I have conversed with many other motorcycle riders about what motorcycle is the best.
Many riders had wanted, ordered or already purchased a Harley. Reasons I hear from other riders and potentially interested persons as to why they have to have a Harley:
It is the only real American made motorcycle. A Harley is the best motorcycle on the road. Harley Davidson is the oldest motorcycle company. A Harley Davidson is a good investment. American riders do not want to ride "Jap Junk." Riders do not want to start on something small and have to trade up.
Fact: Harley Davidson is not the only American made motorcycle. There is a myth that Harley is the only American made motorcycle. To believe that, you would need to overlook the Honda of America plant in Marysville, Ohio and the Kawasaki Plant in Nebraska. Both are manufacturing plants, not assembly plants. That means that Honda does not ship in boxes of parts and put them together here as part of some evil conspiracy. Simple fact, it makes good business sense to manufacture their motorcycles in the USA. Manufacturers will be the first to tell you that the work force here is skilled, the U.S. suppliers and vendors produce excellent pieces. Take a good look at the contemporary Harley Davidson; it has quite a collection of foreign made parts. I do not have a problem with this; lets just keep it in perspective. Finally, manufacturers cannot just claim something is "Made in the USA." The Federal Trade Commission has specific criteria for what percentage of the parts must be made and sourced in the USA. There have been years where a larger percentage of a Honda Goldwing was USA made and sourced than a Harley Davidson.
Everyone wants to think their motorcycle is "the best." I have owned several different brands of motorcycles. I would not call any of my former motorcycles "the best." Yes, maybe they were the best sport bikes in a given year, or touring model, or trail bike at the moment. Each and every motorcycle I have owned had room for improvement. What would make a Harley Davidson the best? Best should be defined as a motorcycle that suits you and your primary use for it.
Needless to say, that experience has changed over time. It began from a simplistic design in 1904 as a motorized bike. However, as time progressed it brought about the introduction of the biker gang era. These were the bad asses image riding their heavy bikes down the highway, rebels who refused to give in to society’s pressures. It was the time of the Hell’s Angels, with their patches, long hair, and untidy beards that became the symbol of freedom on the road. They created the mantra of the bad ass dude on a bad ass American bike and no one was gonna tell him what to
Have you ever thought about those little words in fine print that tell you where a product was made? How about the last time you put tires on your car? Before you made a decision on the purchase did you stop and ask where the tires are made? Probably not! You heard the only words you wanted to hear....good and cheap! When did we stop caring about where a product is made or did we ever? Why would this matter anyway and what importance is of it? Some may argue that free trade and imports give us purchasing power. They believe cheaper goods results in more money in our pocket to buy other goods. That theory is a farce with little to no data to support it. Buying American made supports job growth, the environment and human rights. The impact on us, our children and the future of America is greatly impacted on our purchasing decisions.
It is a good practice to buy American made goods if possible. Because the American public no longer thinks before they buy an item, we are losing out manufacturing base every day that passes on the calendar. Every day you watch the news there are stories about how bad the economy is and getting worse with each tick of the clock. In the recent history, United States of America was the leading exporter of goods but now we run a trade deficit each year. John Carpenter in the article “Why You Should Buy American Made Products,” at the website http://ezinearticles.com has made the point that the American public has to take a share of the blame because they have lost their patriotism and pride.
Have you ever wanted to ride a dirtbike? Every year about 80 percent of the population get hurt or killed on dirt bikes.Dirt Bikes can be fun until you get hurt or killed. There are too many dirt bike wrecks every year.There are many pros and cons of dirt bikes. Dirtbikes are very dangerous and can kill people,There are many laws on dirtbikes ,They can get you a career to ride professional.
They have taken America by storm. Defined as “rugged automotive vehicles similar to a station wagon but built on a light truck chassis” (Gurlanik 723), Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) have taken over the roads. The automobile industry is full of them and nearly every automaker has its own version of the vehicle. Drivers like the roominess, the comfort and the status they provide and SUVs are springing up across suburbs and cities like mushrooms (Davidson 1). Americans are in love with the luxuries involved with SUVs: the 4x4 capabilities, being able to sit higher on the road and the sense of control.
