From: declrckd@rtsg.mot.com (Dan J. Declerck)
Subject: Re: Harley Sportbike?  Don't hold your breath
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 19:43:10 GMT

In article <1992Sep12.023822.14164@tcsi.com> markk@tcs.com (Mark Kromer) writes:
>Harley Sportbike:
>
>Here's a couple of reasons why it won't happen:
>
>Harley is a business first, and has been playing it conservative
>lately (probably still under the pall of the buyout debt).  Currently,
>Harley and sell more bikes than they can build.  Why should they spend
>millions to develop a new bike if they won't be able to produce enough
>to offset the developement costs?  It would be a bad move from a
>business standpoint.

Why did Harley Davidson just buy a motorhome coach builder, if they are up to
their neck in debt??



>
>The sportbike market is *brutal*.  The bike with the best numbers in
>the magizines (1/4 mile, HP, etc.) wins and all others go on sale.
>Whether these numbers have anything to do with the riders needs is
>irrelevant, it's pose value.  I'd bet that 95% of the people who buy
>CBR600F2s (the current winner) don't ride well enough to experience
>the difference between it and an FZR600 (the previous winner).  The
>lifespan of a new design is often only 2 or 3 years before the dealers
>can't give them away.  Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki *might*
>have the engineering resources and world market share to pump out all
>new bikes every few years, but I don't think Harley could afford it
>(not for the forseeable future anyway).  Harley's best off staying out
>of the pure sportbike market IMHO.

Agreed, the sportbike market is *brutal*. But at the low-end, mucho 
profits can be had, and can cultivate brand loyalty for entry-level
bikers. A good example of the type of bike is the Kawasaki EX500,
Honda CB750, Yamaha SECA II. These bikes aren't real complex, and 
they range from standards to sport-bikes. I own one of them.
If HD made a bike like the EX500 (which is found on a lot of racetracks
in Supertwins category) I would have bought one.

>
>Sport tourers, however, have a much longer design lifespan and a
>different kind of buyer (many of the current sucessful sport-tourers
>have their design roots in the mid 80's).  Here Harley could do a
>little expanding if they had the production capacity.

Yes, a good FJ1200 or ST1100 or concours killer would be great!


>
>Personally, I'm not really interested in a plastic rocket (I have two
>already).  I'd really like something like the current sportster with
>rearsets, clip-ons and a chassis.  I could get the power I want out of
>the motor, but what can you do with a frame that dates back 40-odd
>years to the K model?  I wouldn't put what passed for tires in those
>days on a wheelbarrow!
>
>Harley, just give me a *little* more to work with!
>

Well, if ya got the bux, there's always Buell...:-)




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=> Dan DeClerck                      |  EMAIL: dand%isdgsm@rtsg.mot.com   <=
=> Motorola Intl Subscriber Group    |                                    <=
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