"Lord I'm goin' up town, to the Harlem River to Drown. Dirty water gonna cover me over, and I'm not gonna make a sound..."-- Justin Townes Earle
I've been in the Harley-Davidson business for 26 years as part of the family, and 18 years as my full time job and way that I make my living. I've been part of the Harley-Davidson 'thing' for much longer than that. I often talk of the "love affair" that we have with these machines and the place that they have in our life. A relationship with Harley-Davidson goes deep below the skin and into the soul and is about so much more than just the motorcycle. The mere mention of the name "Harley" invokes a visceral reaction amongst the believers. We look at roads and sunsets differently. Our thoughts are monopolized by destinations and 'bucket list' items. We truly are brethren. Believers, fanatical followers...
The brand which I refer to belongs to the brethren. Harley-Davidson holds the trademarks, but the 'brand' is all of ours. The mystique, the religion. I feel no small responsibility as a dealer, along with the motor company as 'caretakers' of that brand. Oh how quickly we could screw it up if we are not careful. We have a responsibility to always remember where we came from and what got us here. The brand is precious, and fragile, and a necessity in our lives.
We made our way up to Saukville Wisconsin to tour the facilities of Calibre, Inc, a company that does paint for replacement service parts for Harley-Davidson. I always love to tour this place, and I have to offer a huge 'thank you' to my friend Terry Bretl for being a gracious host to my family and group. Watching the artists and craftsmen at Calibre is such a treat. The things we take for granted, the commitment and attention to detail that goes into the work that those people do is humbling. I have never looked at the pin striping on a Harley-Davidson paint job the same since I had the pleasure of watching those good folks apply them by hand.
"In the back of my mind, eatin up all my time....Hangin weightless in the sky, like an angel with no place to fly..."-- Willie Nelson
We later made our way over to Menominee Falls to tour the Pilgrim Road Harley-Davidson Powertrain Plant, the birthplace of the Harley-Davidson Engine. The senses become overwhelmed when you step out onto the plant floor. The drone of the machinery. The smell of the oil. I've taken this tour before, so I didn't spend much time listening to our able engineer telling the group what the plant does, but instead I hung back and 'observed'. I love the upper midwest, and it's people. I love that this factory is still in Milwaukee Wisconsin. It couldn't be anywhere else. The looks on the faces of the operators on the floor. Dedicated. Blue collar, real. Steel, lubricants, wires, drills and presses, zip zip, whiz. Real. Tangible. Authentic. Love. Lunch pails and Green Bay Packer calendars. Young. Old. Tattoos, and ponytails. White beards, and bald heads. Men and women all dedicated to the product that they are producing. Make no mistake that they know the role they play in this 'brand'. I've blogged before about the love that these that build the machine have for them.
http://abumpontheroad.blogspot.com/2011/12/love.html
They loved her first.
I can see out my window and across the industrial canal that the field in front of the Harley-Davidson Museum is starting to fill up with bikes. Thursday is bike night at the museum and I'll dare say, Milwaukee and the HDM host the finest bike night I've ever been to. That element of authenticity is in the air here. The good people that attend are here for spiritual revival. Their soul will be lifted as they commune and fellowship with their brothers and sisters in the sacred birthplace of their passion. Tonight also kicks off the year long celebration of the 110th Anniversary of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, adding another level of emotion to the whole event. I'm leaving you now to go see what it has in store.
Ride Safe, and with Purpose.
SMB
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