Contact us at info@hardrider.net | web: hardrider.net | Toll Free 1-800-971-5030. We ship anywhere in the world. #motorcycle #motorcycles #turbo #turbocharged #turbokits #hayabusa #hayabusaturbo #suzukihayabusa
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Hayabusa Turbo Kits Gen1,2,3 | LowBoost, Street, Race, ProRace
Turbo kits for motorcycles. ProBoost has been making turbo kits for over 35 years. HardRider MotoWerks is the North America distributor of ProBoost Turbos. We produce all generations of Hayabusa Gen1,2,3 with four variations Low-Boost, Street, Race and ProRace 230-550hp.
Friday, October 2, 2026
ProBoost Gen3 Turbo Kit with New Air Induction Plenum
HardRider MotoWerks is the North American Distributor for ProBoost turbo Kits.
Our Best Selling Turbo Kits worldwide are the Suzuki Hayabusa Gen1, Gen2, Gen3.
Below you will see your Gen3 model with the new more efficient air induction plenum.
Check us out: hardrider.net
Friday, September 4, 2026
HAYABUSA GEN1, 2, 3 TURBO KITS & PARTS
HAYABUSA GEN1, 2, 3 TURBO KITS & PARTS...
HardRider MotoWerks is the North America Distributor for ProBoost Turbo Kits specializing in all generations of Hayabusa. Whether you are looking for complete kits or parts like plenums, manifolds etc. we provide next day shipping on all orders. Gen3 Plenum in pic as attached. hardrider.net info@hardrider.net #motorcycle #motorcycles #turbo #turbocharged #turboforhayabusa #hayabusaturbo #hayabusa #turbohayabusa
#proboostturbos #hardridernewsmedia #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #motorcyclenews #newsandpolitics #motonews #hardrider #hardridermotowerks #hayabusaturbo hardrider.net hardrider.net/news
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Chinese CFMOTO Makes 200HO V4
CFMOTO’s emergence as a genuine superbike contender has become one of the most unexpected and fascinating storylines in modern motorcycling. For decades, the company occupied a predictable niche: dependable, affordable machines aimed at commuters, new riders, and utility‑focused customers. Yet in a remarkably short span, CFMOTO has transformed itself from a value‑brand into a performance‑driven manufacturer capable of producing a 200‑horsepower sport motorcycle that has stunned the global industry. Their new V4 platform, producing well over 200 hp, signals not just ambition but a strategic evolution rooted in engineering partnerships, racing experience, and a clear desire to compete with the world’s elite.
CFMOTO’s origins trace back to the early 1990s in Hangzhou, China, where the company began producing small engines and modest‑displacement motorcycles. For years, their reputation was built on practicality rather than prestige. But beneath that utilitarian exterior, CFMOTO was quietly expanding its capabilities investing in manufacturing technology, building international distribution networks, and studying the engineering philosophies of the world’s top performance brands. The turning point came with their partnership with KTM, the Austrian manufacturer known for aggressive performance, racing pedigree, and uncompromising engineering standards. Through this collaboration, CFMOTO gained access to advanced design methodologies, high‑precision manufacturing processes, and the kind of technical insight that typically takes decades to develop independently.
This partnership reshaped CFMOTO’s trajectory. They began producing KTM‑derived models for the Chinese market, adopting KTM’s quality control systems, and co‑developing platforms that blended Austrian performance DNA with Chinese manufacturing efficiency. The collaboration didn’t just elevate CFMOTO’s engineering—it accelerated it. Suddenly, the company was no longer learning from the sidelines; it was participating directly in the development of world‑class motorcycles.
That evolution culminated in the creation of CFMOTO’s first true superbike: a V4‑powered machine producing more than 200 horsepower. Early reports indicate output figures exceeding 210 hp, placing it squarely in competition with the Ducati Panigale V4, Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade, Yamaha R1M, Kawasaki ZX‑10RR, BMW M1000RR, and Aprilia RSV4 Factory. This is not a modest step forward it is a leap into the highest echelon of performance motorcycling. The bike’s recorded top speed of nearly 315 km/h (196 mph) demonstrates that CFMOTO is not merely experimenting; they are delivering measurable results.
