Ford CEO Jim Farley Told Harley-Davidson: "You Can't Live Stuck in the Past. You Have to Live in the Future."

Ford CEO Jim Farley Told Harley-Davidson: “You Can’t Live Stuck in the Past. You Have to Live in the Future.”

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 12/01/2026 at 23:20

Membro do conselho da Harley-Davidson, Jim Farley pede renovação e modelos acessíveis para salvar a marca da crise de vendas.

5 people reacted to this.

Facing Declining Sales And Challenges With Young Consumers, The Legendary Manufacturer Heeds Jim Farley’s Warnings About The Vital Need For Modernization, Betting On The Leadership Of Artie Starrs To Diversify The Fleet With Affordable Options And Ensure Its Survival In The Next Century.

Harley-Davidson is facing a delicate moment with declining sales and an aging customer base, being alerted by a board member about the need for strategic change to ensure survival over the next hundred years.

Jim Farley, CEO of Ford and a board member of Harley-Davidson, stated that the legendary American brand needs to change to survive. The company is experiencing a decline in sales and difficulty attracting new generations, currently depending on expensive models for a shrinking audience.

Harley-Davidson is going through one of the most delicate moments in its recent history. The brand faces a complex reality marked by a steady decline in sales.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

The Challenge Of The Current Strategy

For years, the strategy has focused on large cruiser and bagger motorcycles. These are high-priced models aimed at a loyal but increasingly smaller audience.

While the formula has worked for decades, it now faces a different market. Younger consumers prioritize price, versatility, and daily usability over classic symbolism.

Diversification Attempts And Economic Barriers

The company has attempted to diversify with the Pan America, its first maxi-trail bike, which has been praised by critics.

However, this change has not compensated for the dependence on expensive, high-displacement models. Many of these products easily exceed €30,000.

In a context of inflation, low wages, and reduced purchasing power, this type of product remains inaccessible to a large part of the market.

Obstacles To Electrification And New Audiences

Electrification has been another major challenge. The pioneering LiveWire One did not attract the young target audience due to its high initial price.

Despite adjustments and the arrival of new fully electric models, the LiveWire brand has not been able to establish itself as a leader in electric mobility. Other manufacturers are advancing with more affordable options.

Farley implicitly emphasized the importance of entry-level models. Manufacturers like Honda and BMW have shown that more accessible products are essential to attract new customers and ensure generational succession.

Future Prospects And Leadership

According to internal sources, Harley-Davidson is already working on an entry-level motorcycle. The project was announced before the change in executive leadership.

The arrival of Artie Starrs as the new CEO marks the beginning of a crucial new phase. Diversifying the product line will be essential to regain competitiveness without diluting the brand’s essence.

The board’s message is clear: the legacy cannot become a burden. The brand’s existence will depend on its ability to adapt to an ever-changing market and the current economic reality.

1 Comment

most recent

older Most voted

Built-in feedback

View all comments

Wilson Fernandes

#224677

13/01/2026 15:23

A saída pra a Harley seria criar duas divisões, uma Harley clássica e uma Harley nova geração..

Respond

Ford CEO Jim Farley Told Harley-Davidson: “You Can’t Live Stuck in the Past. You Have to Live in the Future.”

Facing Declining Sales And Challenges With Young Consumers, The Legendary Manufacturer Heeds Jim Farley’s Warnings About The Vital Need For Modernization, Betting On The Leadership Of Artie Starrs To Diversify The Fleet With Affordable Options And Ensure Its Survival In The Next Century.

The Challenge Of The Current Strategy

Diversification Attempts And Economic Barriers

Obstacles To Electrification And New Audiences

Future Prospects And Leadership

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

In Niger, mud buildings have stood for ten generations while the world spends billions on concrete and steel, now African architects are proving at the Venice Biennale and in real projects that red earth can be the smartest and most sustainable building material of the 21st century.

