Harley-Davidson Events At 74th Sturgis Rally

Many riders are on the road and in route to the Sturgis Rally.

If you rushed out of the garage before finalizing a list of things to do while in S.D., below is a list of activities Harley-Davidson will be rolling out for rally attendees.

The 2015 models will not be launched at Sturgis.  Last year the motor company started a new trend of  introducing the new model line up during the 3rd week of August after all the press/media noise subsides post-Sturgis and they can garner more mind share.

3rd & Lazelle Street, Downtown Sturgis, SD
Saturday through Saturday, August 2-9, 9am – 5pm

• Stunt Show – 3 times daily (10am, 1pm, & 4pm) Produced by Ill Conduct Team
• H.O.G. Rally Point – Join Tina, Thor and other H-D staff in the H.O.G. area. Pick up your FREE event Pin, join the club or renew your membership.  Plus, August 2-8 all H.O.G.^® members + one guest are welcome to join us in the H.O.G area  from 3:00pm – 5:00pm for live entertainment, complimentary samples of our new H-D Road House Meats and beer samples.
• Willie G. ^® and H.O.G.^® Commemorative Merchandise – You can’t buy it at home! Stop by to purchase exclusive Sturgis 2014 clothing.
• Genuine Harley-Davidson^® Parts & Accessories Display – the latest Harley^® models equipped with the full line of custom Parts & Accessories. Check out our 12 fully accessorized bikes!
• 2014 H-D^® Motorcyle Lineup – Check out the 2014 bikes, including NEW customized Street ^™ motorcycles, RUSHMORE bikes, the Low Rider^® and the SuperLow^®1200T.
• Women’s Area – Rebel One hosts the JUMPSTART^® Rider Experience and Bike Lift Seminars on how to properly lift a dropped motorcycle. Enter the sweepstakes to win a FREE Riding Academy course or Rental.
• Weber^® Mobile Grill Academy – Get a first-hand look at Weber grills and accessories; Weber Experts will be there to answer any questions you may have about grills, grilling techniques, recipes, and all things grilling!  Join the Weber Family by signing up for Weber Nation and you will be entered to win a Weber Genesis gas grill.
• Craftsman^® Garage Station – Come for a free oil fill-up and tire pressure check! Stay and watch our artists sculpt, paint, and engrave. Take home a cool new design on your bike helmet or a personalized engraving on a free Craftsman cap wrench.
• Free Bike Wash – Wash away all the Black Hills dust and dirt at the free bike wash from 9am – 4pm. Just bring a dirty bike and a little elbow grease.
• MDA will sell event pins and host a bike raffle. Enter to win a black 2014 Street Glide!
• Visa will offer Visa Card membership application and free giveaways to all applicants!

Black Hills Harley-Davidson
2820 Harley Dr.
I-90 Exit 55, Rapid City, SD
Saturday through Saturday, August 2-9, 9am – 5pm

• Harley-Davidson ^® Motorcycle Test Rides – Take a FREE test ride on a 2014 Harley-Davidson^® motorcycle, including our new RUSHMORE bikes, LowRider^® and SuperLow^® 1200T. Come early and ride as many bikes as you want. All riders must have a valid motorcycle license and adhere to riding gear requirements and safety rules.  Demo registration will close at 4:00pm daily.
• 2014 H-D^® Motorcycle Lineup – Check out the 2014 bikes
• Harley-Davidson^® Motorclothes^® – Try on our new jackets – even take them for a test ride! All items will be available for immediate purchase.
• H-D1^™ Fit Shop – Come experience the feel of a more comfortable, safer ride. Stop by the H-D1^™ Fit Shop and find your perfect seat and handlebar combination.

Featured Activities:

• Sunday, August 3 – “Weber^® Big Burger Battle Cook-Off” competition. Come to the Weber^® display at 3^rd and Lazelle St. to watch pre-selected finalists compete in a cook-off!
• Tuesday, August 5 – The 6^th Annual Women’s Biker Belles^™ Ride and celebration sponsored by Harley-Davidson^®. Visit www.bikerbelles.com to register and for more information.
• Wednesday, August 6 – “Weber^® How to Grill a Perfect Burger” hands-on grilling class exclusively for H.O.G members led by Weber^® Grill Expert, Kelsey Heidikamp.  Classes offered at the Weber^® display at 3^rd and Lazelle St. at 11:45am, 1:30pm, and 3:15pm. To participate, please send your name, cell phone number, H.O.G. number and preferred class time to HandsOnGrilling@harley-davidson.com. Space is limited so sign up soon! Sign up ends Friday, August 1.

Photo courtesy of H-D.

