Harley's Dirty Little Secret

[Tom Horn]

Having owned a sportswear printing business for just over 30 years, I had interaction with dozens of Harley Davidson dealers in several states. I sold the business in 2002 but I doubt what I'm about to tell you has changed. The truth is, Harley Davidson is about as much about "freedom" as our commiecrats in Congress. They are as ruthless a corporation behind the scenes as it gets.

Back in the mid-90's, Harley decided they weren't making enough money on their apparel line. Thousands of bootlgers like myself were selling Harley designs to their dealers and after-market chopper shops. Our designs made their stodgy old-fashioned logo shirts pale by comparison. So they informed their dealers in cease and desist letters that they could no longer buy "unauthorized" apparel from us. They sold these printing franchises for $100K and took a healthy cut of the profits. They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts. Nothing wrong so far...they were within their rights.

But then they took it too far. They sent their new franchised printers into Harley and Chopper shops posing as customers to find out where they'd been getting their merchandise....sneaky. Then they sent us printers cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if we didn't surrender our artwork and silk screens to them. They followed that by RAIDING their own dealers and seizing unauthorized inventory and FINING them $1 for every piece of apparel seized. If the dealer objected, Harley would pull their parts kit...effectively putting them out of business. And what did all this result in?

Harley Davidson now makes more money on the apparel line than they do selling motorcycles. The popularity of their brand is based on two factors. How the Harley engine sounds, and that it's an AMERICAN icon, falsely posing as the "Great American Freedom Machine". Ask a Harley dealer how "free" he is dealing with Milwaukee, soon to be Bangkok, Thailand.

 

[BluesLegend]

They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts.

That is illegal. Harley can put a suggested retail price tag on the stuff, and can restrict them from advertising discounts, but cannot legally force retailers to charge customers full price retailers can discount if they choose.

 

[DGS49]

Damn. They took steps to protect their own intellectual property. Outrageous.

What does this have to do with "freedom." Freedom to steal someone else's property?

 

[Mac1958]

Damn. They took steps to protect their own intellectual property. Outrageous.
What does this have to do with "freedom." Freedom to steal someone else's property?

Yup.

This is just getting nuttier and nuttier.
.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Oh well. Bye Harley Davidson.

 

[BluesLegend]

Oh well. Bye Harley Davidson.

Your post is blatantly dishonest.

 

[Moonglow]

Having owned a sportswear printing business for just over 30 years, I had interaction with dozens of Harley Davidson dealers in several states. I sold the business in 2002 but I doubt what I'm about to tell you has changed. The truth is, Harley Davidson is about as much about "freedom" as our commiecrats in Congress. They are as ruthless a corporation behind the scenes as it gets.

Back in the mid-90's, Harley decided they weren't making enough money on their apparel line. Thousands of bootlgers like myself were selling Harley designs to their dealers and after-market chopper shops. Our designs made their stodgy old-fashioned logo shirts pale by comparison. So they informed their dealers in cease and desist letters that they could no longer buy "unauthorized" apparel from us. They sold these printing franchises for $100K and took a healthy cut of the profits. They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts. Nothing wrong so far...they were within their rights.

But then they took it too far. They sent their new franchised printers into Harley and Chopper shops posing as customers to find out where they'd been getting their merchandise....sneaky. Then they sent us printers cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if we didn't surrender our artwork and silk screens to them. They followed that by RAIDING their own dealers and seizing unauthorized inventory and FINING them $1 for every piece of apparel seized. If the dealer objected, Harley would pull their parts kit...effectively putting them out of business. And what did all this result in?

Harley Davidson now makes more money on the apparel line than they do selling motorcycles. The popularity of their brand is based on two factors. How the Harley engine sounds, and that it's an AMERICAN icon, falsely posing as the "Great American Freedom Machine". Ask a Harley dealer how "free" he is dealing with Milwaukee, soon to be Bangkok, Thailand.

And this makes them different than other corporations how?

 

[Tom Horn]

They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts.

That is illegal. Harley can put a suggested retail price tag on the stuff, and can restrict them from advertising discounts, but cannot legally force retailers to charge customers full price retailers can discount if they choose.

They can and they do....I got that from the horse's mouth...Buddy Stubbs....the largest Harley dealer here in Phoenix. This is what I'm talking about....a Harley dealership is a multi-million dollar enterprise and Harley will step on any dealer who gets out of line.

 

[Tom Horn]

Damn. They took steps to protect their own intellectual property. Outrageous.

What does this have to do with "freedom." Freedom to steal someone else's property?

What "property"? The parent company didn't own the designs or apparel their dealers bought from us. It was all about taking their dealer's ability to have a choice of product and sources.....try reading what I said again.

 

[Vastator]

Aside from selling themselves as a piece of Americana. I've never been impressed by their designs. Their quality definitely doesn't wow anyone. The best looking bike they made was the VRod.

 

[Tom Horn]

Damn. They took steps to protect their own intellectual property. Outrageous.
What does this have to do with "freedom." Freedom to steal someone else's property?

Yup.

This is just getting nuttier and nuttier.
.

Howdy dumbass....decided who you are yet today?

