twist the throttle...forward?

[China twin 88]

I get the on line edition of the NY times and read last week an article fortelling the death of the company...and then I understand Harley took out a two page ad to show their "still alive and well"....I saw the ad and  if this ad is the same ad that Harley authorized, well then they need some help... the main problem seems to be...or at least it seems to me it was written by a ...well by an ad person...

"You can file our obituary where the sun don't shine"
"It's time like these that raise the important questions.
Do you cower, or do you live free?
Do you succumb to fear and doubt,
or do you seize the throttle and give it a fearless twist forward?

"Screw it. Let's ride." 

I thought ..could this be real or is it a joke.......then in my email box I get the same ad....if I didn't think Harley was out of touch before then I surely do now....

in this case .... it should say

"Screw it, Lets slow down"

sorry if this has been noted before....it takes a while for supplies to reach the middle kingdom...

[Tre_11 FLHX]

Heat management   

[CDeucer]

Pic of the NY Times ad. Hope this works: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevesworldofphotos/3396018874/sizes/l/

[tireater]

I hope that writer got a medal at the last special olympics...What a retard...!!!

[codyshop]

My favorite shirt this year says, "Screw It, Let's Trailer!"  Damned near busted a gut the first time I saw it.  Ray

[Jeffd]

Hey I had an old Cushman that you needed to twist the throttle forward on.

[seattledyna]

like 09uc said, "heat management" on the new bikes you twist the throttle "forward" to manage the rear cylinder kick-out system,,, maybe in some bizzare way of saying screw the government, and the "heat" of the recession...twist the throttle forward to beat it! 

nope, probably just out of touch ad men, and the lack of HD to proof read and think before publishing the ad

[fxrp]

My favorite shirt this year says, "Screw It, Let's Trailer!"  Damned near busted a gut the first time I saw it.  Ray

Perfect and seeing the current 'Harley Rider/HOG member (with their new leathers and stuffed toys of course)' LOL.
The new derby covers, timing covers, etc should say:

Work to Ride

Ride to Work

[Big Dan]

I can't remember what it was, but I rode something as a young boy that had a forward twist throttle. Maybe the M50 Aermacci? I think Speedway bikes also have it, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

[Old Crow]

My favorite shirt this year says, "Screw It, Let's Trailer!"  Damned near busted a gut the first time I saw it.  Ray

Perfect and seeing the current 'Harley Rider/HOG member (with their new leathers and stuffed toys of course)' LOL.
The new derby covers, timing covers, etc should say:

Work to Ride

Ride to Work

I've never been a member of HOG, nor am I likely to, but that's been my motto for 40 years.

[loboheritage]

when I was about 9, rode a little doodlebug....a little
scooter that had a Briggs&Stratton engine.  that throttle
twisted forward and when I started riding motorcycles, I
thought they were all wrong......

[HIPPO]

Either a figure of speech or they reversed the cables during PDI

[China twin 88]

I left the states to travel around 15 years ago and moved to china 8 years ago..so I have not been exposed to this kind of ad campaign for HD....in 77 when I bought my first shovel....the ads and the company booklet "The Enthusiast" were sought after pieces of memorabilia which were hung and taped in places reserved for reverent observations ...like the garage.. or in some cases when an ole lady did not inhabit the premises, the living room wall.. right next to the milk crate full of spare and worn parts...and yes the new ads are more cleave but resemble more the cute "got milk" advertisements as opposed to the informative types... it appears that even though for all the flouted improvements to the bikes and engines.. and I really dint have any knowledge to compair as I have never even rode a evo..the ad campaigner rellies on the image which via the conduits of money can be assumed by anyone..but in some cases, one of these motorcycles... Shakespeare's old addage that a person can assume a virtue and it is theirs...just doesn't wash... this ad in question seems a pathetic responce to a situation of economic hardship, a way to capitalize on society's self image of being in control....the older ads...well they had more class... I like it when a motorcycle company advertises ... Motorcycles..... the feeling it inspires is an unknown entity and it is difficult to distill that into a 30 sec spot....

[One4Tone]

..I hate to say it folks...but some ads are written in "simple language"...they are written in "plain English"...they are written so people all over the world can understand the message..see this as a sign of strength.."of not leaving anyone behind"...that's the Harley way...am i too optimistic..well judging by the most recent meteoric rise of the "HOG stock"..I would say the company is doing quite well ..thank you very much...the folks that think this company has no future..will be surprised again and again...sure the company has to trial and error a few models now and again..they are not perfect..but that's a long way from the doom's day scenario that some may talk about..I too have a shovel, in fact I have 2 of them ..but my 03 FLHT is a mechanical wonder compared to them..don't get me wrong I love my shovels with all their imperfections...and will never sell them..but the company has moved forward trough their Evo's , twincams, and V-Rods models..and will continue to move forward..so save that handkerchief..to wipe off that shiny chrome...not for the tear in your eye..

[harleyjt]

"...twist the throttle forward..."

I guess it just depends on your perspective..   When you twist the throttle, your thumb on the bottom of the grip is moving forward.   And the bike moves forward as well....   

But the truth of the matter is that it was probably written by some dumbazz marketing guy that doesn't have a clue and makes more than several of us put together.
jt

[chief-z]

was at a dealer yeasteday and while visiting the mens room the same add was posted on the bullitin board over the urinal.

[jclark311]

I am pretty sure you can hook those cables up backwards, and you can twist the throttle forward.

[Hawg Holler]

Forward-rotating throttles were pretty much the standard until the 1950s. There were also throttles on the left handlebar of many bikes that had right-hand shifters on them. My Cushman had a forward throttle but my dad and I reversed it to conform to 'new' trend of backward twist throttles in the mid-60s. The ad copy must have been reviewed by someone in Harley before it was released and I'd say they were more interested in making sure that 'forward' was in the reference than they were with the technical details. Only those of us who hang out on a site called Harley Tech Talk and are hung up on such things will notice. More than 98 percent of the rest of the world who sees the ads will never even put the two together.

I see similar mistakes in ads all the time. I'm a farm boy and every time I see a commercial or ad with a male 'cow' with an udder I shake my head at the abysmal ignorance of the creator and the people who approved the spot. There was even a feature length cartoon with male characters with udders. Guess they didn't want to show the bulls with the real equipment they sport. Too scary for the mass populace. Too many questions from the kids that will require an embarrassing explanation.

[One4Tone]

..if a  baseball pitcher  throws the ball overhand ..it would simulate (forward throttle) clockwise...or throws the ball underhand it would simulate  (regular throttle) counterclockwise....does the the ball not move forward, regardless, provided he releases the ball the while arm is in forward motion?.. ..or ...on the other  hand ask the blonde..that sprays her dead rabbit with her favourite hairspray..and the critter jumps to life and walks down the street waves at everybody...huh?...well the label on the can...says.."it will wake up your dead hair...and give it a weave" ....