Tag Archives: Harley-Davidson

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Harley adds another patriotic paint job

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Shortly after announcing a special American patriotic eagle paint job on the Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special, the company has now added another Yankee patriotic style.

The latest is a special-edition two-tone paint option featuring a patriotic “Number One” in red, white and blue on the fuel tank.

Cost of the eagle paint job is an extra $A795 ($NZ870), bringing the price of the model to $A40,495 ($NZ43,120).

A special paint job with an eagle on the right side of the tank and fairing is now available for the Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special.Patriotic American Eagle paint job

The patriotic Number One will cost an extra $A1795 ($NZ1,950) over the base price.

It is available in Billiard Red/Stone Washed White or Billiard Blue/Stone Washed White.

The special edition paint options are only available on the Road Glide Special when the bike is ordered.Harley-Davidson FLTRXS Road Glide Special Billiard Red patriotic

Patriotic fervour

Some people love the whole jingoistic American thing, especially since this is an iconic American motorcycle brand.

However, others may feel it’s highly boastful, distasteful, kitsch and even cringeworthy.

Some find jingoism a right-wing blight on the world.

Former President Samuel jackson once famously said: “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.”

He wasn’t having a go at jingoism per se, but at people who falsely called themselves patriots.

Patriotism can be a healthy thing like taking pride in your appearance. Or it can be used as a weapon to discriminate.

We’d love to see Harley offer some Aussie patriotic options like this award-winning custom Can-Am Spyder.

John and Rose England's patriotic Can-Am Spyder and trailerJohn and Rose England’s patriotic Can-Am Spyder and trailer

The eagle has long been associated in Harley logos and trademarks as it represents a connection between the motorcycle company and American patriotism and liberty.

Number One is also a highly American patriotic icon and has been used before by Harley.

However, it can also be seen as synonymous with American elitism.

The special edition paint option finishes are backed by the Harley-Davidson limited warranty.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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Harley-Davidson boss Matt Levatich quits

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Harley-Davidson boss Matt Levatich has just announced his is stepping down as the company experiences its biggest sales slide since the Global Financial Crisis.

In response to Levatich stepping down as CEO, president and board member, Harley shares jumped 4.9% on American markets.

Levatich legacy

Levatich took over in May 2015 and was pivotal in developing bold new strategies for the traditional brand, including:

We’re not sure if this announcement means the company no longer endorses these strategies.

“I am very fortunate to have spent many years with a company as revered as Harley-Davidson,” Levatich says.

“The grit and determination of the employees and dealers and their passion for bringing our brand of freedom to people around the world has always been inspiring.

“I am proud of what we have achieved during my time as CEO, in one of the most challenging periods in our history, and I am confident that the progress we have made on the More Roads plan will position Harley-Davidson for long-term success.”

Matt Levatich Harley-Davidson CEO politics silicon confirmsMatt at the 115th Harley party in 2018

HOG shares have fallen 46% since Levatich took charge and Harley bike sales in the US last year were the lowest in at least 16 years.

While in Australia last year, Levatich put some of the blame on motorcycle journalists.

Matt Levatich Harley-Davidson CEOP and president boss HogLevatich in Australia last year

New boss

The Board of Directors has appointed current Board member, German-born Jochen Zeitz, as Acting President, CEO and board chair.

A committee of the Board will be formed and an external search firm engaged to find a new CEO.

Levatich is expected to assist with the transition through the end of March.

Zeitz will remain chair when a new CEO is appointed and current chair Michael Cave is now presiding director.

“The Board and Matt mutually agreed that now is the time for new leadership at Harley-Davidson,” Zeitz says.

Jochen Zeitz with LiveWireJochen Zeitz with LiveWire

“Matt was instrumental in defining the More Roads to Harley-Davidson accelerated plan for growth, and we will look to new leadership to recharge our business. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Matt for his 26 years of service to Harley-Davidson. He has worked tirelessly to navigate the Company through a period of significant industry change while ensuring the preservation of one of the most iconic brands in the world.

“The Harley-Davidson Board and leadership team will continue to work closely together as we search for a new CEO. We have confidence that our combined leadership experience and deep understanding of Harley-Davidson will ensure an effective transition. As a passionate Board Member of Harley-Davidson, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues and other Harley-Davidson stakeholders to advance and deliver the Company’s strategy and execution during this important time,” Zeitz says.

Zeitz has been a member of the Harley-Davidson Board of Directors since 2007 and established the Company’s Brand and Sustainability Committee.

