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Matthew Levatich, the CEO of Harley-Davidson since 2015, stepped down recently. As he left, Levatich said, “I am proud of what we have achieved during my time as CEO, in one of the most challenging periods in our history.”

It's well known that Harley has been struggling for some time and sales have been declining steadily year to year. There’s just not a big demand for the bigger expensive touring bikes that make up the core of its model line. The company’s loyal base of older customers, who drove a Harley revival during the 1980s and 1990s, is aging and purchasing fewer new motorcycles.

Because the company needed to do something quickly, they selected Levatich as CEO back in 2015 to try to save the company.  Levatich joined the company back in 1994 and served as a chief operating officer from 2009 through 2015 prior to becoming CEO.  So, he had a good background and knowledge within the company.

SEE VIDEO: Harley-Davidson End Times! CEO Matthew Levatich Quits

What former Harley CEO Levatich did in 5 years

Levatich authorized dozens of new models for both the U.S. and foreign markets.  Harley certainly sees growth opportunities in the foreign markets and has clearly been targeting them. But that’s been tough because of competition from existing brands that are solid in those markets.

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Levatich expanded the output of motorcycles overseas, looking for more customers, especially in Asia.  But, the smaller motorcycles aimed at those markets are less expensive than the bigger touring Harley models that they rely on in the U.S. and that has hurt the company's overall sales revenue.

He also tried to get the company into different markets such as the Adventure Riding with the Pan America, which is supposed to be released in 2020.  And they created the Street Fighter to get into the sports bike market, but there’s no timeline on the release of that bike.

And of course, Harley created their first-ever electric motorcycle named “LiveWire.” However, it had some major issues after launch and a recall on it’s charging system that didn't help its reputation.

Additionally, Levatich attempted to offset declining sales with cost reductions.  The company closed its Kansas City, Mo., assembly plant in 2019, Conducted several rounds of layoffs, and voluntary buyouts for employees.  The company also shifted some of its productions overseas as well to avoid tariffs. And they took some consumer and political heat for doing such.

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Levatich had a mission to attract new riders with their ridership classes, which are basically a driver’s ed class for new riders.  These classes were not necessarily new, as these classes pre-dated Levatich, but the company just renewed its focus on promoting the classes.

Measuring progress toward the ridership goal created tension between Harley managers and its dealers and investors and this festered over time.  Dealerships complained the learn-to-ride classes were expensive and didn’t bring enough new motorcycle buyers.

Tensions between dealerships and Levatich rose even more as he READ MORE HERE & SEE MY VIDEO ==> 

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• 12 State Cross-Country Motorcycle Trip Documentary Film

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• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
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I am always testing a ton of different progressive motorcycle riding gear behind the scenes here at Law Abiding Biker Media. I eventually get around to reviewing each piece of gear on our YouTube Channel. But, it can take me some time to get the reviews released.

In this podcast episode, I share with you my top 6 favorite motorcycle riding gear items for 2019. I have ridden with all these items thousands of miles in many different conditions to include below freezing, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and in the rain. I also released a YouTube video on my top 6 items of 2019.

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I personally lean more towards newer progressive Harley riding gear rather than leather. I love gear that has multiple functions, provides protection and looks good on and off the motorcycle. I love being able to just keep riding on as the weather changes w/o stopping and changing gear. Even better, I love getting off the bike to go walking around in gear that blends right in, such as protective riding jeans and shoes.

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Lurch also reveals some new more affordable riding gear that he tested during the past year. Make sure you check out all the other motorcycle riding gear reviews I’ve already done on the YouTube Channel.

Here are the 3 items Lurch reviewed: (affiliate links)

• Olympia Durham Jacket
• Olympia Sentry Pants
• HJC RPHA 90 Helmet

HERE IS MY TOP 6 MOTORCYCLE RIDING GEAR REVIEW VIDEO AND LINKS TO THE GEAR DISCUSSED

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

• CLICK HERE!
• Innovative products for Harley-Davidson & Goldwing
• Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
• Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

• CLICK HERE
• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
• Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

If you appreciate the content we put out and want to make sure it keeps on coming your way then become a Patron too! There are benefits and there is no risk.

Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation:

• Wayne Duddlesten Jr of Grapeland, TX
• Daniel Grubb of Quakerstown, Pennsylvania
• Christopher Marshall of Monument, Colorado

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We were filming a Harley handlebar install on Popeye's new 2019 Street Glide. It was a long day and somehow when putting the ignition back on it got misaligned, which is a frustrating issue, to say the least. Then we checked my Street Glide Special to cross-check it and try to figure out what went wrong. In the process, we misaligned my Harley ignition.

See our awesome Harley Handlebar Install Videos and save yourself a large amount of money by doing the project yourself. There's no need to pay a dealership to do this and we can show you how.

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Anyways, over the next several days, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to actually take the ignition apart and fix it without having to buy a new one. Of course, I then shared it with the biker community on our YouTube Channel. Knowing this information will save you time, money, and frustration.

There are no instructions for fixing the internals of the ignition in the Harley service manuals because if something goes wrong they want you to replace the entire ignition at a cost of over $100 plus labor. You can't even buy the internal parts to the Harley ignition.

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In my tutorial video, I show you how to remove the ignition switch from your Harley-Davidson touring model. I then show you how to re-install it. At times, the ignition can come out of alignment when removing the switch and the shaft won’t go back in or is stuck inside.

• SEE HARLEY IGNITION REPAIR VIDEO HERE 

Further, I show you how to take the entire ignition apart and fix the alignment problem. There’s no need to take your Harley to a mechanic for this and you can do it yourself. There is also a Harley ignition specialty tool that can help fix the issues and I'll show you how to use it.

GET HARLEY IGNITION TOOL HERE: (Affiliate Links Below)

AMAZON | J&P CYCLES

 

 

 

 

New Free Video Mentioned: 

• Harley Touring Ignition & Switch Removal & Alignment

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

• CLICK HERE!
• Innovative products for Harley-Davidson & Goldwing
• Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
• Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

• CLICK HERE
• The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
• Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
• Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

New Patrons:

• Rich Nowakowski of Stevensville, MD
• Charles Durnil of Columbus, IN
• Jim Manley of Aledo, TX

If you appreciate the content we put out and want to make sure it keeps on coming your way then become a Patron too! There are benefits and there is no risk.

Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation: