At last - 'The Ride Really is the Destination' Again
Hope springs eternal and May 5, 2026, may just be a day that lives long in Harley Lore. Earlier this year my initial reaction to news that there would be yet another corporate plan was 'oh no, here we go again.'
The thought of yet another bunch of unrealistically optimistic dreams of business recovery against a backdrop of two decades of decline, and in the context of these most uncertain and unstable of times, did not strike me as likely to be something to celebrate.
But celebrate we can. Celebrate we must. It is in the simplicity, mostly basic and mostly blindingly obvious that lies the genius of the new plan lies. It has a greater likelihood of success than anything we have seen since the 1990s and it is in its basic simplicity that the pathway to success is likely to be found.
This 'Back To The Bricks' plan (BTTB) is a comprehensive reversal of most of the ill-fated miss conceptions and deluded assumptions that were the foundations of 'Rewire/Hardwire' and, to be fair, much of the thinking that was supposed to drive the Levatich era Harley down its 'More Roads'.
Starting with the very basic and fundamental reversal of a 'Work from Home' capitulation for office-based staff that just went to far, the 'Bricks' that Harley is going 'Back' to are the industrial chic red bricks of the iconic Juneau Avenue headquarters building and campus. All else in a plan that could just as easily be termed 'back to the basics' kind of flows from there really.
Artie Starrs and his crew are setting Harley on course for a BS free future in which realistic expectations meet a realistic rediscovery of Harley's cultural basics.
In and of itself, opening the window of the $10k price point opportunity wider than it had been for far too long with the return of an Evo-style Sportster (hurrah!), the promise of an even lower cost single (The Sprint) and of a new Café style cruiser in the next two to three years are news enough to crack open a bottle of the 'good stuff'.
"customization is core to brand experience"
But it is the strategic thinking that underpins the return to new model programs and the common sense of giving dealers what they need that is going to get the doors swinging and the brand cooking again. Harley's wheel had already been invented. But having seen it discarded in favor of luxury good exclusivity branding, Starrs and 'BTTB' are simply pulling it from the dumpster and giving it a polish.
In this case 'back to basics' includes a return to Harley's roots with new generations of riders being encouraged to customize. Basic bikes as custom blank canvases, enhanced P&A options and marketing programs that prioritize 'doorswings' (rather than bypassing the dealer network altogether) are serious and, for a brand with the Harley Heritage, seriously simple steps to bring dealers back to the center of the stage, where they belong. Hurrah.
Indeed, is it just me or did the May 5, 2026 Investor Call appear to suggest that even aftermarket P&A will get a fairer shake when it comes to authorized showroom access and inventory?
The Five Key Pillars of the BTTB plan (every strategic plan has to have pillars!) start with "a deep appreciation of Harley-Davidson's competitive advantage". Yes - "set the Eagle Free". That concept of what Harley's competitive advantages are puts their "best-in-class' dealer network right up there as a "powerful foundation for growth."
Starrs sees a "renewed commitment to an exclusive dealer network" as a priority when it comes to "driving enterprise profitability." He's not wrong of course, but did anyone else notice how his remarks about embracing M&A opportunities that "make sense" add to the dynamics of that exclusivity?
I have a little difficulty with the statement that Harley should take "immediate actions to recapture share in areas where Harley-Davidson has the right to win" simply because nobody has the "right" to anything, least of all in business. That just isn't how capitalism works. Competition is how capitalism thrives, not entitlement.
As we head into the mid-21st Century, Harley (and all other businesses) have to start better understanding that the road to better financial performance isn't exclusively paved with making the best product. Harley will never be able to make the 'best' motorcycle, whatever they look like at any given time (making the best Harleys is surely the winning objective), but without also "making the best customers" they will simply gather dust.
However, Starrs and his crew look like they understand that, look like they have got that covered by exploiting Harley's "strong legacy equity in existing markets including new motorcycles, used motorcycles, P&A, and Apparel and Licensing.
"The company's new strategy is focused on positioning the business to regain share [so, it will have to compete] and drive meaningful volume growth [no dust magnets then] in categories where it benefits from credibility, scale and deep rider connection." Good. But, for me at least, the Elephant in Room remains what it is doing racing at MotoGPs? Don't be surprised if that turns out to be a one season wonder after all.
In terms of the other two pillars - "stronger financial position with a path to stronger free cash flow" and a "bolstered management team" - a promising start has been made in both respects; and it only took eight months or so. Making friends with time rather is a luxury born from the advantages of simple, rational and achievable objectives.
The recalibration of what "lifetime value creation" looks like, where selling motorcycles and grooming the best customers is concerned, is welcome (and also obvious). As is understanding that, for dealers, it is all about expanding rather than contracting the portfolio (that is not the same as excess inventory), recognising that they've had "too many of too few" motorcycles on their floors, and ensuring that dealers are able of offer "the right motorcycle at the right time."
Defining affordability as accessibility and customization as being "at the core of the brand experience and critical to dealer profitability" is new language - the likes of have not been heard from a Harley CEO for far too long.
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