Quote:
Originally Posted by Spyder1026
No one loves Harleys more than I do, and I am not usually inclined to defend BRP, but it is a little unfair to compare BRP to Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson is a giant corporation with enormous financial resources and a customer base many times larger than all other motorcycles combined (in this country). Harley has been selling motorcycles for more than 100 years and for the most part uses an exclusive dealer network (no other motorcycles).
BRP, and especially Spyder, is tiny in comparison. Spyder production for the entire year would be equal to just a few days of Harley production. BRP just doesn't have the financial resources to play on the same field with Harley, and it doesn't have any where near the experience in motorcycle production and quality control. BRP doesn't have the huge parts distribution capabilities Harely has. This said, it could do a lot better in parts distribution than it has been doing.
BRP brought a new product to market at the most inopportune time. Soon after the Spyder's introduction, the international financial system took a nose dive and we entered a serious recession. Unemployed workers don't buy new motorcycles. Even Harley is hurting now. BRP is also saddled with some very serious safety issues.
An improving economy will help both Harley and BRP. If BRP succeeds in overcoming the steering disease, and with the new RT model, they should do a lot better. This should allow them to focus on improving the parts distribution system and some of the other irritating shortcomings. BRP is short on the learning curve and Harley is long on the learning curve.
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Just to reset your points of reference, H-D corporation's 2009 revenue = ~$4.2B. Estimated BRP 2007 revenue ~=$2.5B. No idea what the great recession of 2009 did to their revenue but I would say that odds are BRP has still maintained itself as a corporation roughly half the size of H-D.
Certainly not tiny, as mentioned and H-D at 4.5B isn't a "giant" corporation, just a large one.
As for customer base, that could be disputed as well. Honda builds and sells well over 10 MILLION powersports products each year with more than 650,000 of them in the US. Harley builds roughly 1/4 of that amount for worldwide consumption.
Harley's big, there's no denying that, but their marketing is even bigger which fuels the "perception" that they are larger and more important than they really are.
I'm just saying.........
but will have to stop when someone wants Ice Cream 
Keeping it simple Vanailla, Choclate,Strawberry 
)
. But things get really shinny once I open my saddle bag with the chrome sh#t in it
already looking at some more Chrome 
t 
Futures so bright,I gotta wear SHADES!!!!
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