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Harley-Davidson CEO Steps Down After Sales Decline Due to ‘Woke’ Policies
Daily Fetched ^ | April 09, 2025 | Jason Walsh

Posted on 04/09/2025 10:17:24 AM PDT by Red Badger

Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz is set to step down from the company after years of declining sales, which many have attributed to his woke agenda.

The decades-old, world-famous company confirmed the news in a press release on Tuesday.

Zeitz oversaw the company’s recent sales decline, which ultimately resulted in a rollback of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Between 2022 and 2024, motorcycle sales dropped in all but one quarter compared to the same quarter from the previous year, according to data from Harley-Davidson Investor Relations, via the Daily Caller.

In August, the company announced it would ditch DEI initiatives and restructure its Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs).

According to a post on SHRM CEO Action, the company described the BERGs as its “version of affinity groups and networks.”

Three of the BERGs — African American, Latina, and Asian — were labeled with racial or ethnic categories.

The reversal came after activist Robby Starbuck alleged the company “funded an all-ages pride event” that hosted drag queen story time, forced employees to train to be LGBTQ allies, and even dispatched white male employees to a segregated diversity training.

READ: VP JD Vance Issues Inspiring Message to Young Men: ‘We Want You Guys to Thrive’

Starbuck also said that Zeitz put his signature to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge.

Zeitz received backlash from the company’s customer base.

“Harley needs to stick with building bikes and leave the wokeness alone,” said Earnest Chapman, a 30-year Harley owner.

Another biker, 56-year-old Nick Randall, said, “I just can’t figure out why he was installed in that role if this is what is happening now,” adding, “They need to figure out a way to get rid of his ass.”

Zeitz appeared hell-bent on pushing his motorcycle company into wokeness, even declaring he would be transitioning their bikes to be all-electric.

He was so focused on environmental policies that he said he earned the moniker “sustainable Taliban” during a talk at the Zermatt Summit Foundation, a public interest group of business and other stakeholders.

Zeitz also slammed President Trump for withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords in 2017.

“Sadly with this decision the Trump Administration is choosing to turn its back on the rest of the world,” he said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Military/Veterans; Travel
KEYWORDS: harleydavidson; motorcycles; woke
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1 posted on 04/09/2025 10:17:24 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: martin_fierro

PING!............


2 posted on 04/09/2025 10:17:40 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

Go woke, go broke.


3 posted on 04/09/2025 10:20:09 AM PDT by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: Red Badger

A German, Colgate Palmolive, Then Puma, board member of Kenyan Wildlife Service.

Hopefully this helps stop that stupid CEO cult where they believe that ANY random CEO, can be plugged into ANY company and make it work well.

His woke, electric, Chinese factory having, globalist European mentality bullcrap was destructive.


4 posted on 04/09/2025 10:21:55 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2025... RETURN OF THE JEDI...)
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To: Red Badger
Woke Harley?


5 posted on 04/09/2025 10:23:53 AM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: All

Woke

6 posted on 04/09/2025 10:24:58 AM PDT by Liz (This then is how we should pray...."Our Father, who art in heaven......" )
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To: Red Badger

Selling “wokeism” to potential Harley buyers won’t work.
Stevie Wonder could have seen that.


7 posted on 04/09/2025 10:25:01 AM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
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To: Red Badger

There was an old joke that said the only difference between a vacuum cleaner and a Harley was the position of the dirt bag. Apparently it was in the C suite.


8 posted on 04/09/2025 10:25:22 AM PDT by txeagle
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To: Red Badger

Stupid leadership!


9 posted on 04/09/2025 10:26:12 AM PDT by existentially_kuffer
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To: Red Badger

Dirty little secret about HD: It’s more Honda and BMW now than HD.


10 posted on 04/09/2025 10:27:57 AM PDT by CodeToad
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To: Red Badger

Takes a real Bud Lite caliber genius to wokeify HD.


11 posted on 04/09/2025 10:29:58 AM PDT by bigbob (Yes. We ARE going back!)
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To: Red Badger

Good riddance. Now remove all board members who supported him. Excise the cancer.


12 posted on 04/09/2025 10:30:07 AM PDT by ArcadeQuarters (You can't remove RINOs by voting for them!)
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To: Red Badger

As having been the owner of Harleys for over 15 years I can say with all confidence that woke policies are only part of their problem......those bikes are WAY more expensive than they should be.
-
$30k for a touring bike is stupid.


13 posted on 04/09/2025 10:32:46 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: Red Badger

Motorcycle sales in general have been trending lower, mostly due to younger generations being less interested in owning them compared to in the past. The woke and DEI policies of this CEO only accelerated the rate of disinterest.
Not sure if they can ever be profitable again without severe downsizing and becoming specialized.


14 posted on 04/09/2025 10:34:31 AM PDT by lee martell
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To: Red Badger

Any pride fest or story hour events in Sturgis?


15 posted on 04/09/2025 10:35:12 AM PDT by lurk (u)
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To: Red Badger

All these people that have decided that Men are evil have a problem.
The world doesn’t need “Soyboys” or raving feminists.
Your kids will turn their backs on your BS.
Despite our best efforts Kids have innate sense of what
is good and what is bad for them.


16 posted on 04/09/2025 10:36:30 AM PDT by rellic (No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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To: V_TWIN

Yes. My wife has a Harley but I have a Yamaha and a Suzuki.

When I am invariably asked why I don’t have a Harley I simply say “I don’t like working on motorcycles.”..............


17 posted on 04/09/2025 10:36:43 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out even if there are 1,000 Hell’s Angels waiting to inflict retribution outside that door.


18 posted on 04/09/2025 10:37:17 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: lurk

Yeah, right next to the Bud Light tent................


19 posted on 04/09/2025 10:37:43 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: ViLaLuz

FUNNY how that simple statement keeps getting proven over and over and over and over AGAIN.

The LEFT seems incapable of learning even the simplest of things.


20 posted on 04/09/2025 10:38:22 AM PDT by OHPatriot (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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