NYT Article on H/D courting female buyers

[bakerzdosen]

OK, before anyone thinks of doing any Harley bashing, I'd like to point out that this is about their marketing and let's face it, in 2006 they sold two times as many bikes to US women as BMW did to US men and women. That's successful marketing as 12% of all H/D's were sold to women.

 

With that said, I thought this was interesting:

 

NYT article. (Sorry, free registration is probably needed.)

[Mr_Ed]

Not really new news. Harley has been marketing to women for many many many years now. Sounds like the person who wrote the NYT article is just another tool of the HD Marketing Machine.

[russell_bynum]

Ducati is doing the same thing.

 

Kawasaki has been actively pursuing the female segment for several years.

 

Here's Lisa's post from Femoto 2006

 

and Femoto 2005

[Stormrider]

Harley bashing...not here 'eh. So before my fellow BMW Brothers say to "ignore him".

W.G.A.F.

[Mr_Ed]

What Harley bashing?

[Bullett]

Based on my experience, a lot of women riders that I have met out and about on their Harleys and Victorys and such, are interested in a beemer, but they think they are too tall. I have let several people sit on my RT with the stock low seat to get an idea of what the reach is. I met a lady when we were at TOR, who had ridden from Dallas to Wyoming with her husband and was was on her way back to TX. She wanted a bike that was "not as loud" as her Harley, but that she could take on tour. Maybe we will see them on Beemers next year.

 

I do like the HD marketing that is specifically directed towards women. I particularly liked the commercial they ran ad nauseum during the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Made me grin every time I saw it.

[Misti]

Blah,

 

I don't like that article much, nor do I like the stereotypical approach to marketing to women. I think it needs to be done for sure but in a way that women would respond better to. I think women want to feel (speaking for myself here) that they are NOT much different than male riders and that they are just as capable. My favorite ads (and I'm not being biased because I'm on the BMW site) are the BMW ones which simply show women riding.....my fav one was a women riding with a guy on the back of her bike and it said "I just got my first accessory and his name was Mike"

 

None of this, pink and blue with rhinestones crap...maybe that is just me but I want to see a scraped up leathers, knee down ass kicking chick riding in a group of guys like it's no big deal...

 

I keep trying to tell that to the advertisers and the large corporations but they just ignore me

 

Misti

[Eschelon1]

Yea, but have you seen the women buying these things?

 

Adds new meaning to the name "Hogs".

 

[blkvelvt]

Harley Davidson has the best marketing bar none. Low performance at a high price and feel cool spending your money. We all wish we thought of it first.

Just kidding and not bashing here. Within the last 5 years, I've adapted to riding with a very mixed crowd on group rides, and Harleys have been the biggest growth in numbers. Like the saying now goes; "When in Rome, ride alongside a Harley."

I'll ride along with anything on two wheels. Obviously they are having fun just like me.

[russell_bynum]

Low performance at a high price and feel cool spending your money.

 

coughBMWcough

[edge51]

this is true for my wife. She is 5'2" and 105lbs, been riding since 1974 and chooses an HD DynaWide Glide cause she can flat foot it. I have tried to get her to ride a sport touring bike but she refuses. Both my RT and FJR are too tall for her.

 

I kid her about HD being a girl's bike since the last time I waited for her at the dealer for service ALL the bikes that came and went while I was sitting there were women riders.

[bakerzdosen]

nor do I like the stereotypical approach to marketing to women.

While I agree Misti... you gotta admit, you're not exactly the stereotypical female rider...

[WURTY]

With free implants too.

[russell_bynum]

nor do I like the stereotypical approach to marketing to women.

While I agree Misti... you gotta admit, you're not exactly the stereotypical female rider...

 

Few things will deflate your male ego faster than hauling ass around a corner with your knee on the deck feeling like you're hot sh*t only to have Misti go by you around the outside while turned around backwards watching 14 year-old Elena Myers...who is also passing your sorry ass.

 

[JBACORN]

I agree with Mitsi in that if I see another pink H/D t-shirt I'm going to scream - oh, just like a girl . But I do think that BMW is coming around, at least my dealer is. Just recently I was commenting (bitching actually) to him about not having any BMW cloths to choose from. I was wearing my H/D stuff while riding my beemer. So he had me choose a complete line of women's summer tops. . He said that since I was his typical customer that I would know who would buy what. We'll see.