America's favorite motorcycle manufacturer just released their second-quarter earnings report with mixed results. The company remains strong thanks to a substantial increase in sales revenue over the same period last year. However, the number of total units sold in the second quarter did not increase as much as the company was hoping.
According to the official numbers, Harley-Davidson reported:
- net income of $354.2 million
- a sales revenue increase of 12.4%
- total sales revenues of $1.83 billion
- a total of 90,128 units sold during the quarter.
The sales revenue increase was attributed to higher motorcycle prices and increased prices for replacement parts. However, the company reported lower sales of accessories, including clothing and other merchandise. What the numbers clearly show is that the strength of Harley-Davidson is still the motorcycles themselves.
Still Growing, Evolving
The continued success of Harley-Davidson is testament to the strength of the company's product and the vision of its leadership. The Milwaukee-based company was originally founded in 1903 by William Harley and Arthur Davidson. By the 1920s, the company that combined both their names was the leading motorcycle manufacturer in the world with more than 28,000 units produced. They had dealerships in more than 67 countries at the time.
More than 110 years later the company continues to grow, evolve, and innovate. Their latest release is a new electric motorcycle now making the rounds throughout the United States. Harley dealers are getting their first glimpse of the new electric bike, which should go on sale to the general public later this year. Harley certainly has more new products just waiting to be released when the time is right.
The Man and His Bike
It's great to see that Harley-Davidson continues to do so well after so many years. There's no doubt lots of other companies have come and gone in the last 100 years, some you've heard of and others that have long been forgotten in the dust of time. However, perhaps what's more impressive is the fact that other motorcycle manufacturers have prospered right alongside Harley-Davidson.
So what's your favorite? Are you a Harley owner, or do you prefer a bike from one of the Japanese makers? Or perhaps you love the look and feel of a BMW or Indian. The point is that regardless of your make and model, owning a bike is a very personal thing. If you're like most bikers, your machine is almost like a part of the family. Your bike is as important to you as anything else in your life.
The motorcycle lifestyle offers participants the opportunity to enjoy the freedom of the open road and fellowship with like-minded individuals. If you've never experienced it, we urge you to give it a try. There are organizations in nearly every community providing riding lessons and licensing classes at affordable prices. And if you already know someone who rides, maybe you could put on a few miles in the passenger seat.
Just remember that motorcycles can be dangerous if you don't know how to operate them properly. The number one rule of the biker community is always to ride safely. That's true whether your chosen ride is a Harley or a bike from another manufacturer.
Check out our range of Harley Davidson patches by clicking the preceding link.
