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The Finance Base
company finances

Is Harley-Davidson in Financial Trouble? What Its 2026 Results Show

Harley-Davidson faces motorcycle-sales and profit challenges, but results through Q2 2026 do not establish imminent failure. See what the company reported and what remains uncertain.

By TheFinanceBase Team 4 min read
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Based on results reported through Q2 2026, Harley-Davidson has real operating challenges, but the figures reviewed do not establish that it is on the verge of failure or insolvency. Its motorcycle business lost money in 2025, and consolidated revenue and earnings fell. In the second quarter of 2026, the company remained profitable overall and reported substantial cash, while revenue and operating income were still down year over year. That is reason for concern about performance, not proof of an imminent collapse.

What “financial trouble” can mean

The phrase can describe several different problems: falling sales, weak or negative operating profit, pressure on cash and debt payments, or insolvency. Harley-Davidson’s reported results through Q2 2026 show weakness in some operating measures, especially in its motorcycle segment, but the available company disclosures do not provide enough information for a definitive independent solvency assessment.

The figures below are company-reported. The annual results are from Harley-Davidson’s February 10, 2026 full-year release and 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K; the latest quarter in the investor-relations materials reviewed was released July 23, 2026.

How the company performed in 2025

Consolidated revenue and earnings fell

Harley-Davidson reported 2025 revenue of $4.473 billion, 14% below 2024. Net income attributable to Harley-Davidson was $339 million, down 26%, and diluted earnings per share were $2.78, compared with $3.44 in 2024. These figures show lower sales and profit, but the company remained profitable for the year overall.

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The motorcycle business lost money

Harley-Davidson’s motorcycle segment, Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC), reported a $29 million operating loss for 2025. Global retail motorcycle sales were 132,535, down 12% from 2024, while HDMC shipments were 124,477, down 16%. Retail sales count motorcycles sold to customers; shipments measure units sent to dealers, so the two figures describe different points in the sales chain.

HDFS’s higher 2025 profit needs context

Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) reported $490 million of operating income in 2025, compared with $248 million in 2024. The company’s annual report says the increase was materially affected by a favorable credit-loss provision effect associated with the HDFS transaction, as well as higher other income. It should not be read on its own as evidence that recurring finance earnings nearly doubled.

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What changed in Q2 2026

The company stayed profitable, but year-over-year results weakened

For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Harley-Davidson reported consolidated revenue of $1.230 billion, down 6% from the same quarter a year earlier. Operating income was $76 million, down 32%; net income attributable to Harley-Davidson, Inc. was $80 million, down 26%; and diluted EPS was $0.75, down 15%. The quarter therefore combined positive net income with lower revenue and earnings than Q2 2025.

Some motorcycle indicators improved

Within HDMC, Q2 2026 revenue was $1.1 billion, up 6% year over year. North American retail sales rose 3%, and global dealer inventory at quarter-end was 17% below its Q2 2025 level. These are countervailing signs against the weak 2025 motorcycle results, but a single quarter does not establish a sustained recovery.

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HDFS is smaller after asset sales

In Q2 2026, HDFS revenue was down 55% year over year and operating income was down 69%. Net finance receivables were $2.6 billion, 64% lower than a year earlier. Harley-Davidson attributed the smaller receivables balance chiefly to asset sales in the second half of 2025 following its strategic transaction with KKR and PIMCO.

A smaller loan portfolio can reduce funding needs and financing exposure, but it also means less interest income from loans. Servicing and other income remain part of HDFS. The 2025 transaction also enabled a $1 billion dividend from HDFS to Harley-Davidson, Inc. in Q4 2025 and significantly reduced HDFS debt, according to the company. Those changes affect the finance subsidiary’s scale and the parent’s capital flexibility; they do not, by themselves, establish the parent company’s total net debt or ability to service debt over time.

What the cash figures do—and do not—show

Harley-Davidson reported $1.9 billion in cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2026. It also reported $60 million of net cash used in operating activities over the six months ended that date. Cash on hand is relevant to near-term liquidity, while operating cash use is a reason to watch how the business funds itself. Neither figure alone answers whether the company can meet all future obligations.

The Q2 release provides these summary cash figures, but the materials reviewed here do not establish a full picture of debt maturities, covenants, liquidity facilities, or debt-service capacity. A cash balance should not be treated as a stand-alone solvency test.

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Credit conditions at HDFS

The 2025 Annual Report also reported managed-basis credit measures for HDFS’s retail motorcycle loans. Credit losses were 3.37% in 2025, compared with 3.31% in 2024; 30-day managed delinquencies were 5.77% at December 31, 2025, compared with 5.34% a year earlier. These measures point to some pressure in the customer credit backdrop. They cover managed loans, not only loans held on Harley-Davidson’s balance sheet.

What management expects for 2026

On July 23, 2026, Harley-Davidson raised its full-year expectations. The figures below are management guidance, not achieved results or guarantees.

Measure 2026 guidance as of July 23, 2026
HDMC global retail motorcycle sales 133,500–138,500 units
HDMC global wholesale shipments 133,500–138,500 units
HDMC operating income $10 million–$50 million
HDFS operating income $55 million–$70 million
LiveWire operating loss $70 million–$80 million; unchanged
Harley-Davidson, Inc. capital investments $175 million–$200 million; unchanged

CEO Artie Starrs said the company was raising guidance based on first-half results, domestic retail strength, market-share gains, and progress on its strategic initiatives. That is management’s assessment; the Q2 year-over-year declines in consolidated revenue and operating income remain part of the same reported picture. The company’s release cautions that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.

So, is Harley-Davidson going out of business?

The results available through Q2 2026 do not prove that Harley-Davidson is going out of business. They do show a business under pressure: 2025 revenue, net income, motorcycle retail sales, and shipments declined, and HDMC recorded an operating loss. The latest quarter remained profitable overall, with some improvement in HDMC revenue and North American retail sales, but consolidated revenue and operating income were lower year over year.

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For a reader assessing financial health, the most useful follow-up is whether later reports show sustained improvement in motorcycle demand and segment profit, positive cash generation, and progress against the July 2026 guidance. The company disclosures reviewed establish reported results, not an independent credit rating or a conclusive judgment about insolvency.

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