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Tag: Harley-Davidson

  • Harley-Davidson Announces LiveWire Electric Motorcycle Brand

    Harley-Davidson Announces LiveWire Electric Motorcycle Brand

    Harley-Davidson has announced its own electric motorcycle brand, LiveWire, as it works to reinvent itself and cash in on the move to electric vehicles.

    Automakers around the world are racing to deploy electric vehicles, with governments viewing electric vehicles as a key component of the fight against climate change. Harley-Davidson is getting in on the action with the announcement of its LiveWire brand of electric motorcycles.

    “One of the six pillars of The Hardwire Strategy is to lead in electric – by launching LiveWire as an all-electric brand, we are seizing the opportunity to lead and define the market in EV,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson. “With the mission to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world, LiveWire will pioneer the future of motorcycling, for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. LiveWire also plans to innovate and develop technology that will be applicable to Harley-Davidson electric motorcycles in the future.”

    Harley-Davidson said the the LiveWire motorcycle will be launched July 8, 2021 and premiere at the International Motorcycle Show on July 9.

  • Pope’s Harley Will Be Auctioned Off On Thursday

    We already know that Pope Francis is probably the most progressive Pope ever. He does have his own official Twitter page. But now you can add a little street-cred to the Pontiff’s resume as well. He owns a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It was a gift from Willie Davidson, grandson of the prestigious bike company’s co-founder. And because the Pope is obviously a charitable man, he has put the bike up for auction to benefit the Rome charity Caritas Roma (a soup kitchen and hostel.)

    The 2013 Pope-signed Dyna Super Glide and Papal leather jacket will be sold by the Bonham’s auction house in Paris. The bike is currently on display at the Grand Palais. Even though the actual sale isn’t until Thursday, as you can imagine, the Pope’s hog is already generating a ton of interest. Bonhams France spoke of the bike’s one-of-a-kind wow-factor. “Unsurprisingly, there is real interest. The sale of the Pope’s motorbike promises to be hotly contested. The result will no doubt live up to its first owner. The Papal signature, a first on a vehicle, makes this sale unique.”

    About 30 bids have already come in and many more are expected. They have all been well over the face value of the bike which is around $16,200 – $20,300. Of course, the final price would probably be a lot higher if the Pope actually rode the Harley. However, the chances of the 77-year-old ever taking the hog out for a spin around the Vatican are highly unlikely. In fact, the Pope used to prefer public transportation back in his days as a Cardinal and currently forgoes the lavishness of the Popemobile in favor of more affordable ways of getting around.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Harley Burial: Man is Buried on Harley Motorcycle

    An 82-year-old man from Ohio had his last wishes granted when he was buried on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. While it isn’t unheard of for people to be buried with personal objects, not only was Bill Standley buried with his Harley, he was buried sitting on top of it wearing his riding gear.

    According to Dorothy Brown, Standley’s daughter, her dad first mentioned being buried with his Harley about 18 years ago. “He said, ‘What am I supposed to do, I’ve got two sons, only got one bike.’ My sister just off-handedly said, ‘Oh dad just be buried with it,’” said Brown. “I think it was about two weeks after that that it really hit him, what a great idea. And we all just like, ‘Dad!’ And he goes, ‘No that’s how I’m going out!’ We all still thought he was kidding. 18 years later, guess what.”

    Standley was buried with his 1967 Harley in a custom casket on Friday. The Plexiglas casket Standley was buried in was built by his two sons years earlier. According to his sons, their father loved to take guests out to his garage and show off the casket. “If you stopped by his house, he showed you his casket,” Roy Standley said.

    Brown said that Standley wanted all of his family and friends to see him take his last ride, and his kids made sure it happened. “If we had ever asked dad anything in his lifetime, something special, dad would do his best to do it for us. So this is all we could do for him. Some people walk through the pearly gates, some people ride,” said Brown. Check out a picture of Standley’s last ride below.

