MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTYOFEDUCATION DepartmentofEnglishLanguageandLiterature Comparing the Harley-Davidson lifestyle in the Czech Republic and the United States BachelorThesis Brno2008

Author:EvaTomášová Supervisor:Dr.RitaChalmersCollins Bibliografickýzáznam TOMÁŠOVÁ, Eva. Comparing the HarleyDavidson lifestyle in the Czech Republic and the United States : bakalářská práce . Brno : Masarykova univerzita, Fakulta pedagogická, Katedra anglického jazyka a literatury, 2008. 60 l. Vedoucí diplomové práceDr.RitaChalmersCollins. Anotace TatobakalářskáprácenabízísrovnáníHarleyDavidsonživotníhostyluvČeské republiceaveSpojenýchstátech. Vlastnítextjerozdělendošestikapitolznichžjeprvníchpětzaměřenonavznik a formování firmy HarleyDavidson a faktory, které ovlivnily vznik a vývoj Harley DavidsonživotníhostyluveSpojenýchstátech.Šestákapitolasevěnuježivotnímustylu českýchmajitelůmotocyklůznačkyHarleyDavidsonaporovnáníjejichživotníhostylu stímamerickým. Cílem práce bylo zjistit zda se majitelé motocyklů HarleyDavidson vČeské republice zajímají o americkou historii vzniku firmy a životního stylu, který je sním spojený.Dálepaktakéjestliexistujínějaképodobnéčispolečnérysyvživotnímstylu majitelůHarleyDavidsonmotocyklůunásaveSpojenýchstátech. Annotation This thesis offers comparison of the HarleyDavidson lifestyle in the Czech RepublicandtheUnitedStates. The text is divided into six chapters. The first five chapters are about the foundation and formation of HarleyDavidson Motor Company and factors that influenced the creation and development of HarleyDavidson lifestyle in the United States. The sixth chapter is about lifestyle of czech owners of the HarleyDavidson motorcyclesincomparisonwiththeamericanones. The aim of this thesis was to find out whether the Czech owners of Harley DavidsonmotorcyclesareinterestedinthehistoryofcreationoftheHarleyDavidson Motor Company and related lifestyle of American HarleyDavidson riders. Then, whetherthereexistanysimilarorcommonfeaturesinthelifestyleofHarleyDavidson ownersintheCzechRepublicandintheUnitedStates. Klíčováslova Životnístyl,motocykl,,nezákonnégangy,motorkář,řidič,motocyklovýklub, chopper,custommotocykl,HarleyDavidson Keywords Lifestyle, motorcycle, chopper, outlaw gangs, biker, rider, motorcycle club, chopper, custommotorcycle,HarleyDavidson

3 Prohlášení

Prohlašuji,žejsemdiplomovouprácizpracovalasamostatněapoužilajenprameny uvedenévseznamuliteratury.

Brnědne20.května2008 EvaTomášová IwouldliketothankDr.RitaChalmersCollinsforherkindandpatient supervisionandfortheadvicesheprovidedtomeduringmyworkonthisbachelor thesis. Obsah

INTRODUCTION ...... 7 1 WHAT IS HARLEY-DAVIDSON ...... 8

1.1 WHATIS HARLEY DAVIDSON ,INC ....... 8 1.2 WHATPRECEDEDTHECREATIONOFTHEFIRST HARLEY DAVIDSONMOTORCYCLE ...... 9 1.3 HISTORYOFTHEESTABLISHMENTOFTHE HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY ...... 9 1.4 HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANYDURINGTHE WORLD WAR IAND II ANDITSMOTORCYCLESINTHE POLICESERVICE ...... 11 1.4.1 HarleyDavidsonduringtheWorldWarI...... 11 1.4.2 HarleyDavidsonduringtheWorldWarII...... 12 1.4.3 HarleyDavidsoninthepoliceservice...... 12 1.4.4 Problemsthataroseintheperiodafterthewar...... 13 2 HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT PRESENT ...... 16

2.1 PROFILEOF HARLEY DAVIDSONCUSTOMERS ...... 16 2.1.1 DemographicprofileofHarleyDavidsoncustomers:...... 16 2.2 THEEFFORTSOF HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANYTODIFFERENTIATETHEMSELVESFROMOTHER MOTORCYCLECOMPANIES ...... 18 2.2.1 HarleyDavidsonadvertisementsandmagazines...... 20 2.2.2 HarleyDavidsoninthefilmandTVseries...... 20 2.2.3 HarleyDavidsonandstars...... 21 2.2.4 Safetyandmotorcycleaccidents...... 22 3 CUSTOMS, CHOPPERS AND BOBBERS ...... 23

3.1 CUSTOMMOTORCYCLES ...... 23 3.2 RATBIKES ...... 24 3.3 HISTORYOFCHOPPERS ...... 25 3.3.1 Traditionofchoppers...... 25 3.3.2 Today'schoppers...... 26 4 MOTORCYCLE CLUBS AND GANGS ...... 28

4.1 DEFINITIONANDDIVISIONOFMOTORCYCLECLUBS ...... 28 4.1.1 “Onepercenters”and“Ninetyninepercenters”...... 28 4.2 FEATURESOFTHE AMERICANMOTORCYCLECLUBS ...... 29 4.3 OUTLAW GANGSANDONE PERCENTERS ...... 30 4.4 NINETY NINEPERCENTERS ...... 31 4.4.1 TheAmericanMotorcyclistAssociation(AMA)...... 32 4.4.2 TheHarleyOwnersGroup(HOG)...... 32 5 HARLEY DAVIDSON AND WOMEN ...... 34

5.1 WOMEN 'SHISTORICBEGINNINGSINTHESADDLE ...... 35 5.2 THEBESTKNOWNWOMENONLYCLUBS ...... 37 5.2.1 Firstwomen'sclubMotorMaids,Inc....... 37 5.2.2 WomenintheWindClub...... 38 5.3 HOWIMPORTANTAREWOMENFORTHE HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANYTHESEDAYS ...... 39 5.4 HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANYWOMENONLYEVENTS ...... 40 5.5 WHYWOMENDECIDETORIDEMOTORCYCLESANDWHATCANHOLDTHEMBACKFROMRIDING ...... 41 6 HARLEY-DAVIDSON LIFESTYLE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC ...... 44

6.1 HARLEY DAVIDSONDEALERSHIPS ...... 44 6.2 THEPOSITIONOF HARLEY DAVIDSONMOTORCYCLESONTHE CZECHMARKET ...... 45 6.3 CLUBSFOR HARLEY DAVIDSONOWNERS ...... 46 6.4 HARLEY DAVIDSONCUSTOMERS ...... 48 6.5 HARLEY DAVIDSONINTHE CZECH REPUBLICANDWOMEN ...... 50 6.6 HARLEY DAVIDSONINTHE CZECH REPUBLICANDCELEBRITIES ...... 52 6.7 CHOPPERSANDCUSTOMSINTHE CZECH REPUBLIC ...... 52 6.8 SAFETYONTHE CZECHROADS ...... 53 CONCLUSION ...... 54 REFERENCES: ...... 57

6 Introduction

When I was thinking about typical symbols of the United States the first things that sprang to my mind were the Statue of Liberty, New York City, Washington D.C., national parks and HarleyDavidson motorcycles. Although I am neither a keen motorcycledevoteenoramotorcycleriderIhavedecidedtoexplorethereasonswhy theHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclebecamesowellknownintheUnitedStatesandwhat thecurrentsituationisfortheHarleyDavidsonintheCzechRepublic. Mythesisisdividedintotwoparts.Thefirstpartistheoreticalandpresentsfactsabout theHarleyDavidsonlifestyleintheUnitedStates.Thesecondpartismorepracticaland deals with experience of dealers and owners of HarleyDavidson motorcycles in the Czech Republic. The theoreticalpart is dividedinto fivechapters that are subdivided intorelatedsubheadingswhilethepracticalpartissplitintoeightsubheadings. HarleyDavidson Motor Company has a very specific position in the United States. Over the more than one hundred years of its existence, HarleyDavidson Motor Company managed to build a legend from a mere motorcycle. HarleyDavidson motorcycles are used in the everyday life, traveling, and racing or only for pleasure. Behinditshandlebarswereseatedsoldiersintheworldwars,hippiesandpersonalities of cultural and political life, wild hogs, and police forces. All of these people progressivelyhelpedtocreatetheHarleyDavidsonimage. I hope that my thesis will provide information about the evolution of the Harley Davidson motorcycle from its beginning in the wooden shed in Milwaukee to these days. It presents crucial points that were essential for the development of Harley Davidsonimage.Ido notthinkthatmanypeopleintheCzechRepubliccontemplate whyHarleyDavidsonisasymbolofAmerica.Myresearchwasmadeinordertoknow whether Czech people who buy HarleyDavidson motorcycles are aware of Harley Davidsonhistoryandfactsthatledtoitsdevelopment.

7 1 WhatisHarleyDavidson

ThefollowingdefinitioncanbefoundintheOxfordAdvancedDictionary: HarleyDavidson is a famous and expensive US motorcycle. These motorcycles are long and heavy, with fairly oldfashioned yet powerful engines that make a loud sound. The first three HarleyDavidsonmotorcycleswerebuiltin1903inMilwaukee,wherethecompany’smainoffice hasalwaysbeen.Popularmodelshaveincludedthe1936Knucklehead,the1957Sportster‘super bike’andthe1990FatBoy.RidingaHarleyDavidsonontheopenroadispartoftheAmerican dreamformanypeople:Ifyou’reoverweightandmiddleaged,ridingaHarleyDavidsonwon’t changethat. (CulturalGuide) TheHarleyDavidsonmotorcycle,popularlyknownasa“Harley”,owesitsnametoits creatorsWilliamHarleyandArthurDavidson.

1.1 What is Harley-Davidson, Inc.

HarleyDavidson,Inc.is: theparentcompanyforthegroupofcompaniescalledHarleyDavidsonMotorCompany,Buell Motorcycle Company and HarleyDavidson Financial Services, Inc. HarleyDavidson Motor CompanyistheonlymajorU.S.basedmotorcyclemanufacturerwhichproducesheavyweight motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessoriesandapparel.HarleyDavidsonFinancialServices,Inc.provideswholesaleandretail financingandinsuranceprogramstoHarleyDavidsondealersandcustomers. (HarleyDavidsonUSA). HarleyDavidsonMotorCompany,foundedin1903,istheoldestcompanyintheworld that produces. (Saladini, 14). Their headquarters are in Milwaukee. They sell heavyweight(over750cubiccentimeters)motorcyclesthataresuitableforcruisingon the highways. These motorcycles have both a distinctive design and exhaust sound. (HarleyDavidsonUSA).ThesoundofHarleyDavidsonVtwinengine(twincylinder engine)wasdescribedbyHarleyDavidsontrademarkattorneyJosephBonkintheU.S. PatentandTrademarkOfficein1994as“potatopotatopotato”.(Wright,56).

8 1.2 What preceded the creation of the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle

Attheendof18thcenturytheDraisinawascreated.TheDraisinawasawooden,foot propelledpredecessorofbicycle.Afewyearslater,PierreMichauxaddedpedalstothis idea and thereby created the device well known today as the bicycle. L.G. Perraux offeredMichauxasmallsteamenginethatwouldfitontotheirvelocipedeanditwas not until 1870 when the so called “Velocipédraisiavaporiana”, the first bike with a steamengine,appeared.Theideaofsteampropelledbicyclesspreadoverthecontinent very quickly and finally got to the United States. Thanks to the vast expanse of the UnitedStates,withinashorttimeaboutonehundredandfiftynewcompaniesemerged that produced similar machines. The best known was the Thor Company. Other companies were Indian, Merkel, Peerless and Yale. These companies started to undertake innovations that led to risks, economic wars and competition. After the SecondWorldWar,onlyfifteencompaniesemergedfromwhichonlytwothatstoodin the postwar period. They were the Indian Company and HarleyDavidson Motor Company. Even though the Indian Company was a big competitor of the Harley DavidsonMotorCompany,theystoppedproductionintheUnitedStatesin1953.Then theIndianCompanywasboughtbyaBritishcompanywhichforcedthemtoproduce andselltheirproperBritishmotorcycles.ThebrandIndianlasteduntil1962.(Saladini, 1617).

1.3 History of the establishment of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company

William.S.HarleywasborninMilwaukeein1880.Whenhewasfifteen,heworkedin a company manufacturing bicycles. He was very talented and started working in a factory manufacturing metals. There he met Arthur Davidson, his former classmate. Theywerebothkeenonmechanicalengineeringandnature.Theygraduallyattracted attentionofbothofthecousinsofArthurDavidson,WalterandWilliamwhogotalso involvedintheirplansformanufacturingmotorcycles.In1903thefirstprototypewas finished.Oneofthethreenewmotorcycles,whichwereproducedthefollowingyear, served to five riders who made travels that have together about 133572 kilometers. (Saladini,22).

