Why Are Harley Davidson

Why are Harleys so popular throughout the world when many other great brands
of bike have gone. Well almost gone.
Matchless, AJS, BSA, Norton, Aerial, to name a few, I can remember from my
childhood days in the 1950's, and even Army Indians were common. Now they
are but a memory. Bloody jappers everywhere, and now Chinese ones too.
The Triumphs all look like jappers. The Japanese have copied Harleys. There
must be a reason for that too.

Just wondering....

 

Marketing. Brand awareness.

 

I thought Goaty was just someone you met through work!

 

Fair comment but the cost of advertising the brand needs to be justified by
turnover
which must make the task of getting a new brand accepted by the bike buying
masses
difficult if you are a small fledgling company. The Japanese bikes seemed
to get their
foot in the door with low prices and very high quality. I remember an old
friend of mine
when I was a schoolboy with a new Honda 50cc scooter, telling me to trade it
on a BSA
Bantam because "Jap shite will never catch on or last." He couldn't have
been more wrong.

I've never owned a Harley but have owned at least one hundred bikes of
various brands
and capacities over the last forty something years, and still often remember
the "old"
makes and models which all seemed to me in those days to be very well
designed and
assembled, until the Japanese ones came along. I think I'd still choose a
bike on price,
quality, and performance rather than the cult thing that brands like Harley
seem to promote.
The Honda 50 I had in 1959 became the most popular model ever made. Mine
cost me
one hundred and fifteen New Zealand pounds when a new Matchless 350 or 500
was
in the region of two hundred and fifty pounds. The quality of the Honda was
miles above
the Matchless and the top speed 45 mph was not much less considering engine
capacity.
Of course the fuel usage of the Matchless made it's name inappropriate
compared with
the "oily rag" consumption of the Honda.

So you see guys, I'm not a troll after all, and my ravings here use far less
space than the
poster calling himself G ---- something further on in this thread. Wouldn't
it be nice to
have a sensible conversation here? There must be some of you with enough
experience
owning and riding bikes to make informed comments about my original
question.
Thankyou in anticipation.

 

My guess is that there are probably two factors at work.

First, would be that the base market of American patriotism is quite
large.

Second: the image. People see themselves as a mental image. That image
translates, normally, from early experiences. The Harley Davidson
motorcycle is - there can be no doubt - an iconic machine. It's
probably why the metric cruisers are also quite popular.

Sports bikes evoke a 'try hard' image - not always one that is aspired
to. The cruisers tend to be seen as imparting a 'devil may care'
attitude - which is very much the type of attitude effected by those
seeking to distance themselves from the norm - those seeking to be seen
as individuals and unique.

It just happens to be ironic that, in an effort to be seen as
individuals, many people throw in with stereotypical responses. That,
however, is not the exclusive domain of Harley owners.

---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
Before an accident, most city drivers say "****!", whereas most country drivers
say "Hang on to this stubby, mate, while I show you some awesome driving"
'81 Yamaha Virago (XV) 750H (work in progress)
'01 Yamaha FJR1300

www.dmcsc.org.au
http://eladesom.com.au/ulysses/
# 37181

 

When I used to ride my Ducati I felt like an awkward fat bloke riding a fun
bike.
**** it felt good too! [1]

 

america is the largest market for any consumer good. americans know to
look after there own but take one look @ the rubbish they produce in
cars and see how poorly ford and GM are doing financially. they out
lived there competition because they where protected.

harley are now surviving because they are selling a luxury bike
appealing to people who want to own bikes more than ride them. there
bikes are slow and stable which tends to flatter inexperienced riders as
long as they don't push it.

they are showing signs of stagnating so maybe the good times are over
for them? my harley moto: who cares

 

GB wrote:

<applause>

regards,
CrazyCam

 

They dont buy bikes, they buy an image, a lifestyle. Enter a HD
dealer and its as though you are entering a place of worship. They dont
ask that you remove any head wear but I think they'd like to. The actual
bikes are often on slightly raised platforms like an altar. The
impression is that you are an inexperienced novice, desirous of being
accepted into a small,elite group. "If" they find you worthy you may be
allowed in ( sold a HD).But thats only the first step. you'll be
expected to return on a regular basis with your HD accessories book to
order more rubbishy junk to adorn your HD, and of course worship any new
models on display Its like joining a cult. Once in all non believers
will be shunned. I'm not sure if there are secret handshakes and
passwords but it wouldnt surprise me if there were.
Isaac

 

"> > Marketing. Brand awareness.

