The CEO unfortunately is almost never hurt by this crap. Even if he tanks the company completely he is almost certain to receive a major golden parachute, while the workers pensions go up in smoke. Even if they do fire his ass he will get a major severance package for it. These jackasses are never held accountable for the damage they do.
Who cares about hurting anybody? That is what the CEO is proposing. The point is to push him out so other elitist morons think twice before pushing systemic racism and bigotry. CEO Gotta Go. Buyers strike.
@@neonsamurai1348 Unfortunately, the CEOs are appointed by the Board, and the Board should be held accountable. Each and every one of them especially since they also approve the compensation of the CEO which I think last year was many millions of dollars.
Totally agree. The blessed elves that run our companies aren't like the rest of us. The CEO of my company retired after selling the firm with an extra $28M. God only knows why their work is actually worth more than a good engineer or scientist or lawyer or other smartie-pants, but I think it has everything to do with their rent-seeking proximity to a giant stream of money.
Except for pictures of all the Social influencers from RUclips all in group pictures around the CEO of HD, posing and smiling, knowing they'll keep on getting their HD bikes for ridiculously low prices that the rest of the market will never see, while they continue to shill for HD. hertwosqueals, foureyedlife, Broken Dyna's Supply, Adam Sandman... etc... Yeah, the Good Old Boyzngirlz club. BMW tried to get Sandman, Hertwosqueals and rocker Cody Jones to promote the R18 Baggers and Transcontinentals at Sturgis in 2022 and 2023. No idea who rep'd for BMW in 2024 at Sturgis. HD has Kreusi trying to make the Nightster or some other HD that they trailered in, the new hot Chinese import to buy for introductory HD riders at a cheap price point.
@@feloniousmonk3049 Just one question, was Professional Monkey in that RUclips influencer picture group??? I knew Jess would be, she’s a die hard Harley girl even tho she claims to love all bikes, she did shill for BMW with their R18 last year and the year before that and I believe they loaned her one for a while. I don’t remember if she went ahead and bought one or not! I do follow her channel, but not on the regular!
@@feloniousmonk3049 Here's the facts on H.D. employees getting special deals on a new H.D.. It doesn't happen. H.D. employees MUST purchase from an H.D. dealer. This includes management.
So most Harley riders are bigots??? If you claim you do not HATE LGBT people or are not against them, WHY would you care if they support LGBT causes... if you can't give a STRONG reason you have an issue with it... accept that you are JUST A BIGOT....
Said goodbye to Disney. Said goodbye to Bud Light. Saying goodbye to Harley Davidson. The customers made Harley Davidson what it is today. The customers have had enough.
@@juniorriveraofficial I buy stuff from Harley on a regular basis or should I say I did as I am sure many do. Its not all about just buying a new bike!
What customers? The pricks who can’t even be nice to regular folk on other bikes? Harley Riders are the problem. They are broke and dumb. Harley is also dumb because they should know who their current and future customers are, intelligent kids who are smarter with their money who will not pay for an overpriced piece of metal with huge dealer markups and high interest rates. I have seen literally broke old farts buying a new HD with a over $600 monthly payment. That’s dumb.
I agree. Harley has made a major blunder. They threw their Customer base under the Bus to pandering to some miniscule minorities that won't ever likely buy a Harley or any other Bike.
The motorcycle industry is already in a slump and heading lower. Harley couldn't have made a stupider or more boneheaded decision at a worse time. This is not about Harley or motorcycle riders in general. It is about the WEF and the one-world elites trying to spread their chaos as far and wide as possible! Does anyone think the motorcycle industry is any more important than any other industry? They don't care who is ruined until we are so divided they can walk in and take over.
Outside America Made in USA isn’t a stamp of quality. Harley’s are expensive status symbols. A few years ago I went into the local Harley dealer and was seriously looking at a new bike and the salesman kept on insisting I go for at least stage 2 mods. Eventually I just asked him “Why don’t these things rode great off the showroom floor?” His face dropped and he turned a bit hostile so for my new bike I brought a Kawasaki, and I couldn’t be happier it’s fast comfortable and reliable and looks amazing straight off showroom floor, No mods required.
Spot on. It is utterly shameful that the bikes run hot, are starved for air and fuel, and the seats suck! For the money they want, these should be perfectly tuned and fitted to the rider (bars, seat, control settings, suspension, etc). I rode a 2017 BMW R1200RT and was absolutely blown away. Bought it immediately. Sold the Electra Glide and don't miss it.
@@deltabluesdavidraye... yeap.. my bike may you can hold another person but honestly I don't want to hold another person because I use it to deliver ubereats food so I have two different bags one bigger than the other to hold a lot of stuff. My bikes not going to be woke, but it makes me money
Vanguard and Blackrock are two of the top 3 investors in H-D. They buy up stock in a company and force it go Woke and they use your 401k money to do it with. They are the source of the Wokeness (and they hired an Ultra-Woke German to run the company). The bad thing is that Blackrock and Vanguard don't care if we put H-D out of business because they are only losing our money. Basically, if we accept the Wokeness, they win. If we boycott H-D, we lose. That is the reality of the modern fake economy.
This should be pinned because it’s spot on as to what’s actually happening!! People need to pay attention, it’s not just HD or their CEO. It’s happening all around us and a boycott isn’t going to stop it because you can’t boycott every company the big 3 investment firms are major shareholders in. The largest shareholder of 88% of the companies on the s&p 500 is either blackrock, state street or vanguard-the ones that are really behind this
There is nothing fake about the economy. It is up to the investor to be informed and to only invest in companies that align with your values. Sold my Harley stock the instant I heard about this. To say black Rock and vanguard don't care is naive. They're greedy pigs who don't want to lose money.
Woke. Schmoke! Harley execs made a stupid decision to sell fewer units at higher prices. An HD salesman showed me a Road King with a $31000 tag. I can afford it but I'd need to punch myself in the face if I bought this instead of the 2005 Road King I found on Craigslist with 13000 miles for $6500 in showroom condition . Harley's worst threat is not going woke---it's a flooded, used HD market and their moronic execs and price gouging policies.
"Harley's worst threat is not going woke---it's a flooded, used HD market and their moronic execs and price gouging policies." This goes back to all the HD dealerships bought by mega car dealerships, and their monopolistic pricing policies and gouging, ever since Covid and parts shortages world wide. When I was looking for a Sport Glide, I finally said to hell with dealerships looking for one used. Saved myself about $8000 buying a private party one vs all the BS line item "fees" lining dealerships pockets with obscene profits, much of which went to the MoCo.
Agreed! I have a 2005 Road King that I love. I bought it from an estate auction 3 years ago. Ive put 17,000 miles on it, riding it from Ohio to Sturgis, Colorado, and all over the south. But with a bike that age, you've got to be concerned about reliability if you want to take trips. my luck ran out on my latest trip around lake Michigan. A cage bearing set in my transmission came apart (it had a rebuilt 6 speed box in it) and my tranny grenaded itself with little warning in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was only sheer luck in timing and two great friends who kept me from being stranded and out of pocket for tons of cash to get my destroyed motorcycle and myself back to Ohio. Now what? IDK> A harley DEaler wanted $5,100 to fix it. I bought the bike for $4500! My bike just became a boat anchor and it makes me sad. One day I'll get her running again.
Especially when you realize this “woke” stuff is old news that’s being recirculated. Most people will be shocked that the vast majority of corporate boards are like that. Like Hollywood, they’re echo chambers disconnected from the consumers.
It is extremely costly to get a customer, but takes so little to keep them if they are treated great. Harley-Davidson just got their customer base mad. If they buy another brand of motorcycle they might never come back. Companies need to stay out of social issues except making a great product at a just price. Treat everyone with respect is pretty easy and simple.
@@themapmaker5374 If a company has so much profit to invest in anything other then taking care of their customers, workers and share owners then they are taking my money for no useful purpose whether I agree or disagree with their purpose. I give to who I want too and do not want company involved in this behavior.
As much as it pains me, but Harley as a company means more to me than I like to admit. I can scroll through my phone and watch my kids grow up in photos at all the different car and bike shows over the years. Not to mention free concerts and cook outs. I have a lot of friends that work for them that are good people. Obviously the board has kicked a hornets nest but it seems like most of the people calling for a boycott are nonriders. Real riders have known that Harley corporate is a joke.
It did not exist when I was a kid. It's manufactured. When one doesn't watch the tell- lie- vision set or look at the MSM BS, these agendas are clear and evident. 'THEY' want the masses glued to their screens, taking their clot shots and eating their Cheerios and taking their Big Pharma meds. Souped up on blissful ignorance so that they can be profited on when sick until they d i e.
I agree with everything you said ! I’m a 30 + year Harley owner and rider. It’s bad enough all their motor clothes are made overseas. It actually pisses me off! But to now manufacture certain models overseas and all this DEI BS, is a disgrace to Harley customers , riders, America and our flag 🇺🇸
I have two Harley’s in the garage and have spent many thousands with them over the last few years. I’m done. Not another penny until they fire that loser ceo and apologize for being sick.
I have two also and was considering another. It made my salesman sad. I told him not his fault but can't do it. I started looking at Triumphs. They have a model called the rocket. Biggest production engine in the biz. Three cylinder in line. $25,000 msrp. The owner is a conservative. Harley to me is like the girl who cheats. Trust is destroyed.
