What is it that has lured men and women to Harley Davidson motorcycles for generations? Is it the pull of the open road, the undying sense of freedom, the sound of the pipes as you cruise down the road? Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that the culture inspired by the world famous Harley Davidson has changed the way people live.
Ask any owner of a Harley, and they will nearly all say that you simply cannot get the feeling of ultimate freedom from anything else in the world. It is a mans head space, his open road dream, the age old example and definition of total coolness. As for the women, well, who can deny that a man on a Harley is anything less than sexy? Perhaps it is the lingering influence of James Dean in his leather jacket, but there are few things in this life as tempting as a motorcycle and a clear road ahead.
Throughout the years, Harley Davidson has built its motorcycle empire with unparalleled quality and customer satisfaction. Changing and evolving as the eras of America changed and grew, they took the motorcycle community from the very fringes and outcasts of communities into the mainstream and bright lights of cities and towns everywhere. What started many generations ago when motorcycles and bikers were still looked down on by mainstream society has now become a household word with unsurpassed fame.
Even after all these years Harley has remained a favorite amongst experienced bikers and new comers alike. Is it the quality of the motorcycles and parts, or is it the legend of the name that has kept customers loyally coming back generation after generation? The truth of it all is that its a little bit of both. While some more devoutly American and traditional bikers have begun to express anger with the company due to the recent choice they made to have some parts built and assembled overseas, it certainly has not slowed their production any nor has it damaged the companys revenue.
While it is true that in earlier years Harley Davidson earned much of its loyal customer base by being completely built and assembled in America, the small portion of motorcycle enthusiasts who have fought against Harleys new outsourcing policies have done very little to damage their pristine reputation.
Another aspect the Harley Davidson Company has going for it is the incredibly loyal female customer base it has picked up just within the last ten years. Harley accomplished something that no other motorcycle company had been able to do previously- they effectively built, advertised, and sold motorcycles to a largely female demographic. Choosing to build a new line of motorcycles that were smaller, lighter, easier to handle, and crafted with a womans body shape in mind, these bikes offered easy electric starting systems and were perfectly made for smaller women. This opened up the door for a whole new group of customers that had never before been marketed to in the motorcycle business. Previously women were used as models or in advertisements on the backseat of the bike- but now they were in the front and driving.
It was a long series of good business decisions and the flexibility of this company to change and evolve with the times that have kept it alive and growing. Today Harley-Davidson is the most well -known motorcycle manufacturer in the world, and offers one of the most extensive lines of motorcycles in their class than any other company. Many other automobile manufacturers have attempted to recreate the classic American feel and look of the Harley, but with little success.
While almost no one will argue that some of the new motorcycles built in similar fashion to a Harley may run as well, there is truly no bike that can quite match the distinctive sound of a Harley-Davidson and lets face it- there is no Honda in this world that could ever be as cool as a Harley Davidson.