| Author | Message | ||
     Johndd |
Not really all that familiar with the history of Eric Buell and his motorcycles. Found an interesting article that covers a lot of the history: http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/one-man-s-imperfe ct-quest-to-build-sportbikes-in-americ-1704285665 P.S. The author does use some rather colorful language (could be offensive to some) | ||
| Steveford |
The best line in the article: This ended up costing Harley $125 million in shut down costs, a double punch to the beer gut when you consider 2009 was the company’s worst sales year in over a decade. Some inaccuracies but a fun read! | ||
| Crusty |
I really like the description of Wandell: In 2009, an evil corporate f**k named Keith Wandell became CEO of Harley. He didn’t know how to ride a motorcycle and had no experience with them. | ||
| Court |
Wandell really was a dick. I base that on personal experience unrelated to motorcycling. Some folks were just not raised very well and rising to the level of a C-Exec does nothing to obviate the fact that you are still an inherently low-life dick. That's just my personal opinion. . . . | ||
| Reepicheep |
Some might say that rising to the level of a C-Exec correlates pretty strongly (but not universally) to dickishness. It's kind of funny. I had a C level title for a while, that I could have proxied into an actual C level role. I saw the game and how to play it. At the end, I passed it to somebody else. My "inside the head" observation at the time was "I just can't do it. I just don't have enough ••••••• in me". I'm sure a few C level execs are fine human beings, and in an environment that lets them be fine human beings. Most others are likely fine human beings in a position that requires 60% selfish •••••••, and 40% do the right thing, and they play the game with the people around them playing the game, they all know the rules, and it's not personal, and the moment assholery is no longer required, they revert to fine human beings. A few are just genuine assholes through and through though. (Message edited by reepicheep on January 13, 2017) | ||
| Court |
But . . it gets better. There are . . . among the masses TRUE LEADERS who can elicit the very performance that requires lesser persons to become assholes. Folks who have changed my life include . . . . General Joseph C. Fegan, Jr. . . a "General's General" and a person who, if he handed me a ball bat and told me to attack a machine gun nest . . .I'd do it. Rich Teerlink . . arguably the man most responsible for saving Harley-Davidson from destruction. He and my Father became good friends when I had a party that was attended by Rich, his wife, his daughter, WilleG, his wife and Erik Buell and his entire family. Erik F. Buell . . one of the few human beings that neither commerce, health, adversity or really, really, really •••••• odds can knock down. I've been with him when he was laughing and at 2am when he was crying. I've seen him up, down and scared to death. Never has he devolved to treating anyone , an employee, friend or associate, with anything but respect. Even when I screwed up . . . he'd take the fall, tell me to "fix it" and never look back. He starts as a true genius and emerges a damn good person, boss, engineer, father and husband. And, most importantly to me, friend. . . . to about 189,000 folks. Follow the light . . . do good . . . and do great things. | ||
| Needs_o2 |
+1 on Rich Teerlink and his wife. I got to meet them and do the glass work on their house in Elm Grove when they scraped and rebuilt in '94 or '95. They were both very kind and genuine people and were truly interested in what was happening in my life, which at the time included deciding what I was going to get for my first motorcycle. | ||
| Court |
Rich, Anne and Victoria are tops in my book . . . . I once had to break a motor in . . very quickly . . since it was scheduled to be "built" into a race bike and had to be done in like the next 48 hours. I bought the bike at 0900 . . .jumped on it . . rode from Topeka, KS to St. Louis . . had dinner with Rich . . sat and talked . . . jumped on the bike at 5am . . rode back to Topeka and the motor was starting to be torn down before it cooled. I got a call from him once to meet he and Anne in Denver and there was a group that wanted me to lead a ride up Mt. Evans (some folks recall the photo on my column in Battle2Win of me atop the mountain) . . so I jumped on the bike at midnight . . arrived at the H.O.G. rally at 0900, had breakfast and headed to Mt. Evens to meet the famous Ron Dickey. I first met Rich during the HD 85th. He was leading a ride from CA to Milwaukee. A friend of mine was Governor so I got an official state proclamation honoring the HD 85th and Welcoming "Rich Teerlink and friends" to Kansas. Jumped on the FLH . . rode 350 miles to the KS/CO border . . . stood next to I-70- and waited for several hours as I spoke to the scale operator in the weigh station. When I saw the hundreds of bikes coming . . . I stood in the middle of I-70 and officially welcomed them. Rich and I hit it off immediately. If you haven't read WELL MADE IN AMERICA or MORE THAN A MOTORCYCLE . . .you should | ||
| Hdmc_in_cider |
+ 1 and 2 to both Rich Teerlink and Vaughn Beals. Both were class acts that knew how to run a Company, have all employees engaged and "got it" in regards to motorcycles, unlike that "Dick" Wandell or current CEO Levatich who was part of the MV Augusta joke . Per the Milwaukee Journal newspaper--- By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel Less than two years after buying an Italian motorcycle manufacturer for $109 million, Harley-Davidson Inc. essentially paid the previous owners to take it back. Harley recently returned MV Agusta to its Italian owners for 3 euros, or about $3.98, a company spokesman confirmed Monday. As part of the deal, Harley had to put 20 million euros, or about $26 million, into MV Agusta's coffers before selling it, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing documenting the sale. Starting to see a pattern here..... I wonder if Mr. Teerlink would consider saving the Co. again? | ||
