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Understanding the World of Chopper Magazines

By General Posts

The Ups and Downs of Print Media
by Bandit and a handful of Editors

I thought I might check in on the Motorcycle Magazine industry, specifically the chopper guys. F***, I didn’t know what I was diving into. A couple of years ago only one magazine survived the cost issues, the internet competition and the distribution expenses, Cycle Source.

Some magazines went sorta underground, changed their formats and dropped out of the retail market. Then Chopper Magazine returned with a large glossy format, quality printing but subscription only.

Click Here to Read this study of the Chopper Print Media Business, only on Bikernet.com

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What is the Cantina? Its Freedom to Ride your Motorcycle! Check out Membership Benefits by clicking here.

Lil’ Ruby: Another addition for The Chopper Saga

By General Posts

by Johnny White

Lil’ Ruby is what I have named her, but this came after I bought her from the original builder this Summer. You see, Lil’ Ruby started life as a 2002 Sportster that my son-in-law bought in 2015.

He bought the bike from another young man who needed cash more than he needed a Sporty, and my SIL had cash in hand. He rode it home to his mother’s house and estimated he had the motor out of the frame less than 2 hours later.

The Harley Sportster wasn’t his goal though. He planned before he purchased the bike. You see, he devised his strategy long before his purchase, and since a Sporty is the cheapest H-D motor he could get, well then that’s what he went with. He was on a mission to build a tight little chopper/ bobber that he could ride through town and not see another exactly like it anywhere.

CLICK Here to Read this Photo Feature on the Tech behind this cool Chopper

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Get all the Tech, Custom Build Features and the Products & Parts solutions for it — at Bikernet.com

Riding Free for 25 Years!!!

Harley-Davidson Reports Global Bike Sales Up 24 Percent In 2021 Q2

By General Posts

You can read the Company Announcement at their Official Website by Clicking Here.

Second Quarter 2021 Highlights and Results, and Recent Announcements

  • Delivered Q2 GAAP diluted EPS of $1.33, up $1.93 over Q2 2020
  • Q2 H-D, Inc. total revenue up 77 percent over Q2 2020
  • North America Q2 retail sales up 43% over Q2 2020 and up 5% over Q2 2019
  • Delivered strong Motorcycles and Related Products (Motorcycles) segment gross margin and operating margin driven by the Rewire product portfolio adjustments
  • Delivered Financial Services segment Q2 2021 operating income growth of $90 million over Q2 2020 driven by a lower provision for credit losses
  • Launched LiveWire as a standalone brand and introduced LiveWire ONE™ – the electric motorcycle built for the urban experience, with the power and range to take you beyond
  • Revealed Sportster® S, the all-new Sportster motorcycle built on the Revolution Max platform
  • Launched H-D1™ Marketplace today, the ultimate online destination for pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles in North America

Rolling in the right direction.
by Janaki Jitchotvisut from https://www.rideapart.com

On July 21, 2021, Harley-Davidson reported its 2021 Q2 results. The numbers are definitely moving in the right direction, especially when compared to the same time period in 2020. Worldwide Harley motorcycle sales are up 24 percent, due entirely to an impressive sales rebound in North America.

North American sales are up 43 percent year-on-year in Q2, which is the only positive number when broken down by sales region. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (commonly referred to among some OEMs as “EMEA”) are down by 7 percent for the same time period. Asia Pacific sales are down 13 percent, and Latin America sales are down 31 percent.

Taking the entirety of the first six months of 2021 into consideration, worldwide Harley-Davidson bike sales are up 18 percent—which is still good news for the embattled OEM. North American sales are up 38 percent, EMEA sales are down 19 percent, Asia Pacific sales are down 7 percent, and Latin America sales are down 47 percent.

Harley had some explanations for some of the negative numbers, stressing that they’re all part of its overall strategy. EMEA Q2 retail sales, the Motor Company said, went down because Harley stopped sales of the Street and legacy Sportster models in the region. Meanwhile, Latin America sales were negatively impacted by a dealer reduction across the region, as well as “pricing actions across the portfolio, which were executed as part of the Rewire strategy.”

Revenues for Q2 of 2021 are up 99 percent over the same period in 2020. That likely comes as particularly good news, since that contributes to a revenue increase of 45 percent over 2020 for the first six months of the year. While most of these numbers are still below those achieved in 2019, this is clearly the strongest showing since the pandemic became a factor. North American Q2 retail sales stand out as an exception, as those are actually up 5 percent over Q2 2019.

Parts and Accessories sales are likewise up 32 percent for Q2 of 2021, and General Merchandise sales are up 47 percent. Overall, Harley says, it forecasts full-year 2021 motorcycle segment revenue growth to end up between 30 and 35 percent, year-on-year. Since that is just a forecast, we’ll have to see how that prediction pans out over the coming months.

Harley shines as CEO Zeitz’s turnaround plan boosts profit

By General Posts

by Rachit Vats from https://www.reuters.com

Harley-Davidson Inc beat profit expectations on Tuesday as tighter inventories helped drive up prices and it reined in costs as part of Chief Executive Officer Jochen Zeitz’s restructuring plan, sending its shares up as much as 28%.