9 The first prototype came with the HarleyDavidson trademark, which, in 1910, was supplementedwiththefamous“barandshield”logo.Bothofthemarecontinuallyused uptonow.Theirfirstworkshop,asimplewoodenshackofthreetofivemeters,hadto be enlarged when the HarleyDavidson Motor Company was registered at The U. S. TradeandCompanyRegisterOfficeonSeptember17,1907.(Saladini,23). The company grew quite fast. In 1912 construction started on the new company’s manufacturingplantandheadquartersonJuneauStreetinMilwaukee.Thecompany's headquarters remains there to this day. Contributing to the development was a fast economic growth at the beginning of the 20th century (natural resources, industrial development,wavesofimmigrantsandoutsetofadvertising).(Saladini,17). TheHarleyDavidsonMotorCompanygraduallyexpandedfactoryroomsandincreased production to satisfy the demand. In 1910, 86.400 motorcycles had already been registered in the United States and it was clear that the HarleyDavidson Motor Companyhadafuture.(Saladini,25).Arthurconcentratedonthebusinessgrowthofthe companywhileWilliamS.Harleycontinuedhisstudiesofmetalprocessingandother mechanical engineering subjects at university in order to improve HarleyDavidson MotorCompany'stechnology. The most important step in HarleyDavidson history was the adoption and implementationoftheVtwinengine(twincylinderengine)thatfirstappearedwiththe newmodelofmotorcyclein1909.TheVtwinenginebecameaveryimportantattribute andrecognizablesignofHarleyDavidsonmotorcycleseventhoughitwasusedinother motorcycle companies. This engine was continuously modified and finetuned for almostanotheronehundredyears. In1920thetotalproductionoftheHarleyDavidsonMotorCompanynumbered27040 motorcycles. That year, HarleyDavidson Motor Company was not only the largest motorcyclemanufacturerintheUnitedStatesbutalsoinaworldmarketofover100 motorcycle manufacturers. (HarleyDavidson USA, Saladini 43). Arthur Davidson personallychoseeverynewdealer.By1910itcoveredthewholeterritoryoftheUnited Stateswhilein1921itwasalreadypossibletobuyHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclein67 worldcountries.(Saladini,33).

10 1.4 Harley-Davidson Motor Company during the World War I and II and its motorcycles in the police service

1.4.1 HarleyDavidsonduringtheWorldWarI

In1917,duringWorldWarI,HarleyDavidsonMotorCompanyneededtoattractnew, youngcustomersand,atthattime,bicycleshadstoppedbeingimportedfromEurope. HarleyDavidsonquicklyrespondedtothedemandofthemarketandstartedtoproduce bicycles. They wanted to make them similar to their motorcycles – reliable, of good quality, and with a hint of patriotism. Their production ended in 1921 because their pricewastoohigh.Allbicyclemodelswerehandmadeandtheirpricewasfrom30to 50dollars.(Saladini,51). In 1916, the first motorcycles were used by the U.S. Army in Mexico where the US Armywas repressingPanchoVillaandhisrebelforces.(HarleyDavidsonUSA).There HarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesprovedtobeveryusefulandreliable.When,in1917,the US entered World War I, HarleyDavidson Motor Company modified and equipped considerable number of their motorcycles for the needs of the USA and the Allies. These motorcycles could be fitted with machinegun mounts if needed. (Harley DavidsonUSA).Altogetherabout20,000motorcyclesweredeliveredtoEurope.Notall of them were HarleyDavidsons. Their quality and reliability brought them a fair reputationandmadethemwellknown.(Saladini,53). DuringthetimeoftheGreatDepression,HarleyDavidsonMotorCompanywasalmost bankruptedasmostmanufacturers.Salesstartedtofalleachyearafterthestockmarket crashof1929.HarleyDavidson'ssalesdroppedfrom21,000in1929tolessthan3,703 in1933.(Saladini,70).Thisdeclinelasteduntil1933.(HarleyDavidsonUSA).During that period, HarleyDavidson Motor Company “manufactured industrial power plants based on their motorcycle engines” and constructed its famous 45degree Vtwin “knucklehead”engine.(HarleyDavidson).Thisenginesetlandspeedrecords,andits invention brought HarleyDavidson Motor Company just enough business to survive. (HarleyDavidsonInternational,Saladini5659).

11 1.4.2 HarleyDavidsonduringtheWorldWarII

In autumn 1939, HarleyDavidson Motor Company obtained an order for military motorcycles. They immediately started transforming their civil models into army modelsknownasWLAandWLC(Canadianmodel)or,inEuropeknownasLiberator. Thesemodelswerereliable,couldbeusedwithminimalmaintenance,werefurnished withmilitaryappointmentsandfullyequipped.DuringWorldWarII,HarleyDavidson Motor Company produced about 90000 motorcycles. (Bacon). In the 1940s all four founders of HarleyDavidson Motor Company passed away. (Saladini, 8493, Přibáň, Historie motocyklové legendy). HarleyDavidson Motor Company was for their patrioticeffortsawardedtheprestigious“U.S.ArmyNavyProduction"E"(Excellence) Award”.ThisawardwasgivenduringWorldWarII“toindustriesachievingexcellence inproduction.“(ArmyNavy"E"AwardProgramInvitation).ProductionoftheWLA stoppedattheendofthewar,afterwhichtheHarleyDavidsonMotorCompanyagain resumedcivilianproduction.(Lensveld,10). AftertheSecond WorldWar many HarleyDavidsonArmy motorcyclesweresoldor passed to Europe under the agreement of postwar reconstruction. Those motorcycles becamethebasisforthehugeincreaseinpopularityoftheHarleyDavidsonbrandin Europe.(Saladini,74).

1.4.3 HarleyDavidsoninthepoliceservice

Arthur Davidson was always trying to find new potential markets. In 1909, Harley DavidsonMotorCompanypresentedamotorcyclemodelfortheU.S.PostOffice.They were successful and gained another order for 700 motorcycles for the telephone company.(Saladini,52).There,motorcyclesprovedtobeveryeffectiveindispatching messages before the invention of reliable radio communications. Most of these motorcycles were threewheeler versions or had sidecars sometimes replaced with a deliveryunit. The police department also became interested. The first HarleyDavidson police motorcyclewasdeliveredtotheDetroitPoliceDepartmentin1908.(HarleyDavidson USA). The Police Department used HarleyDavidson motorcycles equipped with sidecars until 1931 when the threewheel delivery vehicle called ServiCar was

12 introduced. These ServiCars became very popular, not only with police departments andwereusedfor41years.(Přibáň,Historiemotocyklovélegendy,Saladini,70). Over the years, police and military organizations have used HarleyDavidson motorcyclesandrealizedtheiradvantages.Peoplegotusedtopolicepatrolsoperating HarleyDavidson motorcycles. “The image of a motorcycle cop parked behind a billboardbecameaniconofAmericana.Andtheideathatapoliceofficerwouldsiton anything other than a HarleyDavidson wouldn’t be conceivable until the 1970s.” (HarleyDavidson). ”Inthelastfiveyears,HarleyDavidsonpolicesaleshavemorethandoubled.Today, just as in the late 1920s, more than 3,000 police departments ride HarleyDavidson motorcycles.ThisisadramaticincreasefromtheMotorCompany’s80thAnniversary twenty years ago, when just over 400 state, provincial, county and municipal police departments were equipped with HarleyDavidson motorcycles.” (HarleyDavidson USA).

1.4.4 Problemsthataroseintheperiodafterthewar

Thewarmodelswerereliableandcouldbeusedwithminimalmaintenance.Someof themfunctionedformorethanfiftyyearsaftertheywereproduced.(Saladini,91).The successofHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesmeantthatthereweremanyattemptstoimitate theirmotorcyclesbothbyEuropeanandotherproducers.(Saladini,35).Howeverafter the passing away of all of the HarleyDavidson founders, HarleyDavidson Motor Company started to have other problems due to changes in the management together with the competition of othercompaniescomingto the Americanmarket. Theywere Norton, Royal Enfield, BSA and Ariel from Great Britain. In 1950s almost 40% motorcycles were foreign brands . (Saladini, 96). To help domestic manufacturers, American Motorcycle Association asked the government to pass a resolution to give them preferential treatment. (Saladini, 95). To stop this invasion, HarleyDavidson startedtoproducemodelsthatcouldequalorbebetterthanthecompetitors. The 1960s brought another threat strong competition from the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers.HarleyDavidsonmotorcycleswereexpensivebuthadfeaturesinferior toJapanesemotorcycles.HarleyDavidsonMotorCompanylostabout90%shareofthe

13 motorcycle market due to an increase in imports. (Lensveld, 10). To be more competitiveagainstJapanesemotorcyclesandenhancetechnologies,HarleyDavidson Motor Company successively established cooperation with the Italian company Aermacchi and the Tomahawk Boat Company. The poor economic performance of HarleyDavidson Motor Company led in 1969 to their takeover by the American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF), a longtime producer of leisure products. (HarleyDavidson USA). American Metal Foundries provided money, and Harley DavidsonMotorCompanyrapidlyexpandedtheirproductcapacity.However,thiswas doneattheexpenseofqualityanddesign.Manycustomerscomplainedthatthespiritof HarleyDavidsonmotorcycleshaddisappeared,thatthequalityoftemotorcycleswas falling,inparticular,thatoilleaked.(Wright,Saladini,114).Oneofthepopularjokesat thetimewas: “WhatdohounddogsandHarleys’haveincommon?Theybothspendalotof timeridingaroundinthebackofpickuptrucks.” (Bronson). Sales were falling as well as the quality and the HarleyDavidson Motor Company almost went bankrupt. “The name of HarleyDavidson was mocked as “Hardly Ableson”,“HardlyDriveable,”“HoglyFerguson”.(HarleyDavidson).In1980s,oneof a longtime Midwestern HarleyDavidson dealers divulged that he sells Harleys and Suzukis.Thepreviousyear,hesold125Harleysand250Suzukisandhehadfourfull time Harley mechanics and one Suzuki mechanic. “That was the moment everyone connectedwiththe(HarleyDavidson)motorcyclerealizedthequalityhadtoimprove”. (Wright). TheturnforthebettercamewhenL.VaughnBeals(newdirector)andJeffBleustein (theheadengineer)realizedthattheyhavetoreturnbacktothebasicHarleyDavidson MotorCompany'shistoricprinciples:solidity,reliabilityandqualityandendthemass production. (Saladini, 115). The new company management started to solve the problems which had accumulated step by step. At the beginning of 80s the program “Nova” began which aimed to modernize the HarleyDavidson Motor Company's production.(Saladini,118).

14 In1981,thirteenHarleyDavidsonseniorexecutivespurchasedHarleyDavidsonMotor CompanyfromAMF.(Bronson).Whenthebuybackwasofficial,thephrase“TheEagle Soars Alone” appeared and subsequently became a rallying cry. (HarleyDavidson USA).

15 2 HarleyDavidsonatpresent

2.1 Profile of Harley-Davidson customers

OnecannotsayhowthetypicalHarleyDavidsonriderlookslike.Ontheroadscanbe seenshabbybardiesaswellasmenthatarecarefullysmartenedup.Theonlyfeature thatiscommonforthemajorityofHarleyDavidsonbikersisleatherclothesandriding boots.Thisoutfitisnecessitythatensuresbetterprotectionincaseofaccident.(Ležák, 9).

2.1.1 DemographicprofileofHarleyDavidsoncustomers:

MedianageofHarleyDavidsonrider

MedianhouseholdincomeofHarleyDavidsonrider

(HarleyDavidsonUSA).

FromthefirstdiagramabovecalledMedianageofHarleyDavidsonridercanbeseen that,form1992to2006,themedianageofHarleyDavidsonriderrosefromaround44 to47.

16 TheseconddiagramabovecalledMedianhouseholdincomeofHarleyDavidsonrider showsthattheincomeoftheaverageHarleyDavidsonriderhasrisenaswell.In2002, themedianhouseholdincomeofaHarleyDavidsonriderwasaround$80,000and,by 2006, the median household income for thoseriders had not dramatically changedor risen. Profileofpurchasersin2006

49% OwnedHarleyDavidson®motorcyclepreviouslyatanypointduringlifetime 37% Ownedacompetitivemotorcyclepreviously 14% Firstmotorcyclepurchased The table above shows that almost 50 % of all HarleyDavidsonpurchasers owned a HarleyDavidsonmotorcycleoftheidenticalbrandbefore. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) asked American Motorcyclist MagazinetodoaReadersSurvey.AmericanMotorcyclistAssociation(AMA)unifies the majority of motorcycle clubs and groups of all motorcycle brands that are considered the socalled “ninetynine percenters” (riders who do not break the law). ThissurveyshowedthatanAmericanMotorcyclistAssociationmember's:

• averageageis40 • averageridingexperienceis26years • genderisin93%maleand7%female • maritalstatusisin66%married,in34%single • averagehouseholdincomeis$91,500 • educationis o 12%postgraduatedegree o 5%postgraduatestudy o 18%4yearcollegedegree o 10%2yearcollegedegree o 21%completedsomecollege o 11%completedvocationaltraining o 18%graduatedhighschool

• Numberofmotorcyclesownedis728,000total,(2.8byeachtypicalAMA member) • TotalannualridingbyAMAmembers:morethan1billionroadmiles • morethan3.2millionoffroadhours • AverageannualcharitabledonationsbyAMAclubsandpromoters:$6million

(AmericanMotorcyclistAssociation)

17 According to Bob Althoff, HarleyDavidson dealer, the motorcycle business has changed over the years as well as the demographic “of those who are part of the motorcycle family.” He asserts that HarleyDavidson riders “have moved beyond the stereotypical leatherclad, tattoo covered enthusiast”. Healso says that“more women gainaninterestinbikes,aswellasanoldercrowdwithlooserpursestrings.”Hesays thereasonwhyisthat“peopleneedahobbyandaplacetobelong,”hesays.(Ghani).

