Perhaps, but HD is entitled to morph themselves to success. The company earned it. AMF sold the company to the employee's in bankrupt condition. The employee owned company, one of the first and obviously one of the most successful, corrected the mistakes of its once parent co. AMF (American Machine & Foundry) and took on the Japanese. The Japanese were "dumping" large motorcycles on the US market, selling Honda's below the cost to make them. Harley asked the Reagan Admin to put a tariff on bikes above 800cc, which Reagan did. By 1990, Harley asked the tariff to be REMOVED and it was. Now the Japanese bikes are making copies of Harleys.
You can rag on the Harley-Davidson all you want, but in the end, when all the facts are known, it is a the "All American Motorcycle" worthy of the title in all respects.
Marketing? Phooey!