Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went to a Harley open house today with a couple of good friends that I ride with. Good people, really, what I could not get over was that 1/4 of the whole showroom was dedicated to bikes and the other 3/4 of the showroom was dedicated to all the Harley clothing and crap!!!! One would think that bikes would be their primary concern but if that was true 3/4 of the showroom would be dedicated to bikes and maybe 1/4 to clothing and all the other crap that is associated with Hardley Davidson. What's up with that? The shop put on a good time but still????????? All a big show, why don't they let the bikes sell themselves, and the posers, believe me there were a pile of posers. Most of the people their were more concerned with the Harley crap than anything else.
They did have some nice flatrackers there, that was pretty much all that I was interested in, although their were quite a few hot babes walking around today too. So I guess that made it a little more worthwile. Oh I did forget to mention that they had plenty of good free beer though (Iron City) Good Stuff!!!!!!!! and plenty of food as well. So I guess it was not a total waste.

Merchandise = Huge profit

I was at an HD dealer last week with a buddy and I saw a black leather vest with the HD symbol and it was $169 they have to make at least $120 profit on that.

Not everyone can afford a Harley, but most people can afford the merchandise. Everytime I see somebody wearing a Harley shirt while not riding I wonder if they actually have a Harley (although this town is downright maggoty with FNGs these days). I've been known to ask a few what model they ride. I've also been known to ask people wearing Sturgis shirts about their Sturgis experience. Nine times out of ten their friend/brother/cousin/etc. got the shirt for them.

Also, at the risk of sounding sexist, the clothing draws the women in. If they can hook the wives, whether they have their own bike or ride pillion, that drags the husbands in, too, who tend to spend money everytime they come in. It's all very insidious and marketing brilliance.

L. A. HD is a prime wxample of this. They used to be a motorcycle shop. They had lots of used bikes ranging from bone stock, extremely low milage late models traded in by rubs because they weren't trendy anymore to older customs to ancient rat bikes, and a showroom filled with several examples of every new HD built.
The last time I was there some 5 years ago, they had maybe 5 or 6 bikes way in the back. It took me half an hour to find the parts counter. Bikes over 3 years old or modified too much were not accepted as trade-ins. BUT you could find HD coffee cups, dog shirts, neon clocks and picnic baskets within 10 feet of the door.