The Oregon Eclipse Anxiety Creates Fallout For Motorcyclists

It’s official.  The Great American Solar Eclipse and the potential for catastrophic disaster has produced the first ever Oregon Motorcycle Solar Eclipse Advisory: AVOID RIDING MOTORCYCLES, August 18 — 22, 2017 is the stated recommendation.

Plan to have a good time watching the 2-minute daylight-to-twilight event (around 10:15 am), but just don’t travel anywhere by motorcycle for 5-days!

Huh?  How did we get to this place?

The “once-in-a-lifetime” excitement and buzz surrounding the eclipse is now at Defcon 1 with less than seven days before the interstellar event.  For months people have been on an obsessive pursuit of the perfect photo location.  Get outside advertisements and turn your Oregon journey into a legacy have been everywhere,  Eclipse 101 brochures, guide pamphlets, and preparedness articles are in overdrive across all forms of media.

Advisory: Avoid Motorcycle Riding August 18 – 22, 2017

But, there is this bazaar pre-cog of an impending apocalyptic doom that is permeating the eclipse narrative given that hundreds of thousand of people and their vehicles — perhaps millions — will converge on the already severely overcrowded highways.

Can you spell Oregon anxiety and fear?

Media ratings often drive the “never miss an opportunity to drum up catastrophic hysteria:”  Did you set up a generator ‘war room’ in your basement in case of a state-wide breakdown of electricity and communication?  Did you rent a satellite phone to update your social media channels from Steens Mountain?  Does your family have an evacuation route and disaster preparedness plan?  Did you stock up on SPAM and water?  Do you have a full tank of gas?  Did you buy extra coolant and oil for the engine?  Do you have jumper cables?  Did you purchase a spare tire for your spare tire in case it goes flat?  Did you drain your checking account and now walking around with thousands of dollars in your wallet?  Do you have paper maps in case the cell phone grid goes down?  Did you take a first aid course?  Do you have a roll of duct tape?  Did you buy a package of souvenir: “The Path Of Totality” toilet paper?

Seems silly, but maybe the media should ask us if we remembered to breath?

Is the sky truly falling or is the daily drum beat of “chicken little” prudent preparedness?

I don’t think we want the celestial spectacle any darker and will know soon enough.  Though we might make fun of them a little, looking back, we may also sympathize, but after a long season of eclipse anxiety and survival doomsaying, condensed with all the scientific history, phony viewing glasses and hype — we should all be so lucky as to have yet another boring Monday on August 21st.

TIME photo modified by author with original courtesy of TIME.  TEAM Oregon photo courtesy of web site.

All Rights Reserved (C) Northwest Harley Blog

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The 2015 Road Glide Wait Is Over

The 2015 Road Glide

Harley-Davidson officially “revealed” the 2015 Road Glide this morning along with an updated web site with some additional details.

The “reveal” is a peculiar twist given that we’re a few weeks away from the typical new model launch window.  Here is the corporate press release announcing the 2015 Road Glide.  I’m sure it’s just the first stage of a lot of hype and media buzz planned for the traditional post-Sturgis announcements.

Or being a bit skeptical of marketing motives… maybe this H-D reveal is simply a tactic to take away some of the headlines from the 2015 Polaris, Indian and Victory news?

2015 Road Glide Inner Fairing

Back to the Road Glide.

There are two models.  The Road Glide and Road Glide Special.  Both models include the same specifications from Project RUSHMORE that is currently available on 2014 touring models.  There is the air-cooled, high output Twin Cam 103™ with integrated oil cooler mated to a 6-speed cruise drive transmission, the new Reflex anti-lock braking system (ABS) with dynamically, electronically linked brakes for optimum braking in all conditions.  Both Road Glide models include the redesigned saddlebags for a sleeker look and added new latches that you can operate with one hand.

The 2015 Road Glide Fairing

The 2015 Road Glide Special is basically an elevated experience of riding that includes the new Boom Box 6.5 infotainment system which features a 6.5″ full color touch screen display and it can be operated by convenient new hand controls or by voice command.  It also includes display color options: Orange (default), Blue, Brown, Green, Gray, Purple, Red.

