Never a company prone to leaking new model info prior to an actual announcement, Harley-Davidson’s plans have become even more open to speculation since the appointment of Jochen Zeitz as president and CEO back in May (after being given the posts on an “acting” basis in February). Zeitz has slashed …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Scraps Factory Racing Teams
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson’s ongoing “rewire” effort to bolster its sagging fortunes continues, albeit in ways not as widely visible to street riders across the country as trimming its model lineup, postponing the release of new models or reducing the number of dealerships. It was revealed Wednesday that the company has …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Sales And Market Share Still Sagging
MILWAUKEE – Retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the United States dropped 10.3 percent in the third quarter of 2020, compared to 2019, while the company’s share of the 601+cc market dropped dramatically in Q3 to 41.4 percent from 49.8 percent a year ago. Worldwide, Harley-Davidson sales in Q3 were …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Slashing Planned Models Under Rewire
MILWAUKEE – Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is slashing its planned models by “approximately 30 percent” under its new rewire initiative, while reducing its worldwide reach and “significantly reducing discounting and price promotions” on its products. The announcement of the retrenchment came this morning when Harley-Davidson revealed second quarter earnings that showed …
Read More »It Certainly Pays To Be A Harley-Davidson Executive
MILWAUKEE – Executive shakeups don’t come cheap, and a compensation breakout by the “Milwaukee Business Journal” reveals that the new acting CEO of Harley-Davidson as well as the exiting CEO will get their pockets lined. The publication reports that Jochen Zeitz, who became acting CEO on Friday after Matt Levatich …
Read More »Worcester’s Mayor Backs Diner In H-D Showdown
WORCESTER, MA – The mayor of Worcester, Joe Petty, has thrown his support behind the Miss Worcester Diner in its showdown with Harley-Davidson, which is claiming trademark infringement and asking that the eatery remove a mural displaying the motorcycle company’s bar and shield logo. Meanwhile, Wagner Motorsports, the local dealer …
Read More »Diner Plans To Fight Harley-Davidson Edict
WORCESTER, MA – The artist who painted the Harley-Davidson mural on the Miss Worcester Diner here – a mural that the motorcycle company now wants removed – said this afternoon that he and diner owner Kim Kniskern are enjoying the publicity and plan to fight Harley-Davidson’s trademark infringement claim. “This …
Read More »Miss Worcester Diner’s Sign Riles Harley-Davidson
WORCESTER, MA – A hand-painted mural that adorns an air conditioning duct atop the entrance to the Miss Worcester Diner here and featuring Harley-Davidson’s famous bar and shield logo has come to the attention of the motocycle company in Milwaukee, which has asked that it be removed. Miss Worcester Diner …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Sales Dropped Again in Q1
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson saw its year-to-year Q1 sales drop 4.2 percent in the United States and 3.8 percent worldwide. The company sold 28,091 motorcycles in the U.S. from January through March (down from 29,309 in 2018) and 49,151 worldwide (down from 51,086). In releasing its first quarter statement this morning, …
Read More »New Contract For Harley-Davidson Workers In Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE – Union workers at Harley-Davidson factories in Wisconsin have approved a new contract offered by the company that includes a 14 percent wage increase over five years. According to a story by Rick Barrett in the “Journal Sentinel” newspaper, the deal also includes “a signing bonus, no changes to …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Workers Reject Contract Offer
MILWAUKEE – Union workers at Harley-Davidson plants in Wisconsin reportedly “overwhelming rejected” the company’s offer on a new contract Monday, but are continuing to work under a short-term extension of the previous pact. That contract, which was ratified in 2010 and went into effect in 2012, would have expired Monday. …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Workers To Vote On New Contract
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson workers at factories in Wisconsin are expected to vote on a new contract Monday. The existing seven-year contract, which was ratified in 2010 and went into effect in 2012, was scheduled to expire today but was extended for one day. Union employees spent time last week outside …
Read More »If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…
It’s been a goodly while since the last installment of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” In fact, it has been more than a year and a half since what had been a regular catch-all post for small newsworthy items not hefty enough for a full …
Read More »Harley-Davidson’s U.S. Sales Sank In 2018
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson sold 15,104 fewer bikes in the U.S. in 2018 compared to 2017, a 10.2 percent drop, according to a full-year earnings report released this morning. U.S. sales totaled 132,868 last year, down from 147,972 in 2017. The company still commands a 49.7 percent share of the 601+cc …
Read More »Energica Having Chuckle At LiveWire’s Expense
It’s a coincidence to be sure – two companies in the same field using the same words to promote an identical product. In this case, it’s a teaser line touting battery-power motorcycles. “The Future Is Electric” proclaimed Harley-Davidson in its website introduction earlier this week of its new LiveWire model. …
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