Across America, once-thriving Harley-Davidson dealerships are shutting down. From San Francisco’s century-old flagship to smaller-town shops in Missouri and Illinois, the doors are closing one after another. Shrinking profit margins, expensive showroom upgrades, and an aging biker base leaving fewer riders to keep the chrome shining.
Dealers invested millions in lavish retail spaces during boom years, expecting demand to surge endlessly. Instead, sales stalled, interest rates climbed, and inventories piled up into expensive liabilities. Many stores found themselves overbuilt and underused, paying hefty costs just to keep the lights on. Meanwhile, Harley’s growth in direct online sales undercuts dealers further, cutting into the community feel dealers once fostered.
Younger riders lean toward affordable, tech-savvy alternatives, while Harley’s core demographic grays. The traditional roar of the V-Twin no longer attracts the volume of fresh buyers needed. The result? Dealers are no longer making enough to justify costs, forcing many to shut down quietly or sell to larger operations.
Harley-Davidson’s recent financial reports show profits boosted by asset sales, but the shrinking physical presence tells a contrasting story. This retreat from the street-level network could reshape the brand’s future, tightening control at the corporate level but risking the dealership lifeblood that built its legendary status.
Here are Harley-Davidson's key revenue and sales figures for the past five years:
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2020: Total revenue approximately $4.05 billion, with global motorcycle shipments around 148,000 units.
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2021: Revenue rose to about $5.34 billion, reflecting a recovery phase with higher motorcycle and financial services sales.
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2022: Revenue reached roughly $5.76 billion, driven by stronger demand and product launches.
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2023: Revenue declined slightly to about $5.19 billion amid market headwinds and slowing sales.
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2024: Revenue further contracted by around 11% to approximately $4.6 billion, with sales declines especially in emerging markets and electric motorcycles.
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2025 (Year-to-date): Motorcycle sales revenue down roughly 15% compared to prior year, with full-year revenue projected around $4.6 to $4.7 billion, partly impacted by inventory adjustments and tariff challenges.
Throughout these years, Harley-Davidson’s earnings have also been influenced significantly by financial services activities and asset sales, which often mask underlying softness in motorcycle sales volume and revenue growth.
Whether the company can reconnect with a new generation or if the Harley legacy will become a fading echo heard only through museum displays and veteran riders’ stories will play out.
