Laconia Harley For Sale?

[Winniboater81]

Word on the street is Laconia Harley is for sale?

[Lakesrider]

Really? I thought they were doing well. Maybe winters are just no good for Bike dealerships up here. Part of their problem is they close to early on Friday and Saturdays. People get out of work and try to get there but the doors are bolted shut....:rolleye2: They should close on Mondays and Tuesdays like all the restaurants do around here and stay open longer on Friday and Saturday.

[fatlazyless]

If I recall correct, the Harley dealer about fifty miles north up in Littleton went out of business in the past year or so, but Littleton is a much poorer area than the lakes region.

Meredith Harley has been a real good contributor to community efforts like the 'Save the Loon' association in Moultonborough in 2009, and a local Meredith or Laconia food give-away pantry in 2010. In 2009 the local loons got a Meredith Harley $28,000 Christmas bonus of Russian vodka and caviar which was raised from a Bike Week Harley raffle. Those loons were all loving Meredith Harley and you could see them out in their Winnipesaukee loon coves getting down, and having some big-time loon parties (loon birdie sounds here)!
...............

Here's a scatalogical history of Laconia Harley, more or less, over the last 30-50 years or so:

Started in Bristol NH sometime from 1960 to 1980 as a small Harley dealer.

Run for many years, like maybe 20 years, on Stevens St in Meredith as Meredith Harley. Business was booming for years and years and years and the business seemed to grow & grow & grow down on Stevens St.
Moved from Stevens St to its' current big, huge building on Route 3 in about 2004.

Sold in about 2008 to current owners for a GREAT BIG PRICE (the best type of price).
...................

While I have never-ever set foot inside the huge Route 3 building, I have window shopped it through the outside window when it was closed for business. What's inside? A lot of big, powerful looking and expensive motorcycles.....probably Harley's?

Harleys are wicked expensive.....let's see....for 10-20 thousand dollars you can buy a new Harley....or you can drive up to Center Harbor and purchase a 1999 VW Jetta from Independent VW with about 120k miles for about $2500-3000 that looks and runs pretty good. So, what's the better deal, a car with 4-wheels, windows, a roof, windshield, heater, five-speed manny tranny, ac & cassette tape player or a motorcycle with just two wheels and no air conditioner?:rolleye2:

Go figure?
................

As I recall, Meredith Harley includes three locations: A Conway NH Harley dealer (White Mountain Harley), the Meredith location, and a retail Harley clothing store at the Tanger Mall in Tilton, NH.

Anyone know how much the Meredith building and land are assessed for, and what it has to pay in Meredith property tax? For a biz like a Harley dealer, probably the real estate value is just a very small piece of its total value, but it would be interesting to see that anyway.

[baygo]

I don't know anything about Laconia Harley, but why is the assumption made that the business is suffering? Could it be for sale because they are ready to retire? Could the owner believe that the economy is on a rebound and now is a good time to buy a business so that means it's a good time to sell one?

[brk-lnt]

I don't know anything about Laconia Harley, but why is the assumption made that the business is suffering? Could it be for sale because they are ready to retire? Could the owner believe that the economy is on a rebound and now is a good time to buy a business so that means it's a good time to sell one?

Good points, I think the concern is that it just changed hands about 2 years ago...

[baygo]

Good points, I think the concern is that it just changed hands about 2 years ago...

I did not know that. but still... there are a lot of possibilities behind such a decision.

[fatlazyless]

http://www.laconiaharley.com/custompage.asp?pg=aboutus


....hope this links works as sometimes my links don't work too good!

[Rusty]

http://www.laconiaharley.com/custompage.asp?pg=aboutus


....hope this links works as sometimes my links don't work too good!


I went to their website and they tried to sell me a Harley Rocker C...but I said that I would rather have a "1999 VW Jetta from Independent VW with about 120k miles for about $2500-3000 that looks and runs pretty good." They asked me why I wanted the VW Jetta and I said because FLL said it was a better deal.

Here it is:

http://localhostr.com/file/w1sb37Y/Harley%20Rocker%20C.jpg

[Lakesrider]

Funny I am looking for an old Jetta....To build one of these....

http://www.facebook.com/SmythPerformance

[VitaBene]

I went to their website and they tried to sell me a Harley Rocker C...but I said that I would rather have a "1999 VW Jetta from Independent VW with about 120k miles for about $2500-3000 that looks and runs pretty good." They asked me why I wanted the VW Jetta and I said because FLL said it was a better deal.

Here it is:

http://localhostr.com/file/w1sb37Y/Harley%20Rocker%20C.jpg

All FLL needs to make him happy is a Rocking C- a free rocking chair!

That is a good looking bike!

[Slickcraft]

The former owners build up the business over many years and finally sold so as to retire.

The current owners have one or more other Harley dealerships in the south. They bought just when the economy had peaked and have had to deal with a fairly long downturn. Harley sales are down worldwide as us baby boomers bide our time waiting for the market to recover prior to picking up a new ride.

I don't know if the business is for sale but no doubt this has been a lean period. I think that I'll wander in the other room and tell my wife that I have a great idea how to help the local economy....................

[Lakesrider]

Just remember though that Harley does not make all it's money on it's bikes. Its mercantile stuff like clothes, boots, helmets and T shirts make a lot of money for them alone. Harley Bikes are way over priced. So they take a hit there. There clothes are likewise over priced. $30.00 for a T-shirt? really? You pay $30.00 for you to advertise for them for free.
Meanwhile Triumph sales in the US are up. Why? Price? Victory sales are down a whopping amount as well. Why? Price? Probably. If they took 20% off the prices they most likely sell bikes. But they just won't do it. they would rather go out of business or sell dealerships. makes no sense to me. If they put a sign out front saying 205 off sale, I would at least stop in and see the bikes.:rolleye2:

[songkrai]

I have no idea if this is true or the reason why this place is for sale.

