Market reports – Harley goes up and Buell takes off – Used HARLEY-DAVIDSON

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Harley rides and Buell flies

Market reports - Harley goes up and Buell takes off - Used HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Harley saw its registrations increase by + 16% in 2004 while its sporty little sister Buell exploded at + 70%. However we could have done better, considers the young boss of Harley France. Explanations.

With 491 more registrations than last year, Harley grew by + 16% in 2004 while its sporty little sister Buell exploded at + 70%.

However "we could have done better"estimates Jean-Luc Mars, the young general manager of Harley France (read):"This is the story of the glass half empty or half full because Harley’s market share is still far from 10% in the segment of over 650 cc"…

Moto-Net: In a sluggish market in 2004, Harley-Davidson is making strong progress, like other brands that are just as exclusive and upscale. In your opinion, is this a new sustainable trend in the French market ?
Jean-Luc Mars, CEO Harley France: I think this is indeed a lasting trend. On the one hand, the average age of the French biker has increased, which automatically leads to higher average incomes. I see there an effect of the boom of the 70s which created many young motorcyclists, who either remained practicing, or returned to the motorcycle after the traditional "family interruption". On the other hand, people in general are better informed and buy better. In motorcycles, as in many other fields, users realize that the top of the range is an excellent choice in the long term: timeless motorcycles, efficient after-sales service, reduced cost of use and maintenance, exceptional durability, values high resale, etc. Finally, the top of the range has taken the turn of the pleasure motorcycle before other segments: pleasure for the eyes, sensations, noble materials, quality service, choice and availability of accessories and equipment, etc. I think bikers are more and more sensitive to these things.

Moto-Net: Custom remains a niche market in France. After almost excluding the Japanese from this segment, do you think you’ve reached the limit of your development? ?
J.-L. M .: Probably not. The custom market is weak in France, after a period when "pseudo-custom" was fashionable in the mid-90s. I believe that a certain number of bikers had a custom which could have disappointed them, because that most of our competitors have copied the physical appearance of our motorcycles but have not been able to add a soul to it. I am now wary of the term "custom" in France, but the demand for beautiful motorcycles that exude incomparable pleasure exists. Therefore, we have two axes of work: one which consists in highlighting the qualities of our motorcycles and in explaining with great humility and passion the pleasure felt on their handlebars, and the other which is to recall that Harley-Davidson also has a particularly engaging touring range, as well as a range of character roadsters like the 883, 1200R or Dyna Sport. This range is very promising and is set to expand.

Moto-Net: European statistics show that it is in the countries where bikers drive the most (Germany, France, Italy) that the least Harley is sold. Are your motorcycles used more to display a lifestyle or social status than a true passionate biker? ?
J.-L. M.: I do not dispute that a Harley can be bought for the reasons you mention, but it is rare that these motivations are the only ones behind the switch to the Harley. In addition, passion doesn’t exclude a little showing off from time to time, and vice versa! The reasons for the relatively small market shares in each of these countries are very different. Your remark may be truer in Germany, but certainly not in France: Harley riders are among the bikers who ride the most and our average annual mileage is very clearly above average in France. Harley is the only brand that has a solid structure whose mission is to keep our customers rolling: the HOG (Harley Owners Group), which brings together nearly 9,000 members in France. More simply, I think our market share in France is mediocre because we haven’t been very good in the past. The French subsidiary is only a few years old and the French market is a complex market (which makes its charm, by the way!). It’s up to us to get to work, explain our values ​​and introduce Harley to French bikers. We have a global philosophy of proximity to our customers ("close to the customerThis philosophy, extremely present at the head office in Milwaukee where I had the chance to spend four years, is one of the keys to Harley’s success. It is up to us to adapt it to the French market by naturally bringing us closer to our customers, but also by bringing us closer to those who want to become one. 2005 represents a turning point, insofar as we are going to put the package to make discover Harley to the greatest number. I have no doubt that it is this is the key to our success !

Moto-Net: You tried to renew the custom style with the V-Rod, but sales seem to stagnate worldwide despite the 100th anniversary of the brand. Is there still a place for a modern Harley, or is your strategy based solely on nostalgia for a glorious past? ?
J.-LM: There is unambiguously a place for a "modern" Harley in quotes because I am often frustrated by the amalgamation that we make between our classic range, with a timeless look and steeped in history, and the means we use to build these machines. Passing current standards with a big twin-cylinder full of character requires a lot of technology! Achieve the reliability and durability that we know today too, not to mention the particularly efficient belt drive or injection that we have been using for ten years. To return to the V-Rod range, sales are very satisfactory and only require the expansion of the range to develop. We have always said that V-Rod is a new platform and that there will be new models someday. Something tells me that day is approaching … Stay tuned !

Moto-Net: The Buell brand, which is doing very well this year, does it not correspond better than Harley to the expectations of the majority of French bikers ?
J.-L. M .: Buell certainly represents an extraordinary opportunity for us in Europe. Nevertheless, Harley and Buell are very different brands, with different goals. In any case, the two share this philosophy of motorcycling pleasure and motorcycling passion. Buell will also need time to build its image and develop its reputation..

Moto-Net: You posted significant price reductions in 2005, thanks in particular to a weak dollar. Do other much more criticized aspects of George W. Bush’s world policy make you fear a negative impact on sales? ?
J.-L. M .: Frankly, we are very detached from all of this. Harley is a Wisconsin company with a strong regional culture. If you look at history, French bikers have rarely taken political criteria into account when choosing their machines and that’s fine! Sales in the spring of 2003, when the crisis between the French and American leaders was raging, did not suffer the slightest drop. Here again, I believe that the passion for motorcycles protects us! And if I had a say in convincing a French biker to ride a Harley, I would tell him "try !"

Interview by Benoît LACOSTE

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