Archive for the ‘harley davidson’ tag
Over A Century of Harley Davidson Dominance
Over a hundred years has passed since William Harvey and Andrew Davidson first collaborated in Milwaukee, USA to reinvent the motorcycle. The pairing has drastically changed the biking industry from selling mere vehicles to offering a whole new lifestyle.
While other companies were just selling regular motorcycles, by creating a biker image, the Harley left its competitors eating dust. Today, Harley Davidson ranks among America’s top growth stocks since its 1986 IPO. It has an annual sales growth of 37% despite suffering some difficulties.
Its easy to see why the company owns the biggest sales share in the motorcycle industry. Having a Harley is like being inducted into a century old fraternity. Purchase of a Harley makes you a member of the Harley Owners Group or HOG as they are fondly referred to. The Legacy of Harley Davidson is being kept alive in the brotherhood of HOG members.
While the company is reflecting robust earnings, there is some worry about how the company will fare in the next 100 years. It is interesting to note that a considerable percentage of Hog owners are baby boomers enjoying the benefits of their earnings and accomplishments in the 90s. What used to be a niche for young professionals, the HOG drivers are now growing older and its important that the Harley should appeal to younger demographics if they intend to survive the succeeding years.
It is clear that the younger generation like the sleek sporty models as opposed to the heavy brassy design the Harley Davidson is known for. The company as opposed to its competitors before refuses to buckle down. When it suffered a 15 year long decline in the 80s, it rallied and has now enjoyed 11 successive years of sales growth.
The Harley relies more on image than performance, and like other institutions that rely on such, it is vulnerable to changes in fashion and taste. Since Harley cannot clone the aging boomers, it is important that they must reach deeper to emerging yuppies and the younger crowd. It would be tricky for the company to make the changes since it has a cult following. They could risk alienating their base crowd. Newer popular models rely on water cooling engines which is a big departure from the Harleys air cooled ones. If the Harley would do away with the roaring sound, they can say goodbye to their customer base.
Harley dealers are confident though that it will find a way to find the balance. They have done an awful lot in the past and with current efforts in marketing strategies, they are confident that the company will find a way to reach out to the younger generation while still keeping faith with the old fanatical clients.
As the next 100 years is well on its way, we can expect the company to be able to bridge the gap. The Harley Davidson has been a biking legacy over the past century and it looks like it will remain to dominate the market for the next generations.
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The Maples in Manorville a Biker Haven
If you Ride a Motorcycle on Long Island then you have probably been to “The Maples” 10 Ryerson Ave in Manorville, If not with all the great routes you can ride to get there, sooner or later I’m sure you will find yourself parking your bike in front!
The Maples draws in every type of Rider, It does not matter what you Ride, how long you have been Riding or how often you chose to Ride! When you are at the Maples you are home! At the Maples it feels as if time is not only standing still ,but you may feel as if you have traveled back in time a few years! Even though the Maples is only about a mile North of exit 70 off the LIE you will feel like all the rush of the Long Island life is a Million miles away! Relaxing at the Maples is an easy thing to do.
Inside you can hang out at the main Bar, shoot a game of Pool or enjoy some of their great food in the large dinning area. Maybe you are more like me and after a nice Ride you enjoy relaxing out side.Well at the Maples you can relax on the huge side deck,Where if you are a fan of Trains you can enjoy the view of the Trains slowly rolling by as if out of a scene from a Norman Rockwell Painting!
Then there is the Huge back deck where there is a full service Bar, Jukebox, Pool table and more often then not a live band! Many Couples like to unwind over by the Perfectly landscaped Pond or walk around the huge backyard! As Maples is a Biker friendly bar you will find that many bike events are held there! After a trip to “the Maples” You will understand why many call it the Best Biker Bar in the Northeast and say that a day at the maples is more relaxing then a weekend trip upstate! The Maples offers Long Islanders everything the Upstate Country Bars do, Well except maybe that Ride threw the City! Check out the Maples online at http://www.geocitiescom/themaplesbar/
Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com
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A lost Sense of Freedom
Whenever a person or group of people try to live their lives free, those who are stuck in unhappy lives will be jealous. Some people have a hard time letting go, freeing themselves from the day to day trials and tribulations of everyday life even for a little while. Others seek an escape from the stress and anxiety often associated with modern day life. I guess for me, that’s part of why I am a Biker. There is something about riding a bike that inspires a sense of freedom in me. The open road, the wind in my face, the smells, getting back to nature, the power of my bike. It’s all these things and more that make me feel free. It’s unfortunate that there are some people who, for whatever reason, can’t find something or someway to let go and experience the sense of freedom that we do. These people, for whatever reason, are the ones who point to us and call us rogues or rebels. They say that what we are doing is wrong and that our culture is a “disruptive influence.”
