WHEELS

It’s been a long winter for some Harley-Davidson dealerships.

Battered by the economy, as well as the cold, they’re praying for spring to come in a hurry.

Demand for Harleys was down 10 percent to 15 percent in January and early February compared with the same period a year ago, according to a survey of 72 dealerships by Robert W. Baird & Co.

Harley dealers expect about a 10 percent drop in new motorcycle sales this year, although it could be closer to 23 percent, according to Baird analyst Craig Kennison.

Also, fewer bikes are selling at or above the suggested retail price.

Still, sales volumes for January and early February didn’t fall as much as expected, according to Kennison, partially the result of a promotion that guarantees the trade-in value of some Sportsters when traded for a more expensive bike.

Harley riders who either buy a new Sportster or trade in their recently purchased one will get the bike’s original manufacturer’s suggested retail price credited toward the purchase of a qualifying Harley Big Twin or VRSC motorcycle.

Vintage tin still in: The wheels may be coming off the new-car business, but the folks who cater to vintage tin – customs, street rods, hot rods, classics and chromed-out lowriders – are still rolling, albeit a bit slower than usual.

In January, sales dropped to $63 million – from about $80 million in 2008 – at the weeklong Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. sale in Scottsdale, Ariz. But cars such as the first production model of the 1955 Ford Thunderbird, which fetched $660,000, put the event in the company’s top 5 sales.

“This purchase is almost like comfort food for someone’s portfolio,” Steve Davis, Barrett-Jackson’s president, said in an interview. “When people have seen their 401(k) shrink 40 or 50 percent, all of a sudden this becomes a very viable option. Now they can justify it as a hedge.”

The fact that Barrett-Jackson could broadcast 40 hours of live Speed channel TV coverage of its auction, or that people are still shelling out money for old cars instead of buying new ones, doesn’t surprise experts.

“We still have approximately a year waiting list,” said Gary Hatfield, founder of Hatfield Restoration in Canton, Texas. “It couldn’t be any better.”

From wire reports