He served as Chairman and CEO of the sporting goods company PUMA from 1993 to 2011. He was also PUMA’s CFO from 1993 to 2005. Zeitz served as a director of luxury goods company Kering (formerly PPR) from 2012 to 2016. He was a member of Kering’s Executive Committee and CEO of its Sport & Lifestyle division from 2010 to 2012. Zeitz is also a Board Member of the Cranemere Group Limited and is on the Board of The B Team which he co-founded with Sir Richard Branson.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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Harley-Davidson Softail Standard confirmed

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As predicted last week, the Harley-Davidson FXST Softail Standard is confirmed to return mid-year after it was recently listed with the California Air Resources Board.

One of the most popular Harley models ever sold in Australia will arrive at $A21,495 ($NZ22,750), ride away.

This entry-level Softail will come in black only with a solo seat.Softail Standard

It will be a long way from the original 1984 Evo original Softail Standard, now powered by the 107 (1746cc) Milwaukee Eight engine.

In 2017, the Softail range had a major overhaul making them up to 17kg lighter, with better handling thanks to a 17% stiffer frame, emulsion rear shock and Showa dual-bending-valve forks.

The Softail Standard comes with polished highlights, mini-ape bars, a 13.2-litre tank, low-slung 2-into-2 offset shotgun exhausts and 19-inch chromed steel rims with classic spokes.Softail Standard

Its front-end features clear-coated fork sliders, polished triple-clamps, polished top clamp and riser, and chromed headlamp bezel and turn signals.

A compact electronic instrument with digital display is set in the handlebar riser for a clean and uncluttered look.

Softail Standard accessory packages

Softail StandardAccessorise your Softail Standard

Since it’s a blank canvas for customisers there is a choice of four accessory packages.

Day Tripper Custom Package: Pillion seat and a 21-inch detachable sissy bar with pad, passenger foot pegs and mounts, forward foot controls and a black leather Single-Sided Swingarm Bag.

Coast Custom Package: Softail Quarter Fairing, black anodised aluminium Moto Bar handlebar and 5.5-inch riser, a Bevel two-up seat and passenger foot pegs, and BMX-style foot pegs from the 80GRIT Collection.

Touring Custom Package: Sundowner two-up seat and passenger foot pegs, a 14-inch-high light smoke quick-release windshield, classic black detachable saddlebags and a 14.5-inch detachable sissy bar and backrest pad.

Performance Custom Package: Throttle response and mid-range acceleration is improved with a Screamin’ Eagle Stage II Torque kit for the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Tuner, Screamin’ Eagle Heavy Breather Performance Air Cleaner and Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon mufflers. This factory-engineered performance upgrade retains the original equipment factory warranty when installed by an authorised Harley-Davidson dealer.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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Is Harley-Davidson planning a sportsbike?

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This image has been doing the rounds of the internet rumour mill for days suggesting Harley-Davidson is about planning to return to sportsbike manufacture.

It’s an artist’s rendering from Japanese magazine Young Machine who frequently speculate and don’t always get it right.

In October 2018, their artists suggested this would be the small bike Harley would make in China for the Asian market.

Harley sportsbikeYoung Machine rendering of small Chinese Harley

However, this is now the official Harley drawing of the 350cc bike they are calling project HD350. It’s substantially different to the Young Machine drawing.

Harley-Davidson HD350Harley-Davidson HD350

So has the magazine go it right this time?

Sportsbike return

And would Harley really return to making a sportsbike like its 1994 VR1000?

VR1000

Later this year they will introduce their bareknuckle 115hp/94Nm Bronx Streetfighter range.

Harley-Davidson Revolution Max platform Bronx StreetfighterBronx Streetfighter

It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to give the Bronx a half fairing and extended belly pan as in the latest artist’s rendering.

VisorDown points out that a similar image is featured in the background of this photo from the Harley design house when the Bareknuckle was in its clay model stage.

Harley VR1000 teaseBronx clay model wth small sportsbike image indicated (Image: Visordown)

But the question is why would Harley return to sportsbikes after axing its Buell brand and selling MV Agusta in the wake of the GFC?

Sportsbike sales have been declining in sales in recent years, although super-hi-tech models have had a slight recovery.

Asian Harleys

Meanwhile, India’s Hero MotoCorp is suggesting Harley may extend its Asian presence with a collaboration.

Hero MotoCorp’s Chairman, Pawan Munjal recently told the Times of India his company was open to partnering with Harley-Davidson, which is looking at making a 250-500cc motorcycle for the domestic market from 2022.

“The sooner it happens, it’s good for everyone,” he is quoted as saying.

Other recent motorcycle joint partnerships in India include KTM, Kawasaki and now Triumph with Bajaj; MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi and even Norton with Kinetic; and BMW’s G310 built by TVS.

