Back in 1980, I felt the same way. The nerve of HD asking for tariffs, running up the price of my favorite Japanese bike! So I did some research to augment my bench-racing arguments. What I uncovered surprised me . . .
The protectionism is alive & well . . .IN JAPAN! The HD FXRS I bought new in 1982 cost me $5800.00 out the door (incl. tax, license & title). That same motorcycle in Japan cost over $30,000.00 in 1982. Even though they command 75% of the big bore motorcycle market in Japan, Harleys haven't gotten any cheaper in the Land of the Rising Sun. It is currently cheaper for a Japanese citizen to purchase a Gold Wing from the states (Ohio to be exact), ship it to Japan and pay the import tariff than it is to buy one locally!
Maybe you should be bitching about the lack of a level playing field instead of griping about the 80's tariffs . . .
Whatever. All I did was express resentment for being forced to help bail out a motorcycle company whose product sucked (under AMF for 12 years just prior to the bailout, as any Harley afficionado will tell you). So just show me the money.
I read today that Harley stock took another tumble: "Shares of Harley-Davidson weighed on the S&P 500 after the motorcycle maker cut its profit and production targets for the year. It lost nearly 17 percent, or $9.84, to $48.93." Guess I'd better rush out and buy that new Ducati before their CEO begs the government for another bailout.
You could have had a new Eddie Lawson Special for that 5800 bucks you paid for the '82 Harley and had an authentic performance bike, with lots of money left over. A bike which, by the way, is worth much more now, being a collector's item.