As Bikers, we live our lives a little differently. We work and have responsibilities, but we still know the feeling of freedom. Maybe its because we smile just a bit more and are a bit more relaxed that turns these people green with envy? A person who works hard and has no free time sees a person on the road riding his or her motorcycle and thinks “I wish that was me!” The thought of being free doesn’t leave their mind. They long for it. They crave it badly! How many of you out their have had a friend tell you how they have always wanted to buy a Motorcycle and just go out riding? How many of them ever actually do?
Here is a typical story : A man is driving home from work when he see’s a group of motorcycle riders pull up next to him. He looks at this group of people riding together having a great time, He starts to think, “I wish that was me”. He then decides, “I’m going to buy a Motorcycle!” He starts thinking about riding. How great it will be to have his wife on the back of his bike and the wind in his face. We could ride up to the lake or maybe that little motel way up in the Mountains. Thinking of the great times he will have he starts to feel that small sense of freedom. He thinks “This must be what those Biker get to feel, Wow!” He turns into the driveway, parks his truck and rushes into the house to tell his wife about his fantastic idea. “Hi honey, I’m going to buy a Motorcycle.” His wife looks at him and says “What? Did you get overwhelmed by the fumes at work again?” “You can’t ride a Motorcycle. The man answers back, “I’ll learn!”
“You must be crazy”, she says. “Those things are death traps! You will kill yourself and we can’t afford it!” “Honey this is something I really want” replies the man. “NO NO NO!!! I won’t have one of those things in my house! What kind of message would it send to the kids, our neighbors?” They argue about it, but it the end, the man never gets his motorcycle. He never goes to the lake with his wife or takes that trip up to the little motel in the mountains. He never feels the real sense of freedom one can only get when taking a long trip on a motorcycle. He spends the rest of his life wishing he had never seen that group of Motorcycles. He is angry and bitter.
Now when he see’s Bikers he puts them down. He hates Bikers, not because of who or what they are, but because of what he can never be. He hates them because of what they represent. They represent a kind of freedom, sense of belonging, a oneness with nature and the world that he longs for, he craves, but can never have. We live here in America, the home of the free, but many are not free. They have never experienced the sense of freedom that can only be experienced on two wheels and, for whatever reason, never will. They live boring, uneventful. “safe” lives and complain about those who don’t.
Don’t hate these envious people, pity them for they will never know the sense of freedom and brotherhood we get from riding with a group of our Bro’s. They’ll never know the wind in their face, the feeling of peace and oneness with nature we feel as we ride threw the country side or down a long lonely highway. They’ll never know the clarity of mind that comes from a long ride alone or the closeness and bond of a long ride or weekend away with someone special. Just thank your higher power that you’ve found a way to escape, a way to be free, even if it’s just on the weekends.
Ride Safe and Ride Free because when it all come down to it, this is all about the Ride! Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com Listen to LJs Radio Show at BikerLowDown.com
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St. Patrick School Car Show
One of my Favorite parts of being a freelance writer is the Diversity of events I get to cover. On Sunday April 20Th 2008, One such Event was the St. Patrick School Car Show in Smithtown NY. When I arrived the host of the Event John Forlenza welcomed me in and thanked me for Covering the event.
One of the First things that caught my eye was the “Dukes of Hazzard” General Lee Replica Charger, I even got to sit in it Yee Haw!!! Then I was off walking around Checking everything out like the Kyle Petty and Dale Earnhardt Replica NASCAR’s, The 007 Lotus Esprit Submarine from the Movie “The Spy who Loved Me” ,The Billy Joel Motorcycle Collection presented by Light House H-D, Monster Trucks, Classic and Modern Cars and Hot-Rods, KITT from the TV show Knight Rider (KITT is a little Conceded in person as he wouldn’t even talk to me!!!) Herbie the Love Bug, The Batmobile and so much more!
