Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126528
CX) 0') IClockwtM from top ~ Some of H-D·. new owners poH wIth the tint m8Ch1ne. a H_1tIIge • to roll off the .......bly 1118 without AMF on the tllnk...., ~ V.V....... ahown wIth the 1112 Spot tala. SetI8tor ~m Proxmlre (under alii") waa on hand. PR guy BIll Dutcher and the '82 Spot tala CS. Cheering throngs greet Harley independence parade By Chuck Clayton YORK. PA.JUNE22 Independence day came early for employees and fans of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Last week, 12 investors, including the top management of the company, bought the works from the AMF conglomerate in what chief . ' ~xecUtlve Vaug~ .Bea~ calls the chance of a lifetlme. 12 To celebrate the new independence of Harley-Davidson as a stand-alone company. ceremonies were conducted at the York motorcycle and golfcar assembly plant and at H-D dealers in eight cities acrOll six states. All the way to the company's historic headquaners in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. the executive·owners rode their newest produeu. Many were accompanied by their wives. The parade route covered 900 miles mcluding the states of Pennsylvania. Ohio, In~ana. Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Weather conditions were described as "perfect - all the way." Enthusiastic crowds gi'eeted the riden. Willie G. Davidson. 47, was the favorite of the crowd. He is chief of motorcycle design of the company. a gr~~dson of the foun~r. He ~rnv~ drivmg a black Tour GlJde packing his wife Nancy. They wore matching leather helmeu and jackets. The industrialists mingled with the loyal customers of their productS. A rumor that H-D was to be bought by a japanese motorcycle company that appeared in the eastern edition of the Wan Street journal had caused some distress among the faithful. "I wouldn't ride any japanese motorcycle." one man told a reponer. He was saving up for a Harley-Davidson. The company plans to announce a sizeable price reduction on some of its models in the future. Ten reponers accompanied ,the executives and their wives on motorcycles provided by the company. Consumers were represented by Carl "Pappy" Wicks. president of the H-D Owners Association. Twenty-one motorcycles and sidecar rigs made the trip without problems of any kind. Arriving at Milwaukee's Capitol Drive engine plant. the parade was greeted by U.S. Senator William Proxmire and a brass band. H-D workers. dressed in red shins that proclaimed "I make the eagle fly" were on hand to panake of cake and refreshments. They told reponers that they were pleased with the deconglomeration. "Now we can get decisions faster," one said. They also praised the AMF conglomerate for giving them the tools to compete successfully in a difficult business. Reponers were shown a new CrOll machine that cost $5 million and docsthe work of 25 machinists. The parade concluded at the juneau Ave. headquanen, where the company began in 1905. A tour of the Harlicst of holies. the racing depanment, led to the design section, where enterprising journalists learned of the development of a new "panhead" engine and confirmed the existence of water-cooled V -engines designed by the Ponche group in two. four and six cylinder configurations. with overhead cams. Investors say they plan to plow the profits back into the company for new product development. "HarleyDavidson is home to stay," said board chairman Beals. Founh of july will have to go a long way to top this independence day. • Welcome home, HarleyDavidson At a time when America's aulODlOCive ind1llttY leelllllike a replay of Pearl Harbor. it's Rood to bow one comJNlllY that ~'t make es~. It makes mororcyda with the lUItIle Harley-Davicbon on the taDk. They manufacture 50,000 lusury _rcycles a year. ,up from 14,000 a cIozeD yean ago. This AmericaD company earned $290 million Iut year. and profiu were up 1796. How. in the name of E.F. Hutton, can they do it? Well, I may not know what is wrong with Detroit, but I think that H-D hu mana~ to praerve lOJIlelbing that IeeIIII to me to be misliDg in new American can: a _ _ of integrity. Of having got it right and IlickiDg with it. making it better, keeping it beautiful. ' The type of _rcyclist who favon Harleys is DOl too interateel in technological innovation. But that may change with the recent tramfer of ownenhip from the conglomerate to the management. who are aU motorcycle enthuaiuu. "Japan has proved that there is a large market for high technology motorcycles," said Jeff BleUltein, one of the new owneft of the company. who heads up the engineering department. "We intend to go after lOme of that market." he said. Meanwhile. H-D will nOl neglect the mainstay of iu bwinell. the loyal Harley traditionalisu, many of whom would not be welcome in mOlt 1b0Jll where imported motorcycles are IOld, because of their UDlllVOry a~arance. The company may lOOn announce a price reduction of some of lU models. How well the new tech CUIlOlIlen and the old guard Hawg clienu mix at the Harley shop of the future. we lbaU wait and lee. The new natioaal sales manager will have to scratch his head to IOlve that one. Chuck Clayton