Harley-Davidson faces 'woke' accusations from Sturgis bikers: 'Breaks my heart'
Iconic American motorcycle's muscular image and value of its bikes face headwinds
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harley-Davidson is facing biker backlash over fears that the American motorcycle manufacturer born with the renegade image is now identifying as woke.
"@harleydavidson has been one of the most beloved brands in America but recently on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone totally woke," filmmaker Robby Starbuck shared with his more than 528,000 followers on X in late July.
The bike brand's apparent decision to volunteer for the culture wars in America has been a high-octane topic at the 84th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota this week, according to both attendees and numerous social media postings.
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"It’s branding suicide," Vinny Terranova, the owner of Pappy’s Vintage Cycles in Sturgis, South Dakota, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
"A lot of bikers are switching over to Indian," he said. "They killed Harley. It breaks my heart."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}People walk along Main Street lined with American flags on Aug. 6, 2020, a day before the start of that year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
The situation has drawn comparisons to the Bud Light "unforced error" of 2023 in the wake of the beer brand's decision to partner with Dylan Mulvaney, a social media influencer and trans activist.
Joe Six Packs launched an organic nationwide boycott against America's then most-popular beer brand in response. Bud Light has not recovered.
‘Not a good look’
Harley riders have been concerned about the direction of the company since the German-born Zeitz took over as CEO at the height of the COVID pandemic in May 2020, say motorcycle enthusiasts.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A vintage Harley valued at $30,000 just a few years ago is now getting only $4,000."
Harley-Davidson motorcycles have faced a sharp decline in perceived value among bikers since his arrival, said Terranova, who ran a Harley-Davidson dealership in Colorado for over 40 years.
"A vintage Harley valued at $30,000 just a few years ago is now getting only $4,000," said Terranova.
"People don’t even want to be associated with Harley anymore," he added, expressing his opinion.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bikers stop to take in Mt. Rushmore on the way to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. The rally annually attracts more than 500,000 people during its 10-day run. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment but did not receive a reply by publication time.
When filmmaker Starbuck shared on social media what he claims are Harley-Davidson's woke wishlist of internal policies, discontent turned to outrage for many.
Among the wishlist items as noted by Starbuck: sending White men to White male-only diversity training; supporting legislation that "would allow men into girls' bathrooms, sports and locker rooms"; and "an all-ages pride event that featured a ‘rage room’ next to ‘draq queen story time.'"
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"Most people feel like they're having sexually explicit topics forced upon them at the workplace which, 10 years ago, anybody would have seen as sexual harassment," Starbuck, director of the film "The War on Children," told Fox News Digital by phone.
The company's alleged DEI focus today contrasts sharply with the loud, muscular, freedom-loving image that has appealed to core customers for decades.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A red, white and blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle gas tank is seen in Chicago, Illinois. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Harley riders responded with full-throttle upset on social media and, it appears, at Sturgis.
"@Harleydavidson has turned to sh*te ... Buy something else," was among the comments posted on social media.
"I heard [Harley-Davidson] Sturgis HQ is gonna be like Bud Light tent was last year," a biker posted on X last week, before the start of the 2024 rally on August 2.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One video posted on social media on Monday showed only green grass and a few stragglers mingling outside a Harley-Davidson tent in Sturgis.
"Not a good look!" wrote Starbuck on his X account.
Filmmaker Robby Starbuck is shown in Nashville, Tennessee in 2021. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
"I guess some bikers just don’t want to be associated with them after finding out that Harley went woke."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some long-time Harley riders are saying on social media that they're ditching their bikes for new brands with their next purchase; others are removing the Harley-Davidson name from their motorcycles.
Attendance declined dramatically last week at the annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Milwaukee, where the motorcycle maker was founded in 1903.
Attendance declined dramatically last week at the annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the motorcycle maker was founded in 1903.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}About 60,000 people attended the event, according to the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal — that's a 25% drop from the 80,000 who took in the festival last year.
"We changed our plans for the H-D homecoming after hearing how @harleydavidson supports pedophiles and grooms children," wrote one Harley rider, @LittleLuLu13131.
General views of the Harley-Davidson Museum on Aug. 29, 2021, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
The outcry over Harley's apparent woke turn comes on the heels of noticeable changes in the public face of the brand.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harley last year ditched its globally iconic logo of orange and white lettering on a black shield. Its new logo is an empty metallic shell – the same shape, but different colors and no words.
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"The old logo undeniably conveyed a sense of heritage, a connection to the brand's storied past," British graphic design firm LMRT reported in its online analysis.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Yet, the new logo seems to symbolize a departure from convention, a leap toward modernity, and an invitation to re-imagine the essence of Harley-Davidson."
The Harley-Davidson Museum, shown at left, opened in Milwaukee in 2008. At right, a scene from the celebrated 1969 movie, "Easy Rider," which helped cement Harley-Davidson's iconic affiliation with the American open road. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Harley-Davidson was founded in Milwaukee in 1903 by William Harley and partners and brothers Arthur, Walter and William Davidson. Harley and the Davidson boys grew up as neighbors and friends. Harley and Arthur Davidson were both bicycle enthusiasts and mechanics, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
They began tinkering with small internal combustion engines. They put motors on bicycles - their first Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
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Harley-Davidson, its own museum notes, sold just three motorcycles in 1905.
In 2023, it produced 163,000 bikes — making it one of the world's largest motorcycle companies.
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Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Its vision, according to the company, is "building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul."
Harley-Davidson also has a controlling interest in LiveWire Group, Inc., the first publicly traded all-electric motorcycle company in the U.S., the company notes.