This weekend in Milwaukee is the Harley-Davidson 110th anniversary celebration. They have one every 5 years and people come to Milwaukee from all over the world with their Harleys. It got me thinking about how they are a marketing genius. In the 70's, Harley-Davidson had an outlaw image. For instance, Hells Angels rode Harleys. The company almost went bankrupt in the late 70's . In the 80's, the foreign motorcycles were popular. Think of the movie Top Gun. Tom Cruise was on a Kawasaki Ninja. HD was bought by investors in the early 80's and they set out to improve the quality of the motorcycles and the image. Today, Harley is seen as the "cool" bike. The company did a good job of branching into the clothing business and opening up stores in most cities. Almost every rider is wearing the HD brand clothing. Riders are every age. From the girl in her 20's in a bikini top, to the grandma driving her own Harley. I think Harley riders have a mystique to them. When you observe them riding in big groups this weekend, it makes you want to be a Harley girl, if only for the weekend.