    Here is a closeup of Standley on his Harley in the casket before his burial:

    (image)

    As strange as the Harley burial might sound, this isn’t the first time someone has made a rather peculiar last request. When country music legend Jimmy Dean died in 2010, he was buried in a grand piano tomb. Even stranger, rapper Tupac Shakur was cremated and members of his rap group Young Outlawz said they smoked his ashes.

    Images via YouTube

  • Harley Burial: Deceased Man Rides Motorcycle As Last Wish

    “He’d done right by us all these years, and at least we could see he goes out the way he wanted to,” Pete Standley said in regards to the funeral of his deceased father, whose body was perfectly placed on top of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle inside a casket.

    Yes, you heard right.

    Billy Standley last request to his family was to bury him with one of the things that kept him young and adventurous over the years: his blue 1967 Electra Glide motorcycle.

    Dressed in a  black leather outfit with a white helmet and clear glasses, the 82-year-old lifeless rider would have been proud to know that he was finally granted what he wanted the most, “to ride off to heaven” in a big see-through box.

    The Ohio-native died from lung cancer and was laid to rest Friday 24 during an outside funeral procession.

    Prior to his death, Standley anticipated the thought of knowing that his family and friends would someday see him fixed on one of his most prized possessions.(image)

    An 18-year-long burial idea, which then manifested into an actual project, set in the garage of his home for five years.

    Standley’s two sons, Pete and Roy, helped build the Plexiglas casket made of wood and steel.

    His family said that he was very proud of his customized casket and used to show it off to visiting guests.

    “He was a quirky man,” daughter Dorothy Brown told Dayton Daily News. “But when it comes to us kids, he loved us, he raised us well and, of course, we wanted to help him.”

    Vernon Funeral Homes Inc. told the newspaper that although this is the company’s first extreme personalization, they were able to accommodate the dimensions of the grave to fit the size of the casket.

    However, this is not the first time the deceased has bid ‘farewell’ in-style, and quite frankly, it appears that personalized funerals are more common than before.

    The corpse of former Puerto Rican Boxer Christopher Rivera Amaro, who was murdered at 23, was standing straight up in a ring during a wake service Friday.

    Maybe TLC’s over-the-top theme show, “Best Funeral Ever,” is to blame for this unusual trend?

    OR…

    Maybe families rather remember the fondest characteristics and moments of their loved ones by exhibiting them as they were alive?

    Here is a list by Urlesque.com detailing some of the most rare funerals and caskets.

    What are your thoughts?

    Images via Youtube

  • Harley Burial – Ohio Man Buried On His Bike

    The old saying “you can’t take it with you when you die” is true in most cases, but not for an Ohio man who is being buried on his Harley Davidson Motorcycle. Billy Standley’s dying wish was the be buried with his beloved 1967 Electra Glide cruiser, and that’s just what his family did.

    “He was a quirky man,” daughter Dorothy Brown said. “But when it comes to us kids, he loved us, he raised us well and, of course, we wanted to help him.”

    Standley’s two sons built him a large casket that could hold both he and his motorcycle. His family claims that Standley was so proud of the casket that he would often invite people into his garage to see it. The family had to buy a large plot that would be big enough to bury the giant casket and it took five embalmers to prepare his body. Preparations included making a metal back brace and straps that would hold Standley on the seat of the Harley.

    Standley’s body was dressed for the part too and he was buried in a black leather motorcycle jacket and leather pants. A helmet was also placed on Standley’s head and although his eyes were closed, it looked as if he was ready to ride right out of the casket and hit the open road for one last ride on his favorite bike.

    Vernon Funeral Homes handled the funeral ceremony and his family requested that it be held outside so all of his motorcycle buddies could attend on their bikes, just how Standley would have wanted.

    “We’ve done personalization … but nothing this extreme,” Tammy Vernon said. “He was the one who kept throwing this idea out there, to be buried on his bike. We were glad to assist him.”

    What do you think of Billy Standley’s decision to be buried astride his Harley?

    Image via YouTube.