Overall shipments were down only 6% in the third quarter, recovering from a 59% slump in the prior quarter, indicating a rise in demand for the maker of large cruisers.

The sharp recovery from the pandemic lows comes as CEO Zeitz looks to recharge the business by shifting the focus back to big bikes and traditional markets like the United States and Europe.

Harley also tightened supplies and cut production, driving up prices for pre-owned bikes, which used to be a drag on new motorcycle sales.

“We are managing inventory in line or rather a little short of demand,” Zeitz said. “Dealers are selling new bike at or very close to MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price) and higher dealer profitability.”

Global dealer inventory was down 30% in the quarter and Zeitz said the company was planning to exit 40 unprofitable markets.

The company exited the world’s largest two-wheeler market, India, last month and recently announced a plan to develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under its brand name in the country along with Hero MotoCorp.

Retail sales in its biggest market, the United States, where Harley has not recorded a sales rise for the past six years, fell 10% from a year earlier, but was much less than the 27% slide in the second quarter.

Total expenses fell 26% to $196.9 million in the quarter.

Net income rose 38% to $120 million, or 78 cents per share in the third quarter ended Sept. 30. Analysts were expecting a profit of 21 cents per share, according to Refinitiv data.

Motorcycles and related product revenue fell to $964 million from $1.07 billion a year earlier.

Harley-Davidson beats forecasts as international sales rebound

By General Posts

by Rachit Vats, Ankit Ajmera from https://www.reuters.com

(Reuters) – Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) beat expectations for profit on Tuesday and stuck to its full-year shipment forecast, allaying fears of another major hit from European import tariffs and a further slump in sales in its main U.S. market.

Shares of the company rose as much as 8.8% to $40.36, as it posted the first rise in international sales in a year during the third quarter and a 3.6% dip in U.S. retail motorcycle sales – the smallest decline in nearly three years.

Profits continued to sink – by 24% – but the results offered some hope that one of the biggest names in motorcycles was finally beginning to arrest a slide in global sales that it has been fighting for years.

Sales in the world’s biggest motorcycle markets in Asia, which Harley has targeted with smaller bikes that go against its traditional profile, rose 8.7% in the quarter and are up about 1.6% this year overall.

The company plans to source half of its revenue from overseas by 2027 and international retail sales rose 2.7% to 23,619 motorcycle in the quarter.

While worldwide shipments fell 5.8% to 45,837 motorcycles, they topped analysts’ estimates by over 1,000 motorcycles, and the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based company stuck to its 2019 shipment target of 212,000 to 217,000 bikes.

“As we look to the remainder of 2019, we are encouraged by the momentum of retail sales trends through the first nine months of this year but also recognize substantial headwinds that we continue to face,” Chief Financial Officer John Olin said.

The company is also cutting spending and said it now expects 2019 capital expenses of $205 million to $225 million, about $20 million less than its previous estimates.

Excluding items, the company earned 70 cents per share, beating Wall Street expectations of 52 cents while revenue from motorcycles and related products overall fell 4.9% to $1.07 billion.

The company, which has been criticized by President Donald Trump for its plan to shift some U.S. production overseas, has also been battling the effects of trade tensions on its business globally.

Harley said on Tuesday retaliatory import duties imposed by the European Union and China on its bikes would cost the company about $105 million in 2019, up from its prior estimate of $100, with about $90 million of the hit coming from EU tariffs.

Brussels in June raised import duties on U.S.-manufactured Harley bikes to 31% from 6%, and the company said the impact from tariffs more than doubled in the third quarter from a year ago to $21.6 million.

In response, Harley plans to begin shipping bikes from its Thailand plant but a delay in regulatory approval from the trading bloc means it will not see any benefit in earnings before the second quarter of 2020.

Trump warms to Harley Davidson, says EU tariffs ‘unfair’

By General Posts

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to reverse course on Harley Davidson Inc, saying European tariffs facing the motorcycle manufacturer were “unfair” and vowing to reciprocate, after urging a boycott of the company last year amid a steel spat.

The Wisconsin-based company last year announced plans to move production of its motorcycles destined for the European Union to its overseas facilities from the United States to avoid EU tariffs imposed in response to Trump’s duties on steel and aluminum imports.

Trump retaliated by calling for higher taxes, threatening to lure foreign motorcycles to the United States, and backing a boycott of the iconic American motorcycle maker.

On Tuesday, Trump appeared more sympathetic, calling the EU tariffs “unfair” but giving no other details about any planned U.S. action in a tweet citing comments by a Fox Business Network host.

“So unfair to U.S. We will Reciprocate!” Trump wrote.

On Saturday, Trump is scheduled to travel to Wisconsin to hold a campaign rally as he seeks reelection in the 2020 presidential election.

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on any planned actions, as both the EU and the United States prepared to launch larger trade talks.

Representatives for Harley Davidson could not be immediately reached for comment on Trump’s tweet.

The company on Tuesday reported quarterly profit that surged past expectations and stuck to its full-year shipment forecasts amid concerns over falling U.S. sales and European import tariffs, sending its shares up 3 percent.