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

Secret chamber sealed 4,500 years ago found in the Pyramid of Khufu, and Hawass announces its opening to the world in 2026

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

China has begun the second phase of energy assistance to Cuba with a 120 MW solar generation plan, and the first result is a photovoltaic park with batteries that regulates voltage, controls frequency, and provides local autonomy to an island suffocated by chronic blackouts.

American company deploys humanoid robots to work live for 8 hours and surprises by showing machines handling packages at an almost human pace while accelerating production on a global industrial scale

While the construction industry still seeks quick and cheap projects, a metal house from 1931 was erected in just 10 days, had three floors, looked like it came from the future, challenged the standard of wood and brick, and ended up preserved as a museum piece.

Former waste picker who grew up in the landfill becomes a PhD in Linguistics from UFSC after learning from books found in the trash and working since childhood to help his family at home.

France transformed 100 shipping containers into 24-square-meter student apartments, creating a four-story building in Le Havre with kitchens, bathrooms, large windows, and affordable local student rent.

Benin will dump more than 3.5 million m³ of sand around a 5 km underwater breakwater to contain coastal erosion, protect homes, and transform the submerged structure into a defense platform in the Atlantic.

Ford CEO Jim Farley Told Harley-Davidson: “You Can’t Live Stuck in the Past. You Have to Live in the Future.”

Facing Declining Sales And Challenges With Young Consumers, The Legendary Manufacturer Heeds Jim Farley’s Warnings About The Vital Need For Modernization, Betting On The Leadership Of Artie Starrs To Diversify The Fleet With Affordable Options And Ensure Its Survival In The Next Century.

The Challenge Of The Current Strategy

Diversification Attempts And Economic Barriers

Obstacles To Electrification And New Audiences

Future Prospects And Leadership

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

In Niger, mud buildings have stood for ten generations while the world spends billions on concrete and steel, now African architects are proving at the Venice Biennale and in real projects that red earth can be the smartest and most sustainable building material of the 21st century.

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

Secret chamber sealed 4,500 years ago found in the Pyramid of Khufu, and Hawass announces its opening to the world in 2026

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

China has begun the second phase of energy assistance to Cuba with a 120 MW solar generation plan, and the first result is a photovoltaic park with batteries that regulates voltage, controls frequency, and provides local autonomy to an island suffocated by chronic blackouts.

How to clear your CPF in 30 days and recover credit for low-value debts with the new Desenrola 2.0

Silent shift gains national scale: LEO satellite network could move R$ 89 billion in the Brazilian GDP by 2035 and accelerate digital inclusion in isolated regions, transforming infrastructure, productivity, and technological access on a large scale.

Free buses in Brazil: with a new law approved in the Chamber, cities will be able to use Cide Combustíveis funds to reduce fares, create free rides, and ensure toll exemptions for public transport while more than 170 municipalities have already adopted benefits.

Espírito Santo advances with strategy to host a chip factory aimed at GWM’s operation and bets on high value-added industrial infrastructure; the project could boost qualified jobs and strengthen national technological autonomy.

Brazil copies the USA and Canada to create completely silent houses with filled panels that reduce construction time by up to 60%, eliminate thermal bridges, and allow for the construction of complete properties in a few weeks.

American company deploys humanoid robots to work live for 8 hours and surprises by showing machines handling packages at an almost human pace while accelerating production on a global industrial scale

While the construction industry still seeks quick and cheap projects, a metal house from 1931 was erected in just 10 days, had three floors, looked like it came from the future, challenged the standard of wood and brick, and ended up preserved as a museum piece.

Former waste picker who grew up in the landfill becomes a PhD in Linguistics from UFSC after learning from books found in the trash and working since childhood to help his family at home.

France transformed 100 shipping containers into 24-square-meter student apartments, creating a four-story building in Le Havre with kitchens, bathrooms, large windows, and affordable local student rent.

Benin will dump more than 3.5 million m³ of sand around a 5 km underwater breakwater to contain coastal erosion, protect homes, and transform the submerged structure into a defense platform in the Atlantic.