  • Pope Francis Auctioning Off Harley for Charity

    Pope Francis is auctioning off his personal Harley-Davidson in support of organizations that support the homeless. Earlier this year, Francis was presented with the bike, after blessing hundreds of Harleys and their owners in St. Peter’s Square.

    Proceeds from the auction will go to a Roman hostel and soup kitchen.

    Pope Francis is known for his affinity towards a more toned-down mode of papal living – he’s moved into a Vatican guesthouse, and doesn’t ride around in a tricked-out Mercedes popemobile. During a recent trip to Brazil, he was driven in a Fiat, and has been seen in Fords and Volkswagons.

    Regarding his Brazil trip, it’s said that up to 2 million people showed up on Rio’s Cocacabana beach to hear Francis speak.

    As a side note, while Pope Francis beat out The Rolling Stones, who only drew a crowd of 1.5 million at Cocacabana in 2006, no one can touch Rod Stewart, who brought out 3.5 million in 1994.

    According to the National Catholic Register, the Pope doesn’t like seeing priests or nuns riding around in new cars, and is said to have preferred public transportation, while still a Cardinal. “If you like that beautiful car, think about how many children are dying of hunger,” Francis said.

    Enrico Feroci, director of the Roman charity that the Harley auction will benefit, said in a statement, “It is a precious gift that has once again made us happy in feeling the closeness of our bishop to the poor of the Church of Rome. We are deeply grateful to Pope Francis for this,” he said at a recent press conference.

    In related news, Harley-Davidson has just issued a voluntary recall for some of their 2014 touring motorcycles. Owners have been issued a Do Not Ride notice while the dealers have received a Do Not Deliver notice.

    Image via Twitter.

  • Harley-Davidson Recall, “Do Not Ride” Notice Issued

    Harley-Davidson has issued a voluntary recall for the 2014 Touring motorcycles. Owners have been issued a Do Not Ride notice while the dealers have received a Do Not Deliver notice. The recalled vehicles include models built between May 3, 2013, and October 14, 2013, and are listed as the following: 25,185 Touring motorcycles (FLHTCU, FLHTK, FLHTP, FLHX, FLHXS, FLHTKSE, and FLHRSE) as well as 3,861 Softail® CVOs and Trikes (FLHTCUTG, FXSBSE, and FLSTNSE).

    The General Manager of Motorcycle New Product Delivery for Harley-Davidson, Tony Wilcox, recently spoke about the company’s concern for customers and dealers.

    “The safety of our customers is our highest priority. We have identified potential safety issues and are moving quickly to notify our customers and dealers. The inspection and repair of these motorcycles is extremely important, so it’s critical that our customers with affected vehicles contact their dealers immediately. We apologize for this circumstance. The company is committed to correcting this issue and providing customers with the quality experience and service they expect,” Tony Wilcox said.

    (image)

    The problems involving the recall, stem from concerns over the mechanisms operating the hydraulic clutch. Complications with disengaging the clutch were noted, which affects the capacity of the bikes to decelerate. Obvious problems relating to stopping and slowing the bikes may result from such scenarios.

    Being the established, customer-conscience company that Harley-Davidson has become popular for being, Harley-Davidson has encouraged owners to contact dealers in order to make arrangements for inspection. Harley-Davidson will pick up the tab to have the bikes thoroughly inspected, problems rectified, and then eventually returned to customers.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzgSsioAGHs&list=TL3KqVKTSMZsWSaPN4Ip8K2yIiIiwNPm7I

    [Images Via Harley-Davidson Facebook And YouTube]

  • Dave Grohl Surprises Milwaukee For Harley-Davidson Anniversary

    Dave Grohl, front man for the rock band Foo Fighters and former Nirvana drummer, made a surprise appearance on Thursday in Milwaukee, WI.

    Dave surprised the nearly 100,000 travelers from around the world expected this weekend in Wisconsin for the 110th anniversary of Milwaukee-based motorcycle company, Harley-Davidson.

    Grohl recently updated the Foo Fighters’ Twitter account that he would be in Milwaukee this weekend.