 

[TheOldSchool]

Oh well. Bye Harley Davidson.

Your post is blatantly dishonest.

They were already doing poorly, and now Trump has put the dagger in their back. You can always get a Honda or Ducati.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Having owned a sportswear printing business for just over 30 years, I had interaction with dozens of Harley Davidson dealers in several states. I sold the business in 2002 but I doubt what I'm about to tell you has changed. The truth is, Harley Davidson is about as much about "freedom" as our commiecrats in Congress. They are as ruthless a corporation behind the scenes as it gets.

Back in the mid-90's, Harley decided they weren't making enough money on their apparel line. Thousands of bootlgers like myself were selling Harley designs to their dealers and after-market chopper shops. Our designs made their stodgy old-fashioned logo shirts pale by comparison. So they informed their dealers in cease and desist letters that they could no longer buy "unauthorized" apparel from us. They sold these printing franchises for $100K and took a healthy cut of the profits. They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts. Nothing wrong so far...they were within their rights.

But then they took it too far. They sent their new franchised printers into Harley and Chopper shops posing as customers to find out where they'd been getting their merchandise....sneaky. Then they sent us printers cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if we didn't surrender our artwork and silk screens to them. They followed that by RAIDING their own dealers and seizing unauthorized inventory and FINING them $1 for every piece of apparel seized. If the dealer objected, Harley would pull their parts kit...effectively putting them out of business. And what did all this result in?

Harley Davidson now makes more money on the apparel line than they do selling motorcycles. The popularity of their brand is based on two factors. How the Harley engine sounds, and that it's an AMERICAN icon, falsely posing as the "Great American Freedom Machine". Ask a Harley dealer how "free" he is dealing with Milwaukee, soon to be Bangkok, Thailand.

I don't think you are going to get a lot of sympathy for this.
They have a right to protect their intellectual property, which in many cases has more value than a companies physical property.

 

[Mac1958]

Damn. They took steps to protect their own intellectual property. Outrageous.
What does this have to do with "freedom." Freedom to steal someone else's property?

Yup.

This is just getting nuttier and nuttier.
.

Howdy dumbass....decided who you are yet today?

Struck a nerve. Again.

Good.
.

 

[BluesLegend]

Oh well. Bye Harley Davidson.

Your post is blatantly dishonest.

They were already doing poorly, and now Trump has put the dagger in their back. You can always get a Honda or Ducati.

Harley had $5 billion in sales last year earning half a billion profit.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Oh well. Bye Harley Davidson.

Your post is blatantly dishonest.

They were already doing poorly, and now Trump has put the dagger in their back. You can always get a Honda or Ducati.

Harley had $5 billion in sales last year earning half a billion profit.

Less than the year before. Same story for the year before that, and so on. You should be happy. They crossed your dotard

 

[Siete]

corporate making $$ for shareholders isnt a dirty little secrete.

 

[Tom Horn]

I don't think you are going to get a lot of sympathy for this.
They have a right to protect their intellectual property, which in many cases has more value than a companies physical property.

"sympathy"? Why the hell would I want that? I'm giving you an inside look at how Harley operates...they are low-rent shitheads who double-crossed Trump and their customers, workers, and the USA by leaving. I made a lot of money printing that apparel but that's not the point...it's the way Harley Davidson treated their dealers...and this was over 20 years ago.

 

[Cellblock2429]

Having owned a sportswear printing business for just over 30 years, I had interaction with dozens of Harley Davidson dealers in several states. I sold the business in 2002 but I doubt what I'm about to tell you has changed. The truth is, Harley Davidson is about as much about "freedom" as our commiecrats in Congress. They are as ruthless a corporation behind the scenes as it gets.

Back in the mid-90's, Harley decided they weren't making enough money on their apparel line. Thousands of bootlgers like myself were selling Harley designs to their dealers and after-market chopper shops. Our designs made their stodgy old-fashioned logo shirts pale by comparison. So they informed their dealers in cease and desist letters that they could no longer buy "unauthorized" apparel from us. They sold these printing franchises for $100K and took a healthy cut of the profits. They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts. Nothing wrong so far...they were within their rights.

But then they took it too far. They sent their new franchised printers into Harley and Chopper shops posing as customers to find out where they'd been getting their merchandise....sneaky. Then they sent us printers cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if we didn't surrender our artwork and silk screens to them. They followed that by RAIDING their own dealers and seizing unauthorized inventory and FINING them $1 for every piece of apparel seized. If the dealer objected, Harley would pull their parts kit...effectively putting them out of business. And what did all this result in?

Harley Davidson now makes more money on the apparel line than they do selling motorcycles. The popularity of their brand is based on two factors. How the Harley engine sounds, and that it's an AMERICAN icon, falsely posing as the "Great American Freedom Machine". Ask a Harley dealer how "free" he is dealing with Milwaukee, soon to be Bangkok, Thailand.

/——-/ Go into a diner serving Coke and ask for a Pepsi. They will say “Coke , no Pepsi” There was a great SNL skit about this in the 1970s.

 

[Tom Horn]

Struck a nerve. Again.

Good.
.

Slapped your own face again is what you mean, dumbass.