It is a gorgeous West Coast day and for the next 48 hours we have six very different motorcycles to ride - starting with this Fat Boy I am astride on the famed Sea-to-Sky Highway to Whistler, B.C.
Rolling into and out of sweeping corners, taking in the "fjords" of British Columbia right there beside the highway, twisting the throttle to unleash all the Fat Boy's torque - all these together blend to create magic on a sunny September day.
But truthfully, what is most on my mind amidst the thundering "chug-chug-chug-chug" of the 1,600-cc Twin Cam 98 engine between my legs, is how 22 years ago I missed a chance to get really rich by riding the Harley-Davidson wave.
You see, a $100 (U.S.) investment in Harley-Davidson Inc. at the end of 1986 was worth $15,687 at the end of 2007. That means a $10,000 investment grew to be worth $1.569-million in 21 years.
Of course, in 1986 few would have believed Harley-Davidson would be around in 2008 to celebrate the company's 105th birthday last August. And even fewer would have predicted that Harley would be bringing in revenue of $1.57-billion in the most recent quarter (though that was down from $1.62-billion a year ago, and profit fell 23 per cent).
But Don James was a true believer. He's one of the owners of Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, which holds the sole distribution rights for Hogs in Canada. James parleyed an initial $3,000 investment in 1973 into a multimillion-dollar company with 74 Canadian dealers today.
James, Harley's Canadian president, bought those rights with the late Trev Deeley and together they started down a very successful road together. Another partner, Malcolm Hunter, joined in 1979. Today, the Deeley family retains a small ownership stake in the company, but it's James and Hunter who control things.
James is with us on the ride to Whistler. Fit and in his 60s, James clearly knows how to play at business - and just plain play, period. When we stop for coffee, the former ski bum from Edmonton - who joined the Deeley company long before Harley came into the picture, back in 1967 when Deeley was distributing Yamaha products, including the skis James was hired to sell - talks mostly about selling Hogs one at a time through the 74 dealers.
They are the genius of the company, the link with customers who typically not only buy the bikes, but get tattooed with the Harley name.
"When we started, it was tough," says James, who still is an avid skier and is also the longest-serving member on the Harley-Davidson Inc. board of directors (since 1991). "I used to tell our retailers, 'Just take the bikes. You don't have to pay me unless you sell them.' And that wasn't easy."
Moving the iron today is nothing like it was back then, though. Harley-Davidson is on track to sell more than 300,000 bikes this year worldwide.
Sales in Canada are up 12 per cent so far this year and in Canada Harley owns 40 per cent of the over-650 cc market where it competes against bikes from all the major players, from Honda to BMW, from Suzuki to Yamaha.
The truth is, Harley at 105 is a smashingly successful story. The oldest and most successful American motorcycle company would not have survived, however, if not for savvy brand marketing, a rejuvenated line of motorcycles, protective tariffs put in place with the help of the U.S. government, smart, visionary corporate leadership and the motoring tastes of baby boomers.
All these factors fell into place to create a company that really is more than just a manufacturer. All very nice, but I can't help but come back to share value and my own missed opportunity.
