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Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 2:10 pm
by jstark47
Bachstrad37 wrote:IMHO, HD needs to pump up the Buell nameplate. It's a sorry presentation of Buells with most Harley shops I've been to. I don't know if it's a cultural clash, but Buells are tremendously under represented at Harley shops.
Approx. 330,000 Harley-Davidsons sold in 2005, and about 11,000 Buells. Of Harley's five major income sources (Harley Davidson bikes, Harley Davidson parts and accessories, Harley Finance, MotorClothes, and Buell), Buell is by far and away the smallest. A self-fulfilling prophecy, I guess. They don't want to give a lot of floor space to their weakest product line....... thereby ensuring it remains the weakest.
Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 2:18 pm
by jstark47
earwig wrote:jstark47 wrote:IMO Harley has saturated their traditional market, there's no more growth potential there, and they should be reaching out to new markets.
harley is reaching out to new markets, thats why they bought Buell and created the VRSC bikes
They are also doing tons and tons and tons of marketing toward women.
Unfortunately, they are reaching out toward women with the same "tried and true" product line. I'd hope to see more substantial innovation, not just lowered Sportsters. BTW, several of our TMW sisters seem less than overwhelmed by Harley's outreach to women:
http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?t=9764 Time will tell if this works for Harley.
Buell is of course substantially innovative, but the parent company seems to treat them as only a sideshow.