Viral Post
An X post published on July 23 by filmmaker Robby Starbuck documented what he claimed to be a woke list that Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz had allegedly been implementing under his watch. The post went viral with over 2 million views.
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“It’s time to expose Harley Davidson,” wrote Starbuck. “@harleydavidson has been one of the most beloved brands in America but recently on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone totally woke.”
Documenting Wokeness
Starbuck’s list of greivances was long and documented the company’s support of LGBT events and causes, months of inclusion, DEI, Pride Month, racial equity, and discrimination against “White suppliers, dealers, and employees.”
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“To put it mildly, Harley Davidson seems to have forgotten who their core customers are,” said Starbuck. “I don’t think the values at corporate reflect the values of nearly any Harley Davidson bikers. Do Harley riders want the money they spend at Harley to be used later by corporate to push an ideology that’s diametrically opposed to their own values?”
Time to Take a Stand
The lengthy post from Starbuck emphasized that he didn’t want to “destroy” Harley, and just wanted customers to express their disagreement with the culture shift peacefully.
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“If you agree then share this video and tag your favorite accounts so they see this news. Be sure to send it to the bikers you know. I have a feeling that biker clubs are NOT going to be okay with this. It’s time for them to take a stand too,” wrote Starbuck.
Boosted By Musk
Starbuck’s post was signal boosted by a reply from tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk, who questioned that even the iconic Harley-Davidson had gone woke.
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“They literally sent some white male employees to a white male only training on diversity,” Starbuck said to Musk’s comment.
Heeding the Call
As Starbuck’s viral post garnered massive attention online, the visibility of the issue inspired popular figures to take a stand alongside him.
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“I love Harley. I’ve owned Harleys most of my life, but I will never own a Harley again,” said UFC fighter Sean Strickland in a July 30 X video post captioned “Why I’m selling my harley.”
Breaks My Heart
Observers of the backlash against Harley felt that the company had messed up big time with its customers.
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“It’s branding suicide,” Vinny Terranova, the owner of Pappy’s Vintage Cycles in Sturgis, South Dakota, told Fox News. “A lot of bikers are switching over to Indian. They killed Harley. It breaks my heart.”
Losing Value
Terranova noted what was in his opinion a disappointing decline for the company, feeling that people are increasingly unwilling to go along with the brand like they used to.
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“A Harley valued at $30,000 just a few years ago is now getting only $4,000,” said Terranova. “People don’t even want to be associated with Harley anymore.”
Comparisons to Budlight
The severity of the backlash online has some comparing it to last year’s boycott of Budlight, another classic American brand that “went woke,” and lost nearly $1.4 billion in sales over a brief partnership with a transgender influencer.
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“Harley Davidson is getting the Bud Light treatment at Sturgis after going woke!” said one X user who posted a video of what appeared to be a low-attended Harley event.
Attendance Drop
According to the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal, the annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Wisconsin saw a dramatic 25% drop over last year’s attendance, although it noted that the event had competition with many others that weekend as well.
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Last year, Harley got rid of its iconic orange logo and replaced it with a much less colorful black shield in the same shape.
Harley Boycott
Attention continued to gather around the topic of a Harley-Davidson boycott as Starbuck kept putting out viral post after viral post hammering Harley’s wokeness.
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An August 6 post from Starbuck that criticized the company’s board of directors for DEI got over 1 million views on X.
Damage Control Mode
The official X account of Harley-Davidson has gone full damage control mode in the wake of continuing pressure against the brand.
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The company has not made an X post since July 30 and has turned off the ability for anyone to reply to their posts. The hidden replies section created by the company are full of negative comments slamming the company for wokeness.