2.2 The efforts of Harley-Davidson Motor Company to differentiate themselves from other motorcycle companies

HarleyDavidson Motor Company has had to fight during its existence with many competitors.FirstlyitwastheIndianmotorcycle,thenFordcarsthatofferedmorespace and comfort, then British motorcycle brands such as Triumph and others, and finally powerful and cheaper Japanese motorcycles. The biggest competitors of Harley DavidsonaretodayHonda,Yamaha,Kawasaki,SuzukiandBMW.(Bronson). OneoftheveryimportantstepsthathelpedHarleyDavidsonMotorCompanyovertake its competitors was the establishment of their marketing policy. While Japanese motorcycle companies lured people on high performance, HarleyDavidson Motor Company bet on a motorcycling lifestyle and started to continuously build their own specificbrandimage.(Bronson). In 1936, HarleyDavidson Motor Company started to offer a series of original motorcyclepartsandaccessories.Inthecourseoftimewascreatedacataloguethathas thesedaysmorethan720pages.(Fahey).Everyridercanaccordingtoindividualtaste choose any spare parts form this catalogue that are subsequently installed into his motorcycle.(Saladini,77).

AnothertrickwastheestablishmentofHarleyOwnersGroup(HOG)thathasgotnow more than one million members in all parts of the world. Every dealer is in a close contact with the local chapter or club. These clubs organize weekend out rides, meetings, long trips and rallies. In Europe, women make about 16% of all members. (Ježek). Manager experts say that HarleyDavidson does not sell motorcycles but a membershipinacommune.(Ježek).

18 Anotherstrategicmovewasthefoundingofsectionthatpaysattentiontocollectionof motorclothes,casualclothesandaccessories.KarenDavidson,greatgranddaughterof HarleyDavidson Motor Company founder supervises this collection that contains almosteverythingincludingtoys,teddybears,watchesandclothesforyoungchildren. These days, accessories and other products represent 15% of the company's turn and gainscompanynewclienteleformtheupperclasses.(Ježek). What helped them to install their image were also the media and Hollywood films. Manyfilmsofthattimepresentedapictureofwhitemotorcyclewithleathersaddlebags at rear wheel and wide handlebar and on which was sitting brave and merciless policemandressedinperfectfitting,clean,wellironeduniform.(Saladini,108). HarleyDavidsondoesnotfallunderthegroupofcheapmotorcycles.HarleyDavidson Motor Company sells its motorcycles through dealers at $2,000 to $4,000 above the stickerprice.(Fahey).Itisluxurygoods;manyoperationsarehandmade:weldingof the frame, painting of stripes on the fuel tanks and fenders to final assembly of motorcycle.Thisisforthecustomerguaranteethatheorshebuysamachinetowhich waspaidenoughattentionduringitsproduction.(Ležák). Nowadays,theU.S.marketwiththeheavyweightmotorcycleslikeHarleyDavidsonsis stagnant.Thisiscausedalsobyageingoftheirloyalcustomers.Theonlypossibilityis toexporttoothercountries.IntheU.S.,theHarleyDavidsonlogoandnamearealready establishedasanAmericansymbol,butthesamedoesnotapplyto therestoftheworld. In 2001 was introduced the light motorcycle called VRod with engine designed by Porche(renownedGermanproducerofcars).Thismotorcyclewasdesignedtoattract two groups of riders that have not been interested by HarleyDavidson’s traditional products. Firstly, it should appeal to young Americans who have admired European design and performance and Europeans who were not interested in the traditional HarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesdesign.(Bronson). HarleyDavidsonCompanyisthesedaysinadifficultposition.Theyhavetoattractnew customersinEurope(wheretheycontrolonly8%ofthemarket)butinthesametime havetobecarefulnottooffendtheirloyaltraditionalcustomers.(Bronson).

19 2.2.1 HarleyDavidsonadvertisementsandmagazines

The HarleyDavidson Motor Company tried to be always one step ahead of its competitorsusinguptodatetechnology,advertisingandcreatingaspecificimageand lifestyle. (Saladini, 15). They published advertisements in the first American expert magazines like Bicycling World, Motorcycle Illustrated (Illinois) , Motorcyclist (Los Angeles) andTheBicyclist. Thentheypublishedtheircommercialseverywhere itwaspossible,innewspaper,magazines,expertmagazinesbutitwasnotstillenough. (Saladini, 46). In 1912 was created the magazine The Dealer that was published till 1916.Itservedespeciallyforstrengtheningtherelationsbetweenthecompanyandthe dealers.(Saladini,36).Thesameyear(1916)startedtobepublishedanothermagazine The Enthusiast in Spanish and English version. This magazine informed not only dealersbutalsoallcustomersaboutwhatisnewintheMilwaukeefactory;itpresented articlesaboutnewmotorcyclemodelsandaccessories.AFewpageswerealwaysaimed to inform about general events in the motorcycle sport. This magazine is the oldest motorcyclemagazineintheworldthatiscontinuallypublishedsince1916untilnow. (Saladini,109).

2.2.2 HarleyDavidsoninthefilmandTVseries

Inspring1953,themotorcyclebecameasymboloffreedomwhenthefilm WildOne appearedonthescreen.(Lensveld,10).ThetwomaincharacterswereplayedbyMarlon Brando and Lee Marvin. This film introduced American “wild” biker’s culture into Europe.(Saladini,190).

TheWildOne wasanoutlawbikerfilmlooselybasedon:

areallifeincidentovertheFourthofJulyweekendin1947inHollister,California,(publicizedinan issueof Harper'sMagazine inaJanuary1951articletitled"TheCyclists'Raid"byFrankRooney), when about four thousand people, composed of motorcyclists and other visitors and enthusiasts, roaredintothetownoveratwodayperiod,andoverwhelmedthefacilities.However,theydidnot ransackthetown,confrontthelocals,orcausecivilunrest(exceptforsomearrestsfordrunkenness, orurinatinginpublicoftenduetoalackofrestrooms).

(Dirks,TheWildOne1953)

After the incident on which the film was based, AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) supported “decent” motorcyclists and on the other side accused “wild”

20 bikersofprovocation.“Wildbikers”werelabeledallmembersofclubsthatdidnotfall under American Motorcyclist Association. These clubs were for the first time called “onepercenters” because they made only one percent of all bikers. (Saladini, 191). After the introduction of this film, dozens of “wild hogs” biker clubs appeared all around United States. They established their own rules and way of life that was condemned by both conformist society and other motorcyclists. This was one of the crucialmomentsinthebirthofchoppercultureandimageofchopperriders.(Saladini, 191). ThefilmThe WildOne ononehandhelpedtheHarleyDavidsonCompanytowidenthe range ofitscustomersbutontheotherhanddamagedHarley'sgrowing image.Afterthe success of this film, Hollywood produced from the 1950s through the 1970s many outlaw biker gang films. Due to this negative advertisement, HarleyDavidson motorcycles became for a long time attributes connected with the Hells Angels and other Outlaw motorcyclists gangs (More in section 4, Motorcycle clubs and gangs). (Saladini,119180). Among the best known films where appeared HarleyDavidson Motorcycle is Terminator2:JudgmentDay withArnoldSchwarzeneggerand PulpFiction whereitis usedbyBruceWillis. HarleyDavidson motorcycles can be seen also in a series Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas.Anotherseriesthatwasgoingfrom1969to1970was ThenCameBronson .Itis not sure whether starring HarleyDavidson motorcycles augmented prestige of TV programorviceversa.(Lensveld,30). In 2007 appeared the American comedy Wild Hogs from Disney that tells the story aboutfourageingfriendswhowanttofeelyoungagainandwhoareeagertoexperience adventure.Theysetoutona journeythroughthe UnitedStatestoreachthecoastand haveanencounterwiththefictionalDelFuegosMotorcyclegang.Themaincharacters areplayedbyJohnTravolta,TimAllen,MartinLawrenceandWilliamH.Macy.

2.2.3 HarleyDavidsonandstars

HarleyDavidsonMotorCompanyiscloselyconnectedwiththe ZZToprockband.Its membersparticipateinHarleyDavidsonCompanys'eventsandmeetings.Itsmembers

21 hold several HarleyDavidson brand motorcycles. The best known motorcycle of ZZ

Top is their guitarist Billy Gibbons’ that is customized Fat Boy called Hog ZZ illa. (Přibáň,HarleyDavidsonFatBoy). AnothercelebritythatownedseveralHarleyDavidsonmotorcycleswasElvisPresley. Averyfamousphotographofhimandoneofhismotorcyclesappearedonthecoverof HarleyDavidsonmagazine TheEnthusiast .(Lensveld,16). HarleyDavidsonstillattractscelebritiesandrichpeople.Theseareownednotonlyby Hollywood stars as George Clooney and Brad Pitt but purchased for example by SenatorJohnKerryandFrenchtennisplayerAmelieMauresm.(Ježek).

2.2.4 Safetyandmotorcycleaccidents

ThereareoverfourmillionmotorcyclesregisteredintheUnitedStates.Itisclearthat motorcycleridershaveahigherrateoffatalaccidentsthanautomobiledriversbecause of their character (very high speed, less protective devices). United States Fatality Analysis Reporting System shows that the possibility that the motorcycle passengers diesisfourtimeshigherthanincaseofcars.Thenumberofmotorcyclefatalaccident had risen significantly since the end of 1990s. (Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia). A national study by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATS) revealed that motorcycleridersaged40yearsandoverarearound20timesmorelikelytobekilled thanotherdriversofthatagebecausetheydrivefrequentlythanyoungerdrivers.Then we know that between 1999 2003 around 175 motorcycle riders were killed or seriouslyinjuredeachyearandofthese:

• 90%weremale • 23%ofdeathsand11%ofseriousinjurieshadabloodalcohollevelof.05or above • 31%occurredonroadssignpostedat100km/hormore • 4%werenotwearingahelmet • 37%ofseriouscasualtiesoccurredonSaturdayandSunday • 23%hitafixedobject.

22 3 Customs,ChoppersandBobbers

Thereisanotabledistinctionbetweenatruechopperorchopperstylemotorcyclesand custommotorcyclesor“customcruisers”: Bobbers are very similar to the Choppers . Both of them were modified to improve theirperformancebyremovingorreplacingofallpartsthatwereheavyornotuseful. They differ in a fact that bobbers keep the original factory frame, whereas choppers havearestyledorrepositionedformofthefactoryframethatiscut,adjustedandthen welded. The term bobber comes from stripping of factory motorcycles including bobbingoftheirfenders.Bobberswereusedfortheirqualitiesfordirttrackracing.The name chopper comes from “chopping” of factory models' frames. As an archetypal exampleofchoppersisseenthecustomizedHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclefromthe Easy Rider film. Bobberswereinfactpredecessorsofchoppers.(Saladini,188199). Customs or so called custom motorcycles are machines that were chopped and modifiednotinordertoimprovetheperformancebutinordertocreateacompletely new, different, individual model. Many of its parts are replaced by chrome ones or different parts made of belabored metals. Fuel tanks are decorated by air brushing techniques(specialpaintingtechniquebasedonsprayingofpaintbycompressedair). (Ležák,89,Saladini199314). Whilethetraditionalchoppersweremostlyhomebuilt,themodernchoppersarevery often created by specialized shops and they are very expensive. Despite the fact that manychoppershopsnametheirmodifiedmotorcycles“choppers”,alargepercentageof thesemotorcyclesarebetterdescribedas“custom”motorcycles.Thedifferenceisthata custombuilt motorcycle has additional chrome accessories and billet parts that are added only for aesthetic value. Traditional choppers were modified purely for improvementofitsfunctions.(Ležák).

3.1 Custom motorcycles

ManyHarleyDavidsonownersintheU.S.chosetheirmotorcyclebecauseofitsbroad possibilitiesforcustomization.Everyrideradaptsitsmotorcycletohisorherneedsor taste. Itis safe to say, that except new factorymodels do not exist any two identical models.(Ležák).Themostpopulararechromeparts(enginecylinders,airfiltercovers, exhaustpipes,carburetors,andwheeldisks).HarleyDavidsonMotorCompanyoffers

23 dozensofalternativesparepartsthatareuniversalforalmostallmodelstheyproduce. Demanding customers can go to the specialized shops or workshops that make spare partstoorder.Itispossibletospendhalfpriceofthemotorcycleonthesparepartsor accessories. Parts that cannot be replaced by chrome components (as air tanks and fenders)aremostlydecoratedbyairbrushtechniques(specialpaintingtechniquebased onsprayingofpaintbycompressedair).Thesetendtobeuniqueartworks.Themost frequent motifs are beasts, predators, raptors, fantasy and ghostly pictures and pretty women.Decorationsareveryindividual;everythingdependsonthetasteoftheowner. There can be found peculiar models that are equipped for example with cow horns, leather fringes, two engines or extremely long forks. Some models are so “overcustomized” that they do not serve as motorcycles but only as exhibitions masterpieces. (Ležák, 9). The best known specialized companies producing Harley Davidson custom spare parts, accessories and components are Custom Chrome Incorporation, Drag Specialties, Chrome Specialties, Nempco, Mid U.S.A. and many others.(Saladini,210215).TheAmericanexpertsthatdesigncustommotorcyclesare: • ArlenNess(thebestknowexpertever) • BobDron • CyrilHuze • MikeCorbin • CycleSavageWorksCompany • DonnieSmith • HardlyCivilizedCompany • BayAreaCustomCycles • RickDoss • JayBrake • J.P.Polandandothers (Saladini,216279).

