[flashya2]

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Wow, this morning's St. Joseph, MO News-Press announced HD had a 91% drop in second quarter profits, resulting in 400 lost jobs in the Kansas City plant, the remaining job cuts at the Milwaukee plant and it's financial services division in Chicago.



The KC plant will shut down production the entire last three months of 2009, nationwide all plants to shut down for five weeks of this year.



And to think all I see when I look around are motorcycles, more than ever....and most around here are Harleys. With the economy, gas prices, etc, people are riding more than ever....but apparently riding used bikes.



My '89 Wing looks sweeter and sweeter to me every day....

 

[rcmatt007]

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I bet boats sales, RV sales and even top-end honda (heaven forbid) sales are down....

toys just don't sell in a bad recession

 

[tdbieber]

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If you go on Craig's List, you will find very few Goldwings. But search for Harley's and you will find pages of them. I have a close friend looking for a good used Goldwing and it is a difficult thing to find. They go so fast you can't even get a look at one unless you are the first caller.

It will be interesting to see if Honda slows down production on Goldwings. If Harley is slowing down because of the economy and the affordability of their product, then it would stand to reason that Honda will suffer the same fate. The $21-25,000.00 price tag of a new Goldwing is way beyond my reach. I feel very badly for those folks who are being layed off or furloughed at the Harley plants. Whatever you feel about Harley's or any other brand of bike, these are true American craftsmen (and women) who no longer have employement.

 

[ordonje]

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Even to this day, HD's arestatus symbols much more so than Wings...
How many used HD's do you see for sale , all decked out in Chrome with very little miles on them? I'd say the only exception are the tourers.

Finding a low mileage wing is next to impossible because they are bought for a different reason. Its much more temping to sell the toy you take to the local hangout a few times a year, than one you depend on for daily transportation and long trips.

I'm not saying all used HD's are sold for this reason, just a higher percentage of them.

 

[papabee49]

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tdbieber wrote:

I feel very badly for those folks who are being layed off or furloughed at the Harley plants. Whatever you feel about Harley's or any other brand of bike, these are true American craftsmen (and women) who no longer have employement.

I concur, it is a shame that good honest Amerrican workers are getting laid off because of a few greedy people at the top and government that doesn't know what to do because it cuts into their own wallet. :gunhead::gunhead:

 

[mikef]

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A good friend of mine works at the Milwaukee plant. I asked him if the layoffs would affect him......I sure hope not. It amounts to roughly 300 salaried, with the bulk coming out of HDFS (our financial arm) and OE engineering. The plants have already been hit hard twice, so the focus seems to be more on SG&A areas (overhead) this round. If this economy doesn’t turn around, we’re all going to be looking for some of Barrack’s handouts.



Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

 

[D-Rod]

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Don't forget when comparing, Harley-Davidsons and Goldwings. HD is a company and Goldwing is just one model of Honda Motorcycles.

 

[Moorhead WingFan]

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tdbieber wrote:

If you go on Craig's List, you will find very few Goldwings. But search for Harley's and you will find pages of them. I have a close friend looking for a good used Goldwing and it is a difficult thing to find. They go so fast you can't even get a look at one unless you are the first caller.

It will be interesting to see if Honda slows down production on Goldwings. If Harley is slowing down because of the economy and the affordability of their product, then it would stand to reason that Honda will suffer the same fate. The $21-25,000.00 price tag of a new Goldwing is way beyond my reach. I feel very badly for those folks who are being layed off or furloughed at the Harley plants. Whatever you feel about Harley's or any other brand of bike, these are true American craftsmen (and women) who no longer have employement.

You are so right. I had a neighbor who had both a Wing and a new Harley (guy is fortunate) anyway he was selling the wing (the one I bought and shown in my avatar. It's an 02 that he rarely drove. I stopped the afternoon he put it out. I knew he had an interest in selling it because last fall he had it out for sale and I told him I'd buy it but he backed out cuz he said his wife really liked the bike. Well this spring he bought a new Harley Touring bike so his wife gave him the ok to sell it. While I was there talking to him another guy stopped. I had already told him I'd buy the bike so the deal was already sold much to the other guys dismay. Anyway it just made me realize how lucky I was to find one with such low mileage and just down the street from me. No traveling to get it or ship it ect. I walked down the half mile or so from my house the next evening to pick it up. I don't think there has been a night since I picked it up that I havent either been out driving it or just out in the garage looking at it :kissingr cleaning it (not that it needed cleaning hell the things like new). Best part was I got a hell of a deal on it.

 

[mikef]

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Same thing ere. The papers are full of Harley's and there are no Wings to be found.