    Thursday evening he played with the “’70s dirt rock cover band’” Chevy Metal, rocking out to tunes like Van Halen’s “Panama,” and the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.”

    With fellow rocker Joan Jett sitting in the audience, Grohl and Chevy Metal’s drummer/vocalist, Taylor Hawkins, (who is also actually the drummer for the Foo Fighters), wowed fans playing cover songs for the night.

    The Milwaukee celebration included concerts, a parade and multiple parties, along with many other events.

    Main Article Picture Courtesy Flimsical on Flickr via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Harley-Davidson 110th anniversary

    Over 100,000 Harley-Davidson enthusiasts are converging on Milwaukee, WI for the 110th anniversary celebration for the iconic American motorcycle manufacturer that begins on Thursday.

    Revelers will be treated to over 60 musical acts including ZZ Top, Kid Rock, and Aerosmith. The company is offering special factory tours and the local Harley-Davidson Museum will offer special displays of famous bikes including “Serial Number One” the oldest bike in existence. The museum will also be the center of a custom bike show with over 160 bikes in 11 categories will be on display.

    Riders can even get the ultimate sign of the biker lifestyle with a free 110th anniversary tattoo.

    Mark-Hans Richer, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Harley-Davidson told a local NBC station that “This is actually the end of our anniversary year. It’s a return to the mecca of motorcycling in Milwaukee — which is hard to say three times fast but you get the idea.”

    The company was founded in 1903 by a pair of young gearheads named William Harley and Arthur Davidson. Harley was just 21 and Davidson was only 20 when they hung a shingle outside a 10 by 15 wooden shed in the Davidson backyard and offered their first motorcycle for sale.

    By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturing company in the world selling nearly 30,000 bikes a year. Sales plunged to just under 4,000 in 1933. However, Harley-Davidson was one of just two American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression.

    company was sold to American Machine and Foundry (AMF) in 1969 and nearly went bankrupt in the 1980’s. A 45% tariff on heavy motorcycles along with a restructuring to focus on classic styles and heavily customizable designs led to a resurgence in the company’s fortunes. Today, Harley-Davidson generates over $5 billion in revenue and employs 6,000 people.

    The anniversary festival continues through Sunday.

  • Harley-Davidson 2014: Project Rushmore

    Harley-Davidson has unveiled its new lineup of 2014 motorcycles. The unveiling occurred on August 18th during the company’s annual Summer Dealer Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

    Project Rushmore was started by Keith E. Wandell, the company’s chief executive. He says: “It’s the largest scale new-model launch in the company’s 110-year history.” According to Mr. Wandell, the new bikes are “more powerful, stop faster and handle better”.

    “Project RUSHMORE has been touched by thousands of people, most of them being our customers and our employees,” said Scott Habegger, Harley-Davidson Director of Motorcycle Planning. “The voice of the customer is represented not just up front, but throughout the process. In our product development process, we gather input and ideas at formal focus groups, but also at all the events we attend, at our demo rides, sometimes just talking to that rider or passenger sitting on the next stool at a diner. In addition, Harley-Davidson dealers provide valuable input. We then take our ideas and solutions back to customers as prototypes and get more feedback before settling on a final design. With these inputs approved, we are then able to get into production very quickly. We really feel that we are in this together as riders.”

    http://youtu.be/UnRfJAgRA0U

    The new models include the 2014 Harley-Davidson Road King, Street Glide, Street Glide Special, Electra Glide Ultra Classic, Ultra Limited, Tri Glide Ultra, CVO Ultra Limited and CVO Road King.

    The bikes are have a new high-output fuel-injected Twin Cam 103 engine, linked antilock brakes, and LED headlights. They also have an expanded infotainment system that offers the Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, navigation, phone, intercom and CB radio options.

    “I can guarantee when the customer throws their legs over this thing they are going to say wow,” said Bill Davidson, the great-grandson of Harley-Davidson of William A. Davidson, the company’s co-founder.