Harley-Davidson rolls with new Director of Market Outreach

Harley-Davidson Motor Company has announced that John Comissiong will oversee the development of strategic marketing opportunities for the African American customer segment as the director of Market Outreach.

John has been with the Motor Company for more than five years and has served in the positions of Material Velocity Center Project Lead, Financial Analyst, Strategic Planning Manager, E-product Marketing Manager and Sales Operations Director.
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Harley-Davidson rides into West Coast Biker’s Roundup

Thousands of motorcyclists on the West Coast will ride to the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park for the 2nd Annual West Coast Biker's Roundup. During the three-day event Harley-Davidson will present a custom bike show, a game lounge, raffle drawings and giveaways. Motorcyclists from Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada and California will enjoy primitive camping, events, exhibits, town tours and other activities from June 4-6.
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Pennsylvania Governor acts to keep Harley-Davidson plant in York

Asks Top State Official to Meet with Company's CEO

Governor Edward G. Rendell, expressing a commitment to the future of Harley-Davidson's York plant, has directed his top economic development official to meet with the company's management and has put the full range of the state's economic development tools on the table.

In a letter yesterday to Harley-Davidson Chief Executive Officer Keith Wandell, Governor Rendell noted the importance of the company's York manufacturing facility to the economy of south-central Pennsylvania and expressed his commitment to ensuring that the company remains a major employer in the region. Read more

Harley’s Chichlowski new chair of Motorcycle Safety Foundation board

Harley-Davidson's Julie Chichlowski has been appointed the new Chair of the Board for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). She succeeds former MSF Chair of the Board David Edwards, who retired in April of 2009 from American Honda Motor Co., Inc. after 38 years of service.

"We're really excited to have Julie take on the role of Chair of the Board for MSF," said MSF President Tim Buche. "Her track record in rider safety programs is exemplary; and we're seeing great synergies as a result of her guidance. For example, MSF worked closely with the Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge staff to pilot test two versions of an introduction to motorcycling RiderCourse, and the resulting data enabled us make to make an informed decision on which course to pursue."

Currently Director, Trike Platform, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Chichlowski began serving as a Member of the Board of Trustees in October 2007, was elected to the position of Vice Chair of the Board for the MSF in February 2009, and succeeded Edwards as Chair this past April.

"I'm honored to serve as Chair of the MSF Board of Trustees," said Chichlowski. "I look forward to working closely with my peers in the industry and the MSF staff to continue to promote the safety of motorcyclists."

Chichlowski joined Harley-Davidson in 1992 as a Manufacturing Engineer in Powertrain Operations, and since then has served in leadership roles in Powertrain Operations, Powertrain Engineering and Product Development, Corporate Strategic Planning, Product Plant Management, and Rider Services. She was Director of Rider's Edge for three years prior to her current role in Trike.

Harley-Davidson Museum honors American war heroes

WWII display opens at Harley-Davidson Museum

From May 22 through August 10, the Harley-Davidson Museum® will host a special display, One American Hero, telling the story of Staff Sergeant Wallace Van Sandt, a young motorcycle enthusiast who was killed in action during WWII. For decades, Wallace's family preserved his memory through his prized possession, a 1941 Harley-Davidson WLD Sport Solo, along with many other personal mementoes from his short life.
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Female bikers join Harley-Davidson for Women Riders’ Month

Women Hit the Open Road to Celebrate and Learn to Ride

The first weekend in May saw women riders around the world banding together to share the open road, as well as flocking to new rider training courses around the country to help establish a world record--all to kick start Women Riders Month.

Harley-Davidson's Women Riders Month kicked-off with two special events in New York City and Milwaukee respectively in honor of International Female Ride Day on May 1, which was founded by Vicki Gray of Motoress.com to celebrate the millions of women who have already grabbed life by the handlebars. Nearly 100 female motorcycle enthusiasts, including Karen Davidson, the great-granddaughter of one of the Motor Company's founders, as well as trainer and life coach Jillian Michaels, attended an International Female Ride Day party near New York City. Country music singer Krista Marie led nearly 300 women on a special ride from Miller Park to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.

In addition to current riders hitting the road to celebrate, 1,225 women participated in new rider training the first weekend in May, either through Harley-Davidson's Rider's Edge® New Rider Course hosted at select dealerships across the country or through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation® (MSF) Basic RiderCourseSM, to help establish a world record for the number of women trained in one weekend. Harley-Davidson's Rider's Edge New Rider Course saw a 59 percent increase in women participation this year, compared to the same weekend last year. This activity supports a larger goal of encouraging 100,000 women to learn to ride a motorcycle. The progress of this effort can be tracked on www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders.

"The successful rides, as well as the record-setting weekend for rider training, show that thousands of women are taking the controls and learning to ride their very own motorcycles," said Leslie Prevish, women's outreach manager, Harley-Davidson. "And these initiatives are just the start of Women Riders Month--Harley-Davidson dealerships around the world are planning a number of exciting events to celebrate women riders, as well as encouraging other women to join our amazing sport."

Additional programs Harley-Davidson promotes to encourage women to ride:

• Harley-Davidson dealerships across the country host women-only Garage Party™ events, which provide a non-intimidating environment for women to learn more about motorcycling.
• The Motor Company recently updated the women's section of its Web site, www.h-d.com/womenriders, with new, inspirational stories submitted from women with topics of Why I Learned to Ride, How I Learned to Ride and Why I Ride my Harley. The new site is the ultimate information resource for women riders as well as those who want to get into the sport.
• Harley-Davidson continues to distribute We Ride, a comprehensive and inspirational brochure on what a new rider or a woman interested in riding needs to know about getting into the sport. Women can pick one up at a local dealership, download it from the Web site or call 1-800-LUV2RIDE for a free copy.
• Share Your Spark™: A Guide to Mentoring, a tool kit Harley-Davidson developed for current and aspiring riders featuring information on how to be a resource and support system to others during their motorcycling journey. This tool kit can be downloaded or ordered from the redesigned women riders section of the Harley-Davidson Web site (www.harley-davidson.com/mentoring)

Taking Control with Rider's Edge

The Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge New Rider Course is available at select Harley-Davidson dealerships in more than 40 states. The program, which features classroom instruction and on-bike training in a controlled environment, provides potential riders with the knowledge and skills needed to ride with confidence. More than 60,000 women have taken the Harley-Davidson Rider's Edge New Rider Course at dealerships across the country since the program's inception in 2000.

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For more information about Women Riders Month, or other Harley-Davidson programs, including Rider's Edge, visit www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles and a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's Web site at www.harley-davidson.com.

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