HARLEY DAVIDSON'S DECLINE TO THE MILLENIAL GENERATION

HARLEY DAVIDSON'S DECLINE TO THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION


Millennials aren't buying hogs all that much. I mean, let's be real, they're not buying much of anything given the current economical situation they face. But because of it, many Harley Davidson locations are closing and their plants are shuttering due to declining sales. the baby boomers all have motorcycles and Generation X is only buying a very few and the MillennialS are just not stepping up to the plate to purchase.


There can be a lot of factors to this, but here's some that may be taken into consideration;  but I'm sure your typical old person will just blame them being lazy. I mean, maybe Millennial don't need to straddle an expensive device to kill themselves, society is doing a pretty good job at doing it for them already. And on top of that, being loud, annoying and hopelessy buying a stupid toy to regain some lost sense of rebellion is just no longer considered all that cool?  They also cost more than it takes to support a family of 5 in Iowa for a year and thus, you know, crushing student loans just don't allow them the means to, not to mention the company could make mor emoney off jackets and boots if the damned things didn't last for decades.

It's really an image problem. Old people are just simply not cool. Old people like Harleys, ergo Harley will die as a company because their dumb ass couldn't innovate their way out of a paper bag. They had that electric bike for a bit and there is an attempt to appeal to a younger group, but they are just a dumb old company depending on dumb old money.

Not to mention that millennials all played the hell out of GTA and realize that it is increasingly very easy to end your life in creative ways with them, thus why would you even want that temptation? They're a lot smarter than to not realize that Harley's are overpriced and intentionally poorly designed to get that just the right "Harley" sound. so fuck that noise. literally.

They were on the brink of death in 1969 and Dennis Hopper single handedly saved them. Before Easy Rider, they were known as garbage bikes. After Easy Rider, they were know as Rebel Bikes. Now they're known to millennials as "dad" or "drug dealer" bikes. They're equal parts garbage and all around just not cool.



The criminal association alone is tough to shake. Visible criminal stuff vs. actually trying to maintain a cool style, and then associated with bougie retired boomers trying to mimic said biker gangs and capture that rebel youth just make it sad. For my own sake, association with American patriotism is the biggest killer of the image and so cringe worthy. But provokes a special disgust from the generation that grew up post 9/11 patriot merchandise boom.

Flat out, their brand fucking sucks.