The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Harley Davidson CEO Jim Ziemer to Retire

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Jim Ziemer, President, CEO and 40 year veteran of Harley Davidson will be retiring in 2009. Whoever takes the helm of the Motor Company now will have the opportunity to navigate through an interesting business environment, it should be an exciting ride. Press release follows: Harley-Davidson, Inc. announced today that President and Chief Executive Officer James L. Ziemer … [Read more...]

If Factories Stop Racing, What Do They Sell?

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Recently, Honda announced their withdrawal from Formula One racing and last Friday said they would also be pulling the factory teams out of AMA Superbike. Will this be the only factory to go due to the economy or is it the first of many? NASCAR, for one, is experiencing a major reduction of support from and, in some cases, the complete departure of many companies long … [Read more...]

Get Harley Stock with Your Harley Davidson Purchase

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At least one dealer has an idea to get more customers, Milwaukee Harley Davidson says if you buy a 2008 model Harley Davidson from them, they'll throw in 100 shares of Harley Davidson stock. Buy a 2009 model and get 50 shares. As I write this, HOG is trading at $16.31 per share, you do the math. Given the recent troubles getting buyers to pull out their checkbook, this might … [Read more...]

Triumph Scrambler from EuroSports

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Triumph's Scrambler is a really nice looking bike but exciting isn't the first thing you would say if someone asked about performance. It seems Bill Himmelsbach from EuroSports in Philadelphia thought the same thing and figured he would see if a bit of the old character from the Steve McQueen era was hiding inside. Not too surprisingly, it is. While flipping through the … [Read more...]

Why Motorcycle Shoppers Walk Away

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When the economy turns sour and every customer counts, seeing a potential buyer walk out instead of riding off on a new motorcycle really hurts a dealer's bottom line. Of course, some dealers where this happens a lot are quick to blame the economy when the problem is something they can fix - the dealer experience. J.D.Power and Associates, those guys that survey everyone, … [Read more...]