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Looks like the old Servi-Car will be coming back after all.
Fancy that!
Now about that chrome....
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Harley to ride on 3 wheels
Milwaukee icon to lend macho brand to motorized trikes
By RICK BARRETT
Sept. 1, 2006
There's a Harley-Davidson coming for those of us with short legs, weak knees, a bad back or a fear of falling.
The Milwaukee motorcycle manufacturer has sized up its customer base and found that more than a few riders would rather be on three-wheel bikes, called trikes, than some of the two-wheel behemoths that are too tall and too heavy for some people.
Harley has signed a deal with Lehman Trikes U.S.A., of Spearfish, S.D., for Lehman to build trikes under the Harley brand. The three-wheelers will be sold through Harley dealerships, giving the bikes immediate credibility in the cycling world.
As part of the heavyweight motorcycle manufacturer's lineup, fewer people might dismiss three-wheelers as less-than-serious rides.
"I think once Harley-Davidson blesses trikes, other riders will come right into the fold," said Larry Butts with Trike Riders International, a riders' group based in Phoenix.
"We are thrilled to death to hear this announcement. I think more of the old timers will start converting to trikes now," Butts said Friday.
It's about time, added Erv Titzkowski, a trike rider from Racine.
Harley isn't saying when it will start offering trikes or what models of its bikes will be used for making the three-wheelers. But the company has been watching the trike market, especially as the baby boomer generation has pushed the middle-age envelope.
"Once you become aware of trikes, you see them everywhere," said Harley spokesman Bob Klein.
Riders getting greyer
Boomers aren't finished riding yet. But just when many folks reach the point in their lives when they can afford a $20,000 motorcycle, time starts to catch up with them.
"They're getting greyer. Their knees are going out, their ankles are going out, their hips are going out. It's harder to hold up the bike," said Tim Kling, Lehman Trikes chief financial officer.
"Those riders represent about a third of our market," Kling said.
Lehman has converted Harleys and other motorcycles into trikes for more than 20 years. The Canadian-based company, with its U.S. headquarters and assembly plant in South Dakota, was started in the garage of a home and has since become publicly traded.
After the Harley announcement, Lehman shares soared about 207% to close at 92 cents a share. The stock has traded for as little as 14 cents a share in the past year.
"This is a huge opportunity for us," Kling said. "I believe that Harley-Davidson has legitimized the trike business."
Harley doesn't lend the use of its name lightly, and the company is mindful of its macho image.
But trikes are a hot item with the leather-clad crowd. They also have played an important role in motorcycle history, having been used as delivery vehicles and as transportation in World War II.
Today's trike riders just want to have fun without the hassle of balancing a big, two-wheeled bike.
Titzkowski, from Racine, had his Honda Goldwing converted to a trike five years ago. He did so after experiencing some leg and shoulder problems that made it difficult for him to handle an 800-pound motorcycle.
"It was the best thing I have ever done," he said about the conversion.
Harley sales won't fall off a cliff when the baby boomers reach their senior years, but the company won't have the wind at its back, either, say analysts who follow Harley's finances.
"I suspect there's a decent niche for a product like a three-wheeler motorcycle," said Kent Mortensen, an analyst with Thrivent Financial Management in Appleton.
Motorcycle shops that already convert Harleys into trikes aren't threatened by the increased competition from Harley dealers, said Craig Hady, owner of Majestic Trikes-N-Cycles, a Lehman dealership in Horicon.
Hady rides many types of motorcycles, including three-wheelers. There are many advantages to the latter, he said, including added stability and safety when the road is wet or when a small critter runs out in front of your bike at 60 mph.
"About the only thing you lose is the ability to lean into a turn," he said.
Hady, 47, isn't worried about his image when riding a three-wheeler rather than a traditional bike.
"I don't care what other people think. I ride what I want to ride," he said.
From the Sept. 2, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Fancy that!
Now about that chrome....
========
Harley to ride on 3 wheels
Milwaukee icon to lend macho brand to motorized trikes
By RICK BARRETT
Sept. 1, 2006
There's a Harley-Davidson coming for those of us with short legs, weak knees, a bad back or a fear of falling.
The Milwaukee motorcycle manufacturer has sized up its customer base and found that more than a few riders would rather be on three-wheel bikes, called trikes, than some of the two-wheel behemoths that are too tall and too heavy for some people.
Harley has signed a deal with Lehman Trikes U.S.A., of Spearfish, S.D., for Lehman to build trikes under the Harley brand. The three-wheelers will be sold through Harley dealerships, giving the bikes immediate credibility in the cycling world.
As part of the heavyweight motorcycle manufacturer's lineup, fewer people might dismiss three-wheelers as less-than-serious rides.
"I think once Harley-Davidson blesses trikes, other riders will come right into the fold," said Larry Butts with Trike Riders International, a riders' group based in Phoenix.
"We are thrilled to death to hear this announcement. I think more of the old timers will start converting to trikes now," Butts said Friday.
It's about time, added Erv Titzkowski, a trike rider from Racine.
Harley isn't saying when it will start offering trikes or what models of its bikes will be used for making the three-wheelers. But the company has been watching the trike market, especially as the baby boomer generation has pushed the middle-age envelope.
"Once you become aware of trikes, you see them everywhere," said Harley spokesman Bob Klein.
Riders getting greyer
Boomers aren't finished riding yet. But just when many folks reach the point in their lives when they can afford a $20,000 motorcycle, time starts to catch up with them.
"They're getting greyer. Their knees are going out, their ankles are going out, their hips are going out. It's harder to hold up the bike," said Tim Kling, Lehman Trikes chief financial officer.
"Those riders represent about a third of our market," Kling said.
Lehman has converted Harleys and other motorcycles into trikes for more than 20 years. The Canadian-based company, with its U.S. headquarters and assembly plant in South Dakota, was started in the garage of a home and has since become publicly traded.
After the Harley announcement, Lehman shares soared about 207% to close at 92 cents a share. The stock has traded for as little as 14 cents a share in the past year.
"This is a huge opportunity for us," Kling said. "I believe that Harley-Davidson has legitimized the trike business."
Harley doesn't lend the use of its name lightly, and the company is mindful of its macho image.
But trikes are a hot item with the leather-clad crowd. They also have played an important role in motorcycle history, having been used as delivery vehicles and as transportation in World War II.
Today's trike riders just want to have fun without the hassle of balancing a big, two-wheeled bike.
Titzkowski, from Racine, had his Honda Goldwing converted to a trike five years ago. He did so after experiencing some leg and shoulder problems that made it difficult for him to handle an 800-pound motorcycle.
"It was the best thing I have ever done," he said about the conversion.
Harley sales won't fall off a cliff when the baby boomers reach their senior years, but the company won't have the wind at its back, either, say analysts who follow Harley's finances.
"I suspect there's a decent niche for a product like a three-wheeler motorcycle," said Kent Mortensen, an analyst with Thrivent Financial Management in Appleton.
Motorcycle shops that already convert Harleys into trikes aren't threatened by the increased competition from Harley dealers, said Craig Hady, owner of Majestic Trikes-N-Cycles, a Lehman dealership in Horicon.
Hady rides many types of motorcycles, including three-wheelers. There are many advantages to the latter, he said, including added stability and safety when the road is wet or when a small critter runs out in front of your bike at 60 mph.
"About the only thing you lose is the ability to lean into a turn," he said.
Hady, 47, isn't worried about his image when riding a three-wheeler rather than a traditional bike.
"I don't care what other people think. I ride what I want to ride," he said.
From the Sept. 2, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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