VLOG Archives - Law Abiding Biker Podcast

New Harley CEO Jochen Zeitz Making Emergency Changes! Sales Plummeting!!

September 1, 2020 By Ryan Urlacher 55 Comments

Harley Bronx Streetfighter

So, with plummeting sales and COVID-19, new Harley CEO Jochen Zeitz has been making some major changes within the company. Zeitz recently said, “a total rewire is necessary to make Harley-Davidson a high-performance company.” (see video below)

Harley-Davidson recently announced they will not be releasing the Bronx Streetfighter as promised later this year. Remember, this was the street racer style bike that was supposed to have the new liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine with 117 HP and 70 pound-foot of torque. Harley says the Streetfighter won't release next year either and won't comment on whether the Streetfighter will ever be released at this point.

Harley Pan America Adventure Touring

Harley says its immediate new product focus in 2021 will be on the launch of the Pan America, Harley's first Adventure Touring motorcycle and I’m actually very curious about this bike, as I also love adventure riding. But, I’ve said it before; If this bike is overpriced like the Livewire was when it was released, it will likely be a flop.

Many also speculate that the Street 500 and 750 models may also be at risk of being axed after dealers reported not being given the lightweight models following poor sales performance. However, Harley will not actually comment regarding the status of other models.

For those of you wondering-yes the new high-Performance Custom Model is still planned for 2021 and still listed on Harley’s website.

Harley High-Performance Custom Model

Harley continues to struggle here in 2020 and there are reports that 50 dealerships have closed or are in the process of closing and that “significantly more” will shut their doors this year. In July Harley announced a five-year strategic plan after the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a $92 million loss in the three months through June, with motorcycle sales plummeting 27%. This new overhaul includes vast changes to Harley’s operating model, updated motorcycles, newproducts, and a focus on accessories and general merchandise.

Further, the company will focus on 50 key markets, mostly in North America and Europe, and is working on plans to exit areas that are unprofitable. All these changes are projected to save the company $250 million this year and $100 million annually thereafter.

Harley also says a new marketing campaign focusing on the “unrelenting spirit” of Harley will include a collaboration with actor Jason Momoa.

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Best Stainless Steel Saddlebag Safety Bolts and Extended Seat Bolts for Harley

August 1, 2020 By Ryan Urlacher Leave a Comment

The Rickrak solution for Harley saddlebag safety looks great on your bike and offers superior heavy-duty Stainless Steel Safety. As recommended by the manufacturer and H-D, please make sure to check them regularly for proper tightness.

How securely attached are your Harley saddlebags? There are many true stories of saddlebags coming off while going down the road! 2016 and prior Harley models use a vulnerable 1/4 turn pin attachment system that had recalls. On 2017 and on models H-D tried to correct the issue with a ratcheting mechanism with a handle that is bulky and clumsy to use. The long handle on that mechanism catches clothing and items as you try to remove them from the saddlebag. They just take up room and get in the way, unlike the sleek Rickrak saddlebag safety bolts.

Get RickRak Stainless Steel Saddlebag Safety Bolts for Harley-Davidson Here

RickRak's Extended Seat Bolt for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles makes the seat bolt more accessible for models with trunks. Made from top-quality Stainless steel, the Extended Seat Bolt offers 1/4×20 threads and a knurled handle for an easy grip.

There is also a shorter Rickrak seat bolt for the models without a trunk. Get rid of that stock seat screw and move into something quality like these. It's much easier to get to and you don't need tools.

Get Rickrak Seat Bolts for Harley Here!
- Black or Stainless

CHECK OUT OUR MOTORCYCLE DOCUMENTARY FILMS

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New Motorcycle Riding Gear I’m Testing-Sturgis Bound!!

July 31, 2020 By Ryan Urlacher Leave a Comment

In this video, I go over some awesome new progressive motorcycle riding gear I personally selected that I will be testing on our ride to and while we're at Sturgis 2020. Riding gear has come along way since I first started riding many years ago and I love testing and reviewing it for the biker community.

Listen to Law Abiding Biker Podcast Episode #246
- We dive in deeper on this particular riding gear and talk about some bonus gear we're testing!

I want to thank the team at Revzilla for sending me this latest batch of riding gear for testing and review. I have been given the gear at no cost but am not being paid for the testing and reviews and there are no strings attached to what I say. As always I will give you my honest opinions with both the pros and the cons.

I will be reviewing each item individually after my thorough testing and those videos will release on the Law Abiding Biker YouTube Channel. Make sure you're subscribed to the channel so you are notified when those and other videos release!

Please support us and consider purchasing any of the riding gear items we mentioned through our Revzilla Affiliate Link Here or through any of the riding gear links below. There's no additional cost to you but if you click through and make a purchase we get a small commission. It helps support our efforts to help, educate, entertain, and inspire as many bikers as we can worldwide.

