The Jaded Ad Guy finds hope in Harley Davidson.

After a lifetime in the ad biz, one tends to see through marketing and brand and messages and lousy products and stupid ideas.

But... Every so often, there is hope. A company that does great things and maintains its brand while moving forward.

Harley Davidson has done that.

I started riding Harleys back in the 1970s while the company was being besieged on all sides by cheap imports. AMF kept them afloat and the 70's era bikes had issues. Like they all leaked oil and lost parts going down the road. I put over 200,000 miles on these bikes and learned how to keep them running, sometimes pulling over in the middle of a desert to fix some wiring or bolt an exhaust pipe back on. The bikes were loud, crude, and an absolutely wonderful visceral experience.

I got older and had kids and an ad agency and figured my bike days were over and walked away for a bunch of years; then, as is a cliche, I got the bug again and got back on another Harley.

What a difference.

A few years back I picked up a used 2009 Harley Davidson Road King Police, a retired cop bike from the Pompano Beach PD. It's an over-the-top green and cream and pinstriped, chromed up, art deco scud missile. It's big and heavy and sculptural and sounds like a 32 flathead Ford with glasspacks and it's an absolute delight to move around the planet with.

And it's been bulletproof. It's been the most dependable, non-stop machine I've ever encountered. I've beat the living hell out of it, riding it cross country twice, using it for daily errands and rambling around West Texas in everything from 112 degree summers to Oregon rain and sleet and it never stops. This delightful monster can compete with any machine made anywhere in the world for the sheer pleasure of riding and long-term dependability. I rode out to Luckenbach yesterday and had a conversation with a guy on a 2001 Harley with 175,000 miles on the clock.

They no longer leak oil; basic maintenance is simple, and parts are plentiful and inexpensive. And while Honda sells more bikes worldwide, Harley dominates the US market.

And one has to observe that "imitation is the clearest form of flattery."

Every brand has tried and failed to copy Harley. There was a rush of MockHarley's from the Asian manufacturers in the 90s and now those bikes are collecting dust in garages. They were decent enough bikes, but they were imitations and now you can't give them away. Even BMW did a terrible copy and again tried to make their own Harley with the new R/18, which are now deeply discounted and collecting more dust in showrooms all over the world. If you're going to buy something that kinda-sorta looks like a Harley, just get a Harley.

There are some really iconic bikes out there. Ducati makes Ducatis, which are pure Ducati. BMW makes some very well-thought-out machines; Royal Enfield has come back to life in a beautiful, and apparently very well-made way and one of my favorites is the small American brand Halcyon—absolutely beautiful, small-run machines. And there are some very high-end luxury bikes that will be parked next to Ferraris in big ten-car garages.

I got inspired to write my praise of Harley Davidson this morning because I had a conversation with someone over the weekend about bike brands. Their impression was that Harleys leaked and fell apart, and it was apparent that old tales hung around for decades.

So here's to you Harley Davidson. You've nailed it and greatly impressed a jaded ad guy who sees through marketing baloney. If I ever wear out my now 14-year-old machine, I might go get a brand-new one. And by the way, that photo is my first Harley, a 1976 Super Glide that I thrashed for many years and sold to an Australian who shipped it home. It's probably still running, avoiding kangaroos.

#harleydavidson #motorcycles #halcyonmotorcycles #bmwmotorcycles