Replica of the iconic Captain America chopper from Easy Rider, built by the legendary Ben Hardy at the Harley-Davidson museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. — Image by © The Selvedge Yard
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Back from a month long hiatus from TSY brought on by a monumental J. Hilburn suit launch, and capped off by a mind-blowing annual conference in Las Vegas. My bandwidth was focused on the work front, where it clearly needed to be. An invitation from Harley-Davidson for a guided tour of their museum with archivist and an all-around great guy, Bill Jackson, was a great source of inspiration to get back in the saddle.
Speaking to me loud and clear was the spirit of America– from the H-D founding fathers and the 10′ x 15′ shed, to the early days of the “Wrecking Crew” racing team, and the legion of enthusiasts and adventurers over the last century who have lived-out their individuality on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The cultural impact that H-D has had on this great country is without a doubt– impressive and undeniable.
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An old Harley-Davidson dealer sign from the AMF years– the upside-down triangle from the AMF logo can be seen at the bottom, as the “AMF” letters were eagerly painted over by dealers across the country when 13 H-D executives united to buy back the company from AMF in 1981. It was a period when Harley-Davidson’s quality and culture suffered, but the resulting acquisition of the York, PA production facility from AMF would prove to be critical to H-D’s long-term survival and growth. — Image by © The Selvedge Yard
The Selvedge Yard 