Harley Davidson makes worse marketing decision ever - tonight !

Milwaukee Journal ^ | 08/31/03 | AP

[Melas]

you could have fooled me. It looks a lot like a sportbike to me. Maybe not a race replica with clip-ons, but a sport bike none the less. The ergos seem to be a lot like like the Buell Lightning, as compared to the Firebolt.

[martianagent]

Apparently Harley actually made real motorcycles for one little stretch of three or four years during WW-II when the US government forced them to produce imitation BMWs for couriers. The entire rest of their history has been spent making those idiotic long-stroke 45-degree V twin monstrosities.

[BIGeltonfan]

"I was made in England like a blue Cortina
But a Yankee summer had a way about her
You had a scent for scandal, well here's my middle finger
I had forty years of pain and nothing to cling to

If you're made in England, you're built to last
You can still say 'homo' and everybody laughs
But the joke's on you, you never read the song
They all think they know but they all got it wrong"
-Elton John - Made In England 1995

[kissy bissy wissy]

and did you think this fool could never win
well look at me i'm coming back again
i got a taste of love in a simple way
and if you need to know why i'm still standing you just fade away.

[regfan]

I'm a kid whose dad always rode a bike.....he went cross country from Virginia beach Va to San diego Cal. in the dead of winter... so it's not a comment from a non bike lover, but one that I feel is real to me.

I'm also an Elton fan, and I DO agree he wasn't the best pick for a Harley anniversary as big as this, but do we have to trash him in the process of disagreeing with the Suits at H-D who made this choice?

All the man did was go out to try to entertain... it was what he was paid to do. And he did it despite watching thousands turn their backs on the show... how many young punk bands today would have started tossing things and cussing and acting like idiots if this happened to them?

He simply finished his set and left with consumate proffessionalism, DESPITE what the result was....

Your ire should rightly be with the short sighted fools in the H_D management who exhibited poor judgement and a lack of touch with their customer base.... not the fellow who simply did what he does for a living.

Please refrain from gay bashing and shout in the direction from whence the true mistake was made...

to borrow a phrase, don't shoot the messenger just cause you didn't like the messenger.....

And in closing, there is nothing more beautiful on this earth than seeing a sunrise from the back of a Harley goin down the open highway........

Ride on America!
regfan

[CaptainFantastic]

WELL SAID BIGeltonfan and kissy bissy wissy. ELTON ROCKS!

[Sabertooth]

I saw one of HD's 100th Anniversary kickoff events in CA last year, and the acts were Earl Scruggs and The Doors.

[CaptainFantastic]

Yes regfan. just to add to what you said, Elton was just trying to entertain, that what he does he's an entertainer. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY cant say that they werent moved when he did the tribute to princess Diana. Everybody has a favorite Elton song and they just don't have the guts to admit it! Yes I am an Elton John fan and I'M PROUD OF IT!

[Richard Antoine]

If John Lennon had been alive maybe he would have been considered an «ok» act to perform for the HD crowd, the only problem being half the people there wouldn't have gotten the message apparently. What's with the homophobic crap and ignorance here? Sure Elton John is gay and was obviously not the favourite choice for this bash but so what??!! Do you have to trash the man and throw petty insults at those who enjoy his music to feel better about yourselves?

[Diana_b]

It's sad to read what I have been reading in here, Sure, some do not agree with the dissicion fot the choice of enterment fot the evening. Thats fine! thats you right. But, this directed insults at Elton John is absurd. You people are not just hurting Elton, (if he even gives it a second thought), but you are hurting his fans as well. I sure hope my non-american friends do not veiw me as being so narrow minded, after reading this.

[regfan]

Well, I just hate seeing people get bigger off the backs of anyone else....

After all, many people have a poor image of 'Bikers' from the stereotyping of some....it's just a re-hash of old bad vibes.

regfan40

[pknighttrain]

I couldn’t believe they had Elton John at the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Party! A gay man playing a Yamaha piano, which the cameraman did a great job of focusing in on. It made me wonder if Yamaha and Harley were merging, or was one buying the other out? What will be next - a pink Harley for 2004? Elton is way beyond his prime compared to 25 plus years ago. It was also surprising that the surprise entertainment was not of USA origin. Along with most others we expected to rock out - not rock to sleep.

[Final Authority]

The worst marketing decision was the production of the water cooled Porche designed Harley. It is selling for 80% of sticker price purely based on want ads where there are are lot of "don't wants" selling their iron.