| Court |
He would not. And . . . there is a lot more to the MV Agusta story than ever came to public view. What a shame. Wandell also ran off some of the top talent in the motorcycle industry who decided they'd rather retire early than be part of the chicanery. | ||
| Hdmc_in_cider |
"Wandell also ran off some of the top talent in the motorcycle industry who decided they'd rather retire early than be part of the chicanery". Well said Court. Top talent made an excellent choice retiring early. I see it every day. Time to write a new book - "WELL MADE IN AMERICA 2 - HOW TO F..K UP AN AMERICAN ICON". Anyone notice the "Made in the USA" was removed from HD's corporate trailers once Wandell took over 6 plus years ago?? New CEO is worse. | ||
| Stevel |
Court, I would very much like to know the story. Perhaps you could tell it here. I'm sure others would like to hear it as well. | ||
| Odd |
I thought it was James Ziemer that bought MV Agusta when he was running Harley. | ||
| Court |
Close . . . Zeimer left in April 2009 and Wandell came in the following month in May of 2009. In October 2009 Harley-Davison purchase MV Agusta for $109,000,000. They put a ton of money in . . . paid all the back taxes and sold MV Agusta on August 6th 2010 for the whooping sum of $3.98. You read that right. You be the judge . . . .    | ||
| Odd |
Court I could be wrong but I think Zimmer bought MV in 2008 and Wandell sold it later. | ||
| Swampy |
It always make me wonder WHY CEOs of companies such as Harley Davidson make 6.4 million. I maybe/am very naive, but it just doesn't make sense, I mean really? After making so many blunders? Elton John? Closing Buell? MV Agusta? China made products? People pay extra just to have H-D on their tee shirts you know? And yes Court...do tell... | ||
| 2tracksam |
I'm pretty sure HD purchased MV in 2008. I rode to the 105th and there was an exec who was on his way to MV. I think he came from Tomahawk, nice guy and had his daughter with him, can't remember his name. | ||
| Court |
I think you are correct . . .
| ||
| Upthemaiden |
I hadn't heard about an Elton John blunder. What was the story with that one? | ||
| Hughlysses |
Elton was chosen as the entertainment for the HD 100th birthday celebration. Most people thought he wasn't the most appropriate choice. (Message edited by Hughlysses on January 17, 2017) | ||
| Johndd |
@Hughlyssess: Elton was chosen as the entertainment for the HD 100th birthday celebration. Most people thought he wasn't the most appropriate choice. The Village People were booked up that weekend.  | ||
| Hughlysses |
So, back to the MV Agusta acquisition; what the hell were they thinking? Their reasoning in the official press release seems pretty weak. | ||
| 2tracksam |
Castiglioni magic act, several have been and still are drawn to the flame. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
I'll say, some people just don't deserve Elton John. HD 100th celebration sounds like a Nickelback event to me. Kid Rock if we're feeling gracious. | ||
| Johndd |
No knock meant on Elton John.... Just doesn't seem to fit HD's image. Kind of like this TV commercial: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGuDMhJFYjY | ||
| Jaimec |
As I recall, when Elton John came out on stage he opened with "I'd like to start with a medley of my motorcycle songs... but I don't have any!" | ||
| 1313 |
As I recall, when Elton John came out on stage he opened with "I'd like to start with a medley of my motorcycle songs... but I don't have any!" Followed by... "The closest thing I have is Rocketman. So here it is!" More or less - from what I recall - but remember we drank all the beer in Milwaukee and they had to bring some back from Chicago... Think about it. The scuttlebutt was that H-D didn't want to release the headlining band beforehand as they were worried it would attract people not interested in motorcycles. So everyone is thinking the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Springstein, or some other (good) band suitable for the 100th anniversary celebration of what was once an American icon. What would you think if that helicopter landed on the little island (that somehow isn't shown on Google Maps...) and the boat from that island to Veterans Park delivered Sir Elton John to the masses ready to enjoy a kick ass headlining act? Even though it was a good performance, it was definitely NOT what was expected! 1313 P.S. Upthemaiden - Kid Rock was one of the warm-up acts... | ||
| Hdmc_in_cider |
"So everyone is thinking the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Springsteen, or some other (good) band suitable for the 100th anniversary celebration of what was once an American icon". This is correct 1313. Rumor has it they had one of these bands locked in, but they cancelled. Since "The Motor Co." knows its customers so well......I call bullsh*t....they sign up Sir Elton. Great musician - WRONG venue. They ran out of beer and food and I would estimate roughly 50% of the crowd leaving and cursing the Co. on the way out. Needless to say, in HD's customary corporate world, the person in charge of hiring Sir Elton was promoted!!!! | ||
| Hdmc_in_cider |
Court. As far as Wandell's salary, lets not forget about the $25 million he walked away with once he retired from HD in pay, bonuses and stock options. BIG reason for the "golden parachute" was F**cking the Union employees in York, KC and Milwaukee. His negotiation style was take it or we move or outsource all the work. Total ASS. | ||
| Odd |
What I don't understand is shutting down Buell for a 130 million instead of selling it for 30 million and then taking out a 330 million loan from Buffett at 15% interest.I also think there was a 3 million kickback to MV when Harley sold it back to MV.Someone with more info will have to check my numbers. I think Buell made a small profit in 09? |