 

[sandcastcb750]

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The HD magic is dead.

Everyone that can't afford one, already has one, and they can't get their money back from it either.

No more home equity. No more money.

The old GL is looking better everyday.

Personally, I have ridden one and I like the HD.

 

[tdbieber]

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D-Rod wrote:

Don't forget when comparing, Harley-Davidsons and Goldwings. HD is a company and Goldwing is just one model of Honda Motorcycles.

You are very correct on that point. Honda is much more likely to survive since they are not just a motorcycle manufacturer.

 

[jk-1]

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[jk-1]

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jk-1 wrote:

D-Rod wrote:

Don't forget when comparing, Harley-Davidsons and Goldwings. HD is a company and Goldwing is just one model of Honda Motorcycles.

I agree with D-Rod , Most of you guy's compare" Harley Davidson " to one Honda model Goldwing. Try putting into craigs list "Harley Davidson Ultra" and "Honda Goldwing" and you will find the numbers are a little tighter. Or on the flip side put in Honda and Harley and once again the sales number will be closer, but if you look at any catagory on Craigs list or Ebay or your local paper you will notice that almost everything is for sale here in the states. Take Care - Jim

 

[rcmatt007]

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when I was over at Shawnee Honda (a mega store).... they had handfuls of wings sitting on the floor... the salesman admitted he was not going to get any comissions that month becuase he had not met his quota (I tried to help by buying a Harley off of him).... I have a feeling everyone is hurting right now

 

[redeyes88]

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papabee49 wrote:

tdbieber wrote:

I feel very badly for those folks who are being layed off or furloughed at the Harley plants. Whatever you feel about Harley's or any other brand of bike, these are true American craftsmen (and women) who no longer have employement.

I concur, it is a shame that good honest Amerrican workers are getting laid off because of a few greedy people at the top and government that doesn't know what to do because it cuts into their own wallet. :gunhead::gunhead:

Harley is no different than most other american buisiness failures,Yes I feel bad for Harley workers but the same thing happened to me in an entirely different type of job,and nobody but my wife feels bad for me.Glad my wing is paid for...I'm keepin her..

 

[oldtoys1961]

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Now if I'd of posted that, someone would be asking me "Whats your point"?:dude: and trying to start a cat fight.

Heres whats up locally. 2 car dealerships had bikes for sale. 1 had a nice looking(from the road) Harley Tourer and a little Scooter. The other car dealership had brought in a old 81-82 beatup Goldwing. As of now this moment, the Harley is still sitting and the Scooter and horrible looking Wing is gone. I heard the guy wanted $8000 for the Harley. So people are buying, theyre just being more sensible and froogle and staying with cheaper prices, or just trying to get the most bang for the buck. JR



Update: Last night I talked to a bud who said his friend bought the HD. They guy came down to $6000. I knew it'd sell but not for the 8k he was wanting,it was too much. The seller got back to reality and dropped it $2k

 

[cntryboy1289]

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I feel for everyone involved with either plant, I think things are only going to get worse as time goes on.

I have said though for years that as long as car manufacturers and bike manufacturers have lost touch with reality when most cars and trucks cost more than what I paid for my first house in the 90's.

I make a whole lot more money than I did in the early 90's, but what I can afford to buy is no more than when I made less than $20,000 a year because of the higher prices. In fact, I doubt I can buy as much now as I could back then.

Until people can afford the little things such as gas and groceries, I think the luxury items like a new car or bike are on the out. I spend 3 times more for groceries now than I did for that first mortgage cost me a month. I won't be buying anything new to drive ever again with those kind of prices.

 

[CaptainMidnight85]

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Honda will survive... but HD needs to follow Rule #1: Diversify...



[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/v/XiBX8MkFkd4&feature=related&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]



Don't forget Asimo either.

New bike prices are out of control.

I love ALL bikes and would hate to see ANY manufacturer go down.

 

[D-Rod]

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That commercial is nice but they need to add the Honda Jet to it.

http://hondajet.honda.com/default.aspx?bhcp=1

 

[Cousin Jack]

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I think there are a lot of unridden Harleys for sale, more so than any Honda or Honda Goldwing.We went to a barbeque party while visiting my brother in Germantown, Tennessee, a high-end suburb near Memphis......

Seems like no one at the party was a rider, but they all had Harleys sitting in their garages! Ornaments!

One pretty but drunk wife said to us: "We have a motorcycle! It's a Harley and it's for sale! Do you want to buy it? We need to sell it because I want a Porsche....they're just giving those away!"

Nice folk, but from a different planet than Red and me........!