Let me start off by saying I like Indian motorcycles. I really do. I’m digging the variety of styles and the attention to detail on each build.
But, my heart is with Harley…
In a previous post I discussed the Indian “Challenger Challenge,” a campaign that invites motorcyclists to test ride the Challenger and the Harley-Davidson Road Glide® Special back-to-back for a head-to-head comparison.
It’s brilliant.
It’s worth pausing for a moment to consider how this campaign would’ve worked out if Indian used any other motorcycle in their lineup vs. the Road Glide — one of Harley’s bagger cash cow. It’s dangerous to make assertions about “might-have-beens,” or what analytic philosophers like to call “counterfactuals,” because no evidence can exist that fully demonstrates the falseness of such an assertion.
But, I’ve digressed.
A “bake-off” for the preeminent bagger, demonstrates a battle for supremacy in the public mind. It’s also a battle for cultural supremacy, not a judgement about features, technical prowess or achievements. It’s the subtlety of Indian craving the appeal of that, what makes a Harley, a Harley. That ineffable something (that je ne sais quoi, if you need a phrase to go with your cappuccino).
So, in classic Harley fashion, and only 5-months in the role, Jon Bekefy (GM of Brand Marketing at Harley-Davidson) calls BS and snapped back at Indian. Mr. Bekefy uploaded an agency polished Instagram post and in the process scorches Polaris. (Bekefy Twitter)
In other words, “Anything Polaris/Indian can do, Harley can do better.” Clearly the General Manager of Brand Marketing at Harley-Davidson doesn’t want to get upstaged.
We all know that Harley-Davidson is not just a bike, it’s a choice. An existential decision and the life that follows upon it.
Wait. That statement may not be as defensible, since Harley is now promising to be another “transportation” manufacture delivering a Chinese 338cc bike where affordability remains paramount to the upscale EV future of two-wheel transportation and includes all bicycle types in between.
As Indian and Harley arm wrestle each other over boomer-centric models, it has a limited lifespan and is unlikely to generate a lot of new riders, but it’s pure theater and fun to watch!
Photo courtesy Instagram.
All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog