From: egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Re: Harley Outperforms ZX11, Film at Eleve
Date: 16 Oct 1992 15:35:37 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
Distribution: world
Reply-To: egreen@east.sun.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 4111@rtsg.mot.com, svoboda@rtsg.mot.com (David Svoboda) writes:
>In article <1bf3atINNs4c@sixgun.East.Sun.COM> egreen@east.sun.com writes:
>|
>|Assumption 2: they can sell all the sports bikes they can build.
>|Ludicrous.
>
>Well, Eric Buell sells all the sport bikes he can build, and those
>are sorta-Harleys.  Even at $15,000 a peice he sells all he can.  And
>most people I know think they are the neatest thing since sex.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON may not be able to sell sports bikes.

Which is why I suggested in a separate post that Harley fund Buell's
expansion into full production.

>What are you worried about?  Do you think that, say, a 
>Harley XCSB Buell-Sport would not sell?  

I think a Buell would.

A Harley I'm not so sure about.  Even if it *does* sell, it could
*lose* them customers.  Do not underestimate the fanatasism with which
many of HD's customers equate HD's bikes with a "lifestyle," or the
passion with which many of these same customers *hate* sports bikes.
These are the people who buy many Harleys, over the course of their
lives, as opposed to some short-term "fad" customer.  It would be the
height of folly to alienate these customers.

>I think the point is that a profit can be made by increased diversity
>*if* the customer demand is there.  I think it is, for moderate production 
>numbers.  

I agree, for another manufacturer, such as Buell.

>Harleys have something attractive about them, to many people, 
>just for being Harleys.  

Which is why they should not produce something that is not a Harley.

>Combine that with the performance of a modern 
>Italian or Japanese sport bike, and you would have a Japanese Giant Killer.

Upon reflection, I disagree here.

I don't think an American sportsbike manufacturer will be able to
compete on raw performance with the Japanese for a long time.
Performance motorcycles are too high-tech, and the R&D and capital
costs are enormous.

I envision an American sportsbike to be, well, a Buell, with greater
availability and lower cost.  A sports styling and handling, with a
*moderately* high performance engine.  80% of the sportsbike riders out
there aren't tapping the performance of their bikes, anyway.  The only
reason to squeeze 5 more hp out of the engine, or shave 0.1 seconds off
some lap time is for the magazines.

Besides, it will be years before the economies of scale allow a
start-up to compete with the Japanese on cost, and it may not even be
necessary.  Harley has no trouble selling bikes at twice the cost of
imports.  The domestic market will probably bear a higher price for an
American-made sportsbike than for an import.

---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...

Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles,aus.motorcycles