aNewDomain/SkewedNews — This week Harley Davidson in a stunning announcement said it is recalling all makes and models its motorcycles from the first ones built in 1903 all the way to the 2015 models.
The move was inspired by a recall earlier this week when it recalled 185,000 motorcycles for loose saddlebags.
No injuries came from the saddlebags but the company wanted to provide an extra layer of safety in case the saddlebags came loose and detached.
“It was our third recall in as many years, said Daniel Nelson, Chief Operating Officer of Harley Davison.
“We issued two separate recalls in the past 18 months. First we recalled 126,000 Touring motorcycles sold in 2014 because of a problem with the hydraulic clutch, and 1,400 Street motorbikes from two 2015 models for possible fuel tank leaks. The bikes weren’t safe to ride until we fixed ‘em,” said Nelson.
And that’s when the company had its epiphany.
“If we’re really trying to protect our customers from injury,” said Nelson, “we thought it best not to sell them motorcycles in the first place. Then we thought to go one step further and recall all the bikes we sold over the years.”
According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, motorcyclist fatalities more than doubled from 1997 to 2008.
“It’s no secret that a dent on a car is a death on a motorcycle,” said Nelson. “Hey that’s good! I just made that up!”
Harley Davidson is following a corporate trend of attracting the coveted millennial crowd by embracing corporate responsibility.
And what is more responsible than protecting its customers from dying when using its product?”
“Yes, it’s a shame that this breaks our business model. By caring for our customers like this we’ll attract so many more customers, yet we’ll have nothing to sell,” said Nelson.
For aNewDomain and SkewedNews, I’m Frank Visa.
Image Courtesy: Harley Davidson
