[DyingBreed]

A guy like Willie G Davidson comes to mind., Brought Harley out of the AMF fiasco.

Willie G. convinced others as well as begged from the government to buy HD back from AMF....then ran it back into the ground like his parents and their employees.

 

[Dr.D]

The whole world is scratching for more money or power why should a motorcycle company be any different. It’s all about more, more,more but it’s never enough.

 

[DyingBreed]

The whole world is scratching for more money or power why should a motorcycle company be any different. It’s all about more, more,more but it’s never enough.

True, but I think in HDs case they're begging for ANY, lol. They're so far over their ears in debt I don't think it's a salvageable business without making drastic changes.

 

[Teamster L610]

HD did sell a 5% stake in their financial business to Private Equity firm KKR and Wall Street firm PIMCO. That was a 5 billion dollar infusion of cash to work with. I hope they use it wisely.

 

[Byron Sexton]

Man i swear i havent face palmed any harder in my life......

 

[masspatriot]

Before TopGolf he was at Pizza Hut

 

[Rusty Arse]

p

Willie G. convinced others as well as begged from the government to buy HD back from AMF....then ran it back into the ground like his parents and their employees.

I’m no businessman by any means, would have gone bankrupt years ago if not for the wife lol.
My 1st 2 Harleys were “bowling balls” Had a Harley mechanic friend who also worked on tractors because the Harley dealer sold John Deere tractors too. A long time before any Harley Mega stores. I met ole’ Willie G in Sturgis close to 50 years ago. Vaguely remember him going over some guys bike that was running one of the 1st pioneered after market rear drive belt set ups. I don’t know if it was by coincidence or not but a couple 3 years later out comes Harley’s “Sturgis” FXB model Shovel Head. So between 1980 -2010 Harley had a few pretty good years, made HD kind of a household name, sold a lot of motorcycles. Maybe having kind of an innovative, hands on type of CEO kept their heads above water.

 

[DirtyDaveCR]

p


I’m no businessman by any means, would have gone bankrupt years ago if not for the wife lol.
My 1st 2 Harleys were “bowling balls” Had a Harley mechanic friend who also worked on tractors because the Harley dealer sold John Deere tractors too. A long time before any Harley Mega stores. I met ole’ Willie G in Sturgis close to 50 years ago. Vaguely remember him going over some guys bike that was running one of the 1st pioneered after market rear drive belt set ups. I don’t know if it was by coincidence or not but a couple 3 years later out comes Harley’s “Sturgis” FXB model Shovel Head. So between 1980 -2010 Harley had a few pretty good years, made HD kind of a household name, sold a lot of motorcycles. Maybe having kind of an innovative, hands on type of CEO kept their heads above water.

We had a Dealership in Algona, Iowa that sold Harley-Davidson & John Deere tractors, Ernie Williams LTD. They also had a HD Dealership in Spirit Lake, Iowa, both Harley dealers are closed now for quite a few years.

 

[MilwDave]

 

[Rusty Arse]

We had a Dealership in Algona, Iowa that sold Harley-Davidson & John Deere tractors, Ernie Williams LTD. They also had a HD Dealership in Spirit Lake, Iowa, both Harley dealers are closed now for quite a few years.

Haha yeah, they didn’t share a show room floor with Razors or Urals but John Deere tractors. And my dealer was close to 500 miles away.

 

[Davetac1]

I got no sympathy for HD. They're kinda in trouble as it is, but after reading about this new guy, [a golf pro, lol] HD may NOT be around too much longer, period, and I got no sympathy for em. I did not care for the Harleys before, and there is nothing that is gonna change my mind in the future. I'm now Indian all the way and am dam glad I made that decision. Dave!!!

 

[Rusty Arse]

I got no sympathy for HD. They're kinda in trouble as it is, but after reading about this new guy, [a golf pro, lol] HD may NOT be around too much longer, period, and I got no sympathy for em. I did not care for the Harleys before, and there is nothing that is gonna change my mind in the future. I'm now Indian all the way and am dam glad I made that decision. Dave!!!

