Women and Motorcycles Essay Example for Free

Women and Motorcycles Essay Introduction An American tradition can be dated back to 1903 when two young men brought their idea to life and produced the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle. At the time, the motor-driven motorcycle that these young men were inventing was to be for their own personal use. Once it was produced, it became popular with motorcycle enthusiast and having survived some difficult times Harley-Davidson is just as popular today, as it was when if first began (Bolfert). According to the company’s gross revenue in 2010, Fortune 500 list Harley-Davidson at number 430. What keeps Harley-Davidson going strong? Is it the motorcycles, the people who ride these machines, or is it because Harley-Davidson Motor Company is a great American success story (Bolfert)? The story of Harley-Davidson is an interesting story that I hope you will enjoy learning about. The motorcycles are true legends of art, but the people who choose to ride these machines are truly remarkable people. People often judge a group of riders as being a rough and rowdy crowd looking for trouble, but as you will learn through this paper, most of these groups are the friendliest and most helpful people you could find. Harley-Davidson and motorcycles are usually considered a masculine sport intended for men (Mitchel). However, there are women out there who enjoy the freedom of riding their own Harley. So, when did women become so passionate for the open road and begin riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles? What does Harley-Davidson Motor Company do to attract women to the sales of its products and services? Let the story of Harley-Davidson and women riders begin. History Although there had been steam powered tricycles and gasoline bicycles in the 17 and 1800’s, the story of Harley-Davidson begins in a small shed of a neighbor. William Harley and Arthur Davidson were neighbors and boyhood friends that worked at a Milwaukee manufacturing company as an apprentice draftsman and pattern maker with dreams of their own. They set out to build a motor-driven bicycle for their own personal use. Having built their own bike in 1902, they were not satisfied that the engine didn’t take all the work out of cycling and soon sought the help of Arthurs’ brother Walter, who was a skilled mechanic, to help produce a more powerful engine. They also needed a toolmaker to help with the development of the motorcycle and asked their brother William to join the team (Bolfert). Later, the same year the first true Harley-Davidson engine was completed and Bill Harley and the three Davidson brothers were ready to put their idea into production. Needing more space to produce their creation, the Davidson brothers’ father built a 1015-foot building in their backyard. It was here that a legend was born with the boys painting â€Å"Harley-Davidson’s Motor Company† on the door and producing three motorcycles in 1903 (Bolfert). Harley-Davidson’s reputation of being durable and dependable began with the very first produced motorcycle. This motorcycle had been bought and sold to several different men, who performed very low maintenance to the bike, and accumulated 100,000 miles with its original bearings (Bolfert). To meet the demand for stronger engines and better performance, Harley and the Davidson brothers produced the first V-twin engine in 1909. However, the first 27 manufactured V-twin motorcycles were recalled and destroyed, with the exception of one which resides in the Harley-Davidson museum today. In 1910 no V-twin models were produced because they wanted to make sure they developed an engine that would â€Å"measure up to the Harley-Davidson reputation for power, dependability and performance† (Bolfert). The V-twin model was reintroduced in 1911 and the Harley-Davidson low, deep rumble sound known today roars on (Bolfert). From the beginning, women have had the same enthusiasm as men for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Photos from the early years of 1900 show advertisements of women posing on the legendary Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In 1910 one of the first articles published of a woman riding a motorcycle is in, The Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review, who wrote about Miss Leda Leslie and her Harley-Davidson (Harley-Women). Another early article of a woman on a Harley-Davidson is about Della Crewe and her dog named â€Å"Trouble. † Having only ten days of riding experience this lady and her dog set out to see America on her V-twin that had an attached sidecar. They left Waco, Texas in the summer of 1915 and by November they had made their way to Ohio traveling through rain and snow. When they finally reached their destination of New York City, they had traveled 5,378 miles and Della stated, â€Å"I had a glorious trip. I am in perfect health, and my desire is stronger than ever to keep going. † It wasn’t long before this pair was making their way to tour the South (Bolfert). The Enthusiast dubbed Vivian Bales as â€Å"The Enthusiast Girl† for her 5000 mile trip on her