I own 2 HD 93 FXRS-CONV which I have had for 31 years and a 2010 FLHTC. I don't even know HD models Road King, Road Glide, Ultra etc and I don't care. But what is this Woke thing? I have been riding since 1968, have owned and built many Triumph and Norton motorcycles. Boycott this company, set your bike on fire "for what"? If there's a mistake on the part of HD, it's easy for you to sit on your Lazy Boy chair and throw out comments and tell CEOs how to do it. "Try it" Every company makes catastrophic mistakes. As Jeff Bezos commented "you only hear about our successes and not all the failures we experience." There's always a risk going in, business decisions are not always right. Stop acting like a bunch of kids, this is life and this is business.
Hats off to you sir for speaking about this subject. You are one of the few "big motorcycle" youtubers that have had the guts to speak up. I agree with you 100%. Hopefully we can turn this ship around and get Harley back on track.
I just bought my first Harley a couple years ago. It’s a 2002 ultra classic. I don’t think selling my bike is going to send them a message but I’m not going to buy anything else from Harley. When I get a newer bike I’ll buy off an individual or a small shop
@@jmullis78ify I’m considering debadging my 2016 Electra Glide that I bought 2.5 years ago and I just recently bought an HD tank top with a dealership name from Tennessee and I have two or three others, I don’t think I’ll destroy them or throw them away, but I may not wear them in the future(really haven’t made my mind up on that)!!! I have a set of HD leather chaps on layaway at a dealership in WV., that now debating about finishing the purchase of; I really want a set of chaps and I’ve tried on several different manufacturers versions and this set fits me the best, so I’m clearly torn!
Harley has been “just about the Money” since the early 90’s. When they began forcing dealers to do fancy “euro car style showrooms” to accommodate more clothing than bikes and parts, and also shifted much of their parts sourcing to Taiwan and other countries, the writting was on the wall. An iconic company like HD, should make all of its parts in the US and should have an all American management team, that knows and never forgets the history and client profile that made this once great company, a one hundred year success story.
The younger buyers - especially those with the money to afford Harleys - generally don't care and are not the "client profile" Harley traditionally has had. So Harley is in a bind.
Thanks Jerry for having the courage to speak out on this issue, in plain direct English that even the most muddle-headed Harley executive can understand. I want to be proud, not embarrassed, to ride my Harley. Maybe the idiots will wake up before it's too late.
@thomaswoods1625 A question for you my dude, but how does a company being "woke" which is a term grossly misinterpreted by the way but I'll save that for another day, but how does a company being "woke" affect you and you riding your motorcycle?
@@juniorriveraofficial I’m also curious. They have taken the word woke and I guess you could say they made it a trans word because it doesn’t mean what they use it for
As a consumer once I see a company do something severely against my grain I have never even thought about going back to them again in the future I don't care what they do after that point
I just saw they were sued by a man in Pennsylvania and he was awarded $240 million for a faulty traction control system on a trike that caused an accident the killed his girlfriend.
@@motorizedbikestuff5339 Ohhh....so cater to 45+ year old white males. Ok, let's pretend you're the marketing manager at HD, and you've got a meeting today with the executive board to present to them how you plan to sell motorcycles to 45+ year old white males. Enlighten us on what your plan is.
This is the last time I'm gonna take it from harley I'm 70 and rode them my whole life stuck with them in the down years to have them tell me we don't carry parts for your bike but we do have an $80 tee shirt for you I'm moving on there are alot of great bikes out there I'm doing what's good for me at this point in my life
You seem like a smart and reasonable man. I as a stock holder did NOT authorize anyone to do anything except run a motorcycle company. Woke is killing HOG. I sold 1600 shares of HOG last week, at a loss, because these knuckleheads can't even answer the telephone during working hours. The CEO and his buddies are a bunch of losers.
All bike manufacturers are having a hard time with this generation, which is so risk adverse. Unlike Honda, HD doesn't have other products to fall back on and because it's such a small company it may well go under. Throwing your customer under the bus is never a good business plan.
Tell that to the Japanese and European manufacturers who are seeing mid-size ADV bike fly off the shelves. As long as Harley refuses to make any motorcycles that appeal to anybody but die-hard fans, which ironically are dying themselves at a high rate, they have sealed their own fate.
Harleys been needing a turnaround for a while now, bikes are too expensive and quality too low and we still give top dollar for em. U would think they would just shut up and be happy with the scam they've been getting away with.
I can’t afford a new Harley, 30 or 40 grand ? They priced me out just can’t do it , I bought a 2000 Honda Valkyrie interstate for 2 grand and been cross country on it maybe 10 times with no issues, I’m a retired Harley mechanic too
You nailed it. But the main problem above going woke are the prices. They still pretend to be a blue collar brand for the middle American rider, but priced the bikes to obscene levels so only doctors and lawyers are buying them. My Ducati Streetfighter V4 was less than half of the Softails 😂
The prices are high, but the prices of other bikes are just as high. The Pan America is Cheaper than the BMW RS. The cruisers are 10k Less than Goldwing. Ducatis are still higher priced than similar naked Harleys. I was looking at a CBRR1000 and oof that's pricey too. But agree generally that HD is too expensive.
Harleys have always been premium-priced bikes. Blue collar workers bought used Harleys or Japanese bikes. The fact is Harleys are cheaper now than they have ever been. Here's proof ruclips.net/video/fj0-BKhvWnI/видео.html
@@johnvanzelm2307 You're way off on pricing. Other than adventure bikes, although strictly limiting the comparison to BMW makes it a moot point, there are so many superior bikes priced thousands less. Yamaha's MT-09 will run circles around any Harley and is like $2,000 less than the Nightster. Look at the Ducati Scrambler as well. The 1200 Triumphs are thousands less than the cheapest Milwaukee eight and same with almost all big Japanese cruisers that will out perform them all. And good luck finding something like a Lowrider S for less than my 208hp Ducati SF 😂. Granted, I got it in 22 for $20k, but with typical Harley dealership markups, it was the same as a Lowrider S, which is laughable
@@madrat5176 The Pan America was designed to go up against the GS which is why I mentioned it. A lot of the bikes you mentioned are not a straight comparison. The Ducat SF is 22k, The Low Rider S is 19K and a very different bike. Again I agreed, HD is overpriced and very expensive but I'm finding the other brands are just as expensive. I'm not a Harley purist. I also Ride KTM and Honda. They're all pricey toys.
Consider finding a family owned HD dealership. Rarely have all the BS associated with a purchase. The corporate owned dealerships have nothing but greed in their veins.
Keep depriving yourself of all the pleasures in life because you went into a store and saw a tag that had a rainbow on it. Boy, that's smart. No, not really. What it is is snow-flaky. Life is short man, and you only have one to live. Stop depriving yourself of the pleasures in life over silly political BS.
I'm so glad I didn't buy one in 2023. I had my eye on a Fat Boy 114 and a Breakout 117. That's when I learned HD was part of the Millwakee LGBT Chamber of Commerce. I would never step on a bike or wear gear that says Harley Davidson. Never. I went with a company focussing on manufacturing and selling bikes.
Have you sold your HD? HD alrady ahas the money from the sale so It doesn't matter. Stop buying parts, OEM or 3rd party? If yes you're also hurting the aftermarket manufacturers many of which are veterans. Stop buying t-shirts, poker chips, cancel HOG membership? Stop wearing the gear?
Going down the road to woke is an absolutely incredibly stupid move for HD. Especially after seeing what happened to Bud Light, Tractor Supply and Target. Beyond stupid!
You can own the company but do any own a motorcycle? 😂😂 I've never seen a trans on a bike, maybe a tric in a parade or something (even this i have never seen)maybe gay or lesbian. Regardless they're asking too much for this economy. 😒 which is why my boyfriend bought me a Kawasaki Vulcan 900. 😂 my parts are1/3 of the cost for the same thing. I was a die hard HD girl. But logic is logic. I still get to ride.
Each share holder gets one vote.... Go buy some shares and vote. If all of us do that, buy 5 or 10 shares and get to vote next March or April, we as shareholders, can make a difference.
Any business needs to stay in their lane and focus on making a great product and taking care of their customers. They need a CEO who rides a Harley Davidson and loves motorcycling. This CEO from Germany is clueless. He gets rid of their more simple and less experienced motorcycles. Not everyone wants a $40,000 , 900 lb bagger. Such an iconic American brand, I hope Harley Davidson survives this.
It would be good enough for them. The sad thing is that what was once highly respected brand would be gone and the people who oversaw its demise would walk away with their pockets full of money and their customers would be left with the ashes.
I'm in the LA area and I can say for at least the past year motorcycle sales (and even some car sales) are F'd! I also think that a lot of this stuff is down till November. I saw that Sturgis was almost empty and that Bike week was not so good. This recent crap with Harley will soon pass, the anyone would say that this is NOT a good time to rock the boat when it comes to sales!
Well said Jerry. I had no problem boycotting Bud Light, Tractor Supply, John Deer etc, but this issue must go away. Apologize, lay off these buttheads and move foward building bikes.
John Deere, Tractor Supply, H-D, and Polaris/Indian plus 100’s of American companies are controlled by Blackrock, Blackrock owns the most stock in all these companies and they are pushing the woke agenda!!!!! They force these companies to go woke or they cut their capital off! Wake up people.
This wouldn't pertain to you as a man. But I recently dumped a brand for going woke. They reformulated and cheapened their product ingredients , all in the name of WOKE. The company is AVEDA and I'd been loyally using their products and high end salons for 30 years. Very disheartening.
