An Open Letter to Harley Davidson Motor Company

10-23/2017

For as long as I have been alive, there have been Harley Davidson motorcycles.

For the first time in decades HD unit sales have begun to slide significantly downward.

One of the reasons cited is that the younger people in the USA are just not picking up the sport of motorcycle riding the way the older generation did when they were growing up.

That may be true, but in addition to this I feel that the motor company is NOT taking good care of the older generation of customers they already have.

One of the reasons we buy motorcycles (including Harleys) is so that we can customize them to our own individual tastes & styles with aftermarket accessories and add-ons.

And those accessories and add-ons might not necessarily be Harley brand accessories.

Harley Davidson has created an adversarial relationship between their dealers and customers over the addition of non-Harley brand accessories to their motorcycles.

When any warranty issue occurs, the dealer will often go out of their way to record into a computer every single non-Harley accessory that has been added to the motorcycle and to use as many of them as possible as an excuse to deny warranty service.

Whether it is something as simple as a handlebar change, exhaust system modification (within EPA regs) the addition of a trailer hitch, or the addition of an audio system booster amplifier or speaker change, the Harley Davidson dealer will use this as an opportunity or excuse to deny warranty service.

And the Harley Davidson dealer will often do this with no actual proof that the addition of any part or accessory has caused or contributed to the warranty issue the customer is having.

How many times do you think existing customers will put up with this kind of treatment by Harley Davidson, before they make their current Harley THEIR LAST Harley Davidson motorcycle?

I hope that the executives at Harley Davidson Motor Company accept this letter in the spirit with which it is written.

I hope that this letter will contribute a small part to the various changes that might need to take place at Harley, for motorcycle unit sales to rebound and attract new riders to the sport that I have loved all my life.

Sincerely,

John Lazzeroni
President, J&M Corporation Tucson Arizona USA www.jmcorp.com

 

everyone has their opinion and they are entitled to it.

owning a motorcycle is different than owning a car or an SUV ,, a Harley Davidson motorcycle is as American as apple pie and GreenBay Packer football! ,,,,, (oh OK, other NFL teams also,, lol)).

I think we have LOST some of those feelings lately and I for one don't like it.

once the brand loses that feel of independence and individuality, the Marlon Brando type "wild one" ,,, that part that separates it's riders from all the rest, young OR old ,,, then I think the end is near.

My open letter to Harley is linked to the J&M website here http://www.jmcorp.com/pdf/An-Open-Le...or-Company.pdf ,,,

 

Harley doesn't care what it's customers say. They don't even have an email on their website.