Proposed Triumph 250Proposed Triumph 250

Harley already has a factory in India making Street models and a plant in Thailand commissioned late last year to make motorcycles for Europe to avoid high tariffs on American products in response to Trump’s trade wars.

In June 2019, Harley-Davidson also announced plans for a joint venture with China’s Qianjiang to produce a motorcycle under their HD350 project, indicating a 350cc engine.

Harley-Davidson HD350Harley-Davidson HD350

However, it could be even smaller as they now call it the HD338, presumably powered by the Benelli 338cc twin-cylinder engine from the Benelli 302S as Qianjiang also owns and makes the former Italian brand of motorcycle.

The baby Hog will hit the showrooms in China in June and India by the end of the year.

There is no word on whether it will be exported to any other markets, but we suspect it will be sold throughout Asia.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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Gloves off in Harley Vs Indian rivalry

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Indian Motorcycle has always been diplomatic about their rivalry with Harley-Davidson, but a brazen new video showing their new Challenger and a Road Glide Special towing a taco van has sparked an online bitter feud.

The YouTube video shows both frame-mounted-fairing baggers having a go at towing the taco van to prove that the new Challenger can “smoke” the Road Glide Special.

The Challenger is powered by a new 1770cc Powerplus liquid-cooled engine with 122hp (91kW) and 173Nm (128lb-ft) of torque at the crank.

By comparison Harley’s Road Glide Milwaukee Eight 114 (1868cc) has 80.71hp (60kW) and 153Nm (113.63lb-ft) of torque.

rivalryChallenger pulls taco van while Road Glide Special looks on

Sales rivalry

Harley hasn’t readily identified Indian as a threat even though it has been taking minuscule chunks out of the cruiser, bagger and tourer market since its modern revival in 2013.

Around the world and in Australia, Harley sales have been sliding over the past few years.

However, they still sell substantially more than Indian.

Indian doesn’t say how many motorcycles they sell worldwide, but Australian figures show Indian sold 803 bikes last year (down 3.9%) compared with Harley’s 6462 (down 7.9%).

If this is an indication of global sales proportions then Indian probably sold about 26,000 bikes globally while Harley sold some 218.273 last year.

That’s about 12%, which isn’t a lot, but it’s obviously starting to get under Harley’s skin.

Their marketing department has bitten back over the YouTube video with this very clever ad with a not-too-subtle dig at the brand’s Polaris ownership.

If you can’t read the small print it states:

We’ve been building riders (not gimmicks) for over 115 years. With 700+ US dealer partners and category defining motorcycles, there’s never been a better time to join the tribe. Tow challenge accepted – we’ve been carrying your weight for a long time.

Ouch!

That’s what you get when you poke the sleeping bear.

So now that the gloves are off, we can expect to see more direct comparison in this rivalry and a lot of fun and interesting videos and ads!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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Harley Softail Standard makes a comeback

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Harley-Davidson‘s FXST Softail Standard, one of the most popular Harley models ever sold in Australia, now looks like making a comeback.

The model name and FXST designation has been listed with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) documents which means it could be unveiled as soon as this August as a 2021 model.

2021 Softail Standard

1984 Harley-Davidson FXST Softail Standard 1984 Harley-Davidson FXST Softail Standard

However, a new Softail Standard will be a long way from the 1984 Evo original or the last model in 2007, thanks to the last major overhaul in 2017.

It will be more powerful with a 107 (1746cc) Milwaukee Eight engine, up to 17kg lighter, with better handling thanks to a 17% stiffer frame, emulsion rear shock and Showa dual-bending-valve forks.

The new Softails come with two frames – one wide for bikes such as the Fat Boy and top-selling Breakout – and the rest narrow, which we expect for the Softail Standard.

They also come with mod-cons such as LED headlights, digital instruments and, in some cases, a hand-adjustable rear shock.

Standard styling

But what makes a traditional Softail Standard should still be present.

That includes a raked-out front, tall and skinny front spoked wheel, fat rear tyre on a chunky mag, ducktail rear fender, mini-ape bars, double-banana saddle, dual shotgun pipes, single headlight and tank-mounted instruments.

The Standard was a basic bike, unlike the Custom which had plenty of chrome.Bushfires Harley Softail motorcycle festival

It’s classic Harley which is just what the core fans have been missing in recent years.

Instead, recent Softails have included the confronting FXDR drag-style bike and even incorporated the Dyna line-up into the family.

Harley-Davidon Softail FXDR SEASON your triumphs pricesMBW rides the FXDR Softail in Milwaukee

The return of the base model will probably cost in the mid-$20,000s and be a perfect blank canvas for custom bike builders.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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Harley-Davidson ads turn philosophical

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Harley-Davidson has long been a great promoter of its brand and its latest video ads are no exception with an appeal to the psychological wellbeing of riding.

