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Difference between revisions of "Harley-Davidson history"
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Just as Evolution transformed the big twins, so it did the same for the Sportster. A 54-ci (883-cc) Evo Sportster replaced the old one-liter [[Shovelhead]] version in 1984, with a 67-ci (1100-cc XLH following on soon after (soon boosted to the [[Harley-Davidson XLH1200|XLH1200]] we know now), Still with a four-speed gearbox and chain drive, Harley emphasized the little 883 as a loss-leader entry model, Even now, it undercuts some Japanese cruisers, though even in Evo form, it's slower and less sophisticated than any of them. If the 883 was a sensible cut-price way of boosting sales, the [[Harley-Davidson|XR1000]] did the opposite. Its engine, using modified [[Harley-Davidson XR750|XR750]] parts, was expensively hand-assembled, but the handsome result was still a long way behind Japanese sports bikes. On the other hand, it did form the basis for the first [[Buell]], which led to greater things. | Just as Evolution transformed the big twins, so it did the same for the Sportster. A 54-ci (883-cc) Evo Sportster replaced the old one-liter [[Shovelhead]] version in 1984, with a 67-ci (1100-cc XLH following on soon after (soon boosted to the [[Harley-Davidson XLH1200|XLH1200]] we know now), Still with a four-speed gearbox and chain drive, Harley emphasized the little 883 as a loss-leader entry model, Even now, it undercuts some Japanese cruisers, though even in Evo form, it's slower and less sophisticated than any of them. If the 883 was a sensible cut-price way of boosting sales, the [[Harley-Davidson|XR1000]] did the opposite. Its engine, using modified [[Harley-Davidson XR750|XR750]] parts, was expensively hand-assembled, but the handsome result was still a long way behind Japanese sports bikes. On the other hand, it did form the basis for the first [[Buell]], which led to greater things. | ||
Only a year after its eleventh-hour flirtation with financial collapse, Harley-Davidson was visibly on the road to recovery. The Evolution had been well received, and sales were booming, it was an ideal time to go public and to raise money by selling shares on the general market. The issue was such a success that $90 million was raised, enabling Harley to pay off many of its debts with enough left over to buy the motorhome maker Holiday Rambler. In theory, it could have used the money to resurrect the NOVA engine program, but by then it was clear that the Evolution (originally intended as a stop-gap) would see the company through many year to come: in any case, the buying public expected a Harley-Davidson to have an air-cooled V-twin engine, not a water-cooled four. | Only a year after its eleventh-hour flirtation with financial collapse, Harley-Davidson was visibly on the road to recovery. The Evolution had been well received, and sales were booming, it was an ideal time to go public and to raise money by selling shares on the general market. The issue was such a success that $90 million was raised, enabling Harley to pay off many of its debts with enough left over to buy the motorhome maker [[Holiday Rambler]]. In theory, it could have used the money to resurrect the NOVA engine program, but by then it was clear that the Evolution (originally intended as a stop-gap) would see the company through many year to come: in any case, the buying public expected a Harley-Davidson to have an air-cooled V-twin engine, not a water-cooled four. | ||
By the end of the 1980s, the recovery was complete. The company made a $17.7 million profit in 1987 and $27 million the year after. In fact, it is instructive to compare the beginning of the 1980s to the end: productivity up by half, US market share doubled; inventory cut by 75 per cent, scrap/rework down by two-thirds and an annual profit of S59 million. Police business (once highly prized, and lost in the bad old days of poor quality) began to return and exports increased dramatically; not only that, it must have caused some satisfaction at Milwaukee when Japan became its foremost overseas market. When Ronald Reagan visited the York plant, it was the ultimate seal of official approval; Harley-Davidson had become the American success story of the 1980s. | By the end of the 1980s, the recovery was complete. The company made a $17.7 million profit in 1987 and $27 million the year after. In fact, it is instructive to compare the beginning of the 1980s to the end: productivity up by half, US market share doubled; inventory cut by 75 per cent, scrap/rework down by two-thirds and an annual profit of S59 million. Police business (once highly prized, and lost in the bad old days of poor quality) began to return and exports increased dramatically; not only that, it must have caused some satisfaction at Milwaukee when Japan became its foremost overseas market. When Ronald Reagan visited the York plant, it was the ultimate seal of official approval; Harley-Davidson had become the American success story of the 1980s. | ||