Thursday, August 28, 2008

Harley to build smaller bikes

A recent article from the Illinois State Journal-Register theorizes, with the help of local dealer Stan Hall, that Harley-Davidson will soon be building bikes smaller than the Sportster 883. These smaller Harleys (maybe modern interpretations of the “Hummers” of the Forties, Fifties and Sixties) will be designed for new markets in Asia and Europe.

The Motor Company has not confirmed the rumor but according to Timothy Hoelter, vice president of government affairs for Harley-Davidson, “… growing popularity overseas shows that Harley is an international language understood by people of all cultures, incomes and genders.”

You never know what companies are going to do but the increasing price of fuel has motivated an increasing number of people to consider riding versus driving – and this is good news for enthusiasts. As I’ve mentioned before, Harley has done a great job in marketing and selling to people looking for American v-twin power with a bad boy attitude. The thing is there is a market for other types of bikes, and Harley, like any good business, will be looking for ways to grow market-share. The acquisition of MV Agusta is one example and there will likely be many more to come.


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