Without HDMC there’d probably be no IMC. So your favorite past time would be Pickleball lol.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Haha yeah, they didn’t share a show room floor with Razors or Urals but John Deere tractors. And my dealer was close to 500 miles away.

They have some interesting options … 🤣

Nothing Runs Like a Deere … being chased by an Indian … 😆

 

[vsteel]

Thats correct. But the board is the one who dictates the real direction of the company. The "CEO" is nothing more than an employee of the board.

The CEO should be guiding the direction to the board and setting the goals and getting the board to support him.

It has been mentioned if the pizza and golf guy can do better than the shoe guy. I don't think that is a high bar to cross, I think if he does nothing he will be ahead of the shoe guy.

Harley needs to make some major changes.

1. Go after the entry and low cost market. Need to have a viable option to get on a HD or some reason to stop in a dealership.
2. Turn the motorcycle from some luxury item into a cheap efficient vehicle that everyone can afford and save money on while saving fuel.
3. They need a "You meet the nicest people on a HD." campaign like Honda did. They have to get rid of the old biker gang image they have.
4. Go after the younger market in different ways along with minority and female markets. Not going woke but getting non motorcycle influencers and getting them to buy into motorcycles. Most people when they think HD they think the same image as number 3, old fat bearded guy. HD needs to be cool again and not in what they have been doing.

 

[SlidePicker]

All of the above can be said of Indian as well.

 

[TypicalEDC]

I'm tired of these businesses trading CEO's like sports teams trade players. A CEO who bounces from company to company regularly, clearly isn't in it for the long haul. I'd much rather they bring in someone who cares about the company and has LONG-TERM plans to build it back up. Not create a quick cash grab for himself until he moves onto the next job.

Harley needs to make some major changes.

1. Go after the entry and low cost market. Need to have a viable option to get on a HD or some reason to stop in a dealership.
4. Go after the younger market in different ways along with minority and female markets. Not going woke but getting non motorcycle influencers and getting them to buy into motorcycles. Most people when they think HD they think the same image as number 3, old fat bearded guy. HD needs to be cool again and not in what they have been doing.

Numbers 1 and 4 are the two I've always been harping on. That could do wonders for them.

 

[HiDesert]

Curious where did Polaris ceo come from. CEO of snowmobile company. Not saying this is right guy. But where do you find a motorcycle CEO?

Seems like any company whose products use internal combustion or involve powersports would be better than the whack-a-mole of golf.

Unless no one else would take the job.

 

[Berserker]

Seems like any company whose products use internal combustion or involve powersports would be better than the whack-a-mole of golf.

Unless no one else would take the job.

No disagreeing. Lets be honest marketing to white males with money. LIke golf, but cool.

But it is billion dollar industry, and more to it. I am not saying this is the guy. But the chance of finding a guy in similar industry is slim, and understanding a global business.

 

[Wharf Rat]

I'm tired of these businesses trading CEO's like sports teams trade players. A CEO who bounces from company to company regularly, clearly isn't in it for the long haul. I'd much rather they bring in someone who cares about the company and has LONG-TERM plans to build it back up. Not create a quick cash grab for himself until he moves onto the next job.

Understand that a public company is driven by its stockholders and governed by its board. Boards are supposed to represent the stockholders. Boards are also the collective conscience of the organization, they can tap the brakes when needed. However, the board cannot really execute anything or operate the machine on a daily basis. The CEO is supposed to deliver a plan to the board for achieving whatever goal they set in place and execute that plan. Plan fails --> CEO gets fired. Plan works --> CEO gets rewards.

Getting a long-term CEO is nice, but short-term CEOs are often necessary. They make the cuts, make hard decisions, and move on or get moved along. Once the company is achieving what the board wants, they usually quietly shift to a long-term CEO with a steady hand.

It is the CEO that decides where the markets are and how to convince people to give up their money.

 

[Bird Dog]

One possibility would be for the new CEO to cut their biggest money loser completely out of the company. Studebaker did this back in the mid-1960s when they shut down their automobile production. The company itself continued on, profitably for several decades. Harley-Davidson could continue on, as a much smaller entity, but possibly more profitable company for years into the future as some sort of a branding unit?