Slow-moving market puts the brakes on Harley Davidson's quarterly earnings

HARLEY Davidson has seen quarterly earnings fall by 23 per cent due to an increasingly poor domestic market.

The motorcycle maker, which recently paid £20 million for Italian company MV Agusta, said strong international sales have failed to offset difficult conditions in the UK. The company reported a net income just over £111 million in the second quarter.

Domestic shipments shrank by almost a quarter, making up 64 per cent of the total compared to 71 per cent last year.

Chief executive Jim Ziemer said the international marketwould play a growing role in their business.