You should do some research on AMF. If it wasn't for AMF, H.D. would have gone out of business. There's a lot more to that sale but its worth reading into to understand what AMF did, and didn't do.
My first Harley was an AMF, since that time I build my own with parts from sweden and S&S. Looks like Harley but official its: build by owner. So Harley:Go woke, Go broke!
@@motorman857 Agree. When AMF bought H-D, their manufacturing and business practices were stuck in the stone age. They relied on veteran employees who knew how to massage poorly manufactured parts to fit together, no real parts inventory system, etc. The EVO and the NOVA project were both developed during AMF ownership. A lot of terrible bikes were built in the process but AMF was preparing the company to survive and thrive in the future against Japanese competition. Government tariffs also played a key role by giving the Motor Company time to get on track.
Jerry, I completely agreed with your assessment and analysis. I’ve bought and owned 9 new Harley’s and a few used Harley thru the decades, but I will never buy another new Harley. I am still paying on my FXFBS and I intend to keep it, because I love that bike, but I will no longer patronize the Harley boutique dealships because they are a ripoff. I’m going to patronize the on line and after market for parts and accessories, the aftermarket is less expensive and generally better quality and you receive your items within a couple days, as opposed to a few weeks from Harley. Harley has abandoned their core customer base for the Woke,Transgender, queers and liberals. Ow I’m going to abandon Harley, like they’ve abandoned us. Sorry for the rant, but I am beyond disappointed, I’m pissed off. Regards, The 99% ters
I bought my first HD at a dealership a couple months ago. Promised to return in the spring and buy a new one. This last nonsense happened- I texted my salesman and told him I won’t be back. Even agreed to get a loan to help the dealership, though I can pay full.
If Harley wanted to reach a wider or select audience it should have an appreciation month for different groups, not just one group. Discounts and extended warranty programs help customers get in the door.
Thanks for comment on this issue. So many Harley RUclips people have chosen silence. Maybe they are trying to play both sides, customer and corporation?
I try to stay as far away from politics as possible. However, I felt the need to make a statement on this lunacy. I knew I might lose some subscribers, but I felt it was worth it. The funny thing is, though 5 people said they would no longer subscribe, I gained 367 subscribers. That tells me I know my customers.
The more I think about this, Harley Davidson should reduce there price on ALL new Harleys by 2 grand. If the economy is rough, then drop the price. Just my opinion. Once the economy starts to pick up, increase the price little by little, until your right back at the original cost......
This is true; I went into my local HD dealer about a week ago; lots and lots of inventory, and no buyers; I have never seen this amount of inventory in the dealership ever; another dealer who has Japanese bikes; same thing. tremendous amount of inventory
How did a German guy named "Jochen Zeitz" become CEO of HD, when there were A TON of great choices to take on the role in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago? WTFF, HD? Basically just gave most veteran riders the best reason to take a long hard look at America's first, oldest and other great maker of V-Twins. The Thunderstroke is looking better and better to me, especially after that Kraut's "Taliban" comment.
My local HD dealership is crickets. no one is going in, but everyone is trading in, or trying to trade in their HD at the Indian store, but now they are not even taking them in on trade because the used value is tanking.
I have been reading Harley’s 1970 -2024 when I want to buy a new bike it will be a Kawasaki or a Indian I will ride my 2006 nighttrain until I can’t rebuild it anymore. Ps Jerry keep it between the ditches and enjoy riding Gods Blessings to you and all your family
Exactly correct !!!!….if they don’t know their core market….they all need to go….quality,service & parts have all been in a steady decline over the past 4 years….bring back the motor company to the real riders
Well said. Like you, I'm not in a financial position to get rid of my 22 Street Glide. I am, however, in a position to deny Harley-Davidson any motorcycle, accessory or service purchase that I can obtain anywhere else. When the company abandons their woke stance, I'll reconsider my stance. I suspect that won't happen until Harley-Davidson has been driven from profitability, milked dry by their own woke Board of Directors and investors and the company either sold up or closed up. Sad state of affairs.
I bought my first Harley , at 22 yrs old , a1956 pan/shovel, FLE/FLH expolice bike from Calgary , I live in British Columbia Canada , then I bought the first brand new 2015 FXDWG 103 , ABSOLUTELY LOVED BOTH BIKES , I used to tear down to every last nut , bolt , light bulb , my 1956 had & rebuild , not because I had to I just loved digging in & loved to see how well it was running , I owned it for 33yrs by the time I had to sell it , because of my divorce it was a pan/shovel 93 inch with S&S CRANK & ALL OF THE INNER PARTS OF THE MOTOR, S&S SUPER G CARB , B GRIND CAM , 2INCH SLASH CUT EXHAUST , I WOULD PUT IT UP AGAINST MY , 103 INCH , WITH A STAGE 3 CHIP , VANCE & HINES TURN DOWN 2INCH PIPES , OPEN UP BREATH , SO IT CAN TAKE A DEEP BREATHE , WHEN I TWIST THE WICK , THEY WOULD BE COMPETITION , THE ONLY STREET BIKES I'VE EVER OWNED , & THE ONLY STREET BIKES I'LL EVER OWN
If I had the investment capital...... I would purchase all the rights to produce Harleys historical bikes.....I would manufacture and sell complete parts kits to customers who want to build their own Flatheads, Knuckleheads, and Panheads. This would be a serious moneymaker.
I wish that I could like this post more than once. Personally though, I love the phrase "Go woke. Go broke." I find that it separates the purposefully stupid and the willfully ignorant from the rest of us.
@@Known_as_G_MPlease honor us with your enlightenment and define the made-up term "woke" to us ignorant folk so that we can feel assured that wokeness doesn't equate to a divisive sickness?
They claim to now have changed their tune. However, their recant made it sound like they blame us for their problems, not their own wokeness that hurt the company!
@@toddj2690 there are good deals for sure. The upfront cost is high but you get it back when you sell. They used to hold their value but now that owners are getting offended - who knows what will happen.
Current Honda rider here (VTX 1300) and my end goal has always been work up to a Harley Heritage or Road King. I’m rethinking that now. Maybe they’ll see their error and drop the nonsense. Great video as always
Maybe we can get Elon to buy Harley!!! I do love Harley and really appreciate what you do for motorcycling overall Jerry. There has got to be a way to get Harley back to what the people that actually ride the brand love and respect. We need Harley to focus on building great motorcycles.
Buying Twitter and running it into the ground by telling advertisers to "go fcuk themselves", Elon would more than likely accelerate the transition to all electric power trains. Imagine buying a Tesla Harley Davidson, with the Tesla build quality reminiscing the AMF Harley Davidson days. 😂😂😂
Well said Jerry, I guess HD will get a Bud Light moment, they will never come back from this! They are also requiring their suppliers to go woke and DEI as well.
They have another problem that has come to light. Looks like they may be closing the Milwaukee engine plant moving it to Thailand. There’s an NBC affiliate that was reporting on it the other day from Milwaukee. So much for American made.
You hit the nail on the head. The CEO has no idea who the H-D customer base is, and they alienate the customer base more and more every year. I've been riding H-D since the '60s.
HD CEO is woke. He has run the company into the ground with woke policies, changes to product line up-people are not buying, and major HD quality problems across the line up. He does not understand what their aging demographic wants. And HD is moving jobs off shore… bad move. And prices are outta control! I am upper middle class and cannot afford a new HD. The Board needs to fire CEO and resign themselves! They should have never discontinued the old aircooled Dyna platform.
Sorry Jerry can’t find the response you made about inflation. One thing we can agree on is; any motor vehicle including motorcycles, prices are through the roofs. Facts. Let me switch it before we get back into that subject. Keep in mind, I currently work for a billion dollar corporation as well as prior business in retail. Big retail clothing store, 2010, I performed inventory, a blue jean pant, cost the company $1 and sold it for $60. Under wear for woman cost .25 cents and sold for $30. 2024 that same pant cost $3 and under wear $.75 and still sells for same price. There is an inflation in price but not on the retail side. I wonder why not? Why is it that you can still go buy a brand new pant at wal mart, 100 percent cotten for $12, but other major retail stores sell you the same pant for $60? Food, if you see pre Covid what government did to farmers and keeping imports of food out of the US, you would understand why food is now more expensive. But they blame inflation. True inflation or controlled inflation? Before you answer to any of that, do some research and don’t get stuck on what they want you to see, look for what they don’t want you to know. Now to motorcycles and cars, the main question you want to ask yourself is, why is it so hard for these manufacturers to get parts. Your answer to that is, they stopped all imports. Which these manufacturers need certain parts from over seas in order to build them here. Or simply because majority of parts comes from china. Facts. But why is electronics still cheap to buy? Like TVS and other electronics? No inflation there! facts. They had to figure out how to get those parts. That’s were demand now comes into play. The main things we need in life is food, cars, houses and gas. If the government puts a haul to all that, what do you think is going to happen? Prices go up because these companies need to push out inventory in order to stay in business. And the weak, well you know what happens. And the major reason, demand. We need those items in order to make a living. Therefore people will pay for it. Facts! And why do they take that route? Because the people need those items in order to survive. That means they pay more for the parts, they know people will pay for them, which then generates the higher prices on the cars and motorcycles. Because common sense, the demand will always be there for that. But let’s say if a part cost them $20 back then and sold for $200. and now it cost them $40 now but now they’re selling it for $600. Why can’t they still sell it for $200? It’s all about control and making the rich, richer. And if you’re not part of that game, you get left behind. They take advantage of the people. But if the people know the truth behind the inflation, do you really think these cars cost as much as they say? Some are putting it to the test now. They’re not buying the cars and dealers are sitting on cars, costing them money because if they don’t sell, guess who has to buy them now. The dealer. Facts. And when the dealer has to buy them, they’re now giving the discounts to sell them. Why because the car manufacturer already got their money. The manufacturer pushes the cars to the dealer, they can’t sell but they still need to pay the manufacturer. Again, they play with numbers making the stock holder think their selling but in fact their not. Their sitting on the dealer floors. Facts. I made a comment not too long ago on someone’s channel, about how you can be going under but if you play with the numbers, you can make your stock holders think your making money. But you’re not. All my examples above show you how they do that. But let me give you another one. Example, lay People off, produce work in cheaper labor countries, and raise prices. You offset the losses by cheaper labor, less people to pay. You show profits by raising the prices on items to show your selling and making money. But you truly aren’t. Why? Because you push expensive vehicles that don’t sell to the dealer. Who then have to pay the manufacturer because they couldn’t sell it. Facts! No monkeying around, strictly professional. Facts. But it will only work for so long before you really go under. But no responds from them. You said it, in US motorcycle for the majority are toys. Stop buying them and see what happens. Perfect example, bud light. They won’t go out of business because sad part, people love beer. But Demand will always be there for beer. A motorcycle is not a true demand like food, a job, gas, cloths, a car, your true necessities. How is it that everything now a days is so expensive but yet the people are still making the same amount of money? Some have to get two jobs just to be able to put food on their table! But yet no body is doing anything to help the people. Only the rich keep getting richer. It’s public info, go look for it. Bottom line, inflation is controlled and it occurs every so often when they feel it needs to happen. And only one true entity can fix that. And until the world opens their eyes, it will not change. I’ll leave it at that! And ps for those who I can hear already, i ride Harley’s and will continue to ride them. But I will never, buy new. Always used and I prefer the old Harley’s, in my opinion the true Harley’s. The ones you can work on yourself. No dealer required.