Gear I'm Testing (affiliate links below)

Gear Lurch is Testing (affiliate links below)

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Sturgis 2020 Canceled? 80th Anniversary? COVID-19!

April 24, 2020 By Ryan Urlacher 2 Comments

Sturgis 2020, the 80th anniversary, may be canceled due to the COVID-19 virus. It's not official yet, but it's being discussed. (see video below)

The below information is taken directly from the City of Sturgis Facebook Page and it was released on April 23, 2020 at 2:03 pm.

April 23, 2020
STURGIS, SD – The Sturgis City Council has prepared a set of protocols that will be used when making the decision to hold or cancel the upcoming City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally scheduled for August 7-16, 2020. This decision will be under consideration because of the wide-spread COVID-19 pandemic.

Considerations for the Rally in 2020
• Before hosting any event, the City must be reasonably ensured that it would not levy an undue burden on the health of our residents and our health care services.
• Nearly every corporation in America has greatly reduced travel and trade shows. If the Rally is held, there will likely be a great reduction in the number of major corporate exhibitors along with smaller vendors who also will be hesitant to travel.
• Beyond the additional revenue for 43% of our residents (broken down below), many of our businesses are heavily dependent upon Rally revenue, if the event is not held, we anticipate significant negative impacts up to and including foreclosures for our community’s restaurants, hotels, Main Street gift shops and hospitality industries (including pet services). Any closure will likely take years to be replaced by a new business. This is true in neighboring communities throughout the Black Hills.
• Many of the smaller vendors rely upon the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for the bulk of their annual profit. If the event is not held, they may not be able to make it to the next year.

Impact of the Rally
The City of Sturgis hosts the state’s single largest tourism event.
The 79th Annual Rally generated the following:
• $655,090,000 of direct spending by visitors
• $65,509,000 in additional indirect spending
• $615,116 in funding for local non-profit and charitable organizations
• $1,165,688 in net profit to the City of Sturgis
• In 2014, the City’s SIP resident survey indicated 15% of residents rent their homes, 6% rent their yards and 22% work a Rally job – 43% of our residents are a part of the Rally
This income is generally 5-15% of a household’s annual income

Metrics for Consideration
The City has determined that it will make a decision on holding the 2020 City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally based upon empirical data. This will focus on whether the state is capable of hosting a larger number of visitors and if the areas where our visitors usually come from have a high probability of carrying the COVID-19 virus.

Resource Availability in the state:
• ICU beds available
• Ventilators available
Virus Case Growth
 Percentage weekly change in infections in South Dakota
Virus Case Growth in primary markets (represent 50.6% of attendees)
 Follow weekly growth in cases (infection curve) for MN, CO, NE, CA, WI, WY, WA, IA, KS and AZ

Timeline
There will be a series of calls to begin gauging the temperature of the industry leaders. This will be combined with the metrics to guide the Council’s decision regarding whether the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally should be canceled.

Week of May 11th – 15th – Set Up Calls
 Contact the following groups to see if they would like to be included in the decision:
– Governor – State Tourism – State Health – Senator Rounds – Senator Thune – Representative Johnson – Black Hills & Badlands – Monument Health
– Hotel/Motel group – Local Owners – Southern Hills – Rapid City – Spearfish
– Significant campground venues – Pappy Hoel – Buffalo Chip – Glenco – Lamphere – Steel Pony – Kick Stand – Rush No More – Sturgis RV – Days End
– Businesses – Main Street businesses – Sturgis Indian – Black Hills Harley Davidson – Sturgis Motorcycle Museum
– Sponsors
– Mayors & Chambers from throughout the hills

Week of May 18th place calls to:
 Hotel Motel Group
 Campground Group
 Sturgis Monument Health

Week of May 25th place calls to:
 Black Hills Businesses
 Chambers & Cities

Week of June 1st place calls to:
 Sponsors
 State and Federal Government Groups

June 8th
 Special Council Meeting – for discussion only

June 15th
 Regular Council meeting to vote if the Rally is canceled (7 ½ weeks before the start of the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally)

Questions related to the above information can be directed to Jerry Cole, Director of the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 605-720-0800.

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Why I Still Do What I Do on YouTube After 7 Years | 100K Subscribers!