Harley-Davidson. During the Depression, Dot Robinson competed in endurance races right along with the men and in 1940 would win the Jack Pine Endurance sidecar race. During this time, another avid motorcycle rider contacted Dot Robinson to help form an organization for women riders. It was in 1940 that Dot Robinson and Linda Dugeau formed the first motorcycle riding club for women called â€Å"Motor Maids. † The first African-American to travel cross-country through 48 states in the 30 and 40’s was Bessie Springfield, who often had to sleep at filling stations on her motorcycle. She later joined a motorcycle dispatch unit for the army and rode across America delivering documents for the U. S. Army. During her life she owned 27 different Harley-Davidson motorcycles and continued to ride long after the doctors advised her not to (AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame). These brave and bold women paved the way for women today, to enjoy the pleasure of riding out on the open road on their own motorcycle. Geographical Scope While the Harley-Davidson headquarters are still located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where it first originated, the company has grown and has other areas across America that helps with the production of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The company has testing and evaluation centers located in Meza, Arizona and Naples, Florida. In Franklin, Wisconsin is a distribution center is that is accountable for materials going from suppliers to warehouses. Harley-Davidson Dealer Systems that provides software, hardware, training and customer support to dealerships is located in Valley View, Ohio. Ann Arbor, Michigan holds the plant that protects the trademarks of Harley-Davidson. Wouwatosa, Wisconsin is home to the facility that produces â€Å"middleweight† engines for the Sportster models. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin known as â€Å"Home of the Big Twin† produces engines and transmissions for the larger model motorcycles. The Product Development Center is located in Wouwatosa, Wisconsin and is responsible for the development, testing, and styling of new products. Talladega, Alabama is home to a testing site for Harley-Davidson. Tomahawk Operations in Tomahawk, Wisconsin is responsible for fiberglass body parts, windshields, and saddlebags. Kansas City, Missouri is home to the plant that produces the Sportster, Dyna, and V-Rod models. While York, Pennsylvania produces the Touring, Softail, and factory custom motorcycles such as the Screamin Eagle (Harley-Davidson). Products and Services The number one product of Harley-Davidson is its line of motorcycles with the Screamin Eagle editions being the most popular. The Screamin Eagle models have a limited number manufactured and come with all the chrome and custom work already done. The service departments can do anything from a simple service to rebuilding an engine. Need body work done to your ride? Harley-Davidson service departments can rebuild your ride for you (Harley-Davidson). Harley-Davidson offers a large variety of products for men, women, and children. Most men and women will ride out in full leather gear which includes gloves, chaps, bandanas, helmets, and jackets. Most people think bikers wear all this to look tough, but truth be known, all the leather is protection for your skin in the event of a fall on asphalt (Harley-Davidson). Harley-Davidson offers a full line of apparel and jewelry for women, men, and children. In 2010, Harley-Davidson came out with the Pink Label collection with a percentage of the proceeds going to the Y-me National Breast Cancer Organization. Even men wore shirts with the pink ribbon and slogan reading â€Å"On This Road, No One Rides Alone (Harley-Davidson). † One service that Harley-Davidson offers to attract women riders is the â€Å"Riders Edge† course that teaches a person how to handle and ride a motorcycle safely. Upon completion of this course one can go to the DMV to take the motorcycle written test and with a passing score can receive a motorcycle endorsed license. Harley-Davidson will even take off the amount paid for the course toward a purchase of a new motorcycle. That’s three hundred dollars off a new bike before any other discounts. Subsidiaries. Harley-Davidson has two subsidiaries in Italy, MV Augusta and Cagiva. Both of these companies sell motorcycles that are used in racing and what is known here as â€Å"crotch rockets. † Buell, an American made motorcycle, is another subsidiary of Harley-Davidson that was founded in 1994, but sadly closed in 2009 (Subsidiaries of H-D). Due to being lighter and easier to handle and maneuver, Harley-Davidson uses these bikes to teach riders how to operate a motorcycle safely through the â€Å"Riders Edge† course. Harley-Davidson has a subsidiary known as H. O. G. which stands for Harley Owners Group, for people who own Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Anyone who buys a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle is automatically enrolled for a one year membership. By being a H. O. G. member you can receive discounts on insurance and Harley-Davidson products. H. O. G. even recognizes women riders by giving them a special â€Å"Ladies of Harley† patch and pin. The H. O. G. chapters are in nearly every city and form rides to get owners on their bikes (Harley-Davidson). Finance In 1995 women represented only about 2% of the motorcycle sales. With more women learning to ride, women represent about 12% of the motorcycle sales in 2010 (Clothier). For the year of 2010, the Harley-Davidson homepage reported income from continuing operations being 259. 