There were new issues facing Harley-Davidson in their 105th year of operation. Consider the weak dollar, the probability that retail sales would continue a downward
spiral, which in turn would cause excess inventory of high priced motorcycles. Then there was the customer base: the rockers who grew up in the sixties and seventies
are graying and this threatens the growth of Harley-Davidson. As riders approach sixty, it is important for Harley-Davidson to recruit new riders of the younger
generations. Their emphasis on recruiting women has been instrumental in recent years. They were faced with an aging baby boomer population and needed to focus on
growing smaller segments of their business—women bikers and younger bikers, the latter who could not traditionally afford a Harley-Davidson motorbike.