3.2 Rat bikes

Ratbikesaremotorcyclesthataredamaged,dirtywithmud,dustandoilandthatare hungwithenormousamountofjunk.Somemotorcyclesarewreckagesbutareableto make many kilometers even though its oil leakage. Its name comes from American

24 slang,where“rat”meanstommyrotorasillything.Theirownersnevertrimandwash their rat motorcycles and want to show off number of kilometers they traveled. Rat bikescanbeseenmoreonHarleyDavidsonandothermeetingsthanontheroads.

3.3 History of choppers

Thename“chopper”initiallyrepresentedmotorcyclewith“choppedoff”components. Attheendof40sandatthebeginningof50s,theredidnotexistanyefficientwayhow to make from a common motorcycle a powerful one. Special powerful engines were installed only to racing models of motorcycles and could not be bought or ordered separately. Who wanted to have a touring motorcycle with qualities of racing motorcyclehadtolowitsweightbycuttingoffallunnecessarypartsthatweredeemed toobig,heavyorugly.Thosedays,motorcycleswereequippedwithmanyaccessories to ensure its passenger comfort on his or her long travels. They had got saddlebags, windshield, exhaust pipe noise absorber, big fenders and comfortable saddles. The motorcyclethatwaschoppedoffcouldlosearound10to15kilograms.Howeverthere existedpeoplewhoeliminatedeverythingtheycouldliketurnindicatorsandevenfront brakes.OnthemotorcyclessometimesremainedonlypartsrequiredbyHighwayCode. Heavyparts that were needed like huge tyres,wheels, handlebars, fuel and oil tanks, headlightandexhaustpipeswerereplacedbylighterorsmallerones.Specialattention waspaidtothelarge,springsuspendedkidneyssaddlesthatwereremovedandreplaced bylighteronesinstalledinordertositaslowaspossible,forwardmountedfootpegs that replaced the standard large “floorboard” foot rests and handlebars. Spare parts couldbeeasilyboughtormadeathome.Choppedmotorcycleswerepaintedpreferably allinflatblack.Theresultofthosemodificationswasforsomeoneabizarremotorcycle massiveframe,tinysaddleandhugeenginethathadgot1200cm 3.Itwasgiventhe name“chopper”.(Saladini,188198,Lensveld,10).

3.3.1 Traditionofchoppers

During60s,theconstructionandmakingofchoppersbecamearealandingeniousart. Tothedevelopmentoftheiroriginalityanddesigncontributedalsorisingmovementof hippiesonthewestcoastoftheU.S.Duetohippiesbecameverypopularshinymetallic “metalflake”aswellasbrightcolors.(Saladini,119).Onenewspaperarticleof thattimementionsamotorcyclethathadgotoriginally400kilogramsandafteritwas chopped off, its weight got to around 275 kilograms. (Saladini, 188). To achieve the

25 bestperformancepossible,itwasnecessarynotonlytomakethemotorcyclelighterbut also to pull up the engine. (Přibáň, Historie motocyklové legendy). This sort of motorcycles addressed especially Outlaws (members of dangerous motorcycle gangs) and people who loved speed and wanted to provoke and overtake their rivals on the roadscarsandpowerfulpolicemotorcycles. In1969occurredfilmthatbroughtwideattentionofpublic.Itwasthefilm EasyRider withPeterFondaandDenisHopper.Thatwasthefirsttimewhenchoppedmotorcycle appearedinthefilm.Thefilm EasyRider wasaroadfilmabout:

....asearchforfreedom(ortheillusionoffreedom)inaconformistandcorruptAmerica,inthe midstofparanoia,bigotryandviolence.ReleasedintheyearoftheWoodstockconcert,andmadein ayearoftwotragicassassinations(RobertKennedyandMartinLutherKing),theVietnamWar buildupandNixon'selection,thetoneofthis'alternative'filmisremarkablydownbeatandbleak, reflectingthecollapseoftheidealistic60s. EasyRider ,oneofthefirstfilmsofitskind,wasa ritualisticexperienceandviewed(oftenrepeatedly)byyouthfulaudiencesinthelate1960sasa reflectionoftheirrealistichopesofliberationandfearsoftheEstablishment.

(Dirks,EasyRider1969)

ThepopularityofthefilmgrewquicklyaswellasthepopularityofHarleyDavidson motorcycles.(Lensveld,10).Verysoon,dozensofhomemadechopperswerecruising on the American roads. Choppers and “stripped” motorcycles became a symbol of freedomandrebellioneventhoughmostofthefablesthatthechopperreputationwas basedonwerefakeormodifiedbythepress.Butthenewimagewascreatedandisalive untilnow.(Saladini,191).OntheEuropeanroads,choppersappearedmoresince1970. (Lensveld,11).

3.3.2 Today'schoppers

Thesedays,chopperschangedboththeirappearanceandthepurposetheyaremadefor. Moreandmoreattentionisputontheiroveralldesign,choiceofframe,handlebars, noisyexhaustpipesandcombinationsofpaintthanitusedtobe.Themostpopularpaint workstylesareghostlyorfantasyairbrushingtechniques.Chopperownersspenthours workingontheirmotorcycleandinvestingmoneyinthenewparts.Choppersbecame moretheworkofartthatcanbesoldforconsiderableamountofmoneythanavehicle

26 toescapefrompolicepatrol.IntheUSarehundredsofspecial“chopshops”thatoffer chrome parts and other chopper accessories and garages that offer enhancing of motorcycleperformance.Theonlylimitationstotheowner'simaginationandtasteare laws that prescribe some noise limitations and parameters of necessary equipment. (Chopper (motorcycle)). Strictly speaking, to Chopper can be rebuilt any factory motorcycle that is modified. (Saladini, 118). For those that are rich, there appeared shopsthatsellextremelyexpensivetraditionalreadymadechoppersandawiderange ofchopperthemedbrandsofmerchandisesuchasclothing.(Chopper(motorcycle)). Onthescreen,thechoppercanbeseenforexampleinthefilm PulpFiction whereitis used by Bruce Willis. Another example is the video clip of Black Label Society's (a heavy metal band) named Suicide Messiah where the band members are riding choppers.

27 4 Motorcycleclubsandgangs

4.1 Definition and division of motorcycle clubs

AccordingtothedefinitioninWikipedia:

A motorcycle club is an organized club of dedicated motorcyclists who join together for camaraderie,strengthofnumbers,andpeergroupacceptance.Motorcycleclubshaveagroupof electedofficers,aprobationaryperiodfornewmembers,andameasureofprivacyabouttheir internalstructure,bylaws,andmembership.Aspartofbecomingafullmember,anindividual mustpassavoteofthemembershipandswearsomelevelofallegiancetotheclub.Eachclub hasauniqueclubpatch(orpatches)adornedwiththeterm"MC"thatarewornontheridersvest, knownascolors.MembershipinanMC(motorcycleclub)ismuchdifferentthanmembershipin amotorcycleridingclub,becauseitisthepinnacleofthecounterculture,"outlaw"bikerlifestyle.

(Motorcycleclub).

Thisdefinitiondifferentiatesclubstomotorcycleclubs(MC)thathavemoreincommon and have their own lifestyle or counterculture and motorcycle riding clubs which membersjoininordernottoridealoneorshareknowledgeandexperience.However thereexistanumberofdifferentdefinitionsordivisionsofmotorcycleclubs.Strictly speaking, it does not matter if the club is called motorcycle club, motorcycle riding club,clan,gangorwhateverbutmoreimportantareitsbylawsandleadership.Looking atitfromthispointofview,itisbettertousethedivisionofAmericanMotorcyclist Association.

4.1.1 “Onepercenters”and“Ninetyninepercenters”

WikipediastatesthattheAmericanMotorcyclistAssociation(AMA)differentiatesall motorcycleclubsas“Onepercenters”and“Ninetyninepercenters”.ByOnepercenters aremeanttroublemakerswhobreaklawsbutmakeonlyasmallpartofallmotorcycle ridersandbyNinetyninepercentersaremeanttherestofmotorcycleridersthatbehave inanordinarywayanddonotrepresentathreattopublicandothermotorcycleriders. (Motorcycleclub). There exists broader definition than that of American Motorcyclist Association by Daniel R. Wolf in his book a Brotherhood of Outlaw Bikers . Daniel R. Wolf is an

28 anthropologist who wrote his PhD thesis based on research he did during his membership with the Rebels Motorcycle Club in Canada. He defined an outlaw motorcycleclubas:

Technically,...aclubthatisnotregisteredwiththeAmericanMotorcycleAssociation(AMA)or theCanadianMotorcycleAssociation(CMA),whicharetherespectivegoverningbodiesforthe sport of motorcycling in the United States and Canada. The AMA and CMA are themselves affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international coordinating body for motorcycling whose headquarters are located in Paris, France. (qtd. in Wikipedia,Motorcycleclub).

AnotherdefinitionwasformulatedbyProvincialCourtofManitoba,whodefinesthese groupsas:

Anygroupofmotorcycleenthusiastswhohavevoluntarilymadeacommitmenttobandtogether andabidebytheirorganizations'rigorousrulesenforcedbyviolence,whoengageinactivities thatbringthemandtheirclubintoseriousconflictwithsocietyandthelaw.

(Serwer,Schonfeld,Woods)

4.2 Features of the American motorcycle clubs

AmongtheoldestmotorcycleclubsintheUnitedStatesaretheYonkersMC,founded in1903,theSanFranciscoMC,founded1904,andtheOaklandMC,foundedin1907. (Motorcycle club). The best known women motorcycle clubs are Motor Maids, Inc., founded in 1930, Women in the Wind founded in 1979 and Women on Wheels Organization.(Moreinsection5,HarleyDavidsonandwomen). Mostclubshavecertaininternalstructure.Theyhaveusuallyapresident,vicepresident, treasurer,secretary,roadcaptainthattakescareaboutalloutrides,andsergeantatarms that“isresponsibleforensuringthattheBylawsandStandingRulesoftheclubarenot violated.” (MotorcycleClubandClubRidingEducation). Big motorcycle clubs or motorcycle riding clubs are called chapters. The first establishedchapteriscalledmotherchapter.Thepresidentofthemotherchapterusually “servesasthepresidentoftheentireMC,andsetsclubpolicyonavarietyofissues.” (MotorcycleClubandClubRidingEducation).

29 Everyclubhasarelatedplacewheretheygettogether.Itcanbeapub,clubhouseorany rented hall. The board of each clubs decides on all events as rallies, out rides or reunions.Ifsomeoneisinterestedandfulfillsrulesoftheclubmembership,heorshe canbeacceptedasamemberoftheclub.Everymemberbecomesa“prospect”gainshis right to vote only after some time he or she is a participating in club activities. Sometimesmayoccursomesortofhazingbutitdependsontheclub. Many motorcycle clubs organise events, meetings, exhibitions and out rides through which they raise money for charities. Some motorcycle organisations hold large international motorcycle rallies that are attended by many thousands of riders. (Motorcycleclubs). Mostonepercentermotorcycleclubs,sometimescalled“OutlawMotorcycleGangs”by theauthoritiesareoftenracistandsexist.(Potter).ForexampletheHellsAngelsdonot accept any AfricanAmericans, Native Americans and Jews. (Maryland Gangs; Hells Angels in Canada). Their members can be easily recognized and distinguished from otherclubsbytheirclubcolors.Itmeansbythelargeclubsymbolontheirvestusually locatedinthemiddleoftheback.Thispatchidentifiestheclubbyclublogo,nameof the club, country or city they come from, letters MC for motorcycle club, MRC for Motorcycle Riding Club or HOG if they are members of official HarleyDavidson OwnersClub(moreinsection4.4.2,HarleyOwnersGroup).Theycanhavealsoother identification.Someridershaveontheirvesttheirnicknamesorroadnamestheyuse insteadoftheirgivennames.(MotorcycleClubandClubRidingEducation). The best known onepercenter motorcycle clubs and outlaws are Abutre's MC, AmericanBadgersMC,BandidosMC,BoozefightersMC,HellsAngelsMC,Mongols MC, Outlaws MC, Pagans MC, San Francisco MC and Yonkers MC which are the oldestMCintheUnitedStates.(MarylandGangs).

