Harley-Davidson wants you to personalize your bike only with genuine custom Harley parts, not custom after-market ones.
So, they tell you that a Harley customized with non-Harley parts is not a Harley-Davidson motorcycle anymore. Something that they will never dare to say openly in a US advertising campaign, custom builders being the brand “best friends” to color it positively.
But in Turkey, Harley-Davidson launched a print advertising campaign saying (in small fonts at the bottom of the ad) ” Nothing can replace the real one. Use original Harley-Davidson parts.” And to support this claim, the (ex) Harley rider is transporting…a blow-up doll, not the real thing… Convincing & funny? Turkish humor? Huh…
The Islamists there will catch a fit when they see that doll.
A bit of a douche bag move by Harley,.
Side note, who ever assembled the add needs to work on their Photoshop skills.
A Turkish douche and a sex doll on a Rocker C… the jokes just write themselves!
Aren’t most “Harley” parts outsourced?
Harley parts = average quality at 3X the price.
Wow…really makes me wanna go out and get one…NOT…
Doesn’t complain, doesn’t spend my $$$, and is light as a feather. I think this guy may be onto something =).
Seems to me with all the outsourced crap and copied ideas, HD is doing EXACTLY the opposite.
genuine,,,,,parts,,,, all made in china……………..
Not to sound too much like a Harley hater bit why wouldn’t the MoCo do this? Look at what their marketing department has already convinced their customer base of…Seems to me that H-D marketing can convince a lot of people to buy exactly what they want them to. With the one exception of being able to convince their masses to buy a really nice bike like a VROD! Lol.
…I wonder is she has a sister…
Cheap ass porno ad…
Might be great for your first time?
Do the blow up dolls come with the bike?
No class on the motor factories part…
Yeah, below the MoCo’s standards but funny nonetheless. Anything goes in Europa.
Kind of funny, but WTF? When you come right down to it, aren’t a lot of the HD accessories and bike styles in reality knock off’s of OUR ideas?
I think she’s cute, and i bet never has a headache!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Park the bike, they are sleds anyway!
Do they eat turkey in Turkey?
Harley Davidson = Yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices. Thank God for the aftermarket for coming up with the fixes, producing parts customers actually want, designing stuff with some style (OCC not included), giving those underhorspowered big engines their balls back, reliability, good looks, function,………
Anagram about Ducati … audict …..
Who cares? Harley has been selling the public an unfinished motorcycle forever. That is the point. I hate the motor company for their undying prodding and poking at the industry that sells their motorcycles for them. Coming from the automotive aftermarket in 2003 I could not believe how manipulative HD is (was) with regard to those in the aftermarket. Ford Motor Company and GM go out of their way to strengthen the aftermarket that surrounds their product sales. They even allow aftermarket companies to use their names and logos. There is no competition and there never really was from the aftermarket for Harley. Harley could not possibly have kept up with the demand for aftermarket custom stuff from 2002 – 2008 so the aftermarket became necessary or it would have killed the entire industry anyway. Eventually people move on if what they want can not be obtained. Maybe now that the Grinch is retiring they can learn that there is plenty of room at the table for everyone to eat.
Talk about old news. H-D has been doing this for years. While they steal or copy many new inovative products for our bikes, they stamp H-D on it and remember……that H-D stands for “Hunerd Dolla”., and sell it as their own. I remember when their accessory catalog was about as thick as three quarters stacked on top of each other. And if we think we have it bad think about alot of dealers who are forbidden to even display aftermarket products in their stores. And there’s hell to pay if they do. The RM’s will stamp their feet and piss and moan at the dealer until he complies. If the dealer doesn’t, all sorts of unpleasant things start to happen like lost units and unreasonable Bar and Shield quotas. Let’s just be thankfull for those dealers who realize there are outstanding aftermarket products available for our bikes and actually not only carry but stock in their stores. No comment on the blow up doll, somewhat against all of H-D’s thinking when it comes to advertising. Hell in the late 70’s and early 80’s they refused to spend one dime with the ad folks from say Easyrider or Chopper magazine because they felt it was not the image they wanted to covey to the buying public. Time marches on!
If he was to fill his “friend” with helium, the bike might actually get better gas mileage. But then again, as of this morning Turkish gas price is only 2.58 gal.
However, if she got a bit too chatty one could always unfasten the passenger, and watch her float away.
Since I’m a little more than half way around the track in life; I’ve found it more enjoyable to smile at things like this.
Happy Riding & Racing
I was in the engine parts business for 45 years. We sold engine parts at the Original Equipment Manufactures (OEM’s) production and service level, pure aftermarket, and “private label” (Other than our own aftermarket) market segments. The OEM’s ALWAYS promoted their service/replacement parts as being superior etc. Harley promoting theirs is no different than Ford, Chevy, Mack, Caterpillar etc. promoting theirs as there is profit to made by doing so.
Richard, there is a difference in promoting your products as “superior” and being overly litigious and trying to ruin the aftermarket that sells your products for you. HD makes a business of going after people for the littlest things and lobbied to ruin the chopper manufacturing business and in doing so they successfully placed themselves at the top of the EPA’s watch list. Like the old saying goes: careful what you wish for…you might just get it. Chevy and Ford do not go around suing people for accentuating the positive foundation their engineering and manufacturing provides for the aftermarket. Harley wants a Harley in every garage and wants only Genuine HD parts and accessories on those bikes. They have offered no synergic relationships to anyone in the aftermarket while companies like Ford an GM benefit from quality aftermarket cohesion like Roush, SLP, Livernois and others.
Cheese ball ad on the motor company’s part…….especially on a rocker ……and if you don’t use HD parts its not a HD? C’mon
Pushing genuine OEM products is nothing new from any OEM Mfr.
But, if Harley succeeds at eliminating the aftermarket, where will they steal all of their trend and styling ideas from? Who will re-manufacture their engines? Who will re-engineer their inadequate designs and offer improved, made in the USA parts and accy’s? If there is no longer an aftermarket parts industry, who will make parts in the US so HD customers have jobs to buy their bikes?
You’d better rethink that strategy, HD.
The last passenger I had who would not keep her trap shut got stung on the roof of her mouth as the bee flew in & she tried to spit it out. Riding is great without a running commentary !!!! LOL !!!!
Maybe if the MoCo would put out aftermarket parts that appeal to the chopperheads at affordable prices, Harley owners might buy more actual Harley parts. This ad is a douche move.
that guy is getting laid tonight!!! LOL
When you consider most of the original parts on a Harley are made in China or other countries…. I would not even consider a Harley a Harley any more! Heck at least many of the aftermarket supplies and part manufacturers are truly MADE IN USA…. can not say that about Harley!