Everything in the dealership like cloths and aftermarket parts are all made in China or Thailand. Been that way for a long time. And if you think for a second the bikes are all made in the USA I’ve got some bad news.
Many metal parts on Indian Motorcycles (Polaris), like fasteners wheels are machined in various locations in Asia. For example, the wheelsets of an Indian Motorcycle are forged in China. All electrical wiring components are manufactured overseas. The same as with Harley Davidson and Chevy cars. Hence the claim that "all Indian Motorcycles are built in America" ~ should be: "Indian Motorcycles are assembled in America". Just like HD's In 1998 Polaris created the line of Victory American-made cruisers, and baggers. However, Victory could not capture the legacy and emotion Harley-Davidson enjoys from its owners. They flopped and Polaris discontinued the brand in 2017, after less than 20-years production. (HD's have been in continuous production in America since 1905!) Polaris "solved" this problem by buying the Indian Motorcycle "badge" in 2011. Indian Motorcycles had ceased production in 1953! 71-years ago! Polaris motorcycles have zero relationship to the old Indians of yesteryear. Except for rip-off cosmetics. They thought that this Indian name would better compete with Harley-Davidson on an emotional level. Is it going to be any more successful than Victory? It's only been 15-years! Let's see if they flop like their Victory's did eh!
General Motors does not just sell Cadillacs. They sell entry-level vehicles of all different sizes. Harley Davidson has just been selling high-end stuff. Their entry-level models have been so unimaginative and poorly designed for two decades. Harley Davidson never reached out past their base customers. It’s not about woke anything Harley Davidson made themselves weak and then a predator came in and took them down
HOG might go bankrupt. Here are a few others, Ford, Intel, A.T.&T, and possibly IBM, have deep seated problems. However, good managers may guide these companies out of distress. Time will tell.
Jochen Zeitz wants to make the new Harley catch-phrase "Harley Davidson, the motorcycle for Girly-Men". Is this revenge for what America did to Germany in WWII?
People have stood behind Harley through all their rough times, but not this! My life long dream was to own a Harley. Finally got one when I was 50, 16 Years ago and now I’m very strongly considering selling it. I lost so much respect for them, and I don’t think they can fix it!
The CEO unfortunately is almost never hurt by this crap. Even if he tanks the company completely he is almost certain to receive a major golden parachute, while the workers pensions go up in smoke. Even if they do fire his ass he will get a major severance package for it. These jackasses are never held accountable for the damage they do.
Who cares about hurting anybody? That is what the CEO is proposing. The point is to push him out so other elitist morons think twice before pushing systemic racism and bigotry. CEO Gotta Go. Buyers strike.
Exactly!!!!
@@neonsamurai1348 Unfortunately, the CEOs are appointed by the Board, and the Board should be held accountable. Each and every one of them especially since they also approve the compensation of the CEO which I think last year was many millions of dollars.
Totally agree. The blessed elves that run our companies aren't like the rest of us. The CEO of my company retired after selling the firm with an extra $28M. God only knows why their work is actually worth more than a good engineer or scientist or lawyer or other smartie-pants, but I think it has everything to do with their rent-seeking proximity to a giant stream of money.
Yes! They win no matter what.
Just got back from Sturgis. The Harley Demo rides were a ghost town. Just a bunch of employees sitting around staring at their cell phones. Wow!
Except for pictures of all the Social influencers from RUclips all in group pictures around the CEO of HD, posing and smiling, knowing they'll keep on getting their HD bikes for ridiculously low prices that the rest of the market will never see, while they continue to shill for HD. hertwosqueals, foureyedlife, Broken Dyna's Supply, Adam Sandman... etc... Yeah, the Good Old Boyzngirlz club. BMW tried to get Sandman, Hertwosqueals and rocker Cody Jones to promote the R18 Baggers and Transcontinentals at Sturgis in 2022 and 2023. No idea who rep'd for BMW in 2024 at Sturgis. HD has Kreusi trying to make the Nightster or some other HD that they trailered in, the new hot Chinese import to buy for introductory HD riders at a cheap price point.
Same as last year
@@feloniousmonk3049
Just one question, was Professional Monkey in that RUclips influencer picture group???
I knew Jess would be, she’s a die hard Harley girl even tho she claims to love all bikes, she did shill for BMW with their R18 last year and the year before that and I believe they loaned her one for a while. I don’t remember if she went ahead and bought one or not!
I do follow her channel, but not on the regular!
Good!
@@feloniousmonk3049 Here's the facts on H.D. employees getting special deals on a new H.D.. It doesn't happen. H.D. employees MUST purchase from an H.D. dealer. This includes management.
Most Harley riders aren't woke.So this was a stupidest move they could have ever made
Absolutely. Period.
So most Harley riders are bigots??? If you claim you do not HATE LGBT people or are not against them, WHY would you care if they support LGBT causes... if you can't give a STRONG reason you have an issue with it... accept that you are JUST A BIGOT....
99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 % of Harley riders are NOT WOKE.
Plain and simple
its called arrogance
HD has treated their customers with the ultimate disrespect. The damage may well be irreparable.
Said goodbye to Disney. Said goodbye to Bud Light. Saying goodbye to Harley Davidson. The customers made Harley Davidson what it is today. The customers have had enough.
@stevenkeller476 what customers? No one is buying them right now 🤣
@@juniorriveraofficial truth!
@@juniorriveraofficial I buy stuff from Harley on a regular basis or should I say I did as I am sure many do. Its not all about just buying a new bike!
Not like the old days
What customers? The pricks who can’t even be nice to regular folk on other bikes? Harley Riders are the problem. They are broke and dumb. Harley is also dumb because they should know who their current and future customers are, intelligent kids who are smarter with their money who will not pay for an overpriced piece of metal with huge dealer markups and high interest rates. I have seen literally broke old farts buying a new HD with a over $600 monthly payment. That’s dumb.
Harley says, "Hold my Bud Light and watch this."
I think it’s more like , bend over and let me set my bud on your back buddy!! 😂😂😂
He Sounds a bit racist to me what group of ppl are you talking about
😆😆😆👍
I agree. Harley has made a major blunder. They threw their Customer base under the Bus to pandering to some miniscule minorities that won't ever likely buy a Harley or any other Bike.
It wasn't Harley, per se, it was the woke CEO who came there for this specific purpose. Harley's board was just too stupid to notice.
@@radamson1 harleys board is half filled with ppl pushing the same agenda.
@@radamson1you may want to look into their board as well as who their majority shareholder is.
EXACTLY......fuggem' I say......and I'm a current and 50 year H-D owner.
@@ozzie444smash it then scrap it
The motorcycle industry is already in a slump and heading lower. Harley couldn't have made a stupider or more boneheaded decision at a worse time. This is not about Harley or motorcycle riders in general. It is about the WEF and the one-world elites trying to spread their chaos as far and wide as possible! Does anyone think the motorcycle industry is any more important than any other industry? They don't care who is ruined until we are so divided they can walk in and take over.
Fckn A exactly
Leftists are delusional
Total conspiracy theory BS. Stop being scared. 🙄
It amazes me at how uninformed the general public really is
Industry isn't in a slump. HD is. BMW, Honda, Yamaha, etc all doing very well. BMW posting record sales, in fact.
Outside America Made in USA isn’t a stamp of quality. Harley’s are expensive status symbols. A few years ago I went into the local Harley dealer and was seriously looking at a new bike and the salesman kept on insisting I go for at least stage 2 mods. Eventually I just asked him “Why don’t these things rode great off the showroom floor?” His face dropped and he turned a bit hostile so for my new bike I brought a Kawasaki, and I couldn’t be happier it’s fast comfortable and reliable and looks amazing straight off showroom floor, No mods required.