4.3 Outlaw Gangs and one-percenters

The best known and most dangerous clubs known as the "Big Four” are the Pagans, Hells Angels, Outlaws MC, and Bandidos. All of these were designated as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and

30 CriminalIntelligenceServiceCanada.(MotorcycleGangs).TheyareallU.S.basedand haveinternationalchapterswiththeexceptionofthePagans. The members of the “Big Four” as well as many other onepercenters clubs are motorcyclists “who won't conform to society's laws and morals ethics.” (Motorcycle ClubandClubRidingEducation).Theyhavetheirowncodeofterrorandareinvolved in criminal activities that ranges from petty crimes to higher level activities such as streetleveldrugtraffickingbutalsolargescaleimportation,exportationanddistribution ofillicitdrugs,moneylaunderingandfraud.(OutlawMotorcycleGangs).Theiraimis to install in people a fear they interpret as respect and to maintain their reputation. Certain large onepercent Motorcycle Clubs fight with each other over their territory and other issues. (Motorcycle Club and Club Riding Education). To eliminate the enemy,thereexistsocalles“squadsofkillers”.Theyarecalled:theHell'sAngelsFilthy Few, the Outlaws' SS, the Pagans' Black T shirt squad, and the Bandidos' Nomad Chapter.(MotorcycleGangs).Thegangsthatfightthemostamongthemselvesarethe Hell'sAngelsandOutlawswhokilleachother'smembersateveryopportunity.They alsoencouragesmallerclubstoexpandtheirterritoryandreinforcethem.(HellAngels in Canada). Members and supporters of these clubs assert that “illegal activities are isolated occurrences and that they, as a whole, are not criminal organizations.” (Jamison). The major source of money for onepercenters is according to FBI the trade with narcotics, trafficking instolen goods, and extortion. (FactSheet: Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs). According to wikipedia, they control 75% of the North American Methamphetaminemarket.(MotorcycleClubs).However,millionsofdollarscomealso fromprostitution,theft,arson,robbery,hijacking,bombings,contactmurdersandother sortsofcrime.Theseridersareveryoftenequippedwithuptodatemilitarytechnology andprotectedbythebestlawyers.(HellsAngelsinCanada,OutlawMotorcycleGangs).

4.4 Ninety-nine percenters

Outlawgangsattractmoreattentionofthemedia,howevertherearemanymorebikers and motorcycle clansthat come under ninetyninepercenters who donotbreak laws. Thereareforexamplepolice,firefighter,military,andveteransclubssuchastheIron

31 Pigs MC, Iron Warriors MC, Blue Knights MC, the U.S. Military Vets MC, the Vietnam Vets MC, the Leathernecks MC, and the Buffalo Soldiers MC. One online directoryofmotorcycleclubscalledMotorcycleClubsIndexlists239clubsfromwhich only 16 are for HarleyDavidson owners. (Motorcycle Clubs Index). There exist also clubs that are founded for some purpose as for example law enforcement clubs or Patriot Guard Riders, who escort military veterans on their last way. (Patriot Guard Riders). Apart from these motorcycle clubs, there is a number of motorcycle riding clubs.Someofthemarefoundedandsponsoredbyaparticularmanufacturer.Tothis categorybelongHarleyOwnersGroup(HOG)orHondaridersClubofAmerica,BMW MotorcycleOwnersofAmericaandothers.

4.4.1 TheAmericanMotorcyclistAssociation(AMA)

TheAmericanMotorcyclistAssociationwasfoundedin1924.Theirheadquartersisin Pickerington, Ohio which is in the same time home to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museumthathonorspeoplefortheircontributiontomotorcyclesport.(MotorcycleHall of Fame Museum). Their role is to approve “road and offroad riding activities and overseeing professional and amateur racing events.“ (American Motorcyclist Association).Thesedays,theyhaveabout269,884activemembersandmanychartered clubs.TheyaretheonlyaffiliateofFédérationInternationaledeMotocyclisme(FIM) which is the governing body for motorcycle sport, competitions and touring activity includingmonitoringofmotorcyclinglegislationandlobbyingforrider'srightsworld wide. (AmericanMotorcyclistAssociation).

4.4.2 TheHarleyOwnersGroup(HOG)

TheHarleyOwnersGroupisaclubforHarleyDavidsonmotorcycleownersthatwas foundedandhasbeensponsoredbyHarleyDavidsonMotorCompany.HarleyOwners Group nickname comes from 1920, when a group of farm boys known as the "hog boys," were winning motorcycle races. They used as their mascot a hog. When they wonarace,theytookavictorylapwitharealpigonthebackoftheirHarleyDavidson motorcycle.WhentheHarleyDavidsonMotorCompanyfoundedaclubofownersof their motorcyclesin 1983, they used the longlasting nickname and turned itintothe acronym H.O.G. which means in the same time Harley Owners Group. (Harley Davidson).

32 TheHarleyOwnersGroupgrewquickly;in1993itspreadtoEuropeanditverysoon becamethelargestfactorysponsoredmotorcycleclubintheworld.(HarleyDavidson USA).Initsfirstyear,ithadgot33thousandsmembers,in1985already60thousands members and in 1993 there was united 233 thousand members in 805 Chapters. Nowadays,theHarleyOwnersGrouphasoveronemillionmembersfromalloverthe world.(Kadeřábek).ThenewownerofHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclegetsautomatically oneyearfullmembership.Thismembershipcanbeafteroneyearrenewedorapplied for lifelong membership. HarleyDavidson Factory provided official statutes and by lawsthataremandatoryforallChaptersandmembersinallcountries.(Kadeřábek).

33 5 HarleyDavidsonandwomen

Womenhavealwaysbeenapartof“theHarleyDavidsonfamily”.Wecanfindmany early HarleyDavidson Motor Company advertising photos with pictures of scantily dressed women posing with the latest motorcycles or for example in a role of policeman.(Photo“Catchingupwithspeeders,1950s.”).Anothersourceofaccountsof women and motorcycling is the magazine Enthusiast whichbegan tobepublished in 1916. FirstofallIshouldanswerthequestionthatmayinterestmanypeople.Thisquestionis: “Are heavy motorcycles like HarleyDavidson aimed at women?” or “Are women capable of mastering heavy motorcycles like HarleyDavidson?” In the table of demographicprofile(20022006),therewasariseoffemalebuyersintheyears2002to 2006from10%to12%.ThisresearchwasmadeforHarleyDavidsonMotorCompany byCSI(CustomerSatisfactionIndex)andappliesonlyforsalesintheUnitedStates.A differentsearchcarriedbyMotorMaidsInc.showedthatwomencompriseabout8%of allnewriders.(Thisresearchcoversallmotorcyclebrands). DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE (2002-2006)

GENDER 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 Male 88% 88% 89% 89% 90% Female 12% 12% 11% 11% 10%

(HarleyDavidsonUSA) In the Czech Republic, the Company KlasikMoto (Prague distributor of Harley Davidson motorcycles) asked the motorcycling magazine Supermoto to make several testsbyfemaleriders. (Votavová).Finally,fivetestsweremadewithdifferentmodels fromwhichfourwereHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesandoneBuellmotorcycle.Testing driverMichaelaVotavováisslimand160centimeters tall.Afteroneseasonoftesting shesaid:“Noneofthemotorcycleswasbeyondmyforces;allofthemarepossibleto control by a women's hand even though their weight was around the border of three hundredkilograms.”(TranslationfromCzech byauthor).Theonlythingthatmaybe

34 more suitable for women according to Michaela Votavová are the so called “Low” modelsthathavegotsevencentimeterslowersaddlethanusualmodels.(Votavová).

5.1 Women's historic beginnings in the saddle

One of the best sources that support the theory of female importance in shaping the motorcycling sport is personal collections that include many accounts and photos. Around 1910's, female riders were most frequently called girls, ladies or more affectionately, gals. Those days, they represented just a small part of the motorcycle market,perhapsoneortwopercent,comparedto1012percenttoday.(WheelsThrough Time).Nomatterinwhatnumber,femaleriderswerealreadydoingeverythingthatthe mendidincludinglongdistanceridesorenjoyingweekendafternoonrideswithfriends. However,itdoesnotmeanthattheydidnotmeetontheirwaywithsexismandbigotry. Itwasonlyin1915,whenAvisandherdaughterEffieHotchkisscrossedtwiceAmerica on a motorcycle with sidecar. Thus, they became the first women who crossed the UnitedStatesonamotorcycle.Astheysaid,they“merelywantedtoseeAmericaand consideredthattheThreeSpeedHarleyDavidsonforherselfandsidecarforhermother andtheluggagebestsuitedforthejob.”(HarleyDavidsonUSA).Anotherwomanwho made round trip journeys was Vivian Bales of Albany who traveled from Georgia through the upper Midwest and back and made 8,045 kilometers. (HarleyDavidson USA). In1930s,therewerestillnotmanywomenhavingorridingmotorcycle,however,three womenwerecompetingalongsidewithmen.Itissafetosaythatitwasthemwhopaved thewayforotherwomentoridemotorcycles.Theyhelpedtoattractmorewomento motorcycling by setting some standards and proved that “The women... .can still be professionalwomen,doctors,lawyers,teachers,engineers,accountants,clerks,cashiers, homemakers,mothers,grandmothers,andtheycanstillstepoutside,throwalegovera bikeandtakeoffcrosscountry.”(MotorMaids,Inc.)EspeciallyDotRobinsonshowed womenhowtodothesamethingsasmenbutstillpreservethelookandmannersofa lady. Firstly,itwasalreadymentionedDorothy"Dot"Robinson,whowasawellknownracer duringthetimeofthe Depression.In1940,shewonJackPineEnduro(endurance)race

35 inMichigan.Inaddition,shegotseveralhighplacingfinishes.Toillustratehowoneof thefirstwomenracerswas,"Hap,"theHondadealerinSarasota,tells:"Ichasedthat womanfortwodays,throughmudandtreesandnevercaughther.Attheendofthe race,alltheguystrampedintothelocalbar,butnotDot.Shewenttoherroomandgot cleanedupfirst.I'llneverforgetthepicture:Dotwalkingintothebarinablacksheath dressandapillboxhat."(MotorMaids,Inc.). Secondly, it was Linda Dugeau, a friend of Dot Robinson. Due to her interest in motorcyclingLindaDugeaubecameIn1930scofounderofMotorMaids,Inc.which wasthefirstfemalemotorcyclingclubintheworld.(Section5.2.1Firstwomen'sclub Motor Maids, Inc.). She gained a reputation of a keen touring rider. She was able to makeatripof5631,5kilometersintwoweeksduringwhichshemanagedtovisitthe HarleyDavidsonfactory,hermotherandalsotheWorld'sFairinNewYorkCity.She was not even afraid of driving around the uninhabited wild areas in Canada. In the 1950s,Linda Dugeau was considered to be one of the best female offroad riders. (MotorMaids,Inc.). Bessie Stringfield, the first AfroAmerican woman known as “Motorcycle Queen of Miami” completedasolocrosscountryridewhenshewasonly19yearsold.Inthe'30s and'40s,Bessiewastravelingthroughalllower48statesandvisitedalsoEurope,and part of South America on motorcycle. During the World War II., she served in motorcycledispatchunitofthearmy.Onherwaythroughlife,shedidnothavetostand onlybadweather,dustandbumpycountryroadscausingmanypuncturesasotherwhite womenridersbutaswellracism.Shesaidonce:“Ifyouhadblackskin,youcouldn'tget aplacetostay.IknewtheLordwouldtakecareofmeandhedid.IfIfoundblackfolks, I'd stay with them. If not I'd sleep at filling stations on my motorcycle.” (Harley DavidsonUSA).In1990,theAmericanMotorcyclistAssociation's(AMA)preparedan inauguralexhibitcalled“HeroesofHarleyDavidson”.BessieStringfieldwashonored at this occasion. In 2000, American Motorcyclist Association created an award that bearshername.Thisawardisgiventowomenthatcontributedtothedevelopmentof motorcycle sport and its good name among the public. Today, we can find name of Bessie Stringfield in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Her motto was “If I don't ride, I won't live long. And so I never quit.” She died when she was 83. (HarleyDavidson USA).

36 5.2 The best known women only clubs

Someone mightknowhow many women motorcyclingclubsareintheUnitedStates butnotmanypeoplewouldbeabletosayhowmanywomenclubsexistintheworld. Most known women motorcycle clubs “welcome all kinds of motorcycles,” and their “membersarefromallwalksoflife:everythingfromstudentstosecretaries,realestate agentsandteachers,factoryworkers,andpoliceofficers.”andthattheir“membersare marriedandsingle,mothersandgrandmothers.”(WomenintheWind).Theyasthey say“havethemall!”(WomenintheWind).StrictlyspeakingabouttheToledo,Ohio area (seat of Women in the Wind), members are from mid20s to late 60s. (Weber). Theirpurposeistopromote“apositiveimageofwomenmotorcyclists,toeducatetheir membersinmotorcyclesafetyandmaintenanceunitewomenmotorcyclistswithfriends of common interest.” (Motor Maids, Inc., Women in the Wind, Women on Wheels Organization). There should be also mentioned the film She Lives to Ride which is a Public Broadcasting Service documentary where features Becky Brown together with other famous women motorcyclists such as Dot Robinson (founder of Motor Maids, Inc.). ThisfilmwasadebutfilmofdirectorAliceStonein1994.(WomenintheWind).

