What is Harley trying to start here?

[truck]

We're all riders, not black or white or any other color, we're riders damn it! I hope they pull this in short order.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/iron-elite/iron-elite.html?customStart=true&source_cd=Email_102011_OctNL&camp_id=16

[Gunney8]

I'm speechless... sigh... 

[wholehog]

$$$

[harley54]

     Whats the problem ?? Just a short clip featuring some black riders on their
scoots. Black family clubs have a long tradition in this country. I think its great
everyone gets to see what everyone else is riding.
They are a segment of the market that HD is addressing.
Cool bikes.

[exfed12825]

I tried to sign in to share my custom and the site wouldn't let me on using my Harley sign in sig 

[flhman]

Cool bikes definately, they aint starting nothing. flhman

[chopper]

'What is Harley trying to start here?"

  Short answer?  $$$

  Let's face it, HD has played to their anglo riders for years. They play to us about our "image" Bikers, proud and free.  Rebels, dancing to our own tune. Image, pure and simple!
Which is exactly why they sell so damn many Tshirts, etc....

In years past, I didn't see too many Blacks on Harleys; some on Wings. Lately a lot on crotch rockets. If HD can "sell that image" another ethnic group, they can tap into the cash flow.
So why not? It's good marketing.  Next will be the ads aimed toward Hispanics.

Great, the more riders out there, the better for ALL of us. I couldn't care less about a rider's color, religion, social status, or anything else.

[Dennis The Menace]

http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/Community/community.html?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US

Its not just black riders.  Women.  Hispanics. Military. 

But, if you care that much about it, you ride the wrong bike.  Its about riders, not who you are or think you are.  Its good, IMO.  The more on a Harley, the better.

[harley54]

I dont think anyone gives a rats ass what HD puts out on their ads.

[texaskatfish]

All except for the 'beach bars' I LIKE that purple ride!

(just goes to show there are "brand name snobs" <<< my term everywhere)

I see it this way: "If a June bug whacks you in the forehead at 80mph - it does not CARE what bike you are sitting on.................and the pavement peels off the same amount of skin no matter WHICH bike you just fell off of"

I like most ALL 2-wheeled vehicles!
Colliin Raye: That's My Story (video)

[IndyHarley]

just the simple business of broadening the customer base and in this case by showing you don't have to be a white 1% to own a HD. LOL

[Ultrashovel]

In the 1950's there were several Black Motorcycle Clubs in Chicago. They were very active and would have turkey runs and field meets quite frequently. They were all law-abiding and very friendly to all riders. Many of them were WWII veterans who liked motorcycles.

I don't know anything about the modern groups. I will hasten to add, however, that blacks have traditionally been under-represented in the motorcycle community, including touring and racing. I don't know why this would be. Apparently HD is attempting to highlight this issue.

[harborjohn]

We have a lot of Black Clubs here in So Cal. The brothers have some cool High-HP bikes. Nothing like seeing a group of Baggers riding wheelies down PCH.

[harleytuner]

I agree, we have a few black riders from Toledo that have us do all the work on their rides for them.  there money is just as green as anyone elses.  And mostof them go all out on their rides.  Here's one that belongs to a really good customer.  This is his third paint job and third set of wheels that we did on it last winter.  bike is an '07.  It has a pretty healthy 113" making in the mid 130's for HP and TRQ.  He called a couple weeks ago and gave us the ok to rake the frame and put a 26" wheel on the front.  Cool with us.  Might not be my style, but I can respect his.

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[trex]

So what's the problem? I like it that fellow Americans are riding HD. In the past though there were a lot of HD riding Blacks over the years, it seemed a majority were on Jap bikes and that seems to be changing big time and I like it.

[truck]

I was thinking this might might divide us riders into separate groups and that wouldn't be good. We're all in this together and I'd like it stay that way.

[turboprop]

Toby and his East Bay Dragons MC are some pretty cool guys. They have been an all-harley, all-black club since the 60s. Have partied with them many times in Oakland and Frisco. It is about time harley respected the black market. Shame on them for taking so long.

[chopper]

harleytuner

Hey, you in Toledo?  I live just north of Metamora into Michigan

[turboprop]

Man, I grew up in Metamora. Used to love eating at the White Horse and listening to Sneaky Pete.

[harleytuner]

harleytuner

Hey, you in Toledo?  I live just north of Metamora into Michigan

I'm East of Toledo, or shop is in Monroeville just South of Sandusky (Cedar Point).  We're about a 45 minute drive from Toledo.  If you ever get up our way you should stop in, we have a mini museum set up in our showroom.  Our shops founder set a land speed record at Bonneville for HD in '65 (176.817 MPH on a 250cc Sprint streamliner).  We have the bike up front as well as some of the flat track bikes my boss and his brother ran.  Google Geo Roeder and Will Roeder if you are interested.

