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Over A Century of Harley Davidson Dominance

09.11.2009 · Posted in Home and Garden Articles

Over a hundred years has passed since William Harvey and Andrew Davidson first collaborated in Milwaukee, USA to reinvent the motorcycle. The pairing has drastically changed the biking industry from selling mere vehicles to offering a whole new lifestyle.nnWhere others were just selling regular motorcycles back then, by creating a biker image, The Harley Davidson left its competitors eating dust. Harley ranks among America’s top growth stocks since its 1986 IPO. It has a 37 % annual growth gain despite encountering problems as of late.nnIt isn’t hard to understand why the company enjoys the biggest share in the motorcycle market. Owning a Harley is like getting into a brotherhood. Buying a Harley gets you into the Harley Owners Group or HOG as they are fondly called. The Harley legacy still thrives in the fraternity of HOG members.nnAlthough the company is reflecting strong earnings, there are some concerns as to how it is going to fare in the next century. A considerable percentage of Harley owners are baby boomers who are taking advantage of their accomplishments and earnings in the 90s. What used to be a niche for individuals in their thirties, the Harley fans are now getting older. If the company intends to survive in the succeeding years, they have to reach out to younger demographics.nnIt is clear that the younger generation like the sleek sporty models as opposed to the heavy brassy design the Harley Davidson is known for. The company as opposed to its competitors before refuses to buckle down. When it suffered a 15 year long decline in the 80s, it rallied and has now enjoyed 11 successive years of sales growth.nnThe company strongly relies on image rather than performance when it comes to marketing strategies. Like other institutions that rely on such, it is greatly affected by changing style and taste. Since it cannot replace the aging boomers, it is detrimental for them to reach deeper to appeal to the younger generations. Making changes could be tricky for a company like the Harley who has a cult following. It could alienate their customer base. More recent popular models sports a water cooled engines as opposed to the Harley’s air cooled ones. If they do away with the roaring sound they could loose their fan base.nnDealers of Harley Davidsons are confident though that it will find a way to find a balance. They have done and awful lot in the past and with current efforts in sales strategies, the dealers are confident that the Harley will be able to reach out to the new crowd while still keeping faith with their old fanatical followers.nnAs the new century is well on its way, we can rely on the Harley Davidson to bridge the gap. It has been a legacy for over a century and will continue to do so in the next hundred years or so

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