5.2.1 Firstwomen'sclubMotorMaids,Inc.

As the time goes, more and more women became interested in riding motorcycles. Female riders unlike male riders, who ride alone, are mostly centralized in women's clubs.(WomenRidersNow).Itwasin1930's,whenLindaDugeautogetherwithDot Robinsonstartedtoworkoncreationofthefirstwomen’smotorcycleclubintheworld named MotorMaids,Inc. .Theiraimwastounifywomenwhowantedtogetacquainted withotherfemaleriders,topromotemotorcyclingamongwomenandtoshowthateven ridingamotorcycle,onecanremainalady.In1940,theMotorMaidorganizationhad 51charteredmembers.Theclubacceptsanywomanwholegallyownandrideherown motorcycleoramotorcyclebelongingtoherimmediatefamilymember.Allmembers havetobe“ofgoodcharacterandbewillingtoworkforthebettermentofmotorcycling inallpossibleways.”(MotorMaids,Inc.,ConstitutionandByLaws).Everymember hastopaya$20.00membershipfeeonceayear.TheclubsymbolistheMotorMaid emblemintheformofashield;colorsareroyalblueandsilvergray.Theclubhasalso its own uniform in club colors. Since the participation of Motor Maids, Inc. at the

37 Charity Newsies Race in 1941, the members are nicknamed “Ladies of the White Gloves“. From its beginnings till now, the organization Motor Maids, Inc. organize many informal meetings, gettogethers and participate in parades in all parts of the country and sometimes also in Canada.Every member canjoin the gettogether that suits her best.Thereareoffroadridingtourstothemountainsandmanyotherplacesofinterest, “GirlsNightOut”,varioustripstoallpartsoftheUnitedStates,LeatherCareclasses, Accident Scene management classes, Parking Practice classes, visitations of Bike Shows,PirateTreasuresrides,NightRides,partiesandmanyotherruns.Amongformal meetings is the Convention that regularly takes place every year since 1944. (Motor Maids,Inc). ManyMotorMaidsandothermemorabiliaconnectedwithwomenmotorcyclingcanbe seenintheMuseuminNorthCarolinaattheexpositioncalled“TheWheelsThrough Time”.In2007wasaddedanexhibitiondevotedonlytowomenandtheirmotorcycling history. This exhibition is called “Girls”. As one of the owners of the memorabilia collectionondisplaysaid,“Theaimwastopresentrealwomeninmotorcyclingandnot show“models”nexttobikes.”(WheelsThroughTime).

5.2.2 WomenintheWindClub

Thefounderoftheclub WomenintheWind BeckyBrownstartedin1979withplacing an advertisement in the local newspaper. The first ride had got eleven participants. Sincethen,WomenintheWindhaveover1000membersnotonlyintheUnitedStates butalsoinGreatBritain,Canada,Swedenand.Theiraimdidnotchangeover time,itisstillpromotingthegoodnameofwomenmotorcycleriders.(Weber).Becky Brown owned HarleyDavidson motorcycles through her carrier. She was honored in theHallofFameandthusbecameonlytheseventhwomanintheHallofFameamonga total of 57 men. (Weber). The Motorcycle Hall of Fame is a list of people who according to public “have made significant contributions to American motorcycling.“ (MotorcycleHallofFameMuseum).AnyonecansuggesttoaMotorcycleHallofFame apersonthateither“excelledinmotorcyclebusiness,history,designandengineering, orcontributedtothedevelopmentofroadriding,offroadridingandallcategoriesof motorcycle racing”. (Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum). From suggested names

38 chooses the Induction Committee. This committee consists of living people in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and independent volunteers who are experts in particular disciplines. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame includes these days more than 350 names. (MotorcycleHallofFameMuseum). Brown together with members of her club thinks that “the road has become much smootherforwomenwhoridemotorcycles.Wearehappythatnumbersofourmembers have increased. More and more women are driving, not just riding along behind or beside.Theyhavetheirownclubsandpublications.Manufacturersarebuildingbikes forwomen'ssmallerframes.Linesofclothingforfemalemotorcyclistshaveexpanded.” (Weber)Toillustratehowaretoday'sfemalemotorcycleriders,BeckyBrownaddsthat women“finallymaybesheddingtheirbadgirlimage...We'renottoughatall,...Wehave allourteeth,wedon'tcussliketruckdrivers,andwe'renotcoveredwithtattoos."In conclusion,thefemalemotorbiker’simageischanging.“It'ssofteningup.”(Weber). Concerningherclub,BeckyBrownbelievesthatitdoesnotdifferfromotherwomen's clubs."Wehaveeverythingfrombabyshowerstofundraisers."(Weber). MembersoftheWomenintheWindmeetnationallytwiceayearandhavemanyother meetings in their chapters during the year. Apart from all motorcycle activities, they prepare fundraising events for sponsoring events such as breast cancer research. The membership fee is $15 for U.S. citizens, $20 forCanadians and $25 forpeople from abroad.In2002wasaddedthe100,000MileClubtohonormemberswhomakemore than100,000milesontheirmotorcycle.Thelistofwinnersshows,thatShirleyGarland, fromWomenChapter,managedtomake185,483mileswhichis298442,147 kilometers.(WomenintheWind). AmongwellknownclubsarealsoWomenonWheelsOrganization.Theessenceofthis clubisverysimilartoclubsalreadymentionedabove.

5.3 How important are women for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company these days

Alotoftimehaspassedsincetheearlyfemalepioneersbrokedownbarrierstoestablish women'splaceinbothmotorcycling.Stepbystep,womenridersevolvedfromreliantto

39 independent. Women have always been important to the HarleyDavidson Motor Company (HarleyDavidson Motor Company owns a women oriented advertisement which dates from 1920s). However, these efforts to attract women customers have considerablyincreasedinthelastfewyears.Theproofcanbeseeninthesignificant growthofHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesalestowomenduringyears1985to2006.The percentagehasgrownfrom2percentofsalesin1985to12percentofsalesin2006, when women bought about 23,000 motorcycles. (HarleyDavidson: Women buying more motorbikes). These days, women buy still about 12 percent of all produced HarleyDavidsonmotorcycles.FortheHarleyDavidsonMotorCompany“itiswomen that are the fastestgrowing segment of the motorcycle business.” (HarleyDavidson: Womenbuyingmore motorbikes).EricZoromski,vicepresidentofinteractivemedia company Fullhouse Media Inc., says: "For many brands, women are extremely important. The malefocused brands are doing everything they can to leverage that marketpotential."(Thoreson). According to Leslie Prevish, product communication manager at HarleyDavidson, HarleyDavidsonMotorCompanywantstocontinueintheirwomenorientedprograms (dealershipgarageparties,Rider'sEdgeNewRiderCourse)andtargetedadvertisements in women's publications they have established in the last years. (Thoreson). Another stepforwardtoencouragemorewomentobuyamotorcyclewasanideatoconstruct newmotorcyclemodelsthatsuitwomenbetterbecausetheyhavegotlowersaddlesand reducedtheclutchleverefforttoaccommodatewomen'shandsthatarenotasstrong. (Thoreson). “HarleyDavidson is taking a good approach for reaching women.” said JohnsonofTheReachGroup.Buttherecouldbestillmoredone(Thoreson).

5.4 Harley-Davidson Motor Company women only events

Becausetheresearchamong1,000womenridingHarleyDavidsonmotorcycleproved thatwomenwanttodomorewiththemotorcompanyandtobeinvolved,theHarley Davidson Motor Company prepared a series of more or less commercial events orientatedonlytowomenintheUnitedStates.(Thoreson).Theseareintendednotonly fornewcustomersbutaswellforexperiencedones.ThereexistforexampleHarley DavidsongaragewomenonlyPartieswherewomencangettoknowwhichmodelsof HarleyDavidsoncanfitthembest,whatriderclotheschoosetobewellprotected,ways

40 how to customize their motorbikes or selfservice which tells them how to operate a machinethatweightsalmostthreehundredkilograms.(HarleyDavidsonUSA) For inexperienced motorbike female riders was prepared a commercial Rider's Edge NewRiderCoursewhichteacheswomenhowtohandleanddriveaheavymotorcycle. Thesecoursesareorganizedseparatelyforwomenandthenmixed(mostlyattendedby men). By these actions aimed purely for women, HarleyDavidson Motor Company wants to create a friendly environment in which women are nor afraid of asking questions.(HarleyDavidson:Womenbuyingmoremotorbikes). InAugust2007,thefirsteverWomen'sDaywasheldattheSturgisMotorcycleRallyin Rapid City. There could be found demonstrations, customization seminars, accident management seminar and presentation of clothing collection aimed only to women. (WomenRidersNow). AnothereventistheDaytonaWomen'sDayRide.HarleyDavidsonDaytonaWomen's DayRidewasoneofthelargestwomen'sDayRidethattook placeonMarch4 th 2008in Daytona,Florida.Thiseventarousedbroadinterestamongfemaleriders'whowantedto enroll. From the intended symbolic number of 105 HarleyDavidson female riders joined together 500 females. (Clemens). Participants were accompanied by Karen Davidson,greatgranddaughterofoneofthecompany'sfounders.Themoneyfromthis eventwenttosupportMuscularDystrophyAssociation.(HarleyDavidsonUSA).This could have been a great opportunity for all lovers of HARLEYDAVIDSON motorcyclestoseevariousmodelsandcustomsononeplace.

5.5 Why women decide to ride motorcycles and what can hold them back from riding

Thereisabout10to12percentofallnewmotorcyclessoldtowomenbuyers.(Harley Davidson USA). From the articlesabout womenriders andvarious clubs and forums followsthatinmostcaseswomenwouldrideonthebackwiththeirmalepartnersbut oncetheystartedtofeeltheyneededachangeandbecamemoreindependent.(Women intheWind,WomenRidersNow).Then,theybuytheirownmotorcycleandstartriding andgettoknowtherulesoftheroad.Ontheotherhand,therearewomenwhodonot

41 have enough courage to do that step. There exists a list of most frequent obstacles summarizedbyWomenRidersNow(internetwebsiteabout,byandforwomenriders) thatcanstopwomenfrombuyingamotorcycle.Accordingtothem,therearethousands ofwomenwhodreamaboutridingamotorcycle,butmany“areheldbackbecauseofa varietyofreasonsstemmingfromfamilyapprovaltostereotypes”like: • confidence • productknowledge • cost • skills • lifestage On the other hand, we have a listof reasons why women decide to ridemotorcycles (includingHarleyDavidsons)whichcontainsvariouspurposes.Iwouldliketomention hereonly afewexamplesofthe reasonsthatleadparticularwomentobuyamotorcycle. There exist countless numbers of women clubs all over the world. These clubs are founded to unify women who do not want to ride alone or want to find friends who sharetheirpassionforriding.Allclubshavemembersfromdiversesocialclassesand professions. HarleyDavidson Motor Company itself creates and supports many clubs andotherclubsappearindependentlyofthecompanyallaroundtheworld(forexample thebestknownMotorMaids,Inc.,WomenintheWindandothers).Theageofwomen ontheroaddiffers.Onthedifferentpagesofthewomenclubsyouwillfindmothers alongside with their daughters riding motorcycle but as well their grandmothers and greatgrandmothers.Thethingthatunitesthemisthepassionforriding,friendshipand promotingsaferidingskills.(MotorMaids,Inc.,WomenintheWind). Onthewebsiteofthefirstwomen'sclubMotorMaids,Inc.wecanfindthatforits members: • Itisimportanttoride. • TheyshouldhaveFUNinwhattheydo. • Theybelieveintheimportanceoftheirhistoryandinitspreservation. • Theybelieveintraditions. • Theybelievethatpresentingapositiveimageofwomenmotorcyclists demonstratestheirrespectforeachotherandforthemselves.

42 HarleyDavidsonisaproducerofheavyweightmotorcycles.ReneeChartrand,49isan administrativeassistantinthefinancedepartmentfortheClementJ.ZablockiVeterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee. She chose HarleyDavidson because she “felt that she needed to get something bigger than what she had, and just the thrill of a differentkindofmotorcycle."AndthereasonwhyshegotinvolvedinthelocalHarley Davidson group was for the camaraderie. She thinks that it is the “adventure and excitement that hooks female riders.” The feeling that she, as well as many other womenstatetobesoexcitingis“justbeingoutintheopenandhavingthewindinmy hair.It'sthefreedomthatridingamotorcyclegives."(Thoreson). K.Cartersay:”MySportsterhasmademeawareofthingsaroundmethatIhavetaken for granted for years. As I ride through the mountains of southwest Virginia, I am overwhelmed by the beauty around me.” (HarleyDavidson USA). K. Carter travels alonebutmanyclubsorganizetripstogettoknowthecountryandnaturalbeautiesin theirsurrounding areas.(MotorMaids,Inc.,WomenintheWind). Onthepagesoftheexhibition“WheelsThroughTime”canbefoundthat“womenhave alwaysbeenthequeensoftheslipstreamandtheyliveouttheirdreamsofadventure, independenceandfreedomontheopenroad.”MarshaKiss,a59yearoldwomanfrom Ohio got inspired when she saw outside a restaurant "Women out riding together, havingfun...”Shethinks“it'sneatthattheydothat.ItmademethinkIcandoittoo." (Crites).

