[Black_peter]

Of course. Well, if you like size 0 women with very over-ample chests and about 5'4" of height, blue eyes and dirty-blonde hair... Everyone's taste is different.

Not that different..


I think that's pretty much text book

[Black_peter]

I see your point. But I think it's like a chicken and egg scenario. No one's making the merchandise because the market's not there.

No not really...
Look at it like this:
Of the people willing to buy branded apparel. (MC brands that is)
I'm going to guess that 60% are going to buy HD..
Of the 40% remaining half are going to buy Ducati gear
(they have the cash and are image minded)
So now of the 20% remaining lets just say that it is even split.
So 5% want Suzi gear. Of that 5% how many are race fans?
So who (other than Suzuki) is going to spend $25K for the
license. Then the pretty big investment in artwork.
Then the equal investment (or larger) in printing screens.
Then you have distribution to worrry about. on and on.

There are lots of T-shirt makers that have really good
art departments (or freelancers) I'm pretty confident that if the money was there, so would the shirts..
It's frustrating that you can't get what you want.
That's why I make some on the computer..
(Tattoo art, stuff like that)
Making money on shirts is in the volume. No one can make money
on 5-10 shirts they need to sell hundreds, if not thousands..
Not sure if you ever priced cusstom shirts but the pricing is
usually like this:
1-10 $70 each
11-100 $40 each
100-200 $30 each
200-500 $15 each

Places like Cafepress have a computer set up that I'm sure is really
expensive (millions?) but they can make short runs at good prices
(Like Katriders stuff) because they have tons of customers.

[macgyver]

Suzuki should make T-shirts and sell them at Walmart. Some people will buy them.

[tzortn]

Suzuki should make T-shirts and sell them at Walmart. Some people will buy them.

They could, but is that the image that Suzuki wants to portry? Do they want their shirt right next to the NASCAR shirt.

HD does a great job of marketing a lifestyle. Another great example of this is John Deere. They license everything.

[zenjim]

Size zero? Is she hot?

Of course. Well, if you like size 0 women with very over-ample chests and about 5'4" of height, blue eyes and dirty-blonde hair... Everyone's taste is different.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Ahm, listen Cyber... I'm going to be in Florida soon and I'll be needing a haircut...

[zenjim]

Are you wanting to see something like a shirt with a Biker Boyz type saying on it and a 'Zuki logo? It might make a difference.

I agree with the idea that HD is an image as much as a motorcycle. I'd rather see me marketing with the Asian bikes on them with more sayings rather than an "S" that makes me wonder if I'm Superman or one letter of a fat guy word layout.

Yes. All I am asking for is a little more effort than putting the logo on the shirt, ley chain, and hat.
That, and a trim from Cyber's barber.

[zenjim]

[quote="Black_peter"][So who (other than Suzuki) is going to spend $25K for the
license. Then the pretty big investment in artwork.
Then the equal investment (or larger) in printing screens.
Then you have distribution to worrry about. on and on.

There are lots of T-shirt makers that have really good
art departments (or freelancers) I'm pretty confident that if the money was there, so would the shirts..
It's frustrating that you can't get what you want.
That's why I make some on the computer..
(Tattoo art, stuff like that)
Making money on shirts is in the volume. No one can make money
on 5-10 shirts they need to sell hundreds, if not thousands..
quote]

That makes sense, I had no idea it was $25k for a license. I wasn't thinking about it from a t-shirt company perspective. I just figured Suzuki would make and market them. And my frustration comes from knowing guys that are making crazy cool designs on their computers and then making one off shirts. So I was thinking if some goomba is doing this in his bedroom in between tokes and rounds of Halo, when's the corporation gonna catch up?

[Black_peter]

[
That makes sense, I had no idea it was $25k for a license. I wasn't thinking about it from a t-shirt company perspective.

I totally pulled that number out of my butt..

But I don't think it's too far off the mark.

I just figured Suzuki would make and market them.

And they do for shwag.. (sales reps, race day giveaways etc..)

And my frustration comes from knowing guys that are making crazy cool designs on their computers and then making one off shirts.

And you could too.... Get to work so we can buy some!

I'll trade you for some of my Old School tattoo thongs..
You can bring them to your haircut..

[JZ67]

Size zero? Is she hot?

