Alex:
While I might agree that there are some fundamental "truths" in your article, there are some issues you failed to address or even mention. I have been a loyal HD rider / owner for well over 10 years. I have been riding for almost 20 years, and owned my share of "non-Harley" bikes as well. I currently ride a 2004 Electra Glide Ultra Classic that I purchased new. Let me be very clear, I truly love my bike, but despise Harley Davidson as a company, business and service provider as they or their franchise dealers fail miserably in all three areas.
The machine is a piece of art and, in past years, well crafted. This is far from true anymore as the almighty dollar has become more important to HD than the rider, the experience or the equipment. I have had my share of problems, and to HD dealers credit, had some of the repairs done wonderfully. I have also had the need to file suit against HD for braking repairs never done and their placing me within inches of death from a "non-existent" problem. This "phantom problem" was fixed (correctly I might add) by a HD mechanic now in his own shop and no longer working for HD. He loves the product, hates the company. He boasts all 55 certifications offered by HD and CORRECTLY diagnosed and re-manufactured the correction - one that HD knew existed and failed to address - even to this day. I could go on and on.....
A friend of mine just bought a 2010 Electra Glide Ultra Classic Screaming Eagle with EVERY option available, costing close to 32K. In the past 6 months of ownership, he has had 4 new tires, a warped rotor, 2 sets of grips where the rubber separated and now, most recently, chrome mirrors where the chrome has pealed off. It is CLEAR that HD quality is tanking and tanking quickly.
Alex, the point of my email is that if HD wants to survive the economic downturn, it needs to focus on the RIDERS and BUYERS a great deal more than their bottom line. This is a simple equation (that I learned from my many, many years with Marriott International) that if you take care of the consumer, the consumer will take care of the business. Harley Davidson has forgotten the consumer and has become a financial company that just happens to make motorcycles. They have lost touch with their roots and this will be their undoing. I can get a better quality Honda Goldwing for half the price and it is dependable.
We are willing to pay for the over-priced product (let's just accept this as a given), however, we are tired of being fleeced on service, motor clothes and parts. Pick one to overprice, but let the others be fair pricing. The Brandon HD Dealer (Ferman Automotive Group) gets well over $800.00 for a 20K service that my mechanic does for $350.00!! Remember, my mechanic has EVERY HD Mechanic's Certification offered. His pricing is fair for the EXACT same work that Ferman does....without the 8 million in overhead to support their new building and showroom.
I agree that the Harley days are over and the company is headed down a slope of no return if they continue "business as usual". They have lost touch with their consumer and rather than fix the problems, cover it up with "smoke and mirrors".
Like I said, I love the product (if it were built well, serviced well by trained personnel and HD stopped trying to fleece it's LOYAL consumers at every turn). They could learn a great deal from me and others like me..............but they choose not to and that is a shame.
Respectfully,
MGM