43 6 HarleyDavidsonlifestyleintheCzechRepublic

ItisnoteasytosayhowmanyHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesarebeingdrivenonCzech roads.TheHarleyDavidsonclubsestimatethatthereareabout6,000motorcyclesbut itispossiblethatitismuchmore.ManypeoplestillimagineHarleyDavidsonridersas toughmenwithunshavenfaces,freemindsandloosemorals.Butthetruthissomething different. While I was doing my research, I asked several people that either own a HarleyDavidsonmotorcycleorareclosetopeoplethatridethisbrandofmotorcycle. Some information came also from HarleyDavidson authorized dealers here in the CzechRepublic.

6.1 Harley-Davidson dealerships

HarleyDavidsonhasfourauthorizeddealershipshereintheCzechRepublic.Thefirst andoldestoneisinPrague.Thesecond,whichisthemostsuccessfulbecauseitsellsthe highestnumberofmotorcycles,ishereinBrno.ThethirdisinHradecKrálové,andthe last one is in Ostrava. The inside design of every dealership shop looks very similar because you will not see anything but HarleyDavidson motorcycles, clothing collections and accessories everywhere you look. Everything looks very glossy, and dealershipsareusuallyfullofpeoplechoosingtherightmodelofmotorcycleorstylish accessoriesorclothes. ThedealershiphereinBrnohassoldHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclessince1977.Atthe beginning,itwasmoreofahobbyforitsfounders,butinthecourseoftimeitbecamea “life passion” as says the owner of HarleyDavidson shop Ing. Zdeněk Hönig. The dealership in Brno as well as all dealerships in the Czech Republic offer Harley Davidson motorcycles and Buell motorcycles, a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and general merchandise. There you can find clothing ranging from toddler through teen collections to adults and purely clothing for riders. Even thoughtheBrnodealershipisthebiggestintheCzechRepublic,itispossiblethatyou willnotfindallmodelsandsparepartsyouneedintheshop.Somepartshavetobe orderedintheUnitedStatesorsentfromadifferentnearbydealership.Acustomerthat comestotheshopmaytryoutmoremodelsbysittingontheminordertochoosethe onethatfitshimorherbest.Whenanycustomerpaysarefundabledeposit,heorshe

44 can try the motorcycle on the road. The indispensable part of every dealership is a brandedservice.TheHarleyDavidsondealershipserviceinBrnohasgotfourfulltime mechanics,andtheownerofthedealershipthinksitisenoughforthetimebeing. TherearepeoplethatbelieveHarleyDavidsonsarereliablemotorcycles,andthereare thosethatwouldcompletelydisagree.HarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesarenotoriousfor leaking oil.Not all of their models are “oil gluttons”, asone ridertold me,but most HarleyDavidsonridershavealreadyhadsomeexperiencewithit.Asanexample,one HarleyDavidsonownerhadthreeHarleyDavidsonmotorcycles.Hesaysthateveryone knowsthatsomemodelsofHarleyDavidsonmotorcycleshavetroubleswithleakofoil andeveryonewhobuysithastocopewithit,getusedtoitorbuyadifferentbrandof motorcycle.ConcerninghisthreeHarleyDavidsonmotorcycles,oneheusedforriding, thesecondwasalwaysinforservice,andthethirdwassittingreadyinhisgaragein casetheoneherodebreaksdown.EventuallyhedecidedtobuyaJapanesemotorcycle. I do not want to show by this example that HarleyDavidson motorcycles are not reliable,buttherearemotorcyclesthatoperatewithoutanyproblemsandmotorcycles thatareofteninserviceanditdoesnotmatterwhatbrandisthemotorcycle.Everything dependsalsoontheriderandhowthatpersoncaresaboutthemachine. Concerningthemanfrommyexample,hebelongstohighsocietyandcanbuyalmost everythinghewants,buthedoesnotbehavelikeasnob.Heisamemberofonebig motorcycleclub in Brno. This club is not a HarleyDavidson club.It unites riders of various motorcycle brands. As he told me, he loves HarleyDavidsons for their American nature but on the other hand pointed out he considers most of the Harley Davidson models he owned not very suitable for our roads that are full of holes and bumps.HarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesaremadeforstraight,longandwide,American highwayswhereitisnotnecessarytocurveinhairpinbendsoraroundholes.Another feature of Czech roads is the variety of terrain. The Czech Republic and especially Bohemiaisfullofslopesandvalleys.

6.2 The position of Harley-Davidson motorcycles on the Czech market

Although HarleyDavidson motorcycle prices have rapidly declined since 2002, its pricesremainamongthemostexpensivemotorcyclesandarethereforenotobtainable

45 bythemajorityoftheCzechpopulation.Thecheapestbasicmodelcostsabout230,000 Kčandthemostexpensivebasicfactorymodelisaroundonemillion.Whensomeone wantsadifferentcolororadditionalaccessories,hehastopayforit.Thenthepriceof thefactorymodelcanrisetomorethanoneandahalfmillionCzechcrowns.Second handHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesarenotmuchcheaper;theirpricewillbestillaround 300,000Czechcrownsandmore. In2002,theVRodmodelcostabout1,300,000Czechcrowns,whiletodayitcanbe bought for about 490,000 Czech crowns. The fall of the prices was hastened by the economiccrisisintheU.S.andthestrengtheningofCzechcrown.Themostexpensive modelscanbesoldformorethanoneandhalfmillionCzechcrowns.Fordemanding customersmodelscanbemadetoorderaccordingtotheirdemands.Thesemodelsare assembled by servicemen in the dealership where the motorcycle was ordered. When the customer orders a model that is not in stock, the dealer tries to find the closest dealershipsthathavethismodelinstock.IfthemodelisnotinEurope,thecustomerhas towaitsixmonthsorsometimesalmostoneyearforhismotorcycletobedelivered. ThesituationofHarleyDavidsonCompanyisnowverycomplicated.TheU.S.market for heavyweight motorcycles is stagnant and HarleyDavidson Company wants thereforeaddressnewcustomersinEurope.Whattheydidwasanintroductionofnew lightmotorcyclecalledVRodwithanenginedesignedbyPorche(Germanproducerof cars).ThisnewmotorcycleshockedmanyyoungEuropeancustomerswithitsdesign and performance. Everyone was used to oldfashioned, heavy and slow traditional HarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesandVRodwassomethingcompletelynew.Itsdesignis veryattractive,especiallyforyoungerriderswholikepowerfulmachines.Itislighter,it iseasiertohandleoncurves,anditsperformancemastersevenhillyterrain.VRodis currentlyoneofthebestsellersontheEuropeanmarket.

6.3 Clubs for Harley-Davidson owners

HarleyDavidsonridersintheCzechRepublicareassociatedinmanyclubsandgroups. Theseclubscanbedividedintoofficialclubs(HarleyOwnersGroupanditschapters), unofficialclubsthatcooperatewithdealerships(HarleyDavidsonClubPrague,Harley DavidsonClubBrno)andunofficialindependentclubsandgroups.OntheCzechroads

46 onecanrecognizemanydifferentmotorcycleclubs,motorcycleridingclubsorgroups. Anotherdivisionofclubscanbetotheonepercenters(thatbreaklaws)andninetynine percenters(therestofcommonriders). HarleyDavidson Club Prague closely cooperates with all Harley Owners Group chaptersintheCzechRepublicaswellaswithotherclubslikeHarleyDavidsonClub Brno, Ostrava and HradecKrálové. Among their cooperative events are national rallies, outrides, and public exhibitions. Some events are designated only for club members,whileothersareforeverybikerevenifheisnotamemberofanyclubor group. ThebestknownNinetyninepercentersintheCzechRepublicare: • HarleyOwnersGroupPrahaChapter(HarleyDavidsonofficialclub) • HarleyDavidsonClubPraha(theoldestclubintheworldfoundedin1927) • HarleyDavidsonClubBrno(alsoconnectedwiththedealership) Amongbestknownclubsforridersofallmotorcyclebrandsare: • FullofEnergyMC • NewRangersMCPraha • VipersCzechMC • WildHordeCzechMC • WarriorsMCPilsen • EnolaGayMCHighlands • LiviTeam2000 AspecialcategoryistheBlackDogsLEMotorcycleClubwhichisaninternationalclub that is comprised special government employees of the executive public such as firefighters,policeforces,rescuersandsoldiers.ThebestknownOutlawGangsonour territoryareHellsAngelsChapterOstrava,NomadsandPragueChapter. If we compare the activities of outlaw gangs here in the Czech Republic and in the United States, we find out that it is completely different. When you look for crimes

47 committedby,forexample,HellsAngelsintheUnitedStates,youwillfinddozensof articlesaboutblackmailing,distributionofdrugs,prostitutionandothercrimes,whereas intheCzechRepublicyouwillnotfindanything.Itispossiblethatmembersofthis club are involved in crime but, when they are caught, it is not considered as a gang organized action. Rather it is only considered a common organized crime. Another interestingfactthatwasconfirmedbymoreHarleyDavidsonridersisthatalmost80to 90 percent of club members are armed. This includes members of ninetynine percenters.Thesearmsareatleastknifes,whilepeoplewithmoremoneybuyfirearms. I cannot certainly say whether this is true, but I have heard it from three different sources that come from various motorcycle riding clubs or motorcycle clubs. The situationisthesameforpiercingandtattoos.PeopleIaskedestimatethatapproximately 70 to 80 % of HarleyDavidson riders have tattoos and a slightly smaller percentage (morewomenthanmen)havepiercing. BothintheUnitedStatesandintheCzechRepublic,everymemberofanymotorcycle club must strictly adhere to colors (color is crucial for recognizing that a rider is a memberofaparticularmotorcycleclub).Ifanyoneisforcedtoputawayhiscolors,this incidentmayinsomecasesprovokeanattackoranopenwaramongmotorcycleclubs. A Member or prospect that does not care about colors can be fired from the club or punishedbytheclubpresident.

6.4 Harley-Davidson customers

AtfirstIwantedtowriteaboutHarleyDavidsonownersasagroupofsnobs.However, fromwhatIheardandsaw,Icompletelychangedmymindandrealizedthatitisnot possibletogeneralize.Therearemanypeoplewhoworkhardanddonotbuyanything foralongtimeonlytobeabletobuyHarleyDavidsonmotorcycle.Ontheotherhand therearepeoplethatdonothavetodoanythingandcanasktheirrichparentsformoney tobuysuchanexpensivemotorcyclelikeaHarleyDavidson. ImetonegarbagemanthathadaHarleyDavidsonmotorcycle.Beforeheboughtit,he studiedallthematerialshecouldgettobecomefamiliarwithHarleyDavidsonhistory andculture.Heisaverykindmanthatworkedandsavedupforalongtimeonlytobe able to buy and then care for his motorcycle. Now, he is very proud he has got a

48 motorcyclethatsymbolizesfreedom.Hespendsallofhisfreetimethinkingofwhathe candonexttoimprovehismachine.Healsobuysormakeshimselfnewsparepartsto customizehismachine.Whenhismachinebreaksdown,hetriestorepairithimselfor asks for advice from any of his club fellows. In his free time, he goes on out rides togetherwithmembersofonesmallridingclubhereinBrno.Inthatclub,heistheonly onewhoownsaHarleyDavidsonmotorcycle.Hedecidedtobecomememberofthis clubbecausehedidnotfeelcomfortableintheofficialHarleyDavidsonclub.Theclub heisnowinisoneoftheninetyninepercenters.Duringtheridingseason,theyspent muchoftheirfreetimeridingoutsideBrno.Eventhoughitisnotaclubofbrutes,he admittedthatusingdrugsandalcoholbeforethedrivingdoeshappen.Hesaidthatifhe ridesinagroupofbikers,heisnotafraidofpolicepatrolbecausepolicemenonour roadsratherdonotstopgroupsofmotorcyclesinordertoavoidconflict. On the other hand there are people that do not know almost anything about Harley Davidson motorcycles or their history. They only know that this is one of the prestigious brands and this is what motivates them in buying it. Some percentage of thesepeopleridealone,otherpeoplebecomemembersoftheofficialHarleyDavidson clubs,andsomegotojoinacompletelydifferentmotorcycleclubormotorcycleriding club. IcameacrossopinionsthatallHarleyDavidsonownersaresnobsthatneitherbotherto respondtothedrivergreeting(usuallyahandsweep)norhelpabikerwhoneedshelpin caseofabreakdown.HoweverIpersonallythinkthisisabsolutelynotdependenton the brand of the motorcycle but on the person’s character. There are official or unofficialHarleyDavidsonclubsthattakepartineventsorcasualmotorcyclemeetings and clubs that participate only in official events organized by HarleyDavidson dealerships.Itisunderstandablethatamongeverygroupofpeopleareindividualsthat behaveinanarrogantwayandshowtheyaresuperior.Idonotthinkthisisaunique occurrencetypicalonlyforHarleyDavidsonownerclubs.Iheardalsofrompeoplethat aremembersofdifferentclubsthatthereisalwayssomeonewhothinkshismotorcycle wasthemostexpensiveandthereforetheyhavearighttolookdownon,forexample, youngstudentsthathaveanoldsecondhandmodel.

