Harley-Davidson's reputation as an 'old, white-guy brand' may be its downfall

It’s been nearly 50 years since Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper rode out on their custom Harley-Davidsons in Easy Rider. Fonda and Hopper live on in American culture – long-haired, wild-eyed expressions of bad boy cool. The motorcycles they rode? Not so much. If the 100-year-old company’s recent financial results are any indication, the image of Harley-Davidson bikes as the quintessential American two-wheeler may be fading. The US motorcycle manufacturer’s market share slid nearly 4% last quarter. To make matters worse, it also announced that it would scale back production and cut jobs.