 4 percent. Net income dropped 6.3 percent to $242 million.
The Americana-centric brand’s announcement about the exporting of production irked not only the President, but a great many Americans who saw the move as downright treachery.
If Harley Davidson believes that they can simply turn this around, after offending the American people so thoroughly, they ought to have a long conversation with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and ask him how that’s going for him.
They are making too many bikes in too many versions and the dealers have too many unsold bikes on their lots.
Our local HD dealer even stays open on Sundays trying to sell the hundred or so bikes they have in stock.
Back a few years ago, you had to get on a waiting list...................
Motorcycle Ping!.................
“HD was in trouble well before Trump.”
Yes, they were. You’d think they’d have stopped digging their own grave after some REALLY bad PR in the past decade with sex and race discrimination suits at their dealerships.
Playing against President Trump has proven time and again to be a dumb idea. ;)
Millennials aren’t into riding hogs.
HD products are over priced for what they are, especially when compared products offered by competitors of HD.
Harley-Davidson’s domestic market has been dropping for years, which is why they’re shifting emphasis to the international market.
Yep, they are into Rice Burner Crotch Rockets...................
It’s not just that.
They overproduce motorcycles.
Making product faster than you can sell it is not a good business model................
It’s not Trumps fault. HD was trying to expand in a shrinking market.
It’s worse than that, the average age of a Harley owner is 50.
Yep, their ‘brand’ will carry them only so far..................
Yes; yes they were.
They screwed the pooch, though, when they tried to blame their troubles on PDJT.
That’s true. It’s considered an ‘Old Man’s Bike’..................
They need to bring back the Black Cherry-Black Cherry Pearl paint scheme that I had on my 2005 Springer. That and every bike looks like some variant of the Fatbob street bike...
Exactly. The market has changed for motorcycles. You’re more apt to sell a Vespa scooter, or a MoPed than a Hog in today’s market.
Yep, with less HD’s on the road means less oil on the road.
Plus there are new competitors, Indian, Triumph, American, etc...................
Cadillac had a worse problem ten years ago when their average age was 67. Its now down to 59.
I would guess that a 6.4% slump is just the start.
I have a collection of HD parts I pick up off the road.....................
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