Harley Davidson in the UK

[clonmore1]

A few weeks ago, Lucky Lou mentioned that a big HD dealer in Leeds had closed down. Today, I saw the same thing at HD Manchester, that too was a big dealership.

Anybody know or heard of anything happening with the brand either here in the UK or international?

[Adrian]

Hi - here in Oz the harley is a very popular bike and sales are going well for them. Out of the top 10 cruisers sold in Oz, 6 of them are harleys. I read recently that with their recent restructuring 'cos of the Global Financial Cock Up they are back on track sales wise and are going well. Like America, there is a large bikie as well as biker culture over here. Not surprising considering that Oz has some of the best biking roads in the world and they just go on forever sometimes. Add to that here in South Oz, and other states, we get about 9 months of good biking weather every year to go out and play. A Harley is the only bike I'd swap my Beemer for. Maybe I'd better start playing the lotto  

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Maybe I'd better start playing the lotto

Got yer tattoo yet?  

These blokes ride all over the U.K. visiting H-D dealers:
http://steeltownchoppers.blogspot.com/2011/07/sad-day-for-harley-davidson-uk.html

[montmil]

Keep your eyes open and your pie hole shut when you see Korean manufactured and ATK-USA assembled Hyosung motorcycles at select HD MoCo dealerships.

With no real entry level motorcycles to sell -the Buell Blast was so-so and the 883 is not really a beginner's motorcycle- Harley dealerships are not able to compete in today's soft motorcycle sales market.

Although the MoCo says they are hands-off on the "select" dealerships, this would not happen without some back channel corporate approval.

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?topic=46581.0

Will there be an influx of Korean tattoo artists to the USofA?

Gotta follow this. It's way too funny to miss out on. [smiley=bmw_smiley.gif] tweak tweak

Monte

[Adrian]

Got yer tattoo yet?

I was thinking of "I love my mum" but that might be a bit wimpy for a Harley rider    [smiley=ROTFLMAO.gif] [smiley=grin.gif]

[nhmaf]

I'd say about 99% of the H-D riders around here are  posers - most truck their bikes to the weekend camping spot and ride from there, don't ride in the rain, etc.  Then there are the true 1% riders - they don't park in front of the fancy, glitzy bars.   I gotta go to the local H-D dealership now to see what they've got on the showroom floor.

[Lucky_Lou]

Something you will not see a harley rider doing .....
mg]
wonder who is going to take care of the warranty and service........
Lou

[suecanada]

Lou...so you did get that snow they were predicting....and we've not had any here in the frozen north??? What's with that!!! Leaves still to come down on some trees and some flowers still bloomin'! Black-eyed Susans and Monkshood (Aconite) and look really stunning with the red burning bush or winged euonymous.
Bet those Harley riders wouldn't like to get as muddy as my DR200 Suzuki did last saturday doin' the single tracks...yeah, I was nervous and a chicken! But I did ride thru' puddles and on top of leaves over mud....didn't say I liked it though! :-/

[Adrian]

Those flowers and shrubs you mention are beautiful aren't they Sue. I sure miss the variety and colours of flora of the northern hemisphere.

[nhmaf]

Yay, Sue !!!!    I say go for it!!!

As I write this, it is snowing pretty hard right now - we're expecting 2 or 3 inches tonight - not much at all really, and it will likely be melted in a day or so.

[clonmore1]

Okay, I found out that one guy owned the 2 dealerships and went bust.

[Lucky_Lou]

Okay, I found out that one guy owned the 2 dealerships and went bust.

Yes and he owned the Honda dealership that went under at the same time.
I was working in Shipley the other day and noticed that Bradford Motorcycles had an awfull lot of Harleys in there windows, i think they must have gone to the recievers auction.
Lou  

[clonmore1]

So, you didn't buy one then Lou?