The superbike’s engineering reflects a level of sophistication that few expected from a Chinese manufacturer. A lightweight chassis keeps the bike under 200 kg, giving it a competitive power‑to‑weight ratio. Active aerodynamics electronically controlled winglets that adjust in real time place CFMOTO among the few manufacturers exploring next‑generation aerodynamic technology. Premium components such as Brembo GP4‑RR calipers, Pirelli tires, and a Euro‑compliant Akrapovič titanium exhaust show that CFMOTO is building a machine intended for global markets, not just domestic consumption. Even the electronics package, featuring semi‑active suspension and advanced rider aids, demonstrates a commitment to matching or surpassing established superbike standards.
CFMOTO’s racing involvement further reinforces their ambitions. The company competes in Moto3 and Moto2, gaining invaluable experience in chassis dynamics, high‑speed aerodynamics, and race‑grade electronics. Racing is not merely a marketing exercise for CFMOTO it is a development pipeline. Their participation in world championship racing provides data, expertise, and credibility, all of which feed directly into their production motorcycles. The V4 superbike appears to be a natural extension of this racing program, and many industry observers believe it is a precursor to future involvement in WorldSBK or even MotoGP.
The question now is whether CFMOTO can truly compete with world‑class sport bike manufacturers. Based on current evidence, the answer is increasingly leaning toward yes. The company has demonstrated that it can produce a motorcycle with competitive horsepower, competitive weight, competitive aerodynamics, and competitive electronics. More importantly, they have shown a willingness to innovate rather than imitate. The active aero system, the V4 architecture, and the racing‑derived chassis all indicate a manufacturer aiming to lead, not follow.
CFMOTO’s partnership with KTM remains a crucial factor in their rise. It provides access to proven engineering, racing expertise, and global distribution channels. But CFMOTO’s recent achievements suggest that they are no longer dependent on KTM they are becoming peers. The V4 superbike is not a KTM derivative; it is a CFMOTO original, built with confidence and ambition. This shift marks the beginning of a new era in which Chinese manufacturers are no longer confined to entry‑level segments but are capable of producing machines that challenge the best from Europe and Japan.
If CFMOTO successfully launches this superbike globally expected around 2027 they will become the first Chinese manufacturer to enter the elite superbike category with a machine capable of competing head‑to‑head with Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW, and Aprilia. The implications for the industry are significant. Competition will increase. Prices may shift. And the perception of Chinese engineering will evolve dramatically.
CFMOTO’s journey from modest beginnings to superbike contender is a story of strategic partnerships, relentless development, and bold ambition. Their 200‑plus‑horsepower V4 superbike is more than a technological achievement, it is a declaration. CFMOTO is no longer content to follow the leaders. They are stepping onto the world stage with a machine designed to challenge the crown, and the motorcycle world is watching with a mix of surprise, curiosity, and respect.
Friday, August 7, 2026
Thursday, July 9, 2026
MK-ULTRA - Experimenting On Humans to Brainwash and Control
MK-ULTRA was an illegal mind-control research program that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency operated between 1953 and 1964. The CIA conducted experiments using high doses of LSD and other drugs, hypnosis, electroshock, and sensory deprivation on subjects who often had no idea that they were part of a covert test. The ultimate goal was to find a way to erase the memory and then control the mind as a tool in fighting the Cold War. In his book Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control, author and journalist Stephen Kinzer called the program “essentially a continuation of work that began in Japanese and Nazi concentration camps,” in part because Nazi doctors and others who had worked in those environments were recruited to continue their research as part of the program. Fearing discovery, the CIA destroyed most records of the experiments in 1973, but details of the program later emerged through congressional and journalistic investigations.
Program’s beginnings
The roots of MK-ULTRA go back to U.S. Pres. Harry Truman’s administration, when the CIA launched Project Bluebird, its original mind-control program. Allen Dulles, who became the head of the CIA’s covert operations in 1951, latched onto Bluebird. He sent an early memo to Frank Wisner, a senior officer who was helping to oversee the program, saying that he wanted to explore “augmenting the usual interrogation methods by the use of drugs, hypnosis, shock, etc.” Under Dulles’s leadership, the CIA began opening its own secret prisons in West Germany and Japan, where it experimented on prisoners with no oversight. Advising this early research was Gen. Walter Schreiber, the former surgeon general of the Nazi army, who had approved experiments at the Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps.