But in other retail businesses up here. The original owners can make a great success over time. Build up a business. Then sell when market is high.

Then a recession moves in. High mortgate - low sales. And disaster.

Viewed this with few/many restaurants here - new owners lose everything. And Fuller's Store.

Interest rates and mortage costs are one thing. Inexperienced business owners running a business are another.

[fatlazyless]

Harley's probably have to compete for the spendable money that's left after people pay for things like their monthly electric bill, the heating oil bill, home & car insurance, the mortgage, and the property tax bill......as if you all did not already know all this. Those monthly bills are not getting any smaller....and someone on tv just yesterday said gasoline could be 3.75 by next summer....so that 3.75 gas makes a 4-cyl, 5-speed Jetta look'n pretty good.

With an automatic transmission, the gas consumption is automatically pretty low, but with a 5-speed manual, the gasoline consumption is very related to how it is driven.

Over in Vietnam, believe the 3-wheel motorcycle with a roof and canvas enclosure for their rainy season is fairly common. Maybe Harley wants to bring one of those 3-wheel, el cheapo, utility freight haulers to the US market for 2011 and think up a good catchy name for it like the "Hanoi Harley" .....made in China....and available at Laconia Harley for $1399 ......to compete with the $2995 '99 Jetta from Center Harbor!

[dpg]

Harley's probably have to compete for the spendable money that's left after people pay for things like their monthly electric bill, the heating oil bill, home & car insurance, the mortgage, and the property tax bill......as if you all did not already know all this. Those monthly bills are not getting any smaller....and someone on tv just yesterday said gasoline could be 3.75 by next summer....so that 3.75 gas makes a 4-cyl, 5-speed Jetta look'n pretty good.

With an automatic transmission, the gas consumption is automatically pretty low, but with a 5-speed manual, the gasoline consumption is very related to how it is driven.

Over in Vietnam, believe the 3-wheel motorcycle with a roof and canvas enclosure for their rainy season is fairly common. Maybe Harley wants to bring one of those 3-wheel, el cheapo, utility freight haulers to the US market for 2011 and think up a good catchy name for it like the "Hanoi Harley" .....made in China....and available at Laconia Harley for $1399 ......to compete with the $2995 '99 Jetta from Center Harbor!

You really, really need to find a job. PLEASE!! :D

[fatlazyless]

You really, really need to find a job. PLEASE!! :D

As I recall, the former manager at Laconia Harley was a young guy who was a former Marine with eight years in or so. About three months ago, Laconia Harley ran some ads in the LaDaSun classified looking for a new manager and some other positions in sales. On the surface it seems like management down in Orlando was not too happy with their Laconia (Meredith) sales results message so they were replacing the messengers ....i.e ....the sales people.

Now as some more time has passed....it looks like Orlando has decided to pull the plug......cut their losses.....or at least their lack of success...and sell the business.

Have to wonder what percentage Laconia Harley motorcycle sales get financed and what percentage pay cash? Is the slowdown in sales due to the tightening of financing with more stringent sale underwriting rules.

For example in the not too far past, it may have been possible for someone with no money in the bank and no job to qualify for a Harley Davidson loan, but that has probably all changed since September 2008.

[lawn psycho]

Maybe Harley wants to bring one of those 3-wheel, el cheapo, utility freight haulers to the US market for 2011 and think up a good catchy name for it like the "Hanoi Harley" .....made in China....and available at Laconia Harley for $1399 ......to compete with the $2995 '99 Jetta from Center Harbor!

Kidding aside, when it comes to innovation China is kicking the US in the teeth right now. They are spending $1.5 trillion is key areas such as batteries, wind, solar, bio-pharma. We spend ~17% of GDP on defense while China spends ~3-4%. And we wonder why we are losing our technological advantage.

The flag-waving H-D crowd may just have to buy a Chinese made Harley someday:laugh:

[VitaBene]

Kidding aside, when it comes to innovation China is kicking the US in the teeth right now. They are spending $1.5 trillion is key areas such as batteries, wind, solar, bio-pharma. We spend ~17% of GDP on defense while China spends ~3-4%. And we wonder why we are losing our technological advantage.

The flag-waving H-D crowd may just have to buy a Chinese made Harley someday:laugh:

It is possible, but they will have to wrestle with the Japanese. I know we are in a global economy, but I always am amazed by how many parts are made in Japan on HDs.

[caloway]

Kidding aside, when it comes to innovation China is kicking the US in the teeth right now. They are spending $1.5 trillion is key areas such as batteries, wind, solar, bio-pharma. We spend ~17% of GDP on defense while China spends ~3-4%. And we wonder why we are losing our technological advantage.

The flag-waving H-D crowd may just have to buy a Chinese made Harley someday:laugh:


Not to nitpick, but we spend about 5% of GDP on defense--or about the same as the actual numbers from China (the "official" figure is a lie)

And China doesn't really innovate; they copy (or pilfer). Everything. In any city in the world, you go to the chinese market for knockoffs. They have no respect for intellectual property and use their economic muscle to get away with it. Want proof? Try buying a copy of Windows at the Shanghai Best Buy.

Sorry for the rant.