Chris Abraham and his wife Karen on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle.Supplied
Chris Abraham decided that 20 years and 80,000 kilometres on his Harley-Davidson touring motorcycle was enough. He has fond memories of days-long rides with his wife Karen perched on the back of the massive two-wheeled machine. But the romance of the road has lost its lustre.
“I thought it was time to move on,” said the 66-year-old retired autoworker from Windsor, Ont. “A lot of my friends have gotten out of riding.”
Abraham’s decision to give up his 372-kilogram machine reflects a tectonic shift as Boomer-age riders hang up their boots. And it has brought a tsunami of trouble for embattled Harley-Davidson, the largest U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer.
The impact of falling sales has been devastating for the brand built on all-American road freedom. Corporate statements released in February show global motorcycle retail sales in 2025 were down 12 per cent from 2024, which in turn were down 17 per cent from 2023. Its net income for 2025 was US$339-million, down 26 per cent from the previous year.
Harley sold just more than 89,000 motorcycles in North America last year, 13 per cent fewer than the year before. It did not report Canadian sales in 2025, but in 2024 it sold 7,093. The corporate statement blamed the decline on consumers’ increased focus on “affordability.”
However, “we believe Harley-Davidson is well positioned as we chart a clear path forward,” said new chief executive officer Artie Starrs.
Michael Sinyi, left, on a Honda Gold Wing and Chris Abraham on his Harley in Sturgis, N.D., mecca for motorcycle enthusiasts.Supplied
Abraham sees a different future for the company.
“Nowadays, a lot of people want those little crotch-rockets,” he said, referring to the high-revving light sport bikes sold by many Japanese, European and Chinese manufacturers.
The dramatic slide has been too much for many dealers in both Canada and the U.S. Major Ontario retailers, including Rocky’s Cycle Centre in London, Duke’s near Chatham, Blackridge in Cambridge and Goulet Motosports in Hawkesbury, have shuttered, as well as Prémont in Quebec City. Kane’s in Calgary closed its Harley-Davidson franchise, although it now sells and services used motorcycles at a new location. Of the 650 dealerships in Canada and the U.S., 73 have closed since Aug. 1, 2025.
Meanwhile, sales of Japanese brands Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki have increased while Germany-based BMW has overtaken Harley in the U.S. market. And more than nine million inexpensive Chinese motorcycles were sold around the world last year.
Executive shakeups have ensued. In October 2025, Starrs, former chief executive officer of Topgolf Entertainment Group, replaced Jochen Zeitz. In Canada, managing director Adam Kostanowicz is a little more than three years into his role.
Recent attempts to attract new customers with non-traditional models have stumbled. The all-electric LiveWire model sold 53,341 units globally in 2025. The bike was introduced in 2021 and the plan was to sell 101,000 yearly by now. Sales of the Pan America adventure motorcycle also reportedly missed targets, although Harley-Davidson did not break out its numbers.
Kostanowicz said U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign has depressed discretionary spending. “Customers were worried not just what’s the price of their Harley-Davidson going to be, which was unaffected, they’re unsure of how much money they’re going to have left.”
Two other big factors are behind the brand’s decline: price and perception. The most expensive Harley in Canada, the CVO Road Glide ST, starts at $54,999, plus dealer and delivery charges and taxes. Yet the bikes have less horsepower and poorer handling than cheaper imports. The Honda Gold Wing, for example, is more powerful and starts at $30,675.
One U.S. journalist dismissed those big Harleys as “nostalgic relics,” and Kostanowicz, interviewed at the Calgary Motorcycle and Powersport Show a few weeks ago, conceded, “I’d say it’s probably an opinion that a few people have.
“I mean, of course, our core demographic is still up there in the age and likely aging out,” said Kostanowicz. “But we are slowly but surely stabilizing our lower age base.”
New models, such as the Pan America, are attracting “new young, fresh-outlook riders,” said Kostanowicz. The adventure bike as well as the Sprint, a small-displacement motorcycle under development, aim to broaden the brand’s appeal. On affordability, the company is offering new sales incentives and dealers are told they are free to discount from the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
For years, Harley pressed its dealers not to discount from the suggested price, Kostanowicz said. Now, it’s helping customers figure out how to make the monthly price work in their budgets: “We’ve got conquest campaigns. We’ve got cash back campaigns. We’ve got rate reductions.”
Kostanowicz said ST models are inspired by the company’s race technology. “They are appealing to the young riders.” A growing number of new customers are conquests from other brands who are drawn to Harley’s big bikes.
Promotions are being boosted through increased use of social media influencers and product placement in movies and on TV. A Pan America 1250 ST, for example, was featured in the Marvel film Thunderbolts.
The company is also working to open dealerships in high-profile locations in Canada where dealerships have shuttered, he said.
Adam Kostanowicz, manager director Harley-Davidson Canada, on a cruising bike at the 2026 Calgary Moto Show.Doug Firby/The Globe and Mail
Straddling a mandarin-orange CVO Street Glide – Kostanowicz’s personal favourite, and one of the few models in which sales increased in the fourth quarter – he noted weight has been reduced and engine power increased. “We took over 28 pounds, not just off the bike, off the top half of the bike,” Kostanowicz said in response to customer wants.
Abraham though, questions whether such tweaking will be enough to help the legendary brand turn its fortunes around. “They’re going to have to change an awful lot,” he said. “When you see a Harley coming toward you, you see a guy with a big grey beard.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated to clarify that although Kane's closed its Harley-Davidson franchise, it sells and services used motorcycles at a new location.