What’s in a name?
Over the years the MK-ULTRA program was given a number of monikers.
Project Bluebird: Name for Harry Truman-era mind-control program
Operation Artichoke: Name given to the program in 1951 by the CIA’s Allen Dulles
MK-ULTRA: Name given by Dulles in 1953 to reflect the program’s “ultra-sensitive nature”
MK-SEARCH: Name given to the successor of MK-ULTRA in 1964, after it was determined that mind control could not be achieved
Dulles became convinced that the Soviet Union had already developed mind-control tactics. There were rumors that the U.S.S.R. could program people to make false confessions and possibly train them to kill on command. Dulles saw the Bluebird research as increasingly urgent, and in August 1951 he ordered that the program be expanded and intensified. He renamed it Artichoke.
Sidney Gottlieb, a chemist who had recently joined the CIA as its top drug expert, was tasked with overseeing the research. Gottlieb and his colleagues set about finding a drug that would act as a “truth serum” in investigations and would make it possible to reprogram people and then wipe their memories clear.
Experimenting with LSD
Gottlieb learned that cocaine, heroin, and mescaline had failed in prior government experiments, so he turned to LSD. In 1953 he arranged for the CIA to spend $240,000 to buy the world’s entire supply of the drug. The agency later arranged for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company to replicate the formula, so it had an endless supply. Gottlieb distributed LSD to hospitals, clinics, and other institutions, asking them to give it to patients and see how they reacted. He did this through fake foundations, so many institutions carrying out these experiments never knew they were doing the work of the CIA. Some of the those who participated in the experiments amounted to a who’s who of the ’50s and ’60s counterculture movements, including author Ken Kesey, poet Allen Ginsberg, and members of the Grateful Dead. It was also used heavily on prisoners, mentally ill people, and people experiencing addiction—“people who could not fight back,” as one CIA officer put it.
In April 1953 the mind-control program was expanded and intensified once again and was given the name MK-ULTRA, reflecting what Dulles called its “ultra-sensitive nature.”
Whitey Bulger
Whitey Bulger Shown in a 1959 mug shot, Whitey Bulger was subject in 1957 to an MK Ultra experiment in which he was given LSD almost daily for 15 months.
In 1957 Whitey Bulger was incarcerated at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary after being convicted of truck hijacking and armed robbery. Bulger would go on to become known as a leading organized crime boss in Boston, but in the late 1950s he agreed to participate in an experiment that he was told was intended to cure schizophrenia. In exchange for participating he and other incarcerated people would receive time off their sentences. As part of the experiment, the subjects were given LSD almost daily for 15 months. The results, as Bulger described them, were horrific:
The program expanded over the next decade and came to include 149 subprojects. At least 80 institutions, 44 universities and colleges, and 185 researchers were involved in some capacity.
Research methods and results
Despite its size and scope, the program operated in extreme secrecy; fewer than half a dozen agency leaders knew about it at any given time. This meant that Gottlieb’s power was essentially unchecked. He was allowed to bring in prisoners from across the United States and around the world and subject them to torture and other experiments. He was never expected to formally report on his work.
However, the research never produced the results that Gottlieb, Dulles, and others were hoping for. By the early ’60s Gottlieb was beginning to give up on it. He wrote in a 1960 memo that “no effective knockout pill, truth serum, aphrodisiac, or recruitment pill was known to exist.” He had learned that through drugs, electroshock, sensory deprivation, and other abuse, it was possible to destroy a human mind—but not to “open the wiped-away mind to control by an outsider,” Kinzer wrote. The program wound down in 1963 and in 1964 was replaced with a tamer project called MK-SEARCH.
Destroying the evidence
Nine years later most records of the program were destroyed. In late 1972 U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon told Richard Helms, the CIA director, that he would be replaced after the upcoming inauguration. Before Helms left office, he summoned Gottlieb for a meeting. They agreed that the MK-ULTRA files would be purged—to avoid public outrage and likely to ensure that no one would be prosecuted. The chief of the CIA records center balked at Helms’s order to destroy the documents, so Gottlieb drove to the facility in person. Ultimately seven boxes of MK-ULTRA progress reports were shredded.
