Iconic motorcycle dealership shuts down
after 110 YEARS amid 'chaotic' final days
- as firm battles woke DEI
Daily Mail,
by
Melissa Koenig
Original Article
Posted By: happywarrior,
8/7/2024 9:15:10 AM
An iconic motorcycle dealership abruptly closed its doors for the last time after 110 years amid some 'chaotic' final days, with the corporation now facing backlash for its woke DEI initiatives. The San Francisco Harley-Davidson was founded in 1914 by Dudley Perkins and was passed along to three generations, becoming the longest-running family-owned Harley-Davidson dealership as it survived two world wars, the Great Depression and the COVID pandemic.
Post Reply
Reminder: “WE ARE A SALON AND NOT A SALOON”
Your thoughts, comments, and ideas are always welcome here. But we ask you to please be mindful and respectful. Threatening or crude language doesn't persuade anybody and makes the conversation less enjoyable for fellow L.Dotters.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Mushroom 8/7/2024 9:40:30 AM (No. 1774099)
6 years is all it took to unravel a 100yr old business. Wow... I was an employee in a similar situation.
24 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
sw penn 8/7/2024 10:01:48 AM (No. 1774110)
Another victory for Marxists.
You can't destroy capitalism
without destroying capitalism...
19 people like this.
Harley has been in trouble for a long time. Recently the long time Harley dealer in my town became an Indian dealer.
13 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Axeman 8/7/2024 10:45:45 AM (No. 1774142)
I've owned the same H-D since 1990. I will happily keep it.
Dudley Perkins was legendary. They made their own customized versions and were highly prized. H-D's strategy to attract younger customers was doomed to failure in SF anyway. The younger customers, especially in CA, and it's at its' worst in SF and LA areas, don't have that kind of luxury money, and if they did they would waste it on superfluous disposable junk. My perception is they are becoming very shallow and selfish. Now if a business were to make live-stream Rent-a-Hogs they might do well.
4 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Muguy 8/7/2024 11:04:11 AM (No. 1774161)
When HD started closing plants and moving production overseas for the smaller bikes to interest younger,less affluent customers, I knew they were in trouble. They had a beautiful plant in Kansas City that was shut down and they moved that production to York PA where the big bikes and trikes were made.
The cost of ownership of he large touring bikes is not for the feint of heart, but oh, they are literally freedom on two wheels! There are great creature comforts built in and you will meet some of the greatest people. As with so many things these days, Biden/Kamala inflation makes it more and more difficult to maintain the tradition we have been accustomed to over the decades.
Enjoy it while we still can!
8 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Highlander 8/7/2024 11:12:18 AM (No. 1774166)
I suspect it’s all a plot to bring down Rolling Thunder since it’s pro-Trump and all-American.
5 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
earlybird 8/7/2024 11:35:39 AM (No. 1774176)
An executive friend of mine rode a motorcycle to work in SF for years. Parking his car in the fity too expensive. It was garaged outside the city and used for trips.
4 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Noj15 8/7/2024 12:05:33 PM (No. 1774197)
We used to write motorcycle insurance for Dudley Perkins customers forty years ago. They would pull up into our parking lot in their brand new Softail, lean the bike over with the kickstand down, and immediately begin leaking oil. Good times.
8 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
stablemoney 8/7/2024 12:18:11 PM (No. 1774206)
I don't see how any small business could survive in Ca., or any individual afford to live there. Throw in bad management, and failure is guaranteed.
6 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
JimBob 8/7/2024 12:43:00 PM (No. 1774227)
Long-time (50-years) motorcyclist here.
I own 7 Buell motorcycles. Buell was a Harley engineer who went off on his own, building American made lightweight, high performance sport bikes powered by improved Harley Sportster engines. They have a Harley heart without all the Harley 'cultural baggage'- the skulls, tattoos, leather, and ponytails. Harley management gradually bought Buell's company, as the Harley rider customer base was getting older and older, and Buell customers were younger motorcyclists, not the old Harley 'Biker' crowd. Buell was doing very well until 2009 when Harley's board of directors hired a new CEO -a company bureaucrat, not a motorcyclist- amongst a dip in the economy. Harley management abruptly closed the Buell division, and in doing so lost any 'brand loyalty' that Buell owners had to Harley.
It seems to me that Harley must have the same knucklehead board of directors as General Motors, as they make the same kind of stupid mistakes. Then again, it's another reminder that, years ago when I went through engineering school, that, at the university I went to, engineering was known as the hardest course of study. and business administration was known as the easiest. That says something about the 'management class' at many American companies,
Another example of -as Target and Bud Light have found out- Leftism kills whatever it touches.
9 people like this.
Below, you will find ...
Most Recent Articles posted by "happywarrior"
and
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Comments:
Go woke, go broke. If you own one read about this POS in charge of Harley and switch to an Indian.