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Harley-Davidson Continues Adjusting To The Absence Of Road Glide

Harley-Davidson announced it’s Q2 2014 financials, indicating that Q2 net income was $354.2M on consolidated revenue of $2.00B, compared to net income of $271.7M in the year-ago period on consolidated revenue of $1.79B.

Dealers worldwide sold 90,218 new motorcycles compared to 90,193 motorcycles in the year-ago quarter.  U.S. sales were flat/down as dealers sold 58,225 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the quarter, compared to sales of 58,241 motorcycles in the year-ago period.

Some interesting nuances from the analyst call:

• Market share was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis at 50.3%.
• Management confirmed the Road Glide is coming back with the new 2015 product launch in August.
• In the U.S. the Road Glide accounted for 10% of sales
• There were self-inflicted wounds with the intro of the Street on Sportster sales which was down double-digit and compounded by lack of Street inventory.
• Management stated Indian touring bikes have had little impact on Rushmore bikes which in the first half were up double-digits.  But, read this HERE which colors the picture a bit different.
• The Street start-up issues are supply chain in nature and related to this being the first time H-D is manufacturing a product internationally.
• H-D now expects to ship between 270K and 275K motorcycles worldwide which represents growth of approximately 3.5% to 5.5% versus prior year.

Despite the soft Q2 sales, H-D believes the demand fundamentals for the business remain intact and underlying growth trends are strong.  The industry has grown for three straight years coming into this year and there is more investment in the industry than Harley-Davidson management has seen in the last five years in terms of new products, marketing and advertising.

UPDATED: August 1, 2014 – Harley-Davidson officially reveals the 2015 Road Glide.

Photo courtesy of Edgar and H-D.

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Harley-Davidson 2014 Models Launch

2014 Ultra Limited

At the Harley-Davidson dealership meeting in Denver this morning, the company introduced eight new motorcycles for 2014. 

Proclaimed the largest new model launch in the company’s 110-year history, the eight new motorcycles feature improved power and braking performance, enhanced rider ergonomics, and styling updates.  The eight new models are the Road King®, Street Glide®, Street Glide® Special, Electra Glide® Ultra Classic®, Ultra Limited, Tri Glide® Ultra, CVO Ultra Limited and CVO Road King®.

2014 StreetGlide

All these motorcycles fall under a new product development moniker (“Project RUSHMORE“), announced about four years ago, with the intent to bring new bikes and features to the marketplace faster.  The key areas of RUSHMORE are:

Control:  The motorcycles will pass faster, stop quicker and allow riders to see farther at night.  Some models feature the new Twin-Cooled™ High Output Twin Cam 103™ while others get the new High Output Twin Cam 103™ powertrain – both with fuel injection.  Reflex™ Linked Brakes with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) is new for all models and the new Daymaker™ LED is also standard on some models while others get new Dual Halogen lighting.  The Linked braking, means braking with the front and rear wheels is synchronized and the system will automatically calculate the amount of braking that’s necessary under the existing conditions.

Infotainment: The Boom! ^™ Box infotainment systems feature voice recognition and touchscreen for music, GPS navigation and phone in motorcycling, with audio, Bluetooth^® connectivity, text-to-speech technology, plus support for intercom and CB communications in a single module.  H-D integrated the vehicle information in a single electronic touch screen.  There are five-way joy sticks on the left and right motorcycle hand controls for most of the system’s functions.

Feel: Aerodynamics and ergonomics are improved – with a new Batwing fairing with splitstream venting, which reduces head buffeting and with wider and deeper seats and new back and arm rests.  The motorcycle hand controls have been redesigned, and the number of dash gauges have been reduced from six to four — with temperature and oil pressure readouts moved to the electronic screen and the gauges made larger for better visibility.

Style: The function of several components are improved such as the larger Tour-Pak^® and saddlebags with convenient One-Touch latches, sleeker fenders, lighter cast aluminum wheels and intuitive hand control switches.

Other changes in the 2014 lineup include anti-lock brakes on all five Sportster models, a new CVO Softail Deluxe that comes with a detachable windshield with GPS navigation, Daymaker LED lighting and detachable saddlebags.  Also, the Twin Cam 103 engine is now standard equipment on the Street Bob and Super Glide Custom models.

On the surface the changes look positive and bring H-D more in alignment with the competition.  It’s peculiar that the motor company goes to great lengths to hype part of the “new” development process that now includes formal focus groups and events like motorcycle shows and music festivals, and simply chatting with customers!

Huh?  Is H-D marketing implying they didn’t have product focus groups prior?

I’m looking forward to getting a look at the bikes at the 110th Anniversary in Milwaukee.  I wonder how much difference the additional head cooling makes on the engine?  The new Boom! ^™ Box infotainment radio with improved connectivity and text-to-speech technology is a welcome update because the old radio was dated and in serious need of an update.

Photos courtesy of H-D.

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