However, other files dealing with the program were later discovered. The reporter Seymour Hersh revealed the existence of MK-ULTRA in a 1974 New York Times story. Three government investigations followed, but they were hampered by the destruction of the documents. No researchers were ever federally investigated.
Brainwashing
brainwashing, systematic effort to persuade nonbelievers to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine. A colloquial term, it is more generally applied to any technique designed to manipulate human thought or action against the desire, will, or knowledge of the individual. By controlling the physical and social environment, an attempt is made to destroy loyalties to any unfavourable groups or individuals, to demonstrate to the individual that his attitudes and patterns of thinking are incorrect and must be changed, and to develop loyalty and unquestioning obedience to the ruling party.
The term is most appropriately used in reference to a program of political or religious indoctrination or ideological remolding. The techniques of brainwashing typically involve isolation from former associates and sources of information; an exacting regimen requiring absolute obedience and humility; strong social pressures and rewards for cooperation; physical and psychological punishments for non-cooperation ranging from social ostracism and criticism, deprivation of food, sleep, and social contacts, to bondage and torture; and continual reinforcement.
The nature of brainwashing as it occurred in communist political prisons received widespread attention after the Chinese Communist victory in 1949 and after the Korean and Vietnamese wars. More recently, its reported use in fringe religious cults and radical political groups has aroused concern in the United States.
Deprogramming, or reversing the effects of brainwashing through intensive psychotherapy and confrontation, has proved somewhat successful, particularly with religious cult members.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Getting the Best Longevity from Your Harley.
#hardridernewsmedia #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #motorcyclenews #newsandpolitics #motonews #hardrider #hardridermotowerks hardrider.net hardrider.net/news
Monday, June 29, 2026
Looking for Change - Listen to This.
#hardridernewsmedia #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #motorcyclenews #newsandpolitics #motonews #hardrider #hardridermotowerks hardrider.net hardrider.net/news
Being a Man - A Few Rules!
#hardridernewsmedia #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #motorcyclenews #newsandpolitics #motonews #hardrider #hardridermotowerks hardrider.net hardrider.net/news
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Top 15 Cruisers Of All Time — Ranked By The People Who Actually Own Them!
Discover the 15 greatest cruiser motorcycles of all time, ranked by real long-term owner experience, reliability, loyalty, unforgettable flaws, and road-tested reputation. From the Yamaha V-Max to the Honda Valkyrie, Harley Road King, Suzuki M109R, and more, this countdown reveals which cruisers truly earned legendary status on asphalt.
#hardridernewsmedia #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #motorcyclenews #newsandpolitics #motonews #hardrider #hardridermotowerks hardrider.net hardrider.net/news
103 Year Old WW2 Luftwaffe Ace Flies RAF Spitfire For the First Time
He is a German Luftwaffe ace with 81 confirmed victories on the Eastern front. Now a 103-year-old veteran, his talent and courage remain legendary throughout the world. It is the most iconic British fighter ever built. The hum of its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the wonderful elliptical wing, and the speed of its throttle captured the minds and hearts of the British for decades. A groundbreaking development in warfare, it gave the British a decisive advantage when they came face to face with the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Now, for the first and perhaps the only time, History Hit is bringing together these two iconic figures from opposing sides in the war. In a captivating historical moment, Luftwaffe Ace Hugo Broch will soar into the skies in a Spitfire.
CFMoto - 210hp and Features over the Top
CFMOTO has officially unveiled the 2026 V4 SR-RR, a high-performance superbike that pushes the boundaries of design and technology. Built around a V4 engine platform, this machine is designed for pure speed, precision, and control — combining track-ready performance with futuristic aerodynamics.
In this video, we’ll take a closer look at its engine specs, electronics package, chassis design, and all the new features that make the V4 SR-RR one of the most exciting superbikes from CFMOTO yet. From its aggressive styling to its cutting-edge riding aids, this bike proves CFMOTO is ready to challenge the big names in the superbike world.