Motorcycles are still , for most , emotional not rational purchases . We buy
bikes as much for the way they make us feel as the cost vs quality
arguements and it is here that marketing plays an essential role.

When I ride my Ducati I am Troy Bayliss , when I'm on my Harley I'm a bad
bad Dude , when I'm on my Boxer I'm out to Travel across the nation .Yes
whenever I'm on a bike I'm a bloody wanker , but I'm enjoying myself and
thats got at least a little to do with marketing


Capt. A.L.

 

Did you see the grandstand full of Ducati "fans" with the big red and
white cards making "Ducati" signs for the cameras at the Mugello MotoGP?
They were all "Ducati club presidents" in town for a big meeting/party
organised by Ducati. One of the main organisers of ducatimonster.org,
which is just a reasonably popular web forum rather than an actual club,
had a great time freeloading at Ducatis expense over there...

big

 

you are out and you are proud! right on!

 

The Biker wrote:
Wouldn't

No, no we're all 12 year old school kids with pushbikes and nothing
better to do with our time.

I fail to see how the experience of owning and riding bikes actually
qualifies you to comment on the longevity of one brand vs another, I
would have thought that was more a marketing and manufacturing issue.

FWIW I'd sum up Harley's survival in about 5 dot points

- 1%'ers plus 2 movies in the 50's and 60's (Easy Rider and Wild One or
"rebel without a clue" or what ever it was called(1))

- The demographical bulge known as the baby boomers and the comparative
wealth of the western world post WW2

- Xenophobia and patriotism in the US

- A very timely intervention in the late 70's early 80's (I forget the
exact details but who ever it was that got rid of the AMC ownership of
HD who were running it into the ground)

- Excellent marketing to leverage off the above.

In summary, HD became associated in the minds of those who were children
and teenagers in the 50's and 60's with a bad/wild/ rebellious image.

Those people,mostly middle aged and with grown up kids, have been
keeping Hogly in business since the early 80's. The Hell's accountants
and etc are monied and happy to spend it to make themselves feel a
certain way, buying hoglies and accessories makes them feel young and
tough, and not fat and middle aged. The hard core bikers who kept Harley
afloat in the 70's and 80's have been pushed to the periphery.

Aside from those wanting to project a "born to be bad" image, there's
also those who want "anything but japanese" or as proud Americans will
buy American over anything else.

Generally speaking at a purely mechanical level HD's are over priced for
the componentry - hence it's obvious that a price premium is being paid
to obtain a non physical (image, emotion etc) value.

JL
(1) before my time

 

The problem for Yamaha and the other Japanese companies are the depth of
their product lines - the fact that you can get everything from a kids
chook chaser to a scooter to a grand tourer from Yamaha or Honda or etc
militates against building up a sense of cohesiveness in the owner group
- Ducatis and Harleys are all pretty much variations on a theme
(although Ducati's multistrada is wandering away from their core),
whereas you can't expect a Yamaha Majesty owner to have much common
feeling with an R1 owner or a Peewee50 owner.

JL

 

Great reply GB thanks.

 

Not sure if you were joking Isaac but can believe some bikes do have
cult support.

 

~
HORSESHIT!
You won't find 10yo Harley's with only 30,000 on the clock like you do Jap
sports bikes.

 

Hmmm. I'm not sure about that. Even ignoring the customs:
http://bikepoint.ninemsn.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedBikeID=1681069&TabID=3424&Alias=bikepointau
is not uncommon.

 

The imaginary type that Jap-bike riders are always crapping on about you
mean?

There's far more that buy a GSCBRZX1000 for the posing!

 

That's it; your killfiled!

Mumble mumble pricks who use facts in fuckin' arguments mumble mumble...