7 million dollars, with Harley-Davidson Financial services contributing 181. 9 million dollars to that income. Dealerships world-wide sold a total of 222,110 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles at retail with the U. S. selling 143,391 of these new bikes. A total of 210,494 Harley-Davidson motorcycles were shipped from the company in 2010. The following table breaks down each quarter income and losses with the last column showing the total for the year (Harley-Davidson). HARLEY-DAVIDSON, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOMEUnaudited YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2010 (IN THOUSANDS) Q1Q2Q3Q4TOTAL Net Revenue from motorcycles and related products$1,037,335$1,135,101$1,087,115$917,076$4,176,627 Gross Profit379,547396,984379,806271,0661,427,403 Selling, administrative and engineering expense205,204208,952210,828260,153885,137 Restructuring expense48,23630,12567,47617,671163,508 Operating income from motorcycles related products126,107157,907101,502(6,758)378,758 Financial services revenue169,837173,705172,845166,322682,709 Financial services expense143,155112,860121,977122,844500,836 Operating income from financial services26,68260,84550,86843,378181,873. Operating income152,789218,752152,37036,720560,631 Investment income8671,5511,2391,7765,442 Interest expense23,45523,59123,10220,20990,357 Loss on debt extinguishment85,24785,247 (Loss) income before income taxes130,210196,712130,507(66,960)390,469 (Benefit from) provision for income taxes61,46957,42536,790(24,884)130,800 (Loss) income from continuing operations68,71139,28793,717(42,076)259, 669 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax(35,416)(68,130)(4,888)(4,690)(113,124) Net income$ 33,325$71,157$88,829(46,766)146,545. At the end of the fiscal year, Keith Wandell (President and CEO of Harley-Davidson) states: â€Å"We feel good about our 2010 results. † â€Å"While there is still hard work ahead and we remain cautious in our outlook, I am confident we are positioning Harley-Davidson to succeed and deliver value for all our stakeholders into the future. † â€Å"For 2011, we plan to build on our position as one of the strongest brands in the world through our continued focus on customer led products and experiences. † Future Trends To help boost sales in 2011, Harley-Davidson will allow customers to design a Sportster 1200 Custom on-line, order it from their local dealer, and Harley-Davidson will build it at the factory and ship it to you (Harley-Davidson). Another trend for 2011 is Bike Builder, which is an online tool that allows customers to visualize different options on their motorcycle as they are building it (Harley-Davidson). This will allow customers to get the real look of the bike with their choice of custom work before spending the money on the bike and not being satisfied with the outcome. By listening to the customers and giving them what they want, Harley-Davidson will continue to be leader in motorcycle sales. Miscellaneous Freedom and America being a part of Harley-Davidson history Harley-Davidson has formed a Harley’s Hero tour that honors and supports Disabled American Veterans. Harley-Davidson pledged one million dollars to this foundation in 2006 and another one million dollars in 2010 to support the Nations Heroes. â€Å"Through this foundation Harley-Davidson provides free access to benefits for all veterans,† and shows them our appreciation for our freedom (Harley-Davidson). Local Harley-Davidson dealerships hold benefit rides to raise money for various cancer organizations such as Relay for Life, Bikers for Boobs, and for individuals who needs help paying medical expenses. Harley riders love to come out and support these benefits with as many as 400 to 500 bikes in one ride. It not only gets us out to raise money for cures, but gives us a chance to ride. Conclusion By attracting women into the sport of motorcycling, Harley-Davidson has now launched May as Women’s month. During May, Harley-Davidson will hold garage parties, and rides for women to help attract even more to the sport. So women like Dot Robinson and all women riders today have helped make Harley-Davidson a success. The motorcycles being dependable and reliable, the people who choose to ride these machines, and the fact, that it is a great American success story have all made Harley-Davidson legendary. Harley-Davidson has faced many difficulties over the last 108 years and is still going strong, so when we are having a bad day and going through difficult times, let’s do as the Harley-Davidson slogan states: â€Å"Screw it, let’s ride. †