Stay tuned to discover every detail about the 2026 CFMOTO V4 SR-RR — the future of Chinese superbike performance!
#CFMOTO #CFMOTOV4SRRR #Superbike #MotorcycleNews #CFMOTO2026 #V4Power #TrackReady #MotorcycleReview #BikerLife #hardrider #hardridernewsmedia #hayabusaturbo #proboost #proboostnorthamerica #proboostfromhardrider #hardridermotowerks
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Hidden Harley Tricks Mechanics
Hidden Harley Tricks Mechanics
A Harley dealer charges $2,500 to install a Stage 1 kit. The parts cost $800 at any aftermarket retailer. The install takes 4 hours in your garage with a torque wrench.
A Harley dealer charges $150 to "relearn" the electronic throttle position sensor when your bike has hesitation issues. The procedure takes 30 seconds with the ignition key. No tools required.
A Harley dealer charges $1,200 to "tune your ECM." A Dynojet Power Vision PV4 tuner costs $400-$600 — and it tunes your bike unlimited times. Forever. The same device dealers plug into your bike, sold direct.
There's a reason these tricks aren't on the showroom wall.
I've been turning wrenches on Harleys for 20 years. Every one of these unlocks performance, fixes phantom problems, or saves you serious money — and dealers actively avoid teaching them to customers. Some are simple resets that take less time than ordering coffee. Some are $30 DIY fixes that solve $300 dealer problems. One is the nuclear option that gains +20 horsepower and 18 lb-ft of torque on the Milwaukee-Eight 117.
Combined dealer cost for these 7 services: $4,000+. Combined DIY cost: roughly $1,500.
If your Harley has been at the dealer in the last 12 months and you walked out with a four-figure bill, watch this before your next service appointment.
💬 Which one have you used? Drop your Harley year + the trick number in the comments — I'm reading every one.
#Harley #HarleyDavidson #MilwaukeeEight #VTwin #HarleyOwner #BikerLife #MotorcycleMaintenance #HarleyTuning #PowerVision #StageOne #MotorcycleDIY #DealerSecrets #HarleyHacks #M8Engine #hardridernewsmedia #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #motorcyclenews #newsandpolitics #motonews #hardrider #hardridermotowerks hardrider.net hardrider.net/news
Harley-Davidson Twin Cam Engine from 1999-2017 - Production Changes
Harley-Davidson produced the legendary Twin Cam engine from 1999-2017. In this video I review major production changes during it's nineteen year lifecycle where it evolved from an 88 cubic inch engine to a 96 cubic inch engine and finally to a 103 cubic inch engine in mainstream production models. • Twin Cam 88” – 1999-2006
o Bore: 3.75” Stroke: 4.00”
o Dyna – TC 88 “A”
All carb 1999 – 2003
EFI optional 2004-2005
• Delphi EFI
All EFI 2006
o Softail – TC 88 “B” 2000-2006
Carb optional 2000-2006
EFI optional 2001-2006
• Delphi EFI 2001-2006
o Touring – TC 88 “A”
Carb optional 1999-2006 (RARE)
EFI optional 1999-2006
• Magnetti Moreli 1999-2001
• Delphi EFI 2002-2006
• Twin Cam 96” – 2007-2013
o Bore: 3.75”
o Stroke: 4.375”
• Twin Cam 103” – 2011-2017
o Bore: 3.875”
o Stroke: 4.375”
o Optional on touring models in 2011
o Standard on touring models in 2012 through 2016
o Standard on Dyna and Softail models 2014-2017
o Automatic compression releases in the heads
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Twin Cam Compensator Fix - Save Big!
Lyle walks through rebuilding compensators on the 2010 and earlier style Harleys.
hardrider.net, hardrider.net/news #hardridermotowerks #hardriderturbo #hayabusaturbo #hayabusaturbokits #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #hardridernews
Harley Davidson Electra Glide Years to Avoid - And The Years That Last Forever.
