Harley-Davidson Future Plans Include Adventure Motorcycles, Electric Bicycles, and Streetfighters

In the past, getting future product information from Harley-Davidson was nearly impossible. The company treated new product release as if it was a state secret, typically showcasing new models on trucks and dropping them at dealers as soon as they announce them.

However, as the world we live in changes constantly, so does Harley-Davidson.

The iconic motorcycle maker has now decided to go on record with their plans for the following five years, which was quite shocking, given the long history of being secretive about future plans.

But, even more shocking were the products Harley-Davidson chose to show, along with the information on how they plan to interface with new customers and how aggressively they plan on expanding in foreign markets like India, China, and other overseas countries.

The motorcycle manufacturer was very careful to point out it will still continue to evolve existing touring and cruiser models for their traditional customers, but they would most certainly push aggressively into new areas with their mission to create 2 million new riders in the US alone by 2020. They also plan to increase their international business to as much as 50% of annual sales.

“We have typically been very conservative,” Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michelle Kumbier said in the press release. “This is very different for us to kind of just blow the doors off and tell you everything that we’re going to be doing over the next five years. It’s just not what we have done, but we are so excited about the direction that we’re going and all the different things that we’re doing that we wanted to get this out into the marketplace right away.”

H-D officials claim they have recognized the changing world of transportation as well as the importance of meeting customers on their turns and creating vehicles the customers actually want. Whether the customers want an electric bicycle, a street bike, or a full-on adventure bike, Harley is going to make what the customers want.