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Harley-Davidson’s New “Exclusivity” Angle Misses the Point

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by James Brumley from https://www.fool.com The iconic motorcycle maker is paring back production, rather than pricing, in an effort to foster an image of exclusivity. If you’re one of the shrinking number of consumers planning to shop for a Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) at some point this year, don’t be surprised to see limited inventory once you can finally step foot in a dealership again. The company says restarted production facilities aren’t racing back to their full capacity. Around 70% of Harley dealers aren’t expected to receive any more new motorcycles this year. That’s alright by Harley, however, as the scarcity should ultimately improve the brand’s image of exclusivity. That’s the theory anyway. The reality is the plan may ultimately backfire. Harley-Davidson doesn’t need more admiration from consumers. It needs to sell more motorcycles. The typical high price for your average “hog” makes the company’s bikes too exclusive as it is. What they said Harley-Davidson’s relatively new CEO Jochen Zeitz has been alluding to the idea since he took over as the interim chief in March. Most notably, during the company’s April earnings call, Zeitz explained the company will “prioritize the markets that matter.” He added, “We’ll narrow our focus, time, and energy in the most critical countries and market segments that can move the needle for us today.” It was difficult to ferret out at the time, but in just the past several weeks, investors have watched Harley-Davidson scale back a bit on previous CEO Matt Levatich’s plan to launch smaller and lower-cost bikes, particularly overseas. His long-term goal was to drive international sales to half of the company’s revenue by 2027, but Zeitz may or may not be on board with his predecessor’s global ambition. It was a memo from Harley’s director of product sales Beth Truett that cemented the […]

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With Harley-Davidson Production, Sales Frozen, Argus Downshifts On Stock

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by Priya Nigam , Benzinga Staff Writer from https://www.benzinga.com Although shares of Harley-Davidson Inc HOG 11.31% have significantly underperformed the S&P 500, the company has suspended production at most of its U.S. manufacturing facilities and shut its retail stores due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Argus. The Harley-Davidson Analyst David Coleman downgraded Harley-Davidson from Buy to Hold. The Harley-Davidson Thesis While Harley-Davidson’s stock has lost around 59% over the past three months versus a 24% decline for the S&P 500, recent developments have been particularly disappointing, Coleman said in the Monday downgrade note. (See his track record here.) The motorcycle manufacturer has withdrawn its 2020 guidance. Argus lowered its adjusted earnings estimates for 2020 and 2021 from $3.52 per share to $3.07 per share and from $3.68 per share to $3.41 per share, respectively. Harley-Davidson had witnessed a marginal improvement in sales in the fourth quarter, raising expectations of its strategic growth plan leading to a turnaround by the end of 2020, Coleman said. The company instead stopped production and closed its retail stores. Although Harley-Davidson’s shares are trading near the bottom of their 52-week range, they are not attractively priced given the company’s substantial challenges, including the loss of production and sales due to the coronavirus, the analyst said. HOG Price Action Harley-Davidson shares were trading 5.47% higher at $15.82 at the time of publication Monday.

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Indian Army canteens to sell Harley-Davidson bikes

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The Indian armed forces can now buy a Harley-Davidson Street at Army Canteen at special prices. Harley-Davidson has announced that it will retail its Street range through the Indian Army canteen. Indian armed force personnel, ex-servicemen and their dependents in India will be able to purchase both motorcycles at special prices through the Canteen Store Departments (CSD) across the country. Harley-Davidson India stated that through the Initiative, the brand hopes that it will make their models more accessible to servicemen who have long dreamed of owning a Harley. Sajeev Rajasekharan, Managing Director – Asia Emerging Markets and India, Harley-Davidson, said, “Harley-Davidson shares a long-term alliance with the armed forces across the globe. With both Street motorcycles being included in the inventory at CSD in India, we look forward to providing more access to members of the armed forces and seeing more members of the forces fulfil their desire to own a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.” The two Harley-Davidson models that will be retailed through the Indian Army CSD will be the Street 750 and Street Rod models. Both models are powered by BS6 compliant 750cc, liquid-cooled, Revolution X V-Twin engine that develops 60Nm of torque. The Street 750 is offered in five colour options and has a seat height of 720mm with a weight of 223kgs. The Street Rod on the other hand is slightly different. The Street Rod is 6kgs heavier, has a seat height of 765mm and offered in four colour options. The Street 750 has a street value of Rs 5.34 lakh while the Street Rod is priced at Rs 6.55 lakh. Now, the members of the Indian Army will be able to purchase the two models at special prices. These are Rs 4,60,332 for the Street 750 and Rs 5,65,606 for the Street Rod (ex-showroom – applicable as

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Will 2020 mark a turnaround for motorcycle powerhouse Harley-Davidson?