This first ad shows the stresses of modern life and cleverly switches to how riding shatters all those pressures.

It ends with the simple message: “Breathe. Ride.”

Click here to read more about how riding reduces stress.

We also love this ad where the narrator gets philosophical, but in a very simplistic manner.

“So you’re on this thing and there’s just you and the road and the wind and the trees … and it fills you up.”

The ad talks about the psychological benefits of riding and refers to the physiological release of “happy” chemicals in your body such as dopamine.

Click here to read more about how riding makes you happy.

These two ads from agency Droga5 show a slightly different Harley.

Gone are the Easy Rider and outlaw elements of the past.

Freedom is still at the core of the message, but it’s a message that is targeted at today’s techno society and breaking free from its shackles.

Harley-Davidson Australia marketing guru Keith Waddell says they plan to use the new videos in their “dealer network and also by us centrally”.

Motorcycle adsHonda ads

There have been some great motorcycle ads over the years, including Honda’s “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” from the 1960s.

There have also produce some great funny ads.

But when it comes down to the philosophy of riding, Harley really nails it. Although in recent years it hasn’t resulted in sales.

Other manufacturers either don’t advertise or they don’t get it right.

They are either too macho, too sexist or appeal to the risk element which limits their target audience.

We checked the ASB site for complaints about motorcycle ads and found several that slammed ads because they were sexist, the riders did illegal stunts or they weren’t wearing the correct safety gear.

It seems motorcycle marketers seem to think all riders are neanderthal thrill seekers.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide unveiled

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Harley-Davidson will return the Road Glide to its 2020 CVO range with a special Harley-branded Sena 30K Bluetooth unit that pairs to the BOOM! audio system.

The 2020 CVO Road Glide will cost $A55,995 ($NZ57,495) ride away which is $1000 more than the CVO Street Glide. It was last in the CVO Lineup in 2016 as a Road Glide Ultra with top box.

Harley-Davidson Australia says the Sena 30K Bluetooth unit will be included in the price.

The mid-year model announcement comes as Harley has also unveiled a 30th anniversary Fat Boy.

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 30th anniversary birtdhay2020 Fat Boy 30th anniversary (Photography: Capture)

The new CVO Road Glide comes as the new Indian Challenger arrives with a 1770cc (108 cubic inch) liquid-cooled Powerplus engine.

Indian’s Challenger will cost $A39,595-$A39,995, depending on colour, compared with the Harley Road Glide Special with 114-cube (1868cc) engine at $39,250.

2020 CVO Road Glide new features2020 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide

  • Reflex Defensive Rider Systems (read more here); 
  • Kahuna Collection heated hand grips, shifter pegs, brake pedal cover, muffler end caps, rider and pillion boards;
  • Low-profile two-piece fuel tank console with lighted CVO logo;
  • Sand Dune monotone finish with pearl topcoat and subtle graphics highlighted by Smoked Satin Chrome, Gloss Black and Black Onyx finishes;
  • Screamin’ Eagle Heavy Breather air cleaner in Gloss Black; and
  • Wheels finished in Gloss Black/Smoked Satin.

Sena Bluetooth

MY20.5 Location Photogaphy CaptureHarley-branded Sena 30K

The CVO Road Glide comes with a single Sena 30K Bluetooth helmet headset that pairs to the Boom! Box GTS infotainment system.

It features Sena’s Mesh Intercom Network that automatically connects to a “near-limitless number” of riders in “public mode” to eliminate lost connections when someone rides out of range.

The headset can also connect with up to 16 riders in private mode up to 8km.

It not only allows intercom, phone calls, navigation prompts, radio and audio, all with voice commands, but also includes Apple Carplay if the phone is plugged into the bike’s charger.

A Quick Charge feature can provide up to five hours of additional talk time with a 20-minute charge.

CVO 117`MY20.5 Location Photogaphy Capture

Like all 2020 CVOs, it is powered by Harley’s largest-displacement factory-installed engine, the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine (1923cc) with 169Nm of torque.

Harley also now make the Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee Eight 131 Crate Engine which can be fitted to current CVO models.

131 Screamin' Eagle c rate motor131 Screamin’ Eagle crate motor

It features the same 114mm (4.5”) stroke as the 114 Milwaukee Eight, but has been bored out from 101mm (4”) to 109mm (4.31”).

Harley claims it makes 90kW (121hp) of power and 177Nm (131ft-lb) of torque when matched to the Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon mufflers. It also requires an ECM calibration and Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Tuner.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com