Harley to discontinue six models for 2014
Slow sellers get the chop; Road Glide due for a redesign
HARLEY-DAVIDSON intends to drop half a dozen models from its line-up next year, according to a leaked memo sent out to the company's dealers ahead of its annual dealer convention.
The curtain will fall on the XR1200X Sportster, the FXS Softail Blackline and the FLHTC Electra Glide Classic after this year, due to declining sales. The FLHRC Road King Classic will be dropped in North America, while the FLHR Road King gets the axe in other markets.
The FLTRX Road Glide Custom and FLTRU Road Glide Ultra tourers will also not be available for 2014, though this will be a temporary affair, as both models are getting a redesign and their manufacturing processes and tooling are due for an update.
The tweaks to the range are meant to "optimise the number of choices available, reduce product overlap, reflect marketplace dynamics and reduce model complexity in showrooms".
Harley-Davidson's Q1 2013 sales were down more than 9% year-on-year to 54,257 units (mainly due to a drop in domestic US demand), but the company announced a rise in profits to $1.57 billion, up from $1.43 billion in Q1 2012.
Link: Harley-Davidson Breakout first ride review
Link: Harley-Davidson Sportster 72 first ride review
Link: Harley-Davidson Softail Slim first ride review
Link: Custom bike reviews
