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[Oldun]

It's always interesting to read about H-D being unable to adapt*.

And yet, they've survived 100+ years in the motorcycle business.

*I think that phrase does not mean what many people think it means...

[Richard230]

H-D says they are supporting the future of electric motorcycles by spinning them off into a separate company. Now that is how you strengthen your commitment to a new technology - try to hide it.      I wonder if they will  have separate showrooms for their electric motorcycle brand?
https://electricmotorcycles.news/harley-davidson-strengthens-commitment-to-electric-with-the-creation-of-a-dedicated-division-focused-exclusively-on-electric-motorcycles/

[MVetter]

I'm not convinced that's what it means entirely. The original Project LiveWire R&D work all took place in Milwaukee. Right as the bike launched they shut that division down and moved it entirely to the CA Bay Area. Anyone who wanted to go with the team moved; the ones who didn't either were laid off or found different work within H-D. The end result is an almost entirely new team that didn't develop the LiveWire being in charge of it and future projects. I suspect that's to what they are referring.

[Oldun]

H-D says they are supporting the future of electric motorcycles by spinning them off into a separate company. Now that is how you strengthen your commitment to a new technology - try to hide it.      I wonder if they will  have separate showrooms for their electric motorcycle brand?
https://electricmotorcycles.news/harley-davidson-strengthens-commitment-to-electric-with-the-creation-of-a-dedicated-division-focused-exclusively-on-electric-motorcycles/

So by that standard, what Toyota did with the Lexus was a major fail? OK then.

[JaimeC]

It worked for Honda (Acura), Toyota (Lexus) and Nissan (Infiniti) but so far only one motorcycle manufacturer tried that route that I know of.  Yamaha spun off "Star Motorcycles" some years back to highlight their high-end, heavy cruiser motorcycles.  A few years later and "Star Motorcycles" is no more, they're all just "Yamahas" again...

[NEW2elec]

Well it's the way Volvo spun off Polstar.  The problem is an electric option is taking a sale from the more profitable gas side.  So if you only want electric you get the Polstar and customers going to a Volvo dealer are pretty well locked into a gas model.

[JaimeC]

Well it's the way Volvo spun off Polstar.  The problem is an electric option is taking a sale from the more profitable gas side.  So if you only want electric you get the Polstar and customers going to a Volvo dealer are pretty well locked into a gas model.

Learn something new every day.  I wasn't aware Polstar was a division of Volvo.

On the flip side, Hyundai came up with the premium Genesis brand but unlike the Japanese, the Genesis cars are sold alongside the standard Hyundai cars.  I know several Genesis owners who bemoan the fact that they are treated exactly the same at the dealership and service centers as the regular Hyundai owners.

Acura, Lexus and Infiniti owners get treated "special" because they are assumed to have more disposable income.

[princec]

I'm guessing all this bollocks one of various reasons why my Tesla stock is so insanely high. You only have to look at the incumbents in the industry from a distance to just shake your head and laugh at them desperately trying to hold on to their sacred cows.

Cas

[Snafuperman]

On the websites for the two local H-D dealerships, they have links to the Livewire MC but the links don't work.  No info of any kind on the Livewire on either website.  Doesn't look good . . . .

Yes, I know I can find info on the Livewire on the H-D website (and others), but the fact that the only two local H-D dealers in town have no info on the bike is a bit disconcerting . . .

[Snafuperman]

Called one of the two local crap-head H-D dealerships and asked if they had a Livewire that I could come and see.  Of course they didn't and the salesman said there were only 5 in  this state.  Doesn't look like they are selling many.

Looks like H-D is marketing the Livewire like they did the Buell.

[Oldun]

Called one of the two local crap-head H-D dealerships...

Maybe that approach was not the one most conducive to the dealership taking the inquiry seriously?

[Snafuperman]

Called one of the two local crap-head H-D dealerships...

Maybe that approach was not the one most conducive to the dealership taking the inquiry seriously?

I've owned 5 Harleys and a Buell (all purchased used from private owners) -- I've interacted with both these dealerships, which are owned by the same mega-dealer-company Ride-Now) -- I know a bad dealership when I deal with one.