Of course. Well, if you like size 0 women with very over-ample chests and about 5'4" of height, blue eyes and dirty-blonde hair... Everyone's taste is different.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

bawmp chika bawmp bow

[Black_peter]

bawmp chika bawmp bow

Wow..
I've never seen that written before..

[ArcherDude]

Size zero? Is she hot?

Of course. Well, if you like size 0 women with very over-ample chests and about 5'4" of height, blue eyes and dirty-blonde hair... Everyone's taste is different.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[tdrcomm]

In the July 2004 issue of Motorcyclist Magazine is the best definitive piece on the H-D brand written from a motorcyclist perspective I have ever read. (If I can scan it I'll post it). I consider it a must-read for anyone, ANY COMPANY, selling bikes.

I admire H-D.

I admire them in the same way I like:
NASCAR
(Brand the driver, not the car... make billions selling the image)

LEXUS
(10 years from conception to the #1 rated luxury brand. Told everyone they were luxury from the start and never quit saying it. And backing it up with excellent product)

BMW
(Instead of knee-jerking to Lexus continued being all about performance)

NIKE
(Using their clout to go into other things but never forgetting what got them all that clout by keeping quiet about their other brands)

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
(Do one thing - do it well... repeat)

APPLE
(Be #2 for a reason - brand loyalty. Nothing keeps a company afloat during bad times better than brand loyalty. And find a niche then choke the hell out of it)

MICROSOFT (begrudgingly, yeah, in some respects)
(I would have bundled IE, too. And nobody seems to be complaining about the AdobeCS)

FED EX
(see Southwest)

I'm not in love with the Harley Davidson product, but man, I love the company. A classic example of what to do with a brand. Too many companies can't figure out what they do and what they do best. They flounder and waffle on product, lines, voice, branding, etc. They lose for lack of direction and indecision.

When Honda perfected the UJM we finally had a technologically reliable bike but the soul of the motorcycle was lost. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon forgetting the brand. Now we have superior bikes everywhere but can the public tell the difference? Screw us, that's preaching to the choir. But where do you think new riders come from?

Look at Suzuki: Take away the Boulevard line, with the demise of the Kat 75% of their streebike line is "for experienced riders". Not much you can just get on, strap a helmet and go hang with your buds at the bar & grill. So if I'm gonna buy a bike to just do that, it might as well get something cool enough pose with but with enough known history behind it so I don't have to remember it all. Cause I don't want to.

"I'll get a Harley. Everybody knows about them."

As long as Japan (and everyone else for that matter) continues to produce technologically superior but esentially soulless product that ignore branding, H-D will still be profitably selling emotion and feeling wrapped around a inferior package.

And who's to say it's inferior? It is what it is. I don't ever hear H-D riders bemoaning the fact that they can't get tight in a turn, or "the lean angle sucks on my Fat Boy". Nor do I see them signing up in-masse for the IronButt. It's not what they do or what they're bikes were built for.

I consider it no different than 4x4's that never see the dirt, people that take their work trucks to bodyshops, or folks driving Porsches to the mall. If it makes you feel good overspending for something that makes you feel cool, hell, I'll build it and sell it to you. AT a premium.

I still believe that if you went to a mall, lined up a Harley, a Ducati, and a Busa, surrounded them with sportbikes, and asked people leaving to name the three most memorable bikes - the Duc would be on 25%, the Busa 10%, and the Harley on 90%. Every other bike would be lumped together.

[WildKat]

If japanese bikes did put as much effort into their marketing products to the general public they would be able to clean up....taking the same mindset of HD or even KISS for example. You can find their logo on everything from key chains to glasses, coolers, figurines, kids toys, knick knacks, you name it.

[tdrcomm]

If japanese bikes did put as much effort into their marketing products to the general public they would be able to clean up....taking the same mindset of HD or even KISS for example. You can find their logo on everything from key chains to glasses, coolers, figurines, kids toys, knick knacks, you name it.

I agree totally but it's more than that. It's also about risk taking. Only thing I fault H-D for not doing in the past 10 years was not buying Indian when they had the chance and not buying Britten and use that technology (or just brand it) to make a competitve road race bike. So you piss off Buell, it's a street bike (and starting to be a pretty good one).

I like what Triumph did with the 675, breaking out of the 600RR mentality and making a bike that's a good sportbike without trying to keep up with the Jones... er... KawiHondaSuzYammys.

[steves]

If there was a KISS Limited Edition Kat 750, then they would have to keep production up on the kat for like 3 more years.....