A few words about middle-aged motorcyclists, from a middle-aged motorcyclist. First thing: we're dying off... and not always because we're riding motorcycles! Sometimes it's natural causes!
If you've ever seen a bunch of Harley riders, or better yet, gone to Sturgis (I Rode Mine 2013) you will know that their customer base is overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly male, and overwhelmingly older than 40 (to be generous.)
That's for a lot of reasons, some of them common-sense... big Harleys cost upwards of $25K, so young people can't readily afford them. But it's mainly cultural. Motorcycling has more cultural style-signaling than Fashion Week.
In my observation, young people like Japanese or (if rich) Italian crotch-rockets. African-American people like Victory or other non-Harley cruisers, often in bright colors. College educated/professional men prefer European brands (I ride a Triumph.)
And each brand comes with dress codes, musical tastes, food tastes, ad infinitum. At Sturgis, it's Harley-branded black leather, chrome, American beer, tequila shots and hair metal.
At Moto-blot (a European-brand oriented bike fest in Chicago) it's denim, retro-fashion, rockabilly and craft beer. To each his or her own.
So: Harley isn't selling motorcycles. Its selling an image, redolent of America, open roads, freedom, "Easy Rider," "The Wild One" (even though Brando was riding a Triumph), etc. And some Europeans LOVE that image, and pay for it.
I was just touring around Italy/Slovenia/Croatia on a bike, and most folks (like me) were on a BMW tourer, but some were on Harleys, with all the accoutrements: happy Germans/Italians on a big American machine wearing leathers and big grins.
So for Harley to survive, when young American people are not buying their bikes, it has to do two things: open markets overseas, and continue to find and sell to people who love the *image* of America, and all that Harleys stand for.
So the tariffs are hurting Harley, of course. But I would argue the real danger to their brand lies in other Administration policies.