Spot on. It is utterly shameful that the bikes run hot, are starved for air and fuel, and the seats suck! For the money they want, these should be perfectly tuned and fitted to the rider (bars, seat, control settings, suspension, etc). I rode a 2017 BMW R1200RT and was absolutely blown away. Bought it immediately. Sold the Electra Glide and don't miss it.
The stock holders need to wake-up and fire the CEO and the board of directors.
Budweiser used to be the King of beers, now it's the Drag Queen of beers.
LOLOL .... Good one !!!
Yeah that is why I see all these bike gangs riding two up.Two men.
@@deltabluesdavidraye 🤢🤮🤮🤮
Good one bro.
@@deltabluesdavidraye... yeap.. my bike may you can hold another person but honestly I don't want to hold another person because I use it to deliver ubereats food so I have two different bags one bigger than the other to hold a lot of stuff. My bikes not going to be woke, but it makes me money
We are RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE Jerry !!!!! Harley SHOULD "smarten the hell up" .... FAST !!!!!!!!!!!
Buy a new Harley Davidson today and stop being a clown
@@MarsOrBust-d9h The soyboys get out of H.D.
@@MarsOrBust-d9h😂😂😂
Vanguard and Blackrock are two of the top 3 investors in H-D. They buy up stock in a company and force it go Woke and they use your 401k money to do it with. They are the source of the Wokeness (and they hired an Ultra-Woke German to run the company). The bad thing is that Blackrock and Vanguard don't care if we put H-D out of business because they are only losing our money. Basically, if we accept the Wokeness, they win. If we boycott H-D, we lose. That is the reality of the modern fake economy.
This should be pinned because it’s spot on as to what’s actually happening!! People need to pay attention, it’s not just HD or their CEO. It’s happening all around us and a boycott isn’t going to stop it because you can’t boycott every company the big 3 investment firms are major shareholders in. The largest shareholder of 88% of the companies on the s&p 500 is either blackrock, state street or vanguard-the ones that are really behind this
Same ones that have majority shareholds on polaris/indian
@@ajcc9817 exactly, you can’t boycott every company they either have a majority or very large stake in because they pretty much own everything.
There is nothing fake about the economy. It is up to the investor to be informed and to only invest in companies that align with your values. Sold my Harley stock the instant I heard about this. To say black Rock and vanguard don't care is naive. They're greedy pigs who don't want to lose money.
@@JayRoberts244 And those S&P 500 companies hired just 6% white men in the last 4years.
Charging $500 extra for black paint is a bad sign too.
I had to pay extra for black back in 1977
My Harleys were built pre woke. I have no intention of buying a new bike. I have ridden most of the new bikes but I prefer my old bikes.
Agree100%…my 2001 Harley Deuce is beautiful to ride…won’t even think about buying the new models….
Woke. Schmoke! Harley execs made a stupid decision to sell fewer units at higher prices. An HD salesman showed me a Road King with a $31000 tag. I can afford it but I'd need to punch myself in the face if I bought this instead of the 2005 Road King I found on Craigslist with 13000 miles for $6500 in showroom condition . Harley's worst threat is not going woke---it's a flooded, used HD market and their moronic execs and price gouging policies.
That is the way to enjoy the brand without supporting the motor company
"Harley's worst threat is not going woke---it's a flooded, used HD market and their moronic execs and price gouging policies."
This goes back to all the HD dealerships bought by mega car dealerships, and their monopolistic pricing policies and gouging, ever since Covid and parts shortages world wide. When I was looking for a Sport Glide, I finally said to hell with dealerships looking for one used. Saved myself about $8000 buying a private party one vs all the BS line item "fees" lining dealerships pockets with obscene profits, much of which went to the MoCo.
You don't have to invest in diagnostic scanners and spend money on sensors and computers with that 2005. Smart move!
Agreed! I have a 2005 Road King that I love. I bought it from an estate auction 3 years ago. Ive put 17,000 miles on it, riding it from Ohio to Sturgis, Colorado, and all over the south. But with a bike that age, you've got to be concerned about reliability if you want to take trips. my luck ran out on my latest trip around lake Michigan. A cage bearing set in my transmission came apart (it had a rebuilt 6 speed box in it) and my tranny grenaded itself with little warning in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was only sheer luck in timing and two great friends who kept me from being stranded and out of pocket for tons of cash to get my destroyed motorcycle and myself back to Ohio. Now what? IDK> A harley DEaler wanted $5,100 to fix it. I bought the bike for $4500! My bike just became a boat anchor and it makes me sad. One day I'll get her running again.
Especially when you realize this “woke” stuff is old news that’s being recirculated. Most people will be shocked that the vast majority of corporate boards are like that. Like Hollywood, they’re echo chambers disconnected from the consumers.
It is extremely costly to get a customer, but takes so little to keep them if they are treated great. Harley-Davidson just got their customer base mad. If they buy another brand of motorcycle they might never come back. Companies need to stay out of social issues except making a great product at a just price. Treat everyone with respect is pretty easy and simple.
"Treat everyone with respect is pretty easy and simple".
Curious to know exactly what it was that Harley Davidson did that disrespected you.
@@themapmaker5374 If a company has so much profit to invest in anything other then taking care of their customers, workers and share owners then they are taking my money for no useful purpose whether I agree or disagree with their purpose. I give to who I want too and do not want company involved in this behavior.
@@themapmaker5374 wake up fooI
@@themapmaker5374so you applaud what they are doing to further the agendas that will make us more like the EU ?
As much as it pains me, but Harley as a company means more to me than I like to admit. I can scroll through my phone and watch my kids grow up in photos at all the different car and bike shows over the years. Not to mention free concerts and cook outs. I have a lot of friends that work for them that are good people. Obviously the board has kicked a hornets nest but it seems like most of the people calling for a boycott are nonriders. Real riders have known that Harley corporate is a joke.
You're not crazy Jerry. All this woke shit is crazy!
It did not exist when I was a kid. It's manufactured. When one doesn't watch the tell- lie- vision set or look at the MSM BS, these agendas are clear and evident. 'THEY' want the masses glued to their screens, taking their clot shots and eating their Cheerios and taking their Big Pharma meds. Souped up on blissful ignorance so that they can be profited on when sick until they d i e.
I agree with everything you said !
I’m a 30 + year Harley owner and rider. It’s bad enough all their motor clothes are made overseas. It actually pisses me off! But to now manufacture certain models overseas and all this DEI BS, is a disgrace to Harley customers , riders, America and our flag 🇺🇸
HD is on life support right now. The glory days are in the rear view mirror.
...already was 10 y ago...
if I remember correctly....Ronald Reagan saved harley with a loan in the 80's.....
I have two Harley’s in the garage and have spent many thousands with them over the last few years. I’m done. Not another penny until they fire that loser ceo and apologize for being sick.
I have two also and was considering another. It made my salesman sad. I told him not his fault but can't do it. I started looking at Triumphs. They have a model called the rocket. Biggest production engine in the biz. Three cylinder in line. $25,000 msrp. The owner is a conservative. Harley to me is like the girl who cheats. Trust is destroyed.
I have 2 Harleys as well...180,000 miles between them.I'm seriously interested in the indian now,even though I have to go 3 hrs to the nearest dealer.
@@Pilsdeth That’s just another fun ride for you. 3hrs is nothing! 😉
I own 2 HD 93 FXRS-CONV which I have had for 31 years and a 2010 FLHTC.
I don't even know HD models Road King, Road Glide, Ultra etc and I don't care.
But what is this Woke thing?
I have been riding since 1968, have owned and built many Triumph and Norton motorcycles.
Boycott this company, set your bike on fire "for what"?
If there's a mistake on the part of HD, it's easy for you to sit on your Lazy Boy chair and throw out comments and tell CEOs how to do it.
"Try it"
Every company makes catastrophic mistakes.
As Jeff Bezos commented "you only hear about our successes and not all the failures we experience."
There's always a risk going in, business decisions are not always right. Stop acting like a bunch of kids, this is life and this is business.
@@hodedo7803 The Triumph Rocket is a great bike!
Hats off to you sir for speaking about this subject. You are one of the few "big motorcycle" youtubers that have had the guts to speak up. I agree with you 100%. Hopefully we can turn this ship around and get Harley back on track.
Giving yourselves way too much relevance. This is just the last dying breath of aging baby boomers.
I’m with you…. Not gonna burn my Road King, but I won’t be wearing any Harley hats or t-shirts anymore.
Same with us, we're going to enjoy our 3 Harleys and the motor company gets not one penny of our money
I just bought my first Harley a couple years ago. It’s a 2002 ultra classic. I don’t think selling my bike is going to send them a message but I’m not going to buy anything else from Harley. When I get a newer bike I’ll buy off an individual or a small shop
Lol - Harley T's are practically all I have. Gonna be tough on the neighbors...
@@jmullis78ify
I’m considering debadging my 2016 Electra Glide that I bought 2.5 years ago and I just recently bought an HD tank top with a dealership name from Tennessee and I have two or three others, I don’t think I’ll destroy them or throw them away, but I may not wear them in the future(really haven’t made my mind up on that)!!!
I have a set of HD leather chaps on layaway at a dealership in WV., that now debating about finishing the purchase of; I really want a set of chaps and I’ve tried on several different manufacturers versions and this set fits me the best, so I’m clearly torn!