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by Margaret Naczek from https://www.bizjournals.com For 117 years Harley-Davidson Inc. has led the market in motorcycles and continues to hold a dominant market share in the U.S. heavyweight motorcycle market. Despite its dominance in motorcycles, fewer people are buying bikes, and the number of U.S. riders are growing at a slow pace. For several consecutive quarters, the company faced declining sales, lower revenue and flat stock prices. With falling sales numbers, 2020 is becoming a pivotal year for the company founded in 1903. Harley has plans to grow riders to 4 million by 2027, from 3.1 million now, and invest in new markets with its More Roads to Harley-Davidson initiative, which launched in 2018. Some analysts, however, are uncertain of Harley’s ability to achieve such goals. “We are becoming a company that excels and exists to not only build great bikes, but to build riders,” Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich said in the company’s fourth-quarter conference call. During the call, Levatich listed four target areas that the Harley plans to hit in 2020 to retain early riders, a category segment that the manufacturer has struggled with. The company plans using riders to recruit and coach new riders, allow early riders to experience riding opportunities on their own turn and on their own terms and solidifying rider commitment through experimental opportunities like overnight rides. New motorcycles such as Harley’s first electric motorcycle LiveWire, released in September 2019, or the new Pan America adventure touring bike and Bronx Streetfighter bike, which are expected to release late in 2020, are also part of the company’s efforts to turn U.S. motorcycle sales around and build a strong ridership base. At least one dealer is hopeful about the strategy. “It’s brave if you think about it,” said Goran Zadrima, regional manager at Milwaukee and West Bend

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Harley Davidson: The Road Only Goes Downhill

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Harley-Davidson delays its first $30,000 electric motorcycle after unexpected findings during final quality checks The company delayed the motorcycle after ‘non-standard conditions’ were discvoered during final quality checks Dealers had begun selling pre-orders of the bike in January Harley-Davidson had forecast shipping 1,600 bikes Harley-Davidson has delayed production on its first electric motorcycle, called LiveWire. In an email sent to dealers last week, the company announced it had found a ‘non-standard condition’ in its final quality checks but didn’t elaborate further. The LiveWire was officially announced for commercial release last fall with a planned price of $29,799. ‘We recently discovered a non-standard condition during a final quality check; stopped production and deliveries; and began additional testing and analysis, which is progressing well,’ the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that the decision came after a problem with the vehicle’s battery charging was discovered. The manufacturer did not say when they planned to resume production. The company had already begun delivering models of LiveWire to dealers in September. The company had expected to ship around 1,600 bikes, or an estimated 1 percent of the company’s total big shipments. The LiveWire is said to go from 0-60 mph in three seconds and reach top speeds of 110 mph. Harley-Davidson recommends users go to dealers to charge the vehicle rather than trying to use standard electrical outlets in their homes. It is powered by a 15.5 kWh battery and has a 105 horsepower magnetic engine and a range of 146 miles city driving on a single charge. Harley-Davidson had told potential customers to charge the bike only at registered dealers and not in their homes. The bike was first shown in The Avengers: Age of Ultron as a sleek prototype ridden by Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character. The LiveWire

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H-D 2019 Electra Glide Standard new model announcement

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Harley-Davidson ELECTRA GLIDE STANDARD delivers an elemental Touring experience powered by the Milwaukee-Eight engine MILWAUKEE (Mar. 4, 2019) –Powered by the muscular Milwaukee-Eight™ 107 engine, the new Electra Glide Standard is a “Dressed down Dresser” that provides a raw, fundamental riding experience inspired by Harley-Davidson’s Grand American Touring roots. Designed for the traditional touring customer, the Electra Glide Standard is for the rider seeking to disconnect from all the noise of the day-to-day through riding. No screens, simply a motorcycle that provides and heightens the experience of the journey. This fundamental experience is a key element in the design and engineering of the Electra Glide Standard. The Electra Glide Standard features essential Harley-Davidson styling elements such as the iconic batwing fairing, chrome trim, standard saddle bags, and cast aluminum wheels. Chrome accents are added in high-impact design areas and complemented by polished rocker, cam and derby covers and select blacked out components – a blend of traditional elements and modern trends. “To express the stripped-back essence of the Electra Glide Standard we focused on finishes that were simple, timeless, and fundamental to the Harley-Davidson’s touring line. Chrome was added to key components and complimented by polished and blacked out parts, said Harley-Davidson’s Vice President of Styling & Design Brad Richards. “The rocker, cam, and derby covers are finished with chrome to emphasize the V-Twin shape of the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine. In addition, they add a dose of nostalgia that draws a through-line all the way back to the first Electra Glide.” To provide a raw touring motorcycle experience without riding compromises, the Electra Glide Standard features all the latest ride and handling technology of Harley-Davidson’s Touring line such as standard electronic cruise control, hand-adjustable emulsion-technology rear shock absorbers, 49mm front forks with Showa dual bending valve suspension, and Brembo brakes

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