49 Inconclusion,Iwouldliketosaythatitisnotimportantwhattheriderwearsorwhat brandofmotorcycleheorsherides,butratherhowheorshebehavesontheroadsand elsewhere.IpersonallythinkthattheCzechmotorcycleridersshouldholdtogetherand cooperatemorelikeintheUnitedStatesamongmostoftheninetyninepercenterclubs.

6.5 Harley-Davidson in the Czech Republic and women

WhereasintheUnitedStatesabout12%ofallnewmotorcyclesaresoldtowomen,the marketintheCzechRepublicisdifferent.Iaskedseveraldealersofheavymotorcycles whotoldmethatonlyabout2%ofallnewmotorcyclesaresoldtowomen.Onedealer of a rival company thinks that women in the Czech Republic buy more secondhand motorcyclesthatarenotsoexpensive. Imanagedtointerviewtwowomenthatareincompletelydifferentsituations.Oneis single without family commitments, whereas the second one is married and has two youngchildren. Veronika, is a mottoracer and mechanic. She is single, lives with her boyfriend in Prague, and sometimes comes to Brno for racing. She recently becameadealerofa competingbrandofmotorcycles.Shehasgotfourmotorcycles;oneofthemisaHarley Davidson.Shealsodrivesmanyothermotorcyclesthatbelongtotheracingteamsheis on. She is not a member of any club. She rides independently with a group of her friendsoralone.Asshetoldme,shewouldneveruseanydrugoralcoholbeforeshesits onanyofhermotorcycles.Itisfirstlybecauseofherownsafetyandhealth,thenthe livesofotherpeoplethatadrunkpersoncanputindanger,andlastlybecauseofher motorcycles.Shespentmuchtimetakingcareofhermotorcycles.WhenIcametoher room,therewasatorsoofamotorcycleinthemiddle,putonthecarpet.Icouldseethe oilstainsallaround. Veronikatoldmeeverythingabouthowdifficultitwaswhenshewantedtostartriding motorcycles.Whenshewasatthesecondaryschool,shedreamtaboutwhatitwouldbe liketorideamotorcycle.Shehadaboyfriendwithmotorcyclebuthepreferredtosee heronthebackofthemotorcycleanddidnotwanttolendherhismotorcycle.Another problemwasherparentswhowereafraidofmotorcycles.

50 Afterfinishingthesecondaryschool,sheimmediatelydidaridingcourseandgother ridinglicensewithoutthepermissionofherparents.Whensheearnedenoughmoney, sheboughtherfirstsecondhandmotorcycle.Shesaysthatherlifecompletelychanged. Shedescribesthatitwasthefirsttimeshecouldexpressherself.Beingawomanrider addedtoherselfesteembecauseshebecamesomething“extra“.Asshesays,thereare not many solo woman riders seen on the Czech roads. It is true that she also comes across“stupid”menthatmakejokesaboutherbutthatdidnotdiscouragedher. After one year of a language school course, she started to study at university. Unfortunately,shehadtogiveitupbecauseofherhealthproblems.Shefoundajobas a motorcycle mechanic through a friend. She says people do not want to have their motorcyclesrepairedbyawoman.Butthisalsochanged.Sheisnowrespectedbymany wellknownmechanicsaswellasmotorcycleracers.WhenIaskedherhowshebecame a motorcycle racer she answered she has no idea. She said she once wanted to try a motorcycleshehadjustrepaired.Shetookoneturn,andwhenshewantedtoreturnto thegarage,amancameandaskedherifshewantedtorepresenthisracingteam.She agreed.Sheadmitsitisnoteasy,anditisalmostimpossibletocompeteagainstmen. She thinks they cannot have any selfpreservation when they want to win. She never thoughtshewoulddosomethingotherthanworkingwithmotorcycles.Itisherwhole life.Shesayseverymotorcycleiscompletelydifferentandcannotbecompared.Shehas gotfavoritebrandsandmodels,butridingmotorcyclesisherentirelife. ThesecondwomanIaskedwasMagda.Magdaisahappilymarriedwomanwithtwo youngchildren.Shehasgotagirlthatisfiveyearsoldandaboythatisalmostthree yearsold.Magdaliveswithherhusbandandchildreninasmallflat. Magda was also dreaming for many years about buying a motorcycle. She says she couldnotfindtheemotionalfirepowertostartthelearningprocessandmakeherdream a reality. The problem was not her husband but the reaction of those around her, especiallyherhusband'sandherfamily.Hermotherinlawshoutedatherthatsheisnot normalandhowcanshebesoirresponsiblewhenshehasgottwochildren.Someofher friends also did not support her. Magda finally decided that people around her were right,thatshehasgottwochildrenandcannotendangerselfishlyherlife.

51 FinallyitwasherhusbandwhoboughtherasecondhandHarleyDavidsonmotorcycle forherbirthday.Shesaidshecouldnotbelievehereyes.Shewascryingandscreaming withjoy.Sheimmediatelytookuparidingcourseandstartedriding.Shehasnowbeen ridinghermotorcycleforhalfayearandisveryhappy.Shesaysyoudon'tknowwhat you'remissinguntilyoudoit. Sheconteststhattherearesometimesmenthatmakefunofher,butitisnotveryoften andonecangetusedtoit.Shegoesforatleastashortridealmosteveryday.Shefeels sheismorebalancedorrelaxedthansheusedtobeandsaysthatshewouldstrongly recommendittoallwomenthatareafraidofridingtomakeeveryefforttomakethat firststep.

6.6 Harley-Davidson in the Czech Republic and celebrities

It is clear that many celebrities and well known people are attractedby expensive or luxuryproducts.ThesamesituationiswithHarleyDavidsonintheCzechRepublic.On the9 th ofFebruary2007thefirstnationalballofHarleyDavidsonDealersintheCzech Republic took place. Among the guests that were invited to the Imperial Hotel in OstravawereforexampleGabrielaPartyšová,singerHelenaZeťová,singerPetrKolář, Legendysevracíbandandanumberofotherbandsandsingers.Theopeningceremony was lead by hejtman of MoravianSilesian region, EvženTošenovský. One of the prominentguestswascurrentprimeministerMiroslavTopolánek.Therewasafashion show with famous Czech models such as Radka Kocurová, Lucie Váchová, Zuzana Štěpanovská,DavidBílekandothers.

6.7 Choppers and customs in the Czech Republic

WhereasintherestoftheworldtheClassicchoppersareenjoyingacomeback,inthe CzechRepublicthereistheoppositetrend.Czechsprefercustomstochoppers.They buy chrome parts, radios, additional headlights, and other accessories that make motorcycles very heavy and, according to servicemen, they are often tastelessly over customized. In Europe, several well known custom expert companies exist, such as Battistinis Company (Great Britain), OMP Company (Italy), Carbon Dream (Italy), Zodiac Company (Netherlands), TechnoPlus Company (France) and Tom's Company

52 (Germany). I do not have any information regarding whether people from Czech republic buy readymade customized motorcycles from the expert companies I mentionedabove. As an interesting aside, I found out that, in the Czech Republic, there are allegedly aboutfourorfiveratbikes(dirty,damagedmotorcycleshungwithenormousamountof junks).Thequestioniswhethertheycangetpastthefirstpolicepatrol.

6.8 Safety on the Czech roads

In the Czech Republic, the highest number of motorcycle riders from the whole of Europeiskilledwhileriding.In2007,127motorcycleridersdiedonCzechroads.Ifwe compareitwithfatalaccidentsofcardrivers,wewillseethatamotorcycleriderhas50 %biggerchanceofdyingontheroad. ThisunpleasanttrendiscausedbytheriseoftheCzecheconomy.Manymorepeople can now buy motorcycles. There is many young people for whom it is an adrenalin sport.Contributingtothesedeathsmayalsobetheunscrupulousnessandaggressiveness of truck drivers as well as car drivers. In my opinion, car and truck drivers in other western countries are more considerate to motorcycle riders. I suppose that there is anotherimportantaspectthatisnotmentionedveryoften–thebadconditionofmost Czechroads.Theonlythingthatcanbedonebyamotorcyclisttopreventaccidentsis tobeattentive,notprovokeorexceedthespeedlimits,andtousepersonalprotective equipmentandmotorcyclesafetyclothingwithimprovedvisibility,abrasionresistance, helmet,glovesandgoodridingboots.

53 Conclusion

HarleyDavidsonisacompanythatstirspassioninitsriders,employeesanddealersand translatesthatpassionintoprofit.Manypeopledonotliketheirpoliciesbuttherearea considerablenumberofthosewhoprovethatitisveryefficient.Itwasthreeyearsafter thebeginningofthe20 th centurywhentwosomewhatlazyandboredyoungmenhadan idea of how to change their life by installing an engine into a bicycle frame. These youngmenwereWilliamS.HarleyandArthurDavidson.Whentheyassembledtheir firstprototypeintheiruncle'swoodenshed,noonewouldhavebelievedthattheywere giving birth to an object that would be in the future so closely connected with the historyandcultureoftheUnitedStates. The HarleyDavidson Motor Company lived through two world wars where their motorcyclesloyallyassistedbothAmericanandEuropeanarmies,withstoodthetimeof theGreatDepression,andexperiencedfinancialproblemsafterthepassingawayofall of the HarleyDavidson founders. The successof HarleyDavidson motorcycles made many of their competitors envious, which in turn led to the arrival of many of their imitationsonthemarket.Tomakemattersworse,strong,cheaperandtrendierJapanese motorcyclesfloodedtheAmericanmarket.IttookHarleyDavidsonmanagementsome timetounderstandthattheyarethebestinwhattheydo.Whentheyrealizedit,they stopped their mass assembly line production and returned back to their traditional values:solidcraftsmanship,reliabilityandquality. TodaytheHarleyDavidsonMotorCompanyisstillmakingatraditionalproductthat hasn'tfundamentallychanged.Forsomepeople“Harleys”aresymbolsofreliabilityand freedom on the road, for others breathless, oldfashioned pile of scrap iron. The motorcyclebusinesshasevolvedovertheyears,ashasthedemographicofthosewho arepartofthemotorcyclefamily.HarleyDavidsonridersarenolongeronlyleather clad, tattoo covered enthusiasts but rather people from all social classes. In addition, therearemoreandmorewomenwhodevelopaninterestinmotorcycles.

HowdidtheHarleyDavidsonMotorCompanymanagetocreatealegendfromwhat usedtobeameremotorcycle?Theyestablishedasuitablemarketingpolicythatwas

54 missingonthemarket.Insimpletermsitmeansthattheybetonamotorcyclinglifestyle andstartedtocontinuouslybuildtheirownspecificbrandimage.Theyusedallpossible means, from advertisement through their own magazines to Hollywood films and Television series. In 1936, the HarleyDavidson Motor Company started to offer original parts and accessories from what is now a 720page partsandaccessories catalogandshopsthatselleverythingfromtoddlerclothestoFordpickuptruckswith theHarleyDavidsonnameonit.

Theirmotorcyclesaredesignedandmarketedbyemployeesthatarecrazyaboutriding. One can considertheestablishment of HarleyOwners Group, which now has around onemillionmembersinallpartsoftheworldtobethepinnacleoftheirsuccess.

That is not all; many unofficial clubs or even outlaw clubs exist in addition to the officialHarleyOwnersGroup.Thereasonisthatpeopleneedahobbyandaplaceto belong.Inaclubtheycanpresenttheirindividualitywhichcanbeemphasizedbythe waytheycustomizetheirmotorcycle.Thatisalsooneofthemotiveswhythecultureof chopperswascreated.

WhenwecomparetheHarleyDavidsonlifestyleintheUnitedStateswiththelifestyle thatisintheCzechRepublicwewillfindoutthatitiscompletelydifferent.Themost importantfactorthathelpedHarleyDavidsonmotorcyclesgetwheretheyareismissing intheCzechRepublic:advertisement,Hollywoodfilmsandtelevisionseries.Another point that should be emphasized is that HarleyDavidson motorcycles are artificially overpriced. In the Czech Republic, HarleyDavidson motorcycles are among luxury goodsthatarenotobtainablebythemajorityoftheCzechpopulation.Forsomepeople is also discouraging the oldfashioned, heavy and slow character of the Harley Davidson motorcycles. The only exception is the new model called VRod. Both its design and performance are very attractive, especially for younger riders who like powerful machines. It is lighter, it is easier to handle on curves, and its performance mastersevenhillyCzechterrainthatcausestroublestomanyHarleyDavidsonmodels. TosummarizetheHarleyDavidsonlifestyleintheCzechRepublicitissafetosaythat itiscompletelydifferentfromthatintheUnitedStates.Firstly,wehavefewerwomen that ride heavy motorcycles. Then, there is a big percentage of those that can be classified as snobs who are not much interested in the historic development of the

55 HarleyDavidsonbrand.TogetinformationfrommembersofHarleyOwnersGroupis very difficult. This club is something like a closed community. It is much easier to speakwithHarleyDavidsonownersthataremembersoftheindependentclubs.There isoneverypositivefact:CzechRepublicisnotinfluencedbytheAmericanlifestyleof outlaw gangs. Despite the presence of three Hells Angels chapters here in the Czech Republic,therewasnotmonitoredanyincreasedcriminality.

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