April 24, 2020 By Ryan Urlacher Leave a Comment

We started this YouTube channel and the Law Abiding Biker Podcast about 7 years ago. Our first podcast release was March 16, 2013. My mission was to educate, connect, entertain, and inspire bikers worldwide. Although the podcast was reaching many, I thought that we could also reach bikers with a YouTube channel. So, about two months after the first podcast aired, we released our first video on the channel, how to change the oil and perform routine maintenance on a Harley, and it got a ton of views. From there, we kept releasing content here on the channel and on the podcast, learning a lot along the way. I have put a ton of effort into Law Abiding Biker Media over time and have grown it to where it is today. We recently reached over 100K subscribers on the channel and YouTube sent me a 100K subscriber silver play award and I wanted to share it with you. We love the biker community and could not have done this without you. (see video below)

202o Meetup Events Mentioned:

STURGIS 2020 (PATRON MEMBER ONLY) RIDE AND MEETUP EVENT-SIGNUP AND REQUIREMENTS
STURGIS 2020 PUBLIC MEETUP AT BLACK HILLS HARLEY-DAVIDSON
- Tuesday, August 11, 2020
  - Rickrak Booth (11:00am-1:00pm)
  - Ciro 3D Booth (1:00pm-3:00pm)

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Finding The Cross-Adventure Motorcycle Day Ride-Short Film-Documentary

April 10, 2020 By Ryan Urlacher Leave a Comment

DocuOscar and I took an adventure motorcycle ride near where we live outside the Yakima Washington area on our Kawasaki KLR 650's. Our mission was to find a large cross made of painted rocks on a hillside that I have seen for years now. We have never been to this cross before, so we weren't certain how to get there. We ran into many interesting things during our adventure motorcycle ride such as abandoned cars, trailers, and other items. We got to explore a very large area and that's what I love most about adventure motorcycle riding. We had a ton of fun during this day trip and there are plenty more areas to explore all around where I live.

CHECK OUT ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLE PANNIERS, BAGS, AND RACKS HERE IN OUR STORE

HELP SUPPORT US! JOIN THE BIKER REVOLUTION! #BikerRevolution #LawAbidingBiker

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😎BECOME A MEMBER AND GET BENEFITS 😎

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Harley-Davidson End Times! CEO Matthew Levatich Quits

March 9, 2020 By Ryan Urlacher 30 Comments

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.” (see video below)

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.

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 tarriff’s. And they took some consumer and political heat for doing such.

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 brought many new models, engines and made other attempts to revive sales, but they all failed. Harley also created a fleet of smaller, cheaper bikes such as the street series to attract new riders.

However, none of these things seem to have really moved the needle in attracting the younger generation.

Who is filling Levatich's position?

Harley’s board said that director Jochen Zeitz would serve as acting CEO and board chairman as it looks for a new permanent CEO. Zeitz’s background is in sporting goods and lifestyle products. He served as CEO of Puma SE from 1993 to 2011, where he led a turnaround of the company when it was near bankruptcy.

Areas where I believe Harley failed under CEO Levatich

First, customers are tired of paying the Harley tax on anything with a Harley logo as it's marked up excessively. I believe buyers are smarter these days and are not buying more expensive Harley stamped items such as coats, pants, shirts, gloves, helmets etc. They are buying aftermarket merchandise that is cheaper and better quality. I'm certain this has cut into Harley's overall profits.

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Second, the long time Boom Box Infotainment System debacle and all its problems that continue to this day and the lack of support customers have received has really hurt the company's reputation. This has been going on since 2014 now. Harley's silence about these well-known Boom Box issues has hurt them badly.

Third, the implementation of the new overly strict warranty voiding issues on the newer Milwaukee-Eight models. The company has forced the dealerships to void long time loyal customer's warranties for trivial items.

The biggest failure is their long time failure in proper up to date marketing. In the company's passion to attract new younger riders, they've left their current core customers (the ones with the money) behind. Many, once brand-loyal customers, are leaving because of it.

Instead of connecting with current core customers, Harley went after Hollywood actors and extreme sports athletes that don't even ride or live the biker lifestyle. That sort of outdated marketing continues to hurt Harley.

Harley has forgotten how they originally built their brand. It was more than just about a motorcycle, it was about a lifestyle and everything that surrounded it. It seems Harley has just abandoned its original brand values. It's now only about trying to attract a younger generation of riders. Yes, that's important, but they must not forget about their current customers.

Unlike other companies and industries, the Harley marketing team has not yet awoken to new-age techniques and practices where they could intimately connect with their core customers and even that younger generation they're after. Harley has failed to leverage current online influencer platforms to connect. These influencer platforms include YouTube, podcasts, online communities, and social media groups just to name a few.

These well-established platforms are where their largest customer base is hanging out and it's a very targeted audience. They could easily connect with these very large online communities, but they seem to be completely blind to it and are falling further behind every day. The days of Harley remaining silent and not talking directly to their customers are over and they better get on board quickly.

Harley owners and riders could care less about over-privileged Hollywood actors or athletes riding or being given free Harley's. This does not speak to current Harley owners or future owners in this day and age. Those are old outdated marketing techniques for the motorcycle industry.

Harley's current core customer and new younger future customers are watching more online videos than watching traditional TV and they are not listening to traditional radio that is dying. They are not reading or buying outdated magazines and print media. Instead, they are hanging out in large targeted online communities and Harley has done nothing to get involved in these places.

Most importantly, Harley needs to keep their current customers happy, because after all, they are the ones that will be introducing that younger generation of riders they're targeting, to motorcycling and Harley ownership in the future.