There’s a new handlebar on the Road Glide motorcycle for 2015 that makes the riding position more comfortable for a wider range of riders and the hand grips are now 5 1/2″ closer to the rider.  There is also new gauges which has a 10% larger speedometer and tachometer with 68% wider numbers; 28% larger fuel and volt gauges with 30% wider numbers.

Most distinctive is the new triple-vented fairing that opens and closes to equalize pressure in front and behind the windscreen.  Lastly there is the new dual Daymaker LED headlamps providing better nighttime riding visibility.

I’ll be interested to experience how easy it is to reach and adjust the infotainment system.  Previously anyone under 6 feet tall could have an issue reaching up to the radio system.

I’m looking forward to seeing the new 2015 Road Glide at the local dealer.

Note:  If you’re tracking or curious how accurate any of the previous blog posts were:  Road Glide spy photos HERE.  Early 2014 Road Glide speculation HERE and HERE.

Photos courtesy of H-D.

All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog

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Green Is The New Black

American Bombshell - Marisa Miller

Didn’t you know?

Critics argue that “green” is a passing fad. But, don’t tell Harley-Davidson because the marketing professionals have rolled out a military green marketing and media campaign with “American Bombshell” Marisa Miller.

I’m not talking about an “Inconvenient Truth” or environmental type of green.  Yes, Virginia — I’m talking fashion and the wearing of or riding a Green colored motorcycle. The color comes in all shades and the fashion experts suggest/hype that it’s as fresh as Peppermint!

Yesterday, H-D announced that Marisa Miller expanded her relationship and will salute active and retired U.S. military personnel during the month of November.  This is part of the company’s first-ever “Military Appreciation Month” campaign.  Cool and just in time for Veterans Day!

Sporting minimal clothing, Ms. Miller will be sitting alongside H-D motorcycles in military-themed (read Green) creative, including print and digital ads, posters, postcards and calendars throughout the month of November.  In addition there will be a special section of the H-D web site where anyone can create an electronic postcard with artwork of Miller and Harley-Davidson motorcycles along with a personal message of gratitude that you can send to an active or retired member of the U.S. military.

It’s unclear just how carbon neutral, this ad campaign will be – meaning eliminate or offset all of the greenhouse gases it produces worldwide.  I predict a lot of heavy breathing by teenage males when filling out those postcards!  What do you think?  Is green the new black or is it just the flavour du jour?

Photo courtesy of H-D.

All Rights Reserved © Northwest Harley Blog

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Harley-Davidson Advertising Overload

Have we become immune to marketing ploys? 

Here comes another one in my inbox (slightly modified by yours truly).  Have you notice how Harley-Davidson has put the CVO operations in charge of advertising?  I speculate this is true because those Scream’n Eagle upgrades on all its advertising lately has me totally overloaded at how fast and how often they seem to come.

Simply put, advertising overload is what happens when you’ve seen so many ads, that you become desensitized. You lose your ability to think or differentiate what’s real vs. the “cool-aid…everything and everyone wants to attract your attention…obviously this will translate into you buying something!

Think back…..remember when you first realized that people could make money online?  Remember the excitement?  Did you “buy” into it all? The hype, the promises, and the exaggerations of riches beyond your wildest dreams. Did you actually wrap up that $5 bill in a piece of paper and mail it to the last name on the list in the chain letter?

We’re under siege by motorcycle advertisers, and the problem is more serious than just irritating dinnertime phone calls or endless ads during movie previews or commercial names for sports stadiums or e-mail boxes that are clogged by unsolicited emails.  So here is my public outcry and request to put me on all the “do-not-disturb” lists or delete my email address and I’m now smarter than a chain letter so don’t use “faux marketing” and SPAM’ers beware…pick your advertising term of the day…

As the Harley marketers re-jigger and focus on the return of their media campaigns and how to reach more and more of us please understand that the most effectively way to reach me is to not reach out at all….I’ll come to you when I’m ready for any transaction. 

I’m of the opinion that the tyranny of too much isn’t necessarily better in advertising.

Photo is courtesy of Harley-Davidson’s email blast with some “slight” modifications.

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