If you are shopping for a Harley Davidson Electra Glide this is the video you need to watch before spending a single dollar. We break down the exact Harley Electra Glide years with serious documented problems — from cam chain tensioner failures to a hydraulic clutch recall tied to 27 crashes — and the years that owners ride past 100,000 miles and still refuse to sell. Plus at the end of the video the single best Electra Glide to buy on the used market right now. The specific year. The price range. And exactly what to check before you hand over your money.
hardrider.net, hardrider.net/news #hardridermotowerks #hardriderturbo #hayabusaturbo #hayabusaturbokits #hardridermagazine #hardriderblog #hardridernews
Sunday, May 24, 2026
How a Turbocharged Hayabusa Becomes a Street-Legal Monster
The Suzuki Hayabusa has always been a legend, an apex predator of the sportbike world, a machine built to dominate long before anyone thought of strapping a turbo to it. But when you do add boost? It’s untouchable!
The King of Custom Sportbikes:
How a Turbocharged Hayabusa Becomes a Street-Legal Monster
The Suzuki Hayabusa has never been subtle. Since its debut, it has carried an aura of dominance long, low, muscular, and unmistakably fast. Riders don’t just buy a Hayabusa; they join a culture built around speed, engineering obsession, and the thrill of pushing limits.
But even kings evolve. And nothing evolves a Hayabusa faster, or more affordably than a street low‑boost turbo kit engineered to deliver an extra 50 rear‑wheel horsepower on pump gas, or up to 75 additional horsepower with no internal engine mods. Want or need more? ProBoost has 3 larger kits, Street, Race and Pro-Race.
A Turbo Kit With 30 Years of Proven Engineering
ProBoost isn’t a newcomer. With over three decades in the forced‑induction game, the company has earned a reputation for building turbo systems that are reliable, repeatable, and rider‑friendly. ProBoost kits are distributed exclusively in North America by HardRider MotoWerks and designed for the real world:
Low-boost, street-safe power
No engine teardown required
OEM-level rideability
Clean fitment that preserves the Hayabusa’s iconic lines
This isn’t a race-only science project. It’s a bolt-on transformation.
From Stock to Streetfighter: The Transformation
Imagine rolling your stock Hayabusa into the garage on a Friday night. It’s already a 1300cc torque monster, already capable of embarrassing most cars on the road. But with the ProBoost kit installed, you’re sitting on a completely different animal.
What changes? Everything.
Throttle response sharpens, boost builds smoothly and predictably.
Midrange torque explodes, turning roll-ons into warp‑speed launches.
Top-end power becomes addictive, stretching the Hayabusa’s already legendary acceleration into new territory.
The exhaust note deepens, taking on that unmistakable turbo whistle and spool.
The result is a streetfighter personality, raw, aggressive, and eager to surge forward at the slightest twist of the wrist.
Why the Hayabusa Is the Perfect Turbo Platform.
The Hayabusa’s engine is famously overbuilt. Suzuki engineered it with massive bearings, stout rods, and a bottom end that can handle far more than stock output. That’s why tuners worldwide call it the ultimate turbo platform.
Pair that with:
A long wheelbase
Stable aerodynamics
Strong factory fueling
A gearbox built for torque
…and you get a motorcycle that practically asks for boost.
The ProBoost kit simply unlocks what the Hayabusa was destined to become.
Affordable Power That Feels Exotic
What makes this story exciting isn’t just the performance, it’s the accessibility. Big power builds usually mean big money, big downtime, and big headaches. But a low‑boost turbo kit flips that script:
Affordable entry point
Minimal modifications
OEM reliability
Massive performance-per-dollar
You’re not building a race engine. You’re enhancing a masterpiece.
And the moment you feel that first surge of boost, you understand why riders call it the best upgrade a Hayabusa can get.
A New Chapter for the King
The Hayabusa has always ruled the sportbike world. But with a ProBoost turbo kit, it becomes something else entirely a street‑legal powerhouse that blends refinement with brutality, engineering with adrenaline, and affordability with exotic performance.
It’s not just an upgrade.
It’s a transformation.
It’s the moment the King puts on a crown made of boost.