[CndUltra88]

So, if where women in bikinis would we even be talking about this
I dont care what colour your skin is or your bike is as long as you dont tell me
you or it is better than I.
Rob

[PoorUB]

Maybe I missed something, but it seemed like a bunch of guys enjoying their bikes. If you did not watch the screen it could have been darned near anyone, or any color, talking.
Like another post said, HD is just reching out to everyone, trying to build the market, just showing you don't have to be a bald headed white guy to enjoy the ride.

On the other hand, I think I saw this dude riding!!

Harley Crash

[exfed12825]

Damn   

[harleyjt]

 

What a pos ad.  I feel discriminated against..... 
jt

[chopper]

Listen closely. Starting at 27 seconds, you can here the laughter!

[Tre_11 FLHX]

I beleive it's a great marketing add.  I'm certainly not white (Dad from Mexico and Mother From Dublin Ireland), not that it matters.  After 30 years associated with US Army, the only color I see is Green. 

My only wonder is, what took them so long and why target just Black riders.  I know thousands of Mexican American riders also.

JMHO,
Tre'

[98roadking]

All except for the 'beach bars' I LIKE that purple ride!

Funny, I like the purple bike except for the purple. I also like the black springer.
There are lots af black Harley riders in this area.

[hd06myway]

I don't feel strongly about it either way I guess... it's a marketing strategy, I guess no different then when HD ran that add back in the early 90's aimed at the hardcore pre-Evo riders like myself, who spent half our time working on and dismantling our rides because our bikes were breaking down, and we wouldn't be caught dead riding foreign iron.. call us stupid, pig headed or blindly American, it was more HDs look and sound like unworldly beasts and I'm not ridin' a queer metric bike made to meet nice people on...    The add I'm referring to was the "Would You Sell An Unreliable Motorcycle To The Guys" advert.  Well, for a big portion of the Shovel era they did.. 

[Ultrashovel]

Harley needs some help in advertising. While I think that it's fine to highlight the black motorcycle clubs, I recall when the Bad Boy Softail came out, they had a picture of one parked in front of a prison and pointed out the image that the bike projected. WTF is that all about?

I like bikes, but I don't want to go to prison to improve my image.   

[glens]

I guess I need to watch it again, but I didn't take it so much as advertising as show us what you're doing with our product.  There's a disclaimer at the start that H-D doesn't endorse all aspects of what's to follow.  I've never seen any sort of recent advertising from them where the riders weren't wearing at least helmets.

[hd06myway]

Harley needs some help in advertising. While I think that it's fine to highlight the black motorcycle clubs, I recall when the Bad Boy Softail came out, they had a picture of one parked in front of a prison and pointed out the image that the bike projected. WTF is that all about?

I like bikes, but I don't want to go to prison to improve my image.   

I actually liked that ad.  I didn't see it as glorifying prisoners, just a play on the bike's model name.  To a lesser degree, Dodge's Caliber ad depicting it as a juvinile delinquent was in the same vien I thought.

[dunbarton]

HD's getting desperate to replace all the OF's abandoning riding and buying bikes and accessories. Standard operating procedure for marketing is to identify your target market and tailor your advertising so they identify with it. No more, no less.
It would be more subtle if they showed inter-racial groups in their advertisements but probably wouldn't get them the short-term results they want and need.

[westbrs]

Where is the ad celebrating white riders?

[hogwilde1]

I see nothing wrong with the add, I thought we were all brothers?

[glens]

I watched it again, as well the one about the East Bay Dragons.

They are not advertisements and I think they're cool.  Get your own homeboys together, get your story to H-D, and if they think your story is interesting enough they'll send the film crew over.  That's what I get out of the whole "campaign".

I did notice a few non-H-Ds in that first one, by the way.

[seattledyna]

Where is the ad celebrating white riders?

That would be about every HD ad for the last 100 years

[justplainjim]

I see nothing wrong with the add, I thought we were all brothers?



OH Please!!!

[hd06myway]

I watched it again, as well the one about the East Bay Dragons.

They are not advertisements and I think they're cool.  Get your own homeboys together, get your story to H-D, and if they think your story is interesting enough they'll send the film crew over.  That's what I get out of the whole "campaign".

I did notice a few non-H-Ds in that first one, by the way.

You got it right bro... 

[Gunney8]

What I meant by "I'm speechless" was that I would think showing a mixed ethic group of riders would have been better than to further polorize our group.... why all black, or all white. I still am speechless...

[IndyHarley]

http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/harlistas/harlista.html

[Ultrashovel]

What I meant by "I'm speechless" was that I would think showing a mixed ethic group of riders would have been better than to further polorize our group.... why all black, or all white. I still am speechless...

There is nothing new about companies pitching their ads towards specific groups. For example, in South Central L.A., most of the bill boards are done in Spanish. One good reason for this is that most of the inhabitants in that area are Spanish speaking. No one seems to complain about that.

Another example is Los Angeles Magazine. All of the ads are pitched to rich folks. I'm talking diamond bracelets, clothing, restaurants, wristwathes. There are no ads for homeless soup kitchens or how to survive liiving under a freeway underpass. Isn't that discrmiinatory?

My take on it is that Harley is looking to increase their business in certain interest groups. What a surprise. Duh.