1952, Harley applied for a 40% tax on imported motorcycles,also Films coming out of hollywood tarnished harley's image with their movies about biker gangs in the 50's thro' 60'."Harley-Davidson" for a long time was synonymous with the Hells Angels and other outlaw motorcyclists.
In 1969, AMF (American Machinery and Foundry) bought the company, streamlined production, and slashed the workforce. This tactic resulted in a labor strike and a low quality of bikes. The bikes were expensive and inferior in performance, handling, and quality to imports from the far east. Sales & quality plummeted, and the company almost went bankrupt.The "Harley-Davidson" name was mocked as "Hardly Ableson", "Hardly Driveable," and "Hogly Ferguson",and the nickname "Hog" became pejorative.
Dave Burton
www.bargain-motors.com
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