...es how powerful of a symbol it has become. You wouldn’t consider the fact that someone drives a Honda Accord a defining characteristic of his or her identity but somehow that changes when it becomes a Harley Davidson Heritage Softtail. "Four wheels move the body two wheels move the sole" (Harley Davidson Ad/ 1992). It becomes clear that the motorcycle is much more than a vehicle; it is a manifestation of American values. When you break it down nothing seems more American that freedom, and brotherhood. Film has fully capitalized on these characteristics helping make the motorcycle a powerful image that has had a defining impact on American culture.
A Harley-Davidson motorcycle is more than just a mode of transportation or ordinary product. It's
HD has chosen the strategic direction of targeting women and the younger market that is technologically conscious in order to increase its share in the first time motorcycle owner market space. With the introduction of the new VRSC’S, and the new lowered sporster 833 L and the 1200 L, design for small riders who want more power, also promoting the already existing HD motorcycle owners to step forward and purchasing a bigger model. HD is in a position of attaining a sizeable share in the first time motorcycle owners, the young males, and females’ marketplace. To target the women and the young market with the new product line, the company has adopted the following marketing objectives: to expand its current market (market expansion), diversify its product line (product diversification), and modify its marketing mix to target women and the younger demographic.
Since Harley-Davidson is already a big player in cruise market, to be profitable in this sector might be time consuming and difficult for Ducati. Also, Harley-Davidson has a loyal customer base which might make it tougher for Ducati to attract more customers towards its side.
The motorcycle industry offers products which can be viewed as luxuries or wants as opposed to necessities. When concerning Harley-Davidson, most motorcycle owners have purchased their bikes as a second vehicle, using them more during weekends and off-time instead of during the work week. This implies that the motorcycles serve for recreational purposes and thus are an item which can be expendable at times. This has hurt the industry recently with the slight recession the United States economy is facing. Another interesting thing to note about the motorcycle industry is the different appeal bikes carry in different global regions. In the United States for instance, Harley-Davidson has had much success because of the market trends and tastes people enjoy. Harley-Davidson has benefited from a U.S. market which enjoys casual and recreational riding. This isn’t necessarily the case overseas, as in Europe the trendy pick is a sleeker street bike, with a focus on speed and handling as opposed to power and comfort.
We think it would be interesting to quote first Harley-Davidson's mission, in order to get a first approach of what is the purpose of the company from their point of view. The mission talks first about dreams, rather than motorcycles, which is what the public has in mind. This mission says:
...vs. buying a home: Pros and cons [Web log post]. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from http://www.sheknows.ca/home-and-living/articles/960555/pros-and-cons-of-renting-vs-buying-a-home
Teal, A. (2010, July 27). Top 10 Reasons to Get Full Coverage Car Insurance. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from Yahoo! Voices: http://m.voices.yahoo.com/top-10-reasons-full-coverage-car-insurance-644824.html
on Harley-Davidson’s future, with analysts pointing out that the company’s plans for growth were too dependent on aging baby boomers. The company had achieved its record growth during the 1990s and early-2000s primarily through the appeal of its image with baby boomers in the U.S. There was some question how much longer boomers would choose to spend recreational time touring the country by motorcycle and attending motorcycle rallies. The company had yet to develop a motorcycle that appealed in large numbers to motorcycle riders in their 20s or cyclists in Europe who both preferred performance oriented bikes rather than cruisers or touring motorcycles. Another concern of analysts watching the company was Harley-Davidson’s short-term oversupply of certain models brought about by the 14-month production run for its 100th anniversary models.
As long as I can remember, I have always been interested in cars, trucks, and other gear-head type stuff. I think I have liked automotive things because my dad is very mechanical and has taught my brother and I more about cars than we really need to know. Luckily in the past few years I have also taken an interest in motorcycles. This began shortly before my sixteenth birthday when I found out that my brother had secretly acquired one and was keeping it at a friends house. As the story goes, my brother Mike noticed an old rusty bike leaning against a shed in someones yard when he was driving around with one of his friends in our truck. Mike asked the man who lived there if he would be willing to part with the motorcycle, and eventually it ended up at our house. That bike was certainly nothing special to look at and when I first saw it, it really wasnt anywhere near running condition.