Sterotypical HD Ad
The Harley Davidson Motor Company recently posted a ‘lifestyle’ video advertisement at www.livingbyit.com (cut -n- paste). I found the ‘lifestyle’ presented very offensive. I posted a reply to the motor company:
Oh man, I’m going to go ’stick it to the man’ and get me a unique bike so I can be an in-duh-vidual just like everyone else!
Holy crap. I used to have some respect for Harley. I’d seriously considered getting one someday.
Not any more.
That film reinforces the sterotypes of bikers to the n’th degree. Unwashed, tattooed, go with the pack dress in your black costume and ride your ape-hanging loud-pipe blasting annoyance machine, just to show everyone how impotent, er, I mean important you are.
[HD Rep name] - we are a vocal minority in the motorcycling community. I am the state director for the HSTA in Kansas; Robert is the editor for the Arkansas newsletter for the HSTA. Badger_Man is a Captain in the Army, and a senior technician at a major aircraft company. We talk to a lot of people - thousands of bikers and wannaabe riders every year. While your ads may appeal to the oppressed mid-life-crisis potbellied accountant who can’t afford a mistress or a Hummer, I find them offensive, stereotypical and downright harmful to the prospects of future riders and the future of our sport.
People like us include the recently departed President of the MRF, Karen Bolin. She fought her whole life to preserve our rights to ride. Stereotypes like you present risk bringing down the impersonal boot of government on all motorcyclists.
The average Joe and Joanne who see a biker remember the Harley-stereotype with the loud pipes who scared them at the mall the other week. They vote. They can, and will, get the EPA, DOT or Congress to “Do Something ™” about those loud, rude, crude bikers.
Your advertising may sell a few bikes in the short term. And it will continue to promote the negative stereotype of motorcycle riders. It will risk our rights to ride, our freedom to ride for the sake of nailing your next quarters sales projections.
I am offended, and disappointed.
My question to you, HSTA people, is what do you think us sport-riders do that risk our rights? Can we be guilty of the same or similar offensive behaviour that HD posers are guilty of? (Not *riders*, posers.)
I’d be interested to see your comments. Please be patient - if you haven’t posted a comment before I’ll have to manually approve it.
February 6th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
On some level, the sport bike riders are just as guilty of scaring passenger car drivers, or at least leave them thinking we are a bunch of unsafe maniacs. I can remember on one occasion thinking (while driving my pickup) that if I could just catch that guy that I almost hit head-on while he was illegally passing, I would give him a piece of my mind!
Truth of the matter is, I have been guilty of reckless driving myself either in a heated moment or purely out of inconsideration. Hopefully, as I get older (52 now) there are less and less of those “moments”. For people my age, the ” Angels” and the “Warlocks” epitomized the bad biker image. These days, I believe any two wheeler that is loud or rude draws unwanted attention, and as you aptly put it, are going to bring unwanted attention (legislation). By the way, I ride an FJR 1300, as well as an old 700 Nighthawk S.
Will Stenger