@@gowiththeflow61
Why would that be tough on the neighbors???
They’re your T’s not theirs!
Harley has been “just about the Money” since the early 90’s. When they began forcing dealers to do fancy “euro car style showrooms” to accommodate more clothing than bikes and parts, and also shifted much of their parts sourcing to Taiwan and other countries, the writting was on the wall. An iconic company like HD, should make all of its parts in the US and should have an all American management team, that knows and never forgets the history and client profile that made this once great company, a one hundred year success story.
The younger buyers - especially those with the money to afford Harleys - generally don't care and are not the "client profile" Harley traditionally has had. So Harley is in a bind.
Thailand not Taiwan
Thanks Jerry for having the courage to speak out on this issue, in plain direct English that even the most muddle-headed Harley executive can understand. I want to be proud, not embarrassed, to ride my Harley. Maybe the idiots will wake up before it's too late.
@thomaswoods1625 A question for you my dude, but how does a company being "woke" which is a term grossly misinterpreted by the way but I'll save that for another day, but how does a company being "woke" affect you and you riding your motorcycle?
I agree with that. Thanks Jerry!!!
@@juniorriveraofficial I’m also curious. They have taken the word woke and I guess you could say they made it a trans word because it doesn’t mean what they use it for
@@juniorriveraofficial Exactly. You would think Harley riders would WANT more people to buy Harleys.
@@georgeklimes7604 they just want to bitch and moan about something 😒
As a consumer once I see a company do something severely against my grain I have never even thought about going back to them again in the future I don't care what they do after that point
Agreed, the damage is done and it's permanent, no going back. Like a partial heart attack.
@@feloniousmonk3049 ...or a partial pregnancy.
I just saw they were sued by a man in Pennsylvania and he was awarded $240 million for a faulty traction control system on a trike that caused an accident the killed his girlfriend.
If Harley did what you said their sales would have probably doubled. They definitely dropped the ball on knowing who their customers are.
This isn't about money unfortunately
@@xxskizzumxxeverything is about money...
Who exactly are their customers?
@@themapmaker5374 average age and race is 45 year old white males, do some research, not hard to figure out.
@@motorizedbikestuff5339 Ohhh....so cater to 45+ year old white males. Ok, let's pretend you're the marketing manager at HD, and you've got a meeting today with the executive board to present to them how you plan to sell motorcycles to 45+ year old white males. Enlighten us on what your plan is.
This is the last time I'm gonna take it from harley I'm 70 and rode them my whole life stuck with them in the down years to have them tell me we don't carry parts for your bike but we do have an $80 tee shirt for you I'm moving on there are alot of great bikes out there I'm doing what's good for me at this point in my life
You seem like a smart and reasonable man. I as a stock holder did NOT authorize anyone to do anything except run a motorcycle company. Woke is killing HOG. I sold 1600 shares of HOG last week, at a loss, because these knuckleheads can't even answer the telephone during working hours. The CEO and his buddies are a bunch of losers.
Thank you for taking a stand. God bless you.
All bike manufacturers are having a hard time with this generation, which is so risk adverse. Unlike Honda, HD doesn't have other products to fall back on and because it's such a small company it may well go under. Throwing your customer under the bus is never a good business plan.
Thank you for coming back to the subject instead of bashing good motorcycles.
Tell that to the Japanese and European manufacturers who are seeing mid-size ADV bike fly off the shelves. As long as Harley refuses to make any motorcycles that appeal to anybody but die-hard fans, which ironically are dying themselves at a high rate, they have sealed their own fate.
@@aaronkcmo Bingo!
If they are giving their customers the bikes they want, what's the problem?
I'm so sick of these corporations pandering to these woke groups.
Harley is the new bud light or nike
What does woke even mean?
@@blockocheese9730 Look around our country at what is going on, open your eyes, you'll see it's right in front of you. Go woke, go broke.
The Board & CEO F-d up badly. The employees will sadly pay the price. As a former owner, I will not return.
@@motorman857 Name one company that has "Gone Broke."
Harleys been needing a turnaround for a while now, bikes are too expensive and quality too low and we still give top dollar for em. U would think they would just shut up and be happy with the scam they've been getting away with.
$45 to $50 T shirts soured me on HD. Really.... I'll buy Life is Good T shirts for half that.
I can’t afford a new Harley, 30 or 40 grand ? They priced me out just can’t do it , I bought a 2000 Honda Valkyrie interstate for 2 grand and been cross country on it maybe 10 times with no issues, I’m a retired Harley mechanic too
Tunnels To Towers,Wounded Warriors and Gary Sinise Foundation would be excellent for HD to be involved in.
You nailed it. But the main problem above going woke are the prices. They still pretend to be a blue collar brand for the middle American rider, but priced the bikes to obscene levels so only doctors and lawyers are buying them. My Ducati Streetfighter V4 was less than half of the Softails 😂
The prices are high, but the prices of other bikes are just as high. The Pan America is Cheaper than the BMW RS. The cruisers are 10k Less than Goldwing. Ducatis are still higher priced than similar naked Harleys. I was looking at a CBRR1000 and oof that's pricey too. But agree generally that HD is too expensive.
Harleys have always been premium-priced bikes. Blue collar workers bought used Harleys or Japanese bikes. The fact is Harleys are cheaper now than they have ever been. Here's proof ruclips.net/video/fj0-BKhvWnI/видео.html
@@johnvanzelm2307 You're way off on pricing. Other than adventure bikes, although strictly limiting the comparison to BMW makes it a moot point, there are so many superior bikes priced thousands less. Yamaha's MT-09 will run circles around any Harley and is like $2,000 less than the Nightster. Look at the Ducati Scrambler as well. The 1200 Triumphs are thousands less than the cheapest Milwaukee eight and same with almost all big Japanese cruisers that will out perform them all. And good luck finding something like a Lowrider S for less than my 208hp Ducati SF 😂. Granted, I got it in 22 for $20k, but with typical Harley dealership markups, it was the same as a Lowrider S, which is laughable
@@motorman857So we're going to ignore the ironhead and evo Sportsters?
@@madrat5176 The Pan America was designed to go up against the GS which is why I mentioned it. A lot of the bikes you mentioned are not a straight comparison.
The Ducat SF is 22k, The Low Rider S is 19K and a very different bike. Again I agreed, HD is overpriced and very expensive but I'm finding the other brands are just as expensive. I'm not a Harley purist. I also Ride KTM and Honda. They're all pricey toys.
The dealers are just as bad if not worse with their markups and fees.
Consider finding a family owned HD dealership. Rarely have all the BS associated with a purchase. The corporate owned dealerships have nothing but greed in their veins.
My boycott list keeps getting longer. 👎 woke = Broke
Exactly.
And everthing on the Eppstein list will get pimp slapped, too.
Keep depriving yourself of all the pleasures in life because you went into a store and saw a tag that had a rainbow on it. Boy, that's smart. No, not really. What it is is snow-flaky. Life is short man, and you only have one to live. Stop depriving yourself of the pleasures in life over silly political BS.
I'm so glad I didn't buy one in 2023. I had my eye on a Fat Boy 114 and a Breakout 117. That's when I learned HD was part of the Millwakee LGBT Chamber of Commerce. I would never step on a bike or wear gear that says Harley Davidson. Never. I went with a company focussing on manufacturing and selling bikes.
Have you sold your HD? HD alrady ahas the money from the sale so It doesn't matter. Stop buying parts, OEM or 3rd party? If yes you're also hurting the aftermarket manufacturers many of which are veterans. Stop buying t-shirts, poker chips, cancel HOG membership? Stop wearing the gear?
You must be smoking to think that I'm going to destroy my Road Glide because of what other people think. If you think I'm woke, I could give a shitt!
Going down the road to woke is an absolutely incredibly stupid move for HD. Especially after seeing what happened to Bud Light, Tractor Supply and Target. Beyond stupid!
A couple of newer American manufacturers, looking pretty good right now.
Stupid decisions like this can't be by accident. Someone has shorted the shit out of HD and brought in a hit crew to sabotage it into the ground.
Major shareholders, 5 Investment Banks, who own 90% of Harley stock ARE WOKE too. The Company will not charge.
You can own the company but do any own a motorcycle? 😂😂 I've never seen a trans on a bike, maybe a tric in a parade or something (even this i have never seen)maybe gay or lesbian. Regardless they're asking too much for this economy. 😒 which is why my boyfriend bought me a Kawasaki Vulcan 900. 😂 my parts are1/3 of the cost for the same thing. I was a die hard HD girl. But logic is logic. I still get to ride.
Each share holder gets one vote.... Go buy some shares and vote. If all of us do that, buy 5 or 10 shares and get to vote next March or April, we as shareholders, can make a difference.
You are correct,they will not change because they care less about an American icon. Just about themselves their views and morals.
Any business needs to stay in their lane and focus on making a great product and taking care of their customers. They need a CEO who rides a Harley Davidson and loves motorcycling. This CEO from Germany is clueless. He gets rid of their more simple and less experienced motorcycles. Not everyone wants a $40,000 , 900 lb bagger. Such an iconic American brand, I hope Harley Davidson survives this.
@@feloniousmonk3049 Doesn’t work. You buy shares the price of shares go up and they all give themselves a paycheck!
It would be good enough for them. The sad thing is that what was once highly respected brand would be gone and the people who oversaw its demise would walk away with their pockets full of money and their customers would be left with the ashes.