On another note, if you are looking for a Supercharger, you don’t have to go far, we also sell Superchargers. Check this out:
Saturday, May 9, 2026
The King of Motorcycles Waits for a New Leader 2026
Harley‑Davidson may be weathering tough headlines, sluggish sales, and boardroom turbulence, but none of that changes a simple truth: Harley is an American legend. It’s a name that even non‑riders speak with a kind of reverence, a brand that has shaped culture, identity, and the very idea of freedom on two wheels. Whatever missteps the company has made—bloated lineups, experimental detours, rising prices—riders haven’t fallen out of love with Harley. They’re simply waiting. Waiting for leadership that listens, for prices that welcome riders back, for a focused lineup that honors the soul of the machine. The passion is still there, roaring just beneath the surface. All Harley needs now is the breakthrough that brings its loyal riders home.
If you didn't know already, Harley-Davidson is in trouble. It all started when Harley’s annual report for 2024 revealed a revenue decline of more than 60%. Of course, media and public scrutiny followed thereafter, and this in turn set off a chain of events that have been hard to ignore since.
First, Trump's latest tariffs came as a big blow to the American bikemaker. This was followed by the news of Jochen Zeitz, the company CEO, choosing to step down amid growing challenges. Soon after, a Harley-Davidson director resigned after expressing "grave concerns" about the company’s plight. And there doesn’t look to be an end in sight.
In the latest developments at the Milwaukee-based company, H Partners, Harley's second-largest investor group, is preparing to remove three Harley-Davidson directors. The group holds a roughly 9% stake in the company.
The investment group plans to launch a withhold-the-vote campaign to force out the trio of Zeitz (who has been a director for 18 years), Thomas Linebarger (who has been a director for 17 years), and Sara Levinson (a board member for 29 years). This comes after the motorcycle manufacturer announced that it was going to raise the cost of its bikes, primarily as a result of 56% tariffs on American-made motorcycles sold in Europe.
Although Zeitz, who took over as CEO in 2020, was anticipated to retire this year, he had stated that he planned to stay until a replacement was found. Though to many that might have appeared an ideal solution, meaning the company could avoid searching for an interim CEO, H Partners wants to see speedier improvements at Harley-Davidson and has sought the immediate resignation of Zeitz instead.
Shortly after, Jared Dourdeville – the board member representing H Partners, Harley's second-largest stakeholder – quit. He claimed in a letter that the company's remote working practices and the departure of senior leaders had caused "cultural depletion" within the organization.
The company's chief financial officer, Jonathan Root, advocated for extra backing for American automakers, arguing that motorcycles manufactured outside of the United States can be sold too cheaply to compete domestically, making Harley's domestically produced bikes, some of which are built abroad, appear excessively expensive.
After Trump’s tariff hikes, other countries began imposing retaliatory tariffs on a wide range of US-made goods, and Harley’s American-made motorcycles are not exempt from the strain. According to the Wall Street Journal, Harley-Davidson motorcycle prices may reach six figures if the taxes are implemented.
Something similar panned out in Trump's first term as president in 2018, when a trade war centered on metals resulted in tariffs. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were subject to a 25% levy as a result. In an effort to avoid future trade disputes, the company had to absorb a reported US$166 million during the three-year-long trade fight and establish a production base in Thailand for quite a few of its models. Now, I don't want to make it sound like it’s all gloom, but for a company that has as much history as Harley-Davidson, all of this doesn’t look good.
It’s not like every motorcycle brand is enduring hard times. The likes of Triumph, BMW, and Honda are all delivering strong results. All of them have big-capacity offerings, but a big chunk of their product ranges are also small-to-midweight focused.
Most of Harley's bikes are big, bulky, heavy and too darn expensive for the modern-day motorcycle rider. Sure, they might be iconic, but you’ve got to adapt to survive. The company had an opportunity to diversify its portfolio by bringing the entry-level 350 to the States, but that's not happened yet. Considering the recent demand for lower-capacity motorcycles, I don’t see how the company isn’t focusing on expanding its sub-1000cc offerings.
I sincerely hope the company finds a way forward, starting with the rejig in the boardroom. To see one of the world’s most historic motorcycle brands in such dire straits is not a good sight. So where does Harley-Davidson go from here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON 2026
#harley #harley-davidson #harleydavidson #kingofmotorcycles #harleylegend
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