IN line with its lowered forecasts for the second half of last year, Harley-Davidson's full-year motorcycle sales were up, but only by a disappointing 1.3 percent in the United States in 2014 - which translates into 171,079 motorcycles sold (63.8 percent of total production), an increase of just 2,216 additional bikes.
Dealers worldwide sold 47,149 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the fourth quarter of 2014, up 2.8 percent compared to 45,875 motorcycles in the year-ago quarter. In the U.S., dealers sold 26,957 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the quarter, down 1.6 percent compared to sales of 27,387 motorcycles in the year-ago period.
Overall, Harley's worldwide motorcycle sales are up by +2.7 percent, but the good news, in motorcycles sales terms (as opposed to shipments, and as opposed to the corporation's financial performance), comes from their international sales, which dramatically improves their overall performance picture.
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Total international sales are now a massive 96,920 motorcycles, up by 9.2 percent and accounting for 36.2 percent of total production. Harley's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region leads the way with 45,323 motorcycles sold (+6.4 percent), 38,491 of which were sold in Europe itself (+6.7 percent).
Outgoing Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Wandell was nonetheless upbeat in his investor community briefings, preferring to point instead to balance sheet and demographic improvements, while acknowledging the Company's international strength. "We continued to broaden our customer base and expand the reach of our brand through unrivaled products and experiences. In international markets, our dealers in Asia Pacific, EMEA and Latin America posted their highest new motorcycle sales on record for each region, delivering on our expectation for international sales to grow at a faster rate than U.S. sales. And in the U.S., for the third straight year, sales to our outreach customers grew at more than twice the rate of sales to core customers."
Full-year revenue from motorcycles was $4.39 billion compared to $4.07 billion in the year-ago period. Revenue from parts and accessories was $875.0 million compared to $873.1 million in 2013.
