A simple yet very common sense way for Harley Davidson (HOG) to attract new younger riders to the fold.
There have been a bunch of comments on blogs post about the “age and demographics” of Harley riders. The common refrain is that they are “55 year old guys” and that this is a reason that sales will eventually decline. It is not by the way, it is more like 47.
Other Demographic Facts:
52%—Owned a Harley-Davidson motorcycle previously at any point during lifetime
33%—Owned a competitive motorcycle previously
15%—First motorcycle purchased
I never get this argument because someone is always turning 55 unless there is a new law I am unaware of and the HOG is more prevalent on the road now than it ever was. Anyway, let’s go with it for arguments sake. What Harley would then have to do is try to appeal to a younger crowd, no? Turns out they are doing just that.
Harley Davidson is the only motorcycle manufacturer that offers a branded rider education program. It is currently active in 42 states through its authorized dealerships. Called the “Rider’s Edge New Rider Course“, it is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified program. The program includes both classroom instruction and training on a controlled range. Students learn how to ride on a Buell Blast, the lightweight, easy-to-handle “Sport Bike” with a rider-friendly design. Harley-Davidson dealerships across the country offer the Rider’s Edge Skilled Rider Course for motorcycle enthusiasts interested in taking their riding to the next level.
“Rider’s Edge” has trained in excess of 138,000 students with 39% of them being women. A survey in late 2003 showed that 84 percent of students get their licenses after completing the course.
Upon successful completion of the course, students receive an Motorcycle Safety Foundation Completion Card which, depending on their state of residence and insurance provider may et them a discount on insurance
Disclosure (“none” means no position):Long HOG
2 replies on “Harley Davidson (HOG) Recruits New Riders”
I’ll explain the argument for you.
Baby Boomers.
While someone is always turning 55 – it’s not as many as were always turning 55 in the past. The argument holds.
Concentrating on young riders is fine. That’s not how HOG makes money though. A real bike sells for a much higher profit margin. If Harley wants to get into the low priced volume game, that’s fine, but I wouldn’t view it as a positive. However, at the very least the brand is Buell. That saves Harley from diluting their brand name.
Don’t count on Buell sticking around. They’ll sell it off in a couple of years if not sooner – it’s just not where Harley wants to be – and it’s the right decision.
JD
anon,
i do get it, i was being sarcastic…
i also get that only 15% of hog riders are first time bike buyers…
that means they migrate from other bikes..
i also get that thew # of motorcycle riders is increasing. i believe that offsets the 55 argument?
isn’t that the more important ?