I'm in the LA area and I can say for at least the past year motorcycle sales (and even some car sales) are F'd! I also think that a lot of this stuff is down till November. I saw that Sturgis was almost empty and that Bike week was not so good. This recent crap with Harley will soon pass, the anyone would say that this is NOT a good time to rock the boat when it comes to sales!
Wouldn't know a Harley-Davidson from a welfare check. Thats gold.
I believe it’s the majority that’s mostly on welfare.
@@BLxxmnCR3104 TRIGGERED ^^^^^
Well said Jerry. I had no problem boycotting Bud Light, Tractor Supply, John Deer etc, but this issue must go away. Apologize, lay off these buttheads and move foward building bikes.
Tractor supply got unwoke. They saw the light. I heard that on the Hugh Hewitt show 🇺🇸
John Deere, Tractor Supply, H-D, and Polaris/Indian plus 100’s of American companies are controlled by Blackrock, Blackrock owns the most stock in all these companies and they are pushing the woke agenda!!!!! They force these companies to go woke or they cut their capital off! Wake up people.
@@franks.2357real quick
This wouldn't pertain to you as a man. But I recently dumped a brand for going woke. They reformulated and cheapened their product ingredients , all in the name of WOKE. The company is AVEDA and I'd been loyally using their products and high end salons for 30 years. Very disheartening.
@slotcop you missed a couple my friend. Cracker Barrel gone (woke) and Carhartt for firing employees for refusing the juice.
Didn't HD learn anything from the AMF disaster! 😊
You should do some research on AMF. If it wasn't for AMF, H.D. would have gone out of business. There's a lot more to that sale but its worth reading into to understand what AMF did, and didn't do.
Corporations don’t learn anything, people do. The problem is that the people in corporations change over time and thus stupid things get repeated.
My first Harley was an AMF, since that time I build my own with parts from sweden and S&S.
Looks like Harley but official its: build by owner.
So Harley:Go woke, Go broke!
@@motorman857 Agree. When AMF bought H-D, their manufacturing and business practices were stuck in the stone age. They relied on veteran employees who knew how to massage poorly manufactured parts to fit together, no real parts inventory system, etc.
The EVO and the NOVA project were both developed during AMF ownership. A lot of terrible bikes were built in the process but AMF was preparing the company to survive and thrive in the future against Japanese competition. Government tariffs also played a key role by giving the Motor Company time to get on track.
Jerry, I completely agreed with your assessment and analysis.
I’ve bought and owned 9 new Harley’s and a few used Harley thru the decades, but I will never buy another new Harley.
I am still paying on my FXFBS and I intend to keep it, because I love that bike, but I will no longer patronize the Harley boutique dealships because they are a ripoff.
I’m going to patronize the on line and after market for parts and accessories, the aftermarket is less expensive and generally better quality and you receive your items within a couple days, as opposed to a few weeks from Harley.
Harley has abandoned their core customer base for the Woke,Transgender, queers and liberals.
Ow I’m going to abandon Harley, like they’ve abandoned us.
Sorry for the rant, but I am beyond disappointed, I’m pissed off.
Regards,
The 99% ters
I bought my first HD at a dealership a couple months ago. Promised to return in the spring and buy a new one. This last nonsense happened- I texted my salesman and told him I won’t be back. Even agreed to get a loan to help the dealership, though I can pay full.
If Harley wanted to reach a wider or select audience it should have an appreciation month for different groups, not just one group. Discounts and extended warranty programs help customers get in the door.
Buy a new Harley-davidson and get a free 1 year supply of Bud Light
And a kiss from Dylan Mulvaney 💋
Thanks for comment on this issue. So many Harley RUclips people have chosen silence. Maybe they are trying to play both sides, customer and corporation?
I try to stay as far away from politics as possible. However, I felt the need to make a statement on this lunacy. I knew I might lose some subscribers, but I felt it was worth it. The funny thing is, though 5 people said they would no longer subscribe, I gained 367 subscribers. That tells me I know my customers.
@@motorman857 And the HD board does not!
The more I think about this, Harley Davidson should reduce there price on ALL new Harleys by 2 grand. If the economy is rough, then drop the price. Just my opinion.
Once the economy starts to pick up, increase the price little by little, until your right back at the original cost......
This is true; I went into my local HD dealer about a week ago; lots and lots of inventory, and no buyers; I have never seen this amount of inventory in the dealership ever; another dealer who has Japanese bikes; same thing. tremendous amount of inventory
It's because of INFLATION, people do not have the disposable income they had prior to 2021. Everything is up, gas, insurance, food, rent, and more.
Perfect time for someone new to come along with a 100% USA made bike.
@@JP-dw1fp - I'd call it Indian or Buell.
Buell’s making a couple nice bikes that outperform HD’s at every level, besides weight.
Ya mean like Excelsior Henderson, California motorcycles, Victory, or Big Dog? Never heard of them? Exactly.
@@freebehindbars8654 Buell's making heavy-weight cruiser/touring bikes? I don't think so.
It's called an Indian and I love mine!
How did a German guy named "Jochen Zeitz" become CEO of HD, when there were A TON of great choices to take on the role in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago? WTFF, HD? Basically just gave most veteran riders the best reason to take a long hard look at America's first, oldest and other great maker of V-Twins. The Thunderstroke is looking better and better to me, especially after that Kraut's "Taliban" comment.
I will keep my 59 flh and 80 fxwg and I will stay out of the stealerships
My local HD dealership is crickets. no one is going in, but everyone is trading in, or trying to trade in their HD at the Indian store, but now they are not even taking them in on trade because the used value is tanking.
I think another challenge they have is the quality of low mileage Harleys out there. They make great bikes and some people don't ride them much.
As others have stated, this is beyond Harley. It's everywhere. A few groups own everything.
I just turned 40. I’m buying an Indian Sport Chief.
They’re woke too controlled by Blackrock just like H-D
I enjoyed your comment.... "Ppl who wouldn't know the difference between a Harley and a welfare check"
I have been reading Harley’s 1970 -2024 when I want to buy a new bike it will be a Kawasaki or a Indian I will ride my 2006 nighttrain until I can’t rebuild it anymore. Ps Jerry keep it between the ditches and enjoy riding Gods Blessings to you and all your family
Harley Davidson Need to treat their customers better.
I would never buy another one after this last one
Moving production to Taiwan didn't take the Boss very long.
The CEO is one thing but who allowed his ass to be in that roll? Those board members who voted him in need to be removed!
Exactly correct !!!!….if they don’t know their core market….they all need to go….quality,service & parts have all been in a steady decline over the past 4 years….bring back the motor company to the real riders
Indian makes great bikes too
They'll be next...
Currently HD is making more bikes than dealers can put on the floor. They have more inventory in used and repossest than new bikes.
Well said. Like you, I'm not in a financial position to get rid of my 22 Street Glide. I am, however, in a position to deny Harley-Davidson any motorcycle, accessory or service purchase that I can obtain anywhere else. When the company abandons their woke stance, I'll reconsider my stance. I suspect that won't happen until Harley-Davidson has been driven from profitability, milked dry by their own woke Board of Directors and investors and the company either sold up or closed up. Sad state of affairs.
I bought my first Harley , at 22 yrs old , a1956 pan/shovel, FLE/FLH expolice bike from Calgary , I live in British Columbia Canada , then I bought the first brand new 2015 FXDWG 103 , ABSOLUTELY LOVED BOTH BIKES , I used to tear down to every last nut , bolt , light bulb , my 1956 had & rebuild , not because I had to I just loved digging in & loved to see how well it was running , I owned it for 33yrs by the time I had to sell it , because of my divorce it was a pan/shovel 93 inch with S&S CRANK & ALL OF THE INNER PARTS OF THE MOTOR, S&S SUPER G CARB , B GRIND CAM , 2INCH SLASH CUT EXHAUST , I WOULD PUT IT UP AGAINST MY , 103 INCH , WITH A STAGE 3 CHIP , VANCE & HINES TURN DOWN 2INCH PIPES , OPEN UP BREATH , SO IT CAN TAKE A DEEP BREATHE , WHEN I TWIST THE WICK , THEY WOULD BE COMPETITION , THE ONLY STREET BIKES I'VE EVER OWNED , & THE ONLY STREET BIKES I'LL EVER OWN
If I had the investment capital......
I would purchase all the rights to produce Harleys historical bikes.....I would manufacture and sell complete parts kits to customers who want to build their own Flatheads, Knuckleheads, and Panheads.
This would be a serious moneymaker.
How many times were they bailed out back when they were LOVED?!
Exactly what I was thinking. How quickly they forget!
Sound word Jerry, they need to remember who brought’em to the dance.
Woke is an antonym of ignorance .
I wish that I could like this post more than once. Personally though, I love the phrase "Go woke. Go broke." I find that it separates the purposefully stupid and the willfully ignorant from the rest of us.
Nah, synonym.
"sickness" you mean...
@@Known_as_G_MPlease honor us with your enlightenment and define the made-up term "woke" to us ignorant folk so that we can feel assured that wokeness doesn't equate to a divisive sickness?
@@Known_as_G_M Go troll somewhere else. 😀
So funny: "They pander to people who don't the difference between a Harley-Davidson and a welfare check".
They claim to now have changed their tune. However, their recant made it sound like they blame us for their problems, not their own wokeness that hurt the company!
Always a solid voice of American reason!! Thx motorman!
I hope all you offended Harley buyers stop buying Harley’s, that way I can get a good deal.
