Posted on 01/22/2023 10:19:40 AM PST by MtnClimber
I can’t think of a worse example of a corporate CEO misreading his customer base than this via the Robb Report (Hat tip: Ed Driscoll, Instapundit)
“At some point in time, Harley Davidson will be all-electric,” the executive [Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz] recently told Dezeen. “But that’s a long-term transition that needs to happen. It’s not something you do overnight.”
Zeitz’s pronouncement seems guaranteed to make a not-insignificant portion of the manufacturer’s customer base cringe. For many enthusiasts, the thing that really sets a Harley apart from other motorcycles—American-made or otherwise—is a thunderously loud internal combustion engine. But the company knows that no matter how important those large-displacement mills might be change is on the horizon.
Maybe by “long term” he means several generations from now. If not, this is a surefire recipe for disaster.
With a battery much bigger than the electric motor, the look won't be nearly as appealing
Perhaps it is just an attempt to pre-empt critics, possibly including the CEO’s college indoctrinated children, claiming that Harley emissions are making “the oceans boil” as Al Gore recently claimed at Davos, after deplaning from his Gulfstream private jet, the Flying Squirrel.
But after all, what does Harley-Davidson really have to offer aside from a bad boy image connected to loud exhaust pipes...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Maybe they are going after the “Karen” market.
At some unspecified point in the future. Maybe just buying time.
NO!!!!
You cant make an electric bike look, ride, sound, feel or pound the earth beneath you like a Harley.
I predict bad things.
Would;d be great to see what the Harley Dealers think of this lunacy
My guess would be they are already in big financial trouble, and the ESG financial types are saying all electric plan or sudden death.
The CEO is a German environmentalist who worked for Puma. With the magic of interlocking corporate board seats, he landed a seat on the Harley Board of Directors, and here we are.
A kraut green track suit and shoe executive... Running HD. Enjoy the woke company image bikers.
This Harley owner is PO’d. I guarantee you that most are. What a pant load. 😡😡😡
My pedal car made the same noise.
A final solution to open mufflers. 😂😂😂😂. Hey ceo....🖕
Why not make them all pink, too.
So they are lying, promising to work hard against their core market demographic, to appease the environmental crowd.
Nice to know their corporate ethics... zero backbone.
A quiet Harley. Does that even work?
Pure Electrics Won’t Work for Most Motorcycle Enthusiasts, Who May Have a Hybrid Future
This article is more about sport bikes and people are often more willing to accept changes in this segment—it’s all about cutting-edge technology. A hybrid gives you locomotive-like torque down low.
The upcoming hybrid Corvette is an example. It’s being done for performance reasons less than fuel economy.
The cruiser segment is not so flexible. Many of the designs have been around decades and it’s not just Harley. If they built sport bikes I’d say hybrids might work. But all electric for a company whose strength is in cruisers, well, no.
So a German, has come up with a final solution. That rings a bell....
A clear case of not understanding your customer.
Harley dealer here. It f-ing sucks.
shocking...
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