DD Scolds Harley-Davidson

My 1998 letter to the President and CEO of Harley-Davidson (in which I imply that the Motor Company is forcing its customers to bend over an spread 'em).

A while back, my sense of outrage was inflamed by what I perceived as Harley-Davidson's contempt for its customers. This outrage inspired me to address a letter to the company, in the person of its head guy. Recognizing that my rantings might have been a trifle intemperate, I sought advice from a Voice of Reason. Riding buddy, friend, and all-around good guy Dennis White was kind enough to look at the original typescript. He suggested some changes that would make me appear to be less of a crank than was — is — actually the case. Here is my original draft, followed by the final version. (Eight years later, it's clear that my "we're fed up and won't take it any more" predictions were premature. Still, my opinion hasn't changed.)

ORIGINAL DRAFT
We haven't met, but to establish a context for this letter you should know that I am the Editor of American Iron magazine's forthcoming special edition commemorating Harley-Davidson's 95th anniversary, entitled America's Motorcycle. In fact, it was at my request that Dennis White interviewed you for that publication a few weeks ago. Beyond that, I am one of the people that American Iron's title banner — "For People Who Love Harley-Davidsons" — refers to. I own a 1990 FLHTCU, and expect to take delivery of a 1998 FLHTCUI in April or May.

You — and by "you" I mean the Motor Company — are riding the crest of an enormous wave right now. Sales continue to skyrocket, the newly sanitized Harley-Davidson "lifestyle" is insinuating itself into mainstream America, and the stockholders are ecstatic. In the face of such success, I don't relish the notion of playing Chicken Little to your Screamin' Eagle. I'm sure that from your vantage point, the sky is most definitely not falling. Let me tell you how it looks from here.

During the bad old days of a couple of decades ago, brand-new Harleys tended to leave big important pieces of themselves in the middle of the road. (Perhaps I overstate, but not by much.) Only the loyalty of a hard-core coterie of customers kept the company from going under. As I am sure you are aware, some of the company's more recently initiated policies — the "gentrification" of old-line dealerships; the focus on Motorclothes and the like; the appropriation and trademarking of previously generic terminology; etc. — have alienated this segment of the market. However, the "bikers" that Harley-Davidson has lost as potential customers have been replaced tenfold by a more upscale clientele.

These new customers are comfortable in the newly burnished showrooms, can afford to spend upwards of twenty grand on what is, after all, a toy, and aren't concerned that the service department would rather not see too many shovelheads. These new customers have taken in stride the long wait for a new bike. They've even submitted to the rapacious pricing practices of some of the Motor Company's more short-sighted dealers. They are able to distinguish between Harley-Davidson's policies, and those of the individual dealer, and in the main have kept a positive attitude about the company. But those of us who can spend twenty grand on a motorcycle didn't reach that point by being stupid terribly often. We're likely to notice when being treated with contempt, and if our response isn't immediate, it will certainly have an impact in the long run. Allow me to cite but a single example.

If we were talking about a quantum leap in power, such that might make the bike difficult for the average rider to handle, I could understand making the Stage II kit optional. However, this is not the case: a Stage II Harley will be left in the dust by a showroom-stock Gold Wing. All of the anecdotal evidence I've encountered indicates that the Stage II kit increases the engine's power from "barely adequate" to "sufficient."

Unless I'm missing something, the only justification for the present policy is unalloyed avarice. As a customer I resent being taken advantage of in so high-handed a manner, and I assure you that I am not alone in feeling this way.

In the end, I will take delivery of my '98 Ultra: none of the alternatives is sufficiently attractive. However, on principle I will look to the aftermarket for performance enhancements. And when it comes time to replace this bike, you can be certain that I will make a careful survey of the entire marketplace.

The sky might not be falling, but we who hold it up for you begin to grow weary.

Sincerely,
David Drucker

The Final Version
January 14, 1998

Dr. Jeffrey Bleustein
President & C.E.O.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
3700 West Juneau Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201

Dear Dr. Bleustein:

We haven't met, but to establish a context for this letter you should know that I am the Editor of American Iron magazine's forthcoming special edition commemorating Harley-Davidson's 95th anniversary, entitled America's Motorcycle. Beyond that, I am one of the people that American Iron's title banner — "For People Who Love Harley-Davidsons" —refers to. I own a 1990 FLHTCU, and expect to take delivery of a 1998 FLHTCUI in April or May.

You — and by "you" I mean the Motor Company — are riding the crest of an enormous wave right now. Sales continue to skyrocket, the newly sanitized Harley-Davidson "lifestyle" is insinuating itself into mainstream America, and the stockholders are happy. In the face of such success, I don't relish playing Chicken Little to your Screamin' Eagle. I'm sure that from your vantage point, the sky is most definitely not falling. Let me tell you how it looks from here.

Harley-Davidson's engineers have made some dramatic improvements to the fuel injection components for 1998. The new components yield significantly better performance, allow the bike to run a bit cooler, and are legal in all 50 states. But rather than fit the new parts to all fuel-injected models, you have decided to offer them as a dealer-installed option called the Stage II kit. This means that we must buy the same basic parts twice, and then pay for the labor to install them. Further, we must run the risk that the fairly complex installation will compromise the integrity of the no-longer factory sealed engine. If we were talking about a quantum leap in power, such that might make the bike difficult for the average rider to handle, I could understand making the Stage II kit optional. However, this is not the case. All of the evidence I've encountered indicates that the Stage II kit simply increases the engine's power to a point where it is no longer dramatically lower than that of the competition.

The current generation of Harley-Davidson customers has taken in stride the long wait for a new bike. Many of us have submitted to the rapacious pricing practices of some of the Motor Company's more short-sighted dealers. In this regard, we are able to distinguish between Harley-Davidson's policies and those of the individual dealer, and in the main have kept a positive attitude about the company. But those of us who can spend twenty grand on a motorcycle didn't reach that point by being stupid terribly often. We're likely to notice when being treated with contempt, and if our response isn't immediate, it will certainly have an impact in the long run.

I do not presume to understand the motivation behind this decision, but I can state that as a customer it feels as though I'm being taken advantage of. Further, I assure you that I am not alone in feeling this way. In the end, I will take delivery of my '98 Ultra: none of the alternatives is sufficiently attractive. However, on principle I will look to the aftermarket for performance enhancements. And when it comes time to replace this bike, you can be certain that I will make a careful survey of the entire marketplace. The sky might not be falling, but we who hold it up for you begin to grow weary.

Sincerely,
David Drucker