Get ready, your time is coming soon.
Harley Davidson and good deal used in the same sentence, never thought I'd hear it.
@@toddj2690 there are good deals for sure. The upfront cost is high but you get it back when you sell. They used to hold their value but now that owners are getting offended - who knows what will happen.
How do you say you take it in the rear without saying yer a freak?
False. There's never been a good deal on a Harley.
Thank you for taking a stand on this. Thank you for your honesty. And thank you for being on the side of common sense.
I appreciate that
Current Honda rider here (VTX 1300) and my end goal has always been work up to a Harley Heritage or Road King. I’m rethinking that now. Maybe they’ll see their error and drop the nonsense. Great video as always
Maybe we can get Elon to buy Harley!!!
I do love Harley and really appreciate what you do for motorcycling overall Jerry.
There has got to be a way to get Harley back to what the people that actually ride the brand love and respect. We need Harley to focus on building great motorcycles.
I would love to see Elon buy Harley Davidson.
lmao will never happen, he likes proper brands like British Triumph
Buying Twitter and running it into the ground by telling advertisers to "go fcuk themselves", Elon would more than likely accelerate the transition to all electric power trains. Imagine buying a Tesla Harley Davidson, with the Tesla build quality reminiscing the AMF Harley Davidson days. 😂😂😂
@@EazyDuz18proper? 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
@@robertolesen2349😂😂😂😂😂
Well said Jerry, I guess HD will get a Bud Light moment, they will never come back from this! They are also requiring their suppliers to go woke and DEI as well.
They have another problem that has come to light. Looks like they may be closing the Milwaukee engine plant moving it to Thailand. There’s an NBC affiliate that was reporting on it the other day from Milwaukee. So much for American made.
That is correct. You can research and see legit news articles about it.
@@donfousek379 Yes, and keeping the same prices.
Which means that my “2022 American Made CVO” will go way up in value.
You hit the nail on the head. The CEO has no idea who the H-D customer base is, and they alienate the customer base more and more every year. I've been riding H-D since the '60s.
You nailed it Jerry - Lefty ( Under the Blood M/M)
HD CEO is woke. He has run the company into the ground with woke policies, changes to product line up-people are not buying, and major HD quality problems across the line up. He does not understand what their aging demographic wants. And HD is moving jobs off shore… bad move. And prices are outta control! I am upper middle class and cannot afford a new HD. The Board needs to fire CEO and resign themselves! They should have never discontinued the old aircooled Dyna platform.
Sorry Jerry can’t find the response you made about inflation. One thing we can agree on is; any motor vehicle including motorcycles, prices are through the roofs. Facts.
Let me switch it before we get back into that subject. Keep in mind, I currently work for a billion dollar corporation as well as prior business in retail. Big retail clothing store, 2010, I performed inventory, a blue jean pant, cost the company $1 and sold it for $60. Under wear for woman cost .25 cents and sold for $30. 2024 that same pant cost $3 and under wear $.75 and still sells for same price. There is an inflation in price but not on the retail side. I wonder why not? Why is it that you can still go buy a brand new pant at wal mart, 100 percent cotten for $12, but other major retail stores sell you the same pant for $60?
Food, if you see pre Covid what government did to farmers and keeping imports of food out of the US, you would understand why food is now more expensive. But they blame inflation. True inflation or controlled inflation?
Before you answer to any of that, do some research and don’t get stuck on what they want you to see, look for what they don’t want you to know.
Now to motorcycles and cars, the main question you want to ask yourself is, why is it so hard for these manufacturers to get parts. Your answer to that is, they stopped all imports. Which these manufacturers need certain parts from over seas in order to build them here. Or simply because majority of parts comes from china. Facts. But why is electronics still cheap to buy? Like TVS and other electronics? No inflation there! facts. They had to figure out how to get those parts. That’s were demand now comes into play.
The main things we need in life is food, cars, houses and gas. If the government puts a haul to all that, what do you think is going to happen? Prices go up because these companies need to push out inventory in order to stay in business. And the weak, well you know what happens. And the major reason, demand. We need those items in order to make a living. Therefore people will pay for it. Facts!
And why do they take that route? Because the people need those items in order to survive. That means they pay more for the parts, they know people will pay for them, which then generates the higher prices on the cars and motorcycles. Because common sense, the demand will always be there for that.
But let’s say if a part cost them $20 back then and sold for $200. and now it cost them $40 now but now they’re selling it for $600. Why can’t they still sell it for $200?
It’s all about control and making the rich, richer. And if you’re not part of that game, you get left behind. They take advantage of the people. But if the people know the truth behind the inflation, do you really think these cars cost as much as they say? Some are putting it to the test now. They’re not buying the cars and dealers are sitting on cars, costing them money because if they don’t sell, guess who has to buy them now. The dealer. Facts.
And when the dealer has to buy them, they’re now giving the discounts to sell them. Why because the car manufacturer already got their money. The manufacturer pushes the cars to the dealer, they can’t sell but they still need to pay the manufacturer. Again, they play with numbers making the stock holder think their selling but in fact their not. Their sitting on the dealer floors. Facts.
I made a comment not too long ago on someone’s channel, about how you can be going under but if you play with the numbers, you can make your stock holders think your making money. But you’re not. All my examples above show you how they do that. But let me give you another one.
Example, lay People off, produce work in cheaper labor countries, and raise prices. You offset the losses by cheaper labor, less people to pay. You show profits by raising the prices on items to show your selling and making money. But you truly aren’t. Why? Because you push expensive vehicles that don’t sell to the dealer. Who then have to pay the manufacturer because they couldn’t sell it. Facts! No monkeying around, strictly professional. Facts. But it will only work for so long before you really go under. But no responds from them.
You said it, in US motorcycle for the majority are toys. Stop buying them and see what happens. Perfect example, bud light. They won’t go out of business because sad part, people love beer. But Demand will always be there for beer. A motorcycle is not a true demand like food, a job, gas, cloths, a car, your true necessities.
How is it that everything now a days is so expensive but yet the people are still making the same amount of money? Some have to get two jobs just to be able to put food on their table! But yet no body is doing anything to help the people. Only the rich keep getting richer. It’s public info, go look for it.
Bottom line, inflation is controlled and it occurs every so often when they feel it needs to happen. And only one true entity can fix that. And until the world opens their eyes, it will not change. I’ll leave it at that!
And ps for those who I can hear already, i ride Harley’s and will continue to ride them. But I will never, buy new. Always used and I prefer the old Harley’s, in my opinion the true Harley’s. The ones you can work on yourself. No dealer required.
I couldn't agree more. And I ain't even start about the money they took from the government to build the Live Wire.
Everything in the dealership like cloths and aftermarket parts are all made in China or Thailand. Been that way for a long time. And if you think for a second the bikes are all made in the USA I’ve got some bad news.
Made in Thailand isn't bad for the product quality.
@@kwakithailand I didn’t say a thing about quality.
Many metal parts on Indian Motorcycles (Polaris), like fasteners wheels are machined in various locations in Asia. For example, the wheelsets of an Indian Motorcycle are forged in China. All electrical wiring components are manufactured overseas.
The same as with Harley Davidson and Chevy cars.
Hence the claim that "all Indian Motorcycles are built in America" ~ should be: "Indian Motorcycles are assembled in America".
Just like HD's
In 1998 Polaris created the line of Victory American-made cruisers, and baggers. However, Victory could not capture the legacy and emotion Harley-Davidson enjoys from its owners. They flopped and Polaris discontinued the brand in 2017, after less than 20-years production. (HD's have been in continuous production in America since 1905!)
Polaris "solved" this problem by buying the Indian Motorcycle "badge" in 2011. Indian Motorcycles had ceased production in 1953! 71-years ago! Polaris motorcycles have zero relationship to the old Indians of yesteryear. Except for rip-off cosmetics. They thought that this Indian name would better compete with Harley-Davidson on an emotional level.
Is it going to be any more successful than Victory? It's only been 15-years! Let's see if they flop like their Victory's did eh!
One assumes that was the whole idea, to destroy Harley Davidson.
General Motors does not just sell Cadillacs. They sell entry-level vehicles of all different sizes. Harley Davidson has just been selling high-end stuff. Their entry-level models have been so unimaginative and poorly designed for two decades. Harley Davidson never reached out past their base customers. It’s not about woke anything Harley Davidson made themselves weak and then a predator came in and took them down
I have a 2005 Ultra Classic and it's the last motorcycle that I will own !!!
Most bikers don't go in for all that woke BS.
Their done. The whole administration is woke. The ship has left the dock, no turning it around
HOG might go bankrupt. Here are a few others, Ford, Intel, A.T.&T, and possibly IBM, have deep seated problems. However, good managers may guide these companies out of distress. Time will tell.
Jochen Zeitz wants to make the new Harley catch-phrase "Harley Davidson, the motorcycle for Girly-Men". Is this revenge for what America did to Germany in WWII?
All the tough times and the stupid leadership at HD permits social issues to be in the way
People have stood behind Harley through all their rough times, but not this! My life long dream was to own a Harley. Finally got one when I was 50, 16 Years ago and now I’m very strongly considering selling it. I lost so much respect for them, and I don’t think they can fix it!
You dont need to sell it, enjoy your bike and the aftermarket can supply you with all your parts.
Absolutely agree. Enjoy your Harley and enjoy your ride. I do and will as I have done for many years.
What goes up must come down , and we ain’t seen nothing yet 😮