Harley-Davidson And The Party With A Purpose

Before we get to the subject of the day, consider this: You have inherited a going concern, a parking garage perhaps or a bookstore or maybe a shop that loans out DVDs. You are doing something people want done, you have skilled employees and regular customers and all goes well...until one day it doesn’t. Not your fault, it’s just that Uber and Lyft, Netflix and Amazon have put you on the trailer, so to speak.

What can you do? If you’re Harley-Davidson, you can send out the offensive squad.

Background: This isn’t just Harley-Davidson. The sport and the business of motorcycles is in trouble. Buyers and riders are getting older, younger people aren’t that interested, sales are slumping.

H-D has been hit the hardest, so its project is the biggest. Clue one is that the title is “Celebrating 115 Years of Freedom For All,” that is, The Motor Company’s 115th Anniversary, kind of an odd number to pick.

The project comes in what one could call hardware and software. The hardware part is a set of limited-edition 2018 models. There will be nine offered: the trike, the Forty-Eight Special Sportster, and seven of the Big Twins, as in the Street Glide, Fat Boy 114, etc.

Each is offered with a choice of two paint schemes, two-tone or denim, in distinctive shades of blue with triple pinstriping, emblems, seat covers, and decals. Each bike sold will be serialized—that is, given a number ID at the factory. All the mechanical parts are normal production and no mention is made in the press kits of numbers or prices.

The software side is less detailed. Quoting from the press kit, H-D is returning “to the grassroots passion that made the sport of motorcycling great, by throwing parties for the people, with flat-track racing, hill climbs, beach racing, drag racing, street parties, bands, and rides.

“We’re holding events in our hometown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and other locations around the world. All who love the freedom of two wheels are invited to join the celebration.”

As for the details, the schedule is standard H-D, as in rides to the factory and museum beginning from as far away as California or Maine, gathering during the 2018 Labor Day weekend for races, shows and games, free food, and no English crooners.

Plus, the shows and treats will appear at the AMA hill climbs and the AFT national dirt track...oh, heck, there's too much detail here but happily Harley-Davidson's crew has thought of everything, so all you have to do is log on to harley-davidson.com/115-anniversary-event.

See you there.