I also Got to See “Elvis” perform a Couple of Songs Live! This event was planned out well for the Men who’s wives’ and Kids aren’t into Cars! To keep them busy while Dad walked around checking everything out the Wives and Kids in attendance got to enjoy the air Bouncer, air Slides, shows,Food and the many vendors On hand!
I got to meet and say Hi to the Men and Women of the Exceeding Limits Truck Club and I also got to meet New friends of mine Chris and Mike from Motormouth Radio, Check them out at motormouthradio.com .
For only $5 Admission per Adult and Children Free this was an Affordable day of fun the whole Family Could really enjoy!!! Keep an eye out for this event again next year and I’ll see you there!!!
Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com
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Small town brawl!
It was a quite day in a small Bar in upstate New York . The girl working behind the bar was young, she had just turned 18 and had only been bar tending a few weeks, this was her first time working alone. Everything was going fine with only two of the regulars in the back shooting pool it was nothing she could not handle she thought to herself.
Then the front door opened and in walked ten of the biggest men she had ever seen. They talked loudly and as they walked over to the far side of the bar, She got a look at the back of their jackets. She could easily see that the markings on them where all the same. The men ordered pitchers of beer and their talking only got louder as they drank more and talked about things she did not understand. Then the men went quite as the front door opened and in walked seven more large men, at first she thought these seven men where with the first Ten as they looked and dressed similar but as she looked at the markings on the backs of these new comers Jackets she could tell while they where similar the markings where different, By the way the two groups where looking at each other she guessed the difference must mean a lot to them.
The Seven men sat up toward the front of the bar and also ordered pitchers of beer. The young girl did her best to make sure both groups where kept happy, but it was just a matter of time and Beer! When one of the men from the first group called out to her, “Hey Honey don’t worry about those guys, there losers! Come over here and hang with some real men.” That was all it took, the fuse was lit. “Who you calling losers pal we are good enough to beat you any day of the week!” Yelled back a guy from the second group. “You may think your as good as us but you never will be!” Yelled back a man from the first group.
Then in what was a blur to our young barmaid a fight broke out between the two groups it was loud and she could hear glass and wood breaking all around her as the men cursed and screamed at each other. This young Girl was scared and she feared for her life.
Her fear abated a little when in the distance she heard sirens. The police are coming, she thought to herself as she hid behind the bar. The police arrived in force and they stormed in arresting the men and taking them away. When things got quite and all the men where taken away the young girl looked around the small bar. So much damage she thought to herself, She looked at one of the officers and asked how did you know to come here. We got a call that these two groups where both heading to this bar and we just knew, it happens all the time with these type of guys!!!
Epilogue: The next morning when the young barmaid awoke she walked down stairs to the kitchen where her father was reading the morning paper. Does it say anything about the fight in the bar yesterday she asked her father? Yes he said as he pointed to a small article in the back of the paper “Yankees and Mets fans Brawl it out in small town bar” the story went on to explain how all the men where given tickets for disorderly conduct and released. That’s it she screamed at her father these men trash the bar, scare the hell out of me, They should all be in jail and all they get is Tickets!!! Calm down sweetheart her father said as he hugged her, The way your acting one would think it had been a bunch of rowdy Bikers in the bar yesterday! Those Guys would have been locked away, But it was only Sports fans!
Story By Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com
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Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in NYC
Every year when the cold Weather hits Its Time for the Bike Shows I head out to the Jacob K Javits convention Center in New York City for the Annual Cycle World International Motorcycle Show.
This Show for me is always a great time,I get to see so many people I know all at Once,The event is always packed and the attendance is always higher then any other event I have ever seen.
Now anyone who knows me ,knows I try to never talk negative about anything but I need to ask what’s up with air Bags on Motorcycles? who and when did someone come up with this idea? I mean I heard about something like this years ago and I’m pretty sure it was the punch line to the end of a joke! maybe its me and I’m missing something but if an air bag on your Motorcycle is something you are looking for maybe you should just get a station Wagon!
The indoor Bike Stunt show always draws a HUGE Crowd with all it death defying tricks and stunts. When it comes to a show like this there is just too many things that go on to try to explain it all. So do not miss this show next year check out the website MOTORCYCLESHOWS.COM for upcoming events near you.
Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com and Radio Show at BikerLowdown.com
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