Harley-Davidson, more than a motorcycle

No one, not even outside of motorcycling, could have missed the fact that the Harley-Davidson motor company was a 100 years old this year, so this time I thought I'd get away from the heavy day-to-day issues and get into the equally heavy, here-to-day world of Harleys.

Before Harley fans get all uptight and precious though, this is not an attack on Harleys, it's a personal observation on the unique niche that Harleys have carved themselves.

I'm not the only one of course, there have been innumerable articles in newspapers and magazines, TV and on radio (often to the predictable 'Born to be Wild' theme music), the like of which I've never seen or heard before, all of them trying to explain the allure of a Harley to people who don't even understand (or care about) motorcycling, let alone big, shiny, motorcycles.

First thought is that all this exposure has got to be good for motorcycling, but strangely, I think most people think of Harleys as one thing, motorcycles as another. I'm not being churlish or cynical about this; it's a fact of life. When BBC Radio 4 presenters talk about Harleys, they trot out all the clichis of Easy Rider and Hells Angels and then go on to discuss the bikes as a style icon with celebrity status - more like something that you wear, not ride.

They glamorise things, they mention that Arnie Schwarzenegger rides one and so does Cher, JJ Lehno and several of our Premiership footballers. They tell you that many owners are lawyers and doctors, that you can buy Harley badged gear from black caps to bikinis, oh, and that the average age of riders is 47, that the silver-haired rider is in the ascendancy and so are the waistbands.

Now it's not easy trying to explain this life-style attraction to non-Harley riders, but there's no doubt about it, a Harley is far more than a motorcycle, (or 'motorsykle' as many Americans would say). As brand names go, it's a name so strong that it ranks alongside Coke, McDonalds, Mercedes and Levis for world recognition. No other bike has this sort of international charisma. Try it. Ask for a motorbike name from anyone who doesn't understand bikes and more than likely they'll say Harley-Davidson.

To those who do understand bikes however, lets say the everyday Mr Joe Biker; Harleys are still a bit of an oddity, a cult thing, an acquired taste. Harley-Davidson know this and thrive on it so when they brought out the radically different V- Rod, Harley director Willie G Davidson said, "this is for riders who always wanted a Harley, but didn't like the bikes!"

So true are those words that within the culture of Harleys it seems the aficionado is a bit sniffy about the V-Rod; too much like a motorcycle to belong to the family they say, a bit of a brash upstart. It produces twice as much power as any other Harley, goes faster, stops quicker, is two-thirds the weight and doesn't even look like a Harley. The V-Rod is for the style conscious biker it seems, but more V Max than just V cool.

But whatever the attraction, Harley sales are up again for the 17th consecutive year. Last year they sold 263,000 bikes world wide and not only outsold Honda in the States, but outsold all other cruisers in the land of motorcycle production, Japan.

So powerful is the brand that the Harley Owners Group (HOG) has 700,000 members world wide and their celebration August parade through hometown Milwaukee saw over 10,000, (yes ten thousand) Harleys rumble by. So what's so special about them? Well look at a Harley, talk about in your face! If you want to shout look at me, use a Harley instead. Looks it appears are everything to the Harley owner and so is that iconoclastic 45 degree V twin with that distinctive, signature tune of potato, potato, potato - the only sound with a world-wide patent.

And talking of sound, many owners seem to want to spread that wall of sound far and wide. It's not sufficient to ride around on what to others is a piece of theatre, you have to announce your presence too so the after-market catalogue is rich with 'not for road use' pipes. You are in the cast of this theatre; your role is to be seen and heard and take the applause, to bask in the glory - if you can resist looking at your reflection in shop windows that is....

I've ridden several Harleys, and even though I can appreciate the appeal of chugging along at the state speed limit of 55 mph in the Californian sunshine, despite global warming, I just can't warm to the life-style thing. As I said at the beginning, a Harley is much more than a motorcycle, but I'll stick to the motorcycle bit thanks and leave the style thing to others.

Jeff Stone
BMF Media and PR Manager
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