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Harley Davidson owners at Sturgis rally are OUTRAGED after CEO Jochen Zeitz implements new slew of 'woke' company-wide changes
As brands go, few shout 'American tradition' more than iconic motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson.
But instead of enjoying an open highway, furious owners at the world's biggest biker rally have told DailyMail.com they believe the historic company is heading for the end of the road – thanks to its 'woke' boss.
Their full-throttle condemnations of German-born CEO Jochen Zeitz include demands that he quit immediately, with one rider saying: 'They need to figure out a way to get rid of his a**.'
And a 20-year Harley devotee, who has had eight machines from the Milwaukee-based company, told us in a message to the executive: 'Don't f*** with my bikes.'
Harley-Davidsons make up an estimated 90 percent of the motorcycles cruising in the small city of Sturgis, South Dakota, and the adjacent Black Hills for the 10-day, 500,000-strong rally that wraps Sunday, such is the surface devotion by bikers to the brand.
'Harley needs to stick with building bikes and leave the wokeness alone,' said Ernest Chapman, 53, who has owned Harleys for 30 years and traveled two days to be at the historic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, told DailyMail.com
Furious Harley Davidson owners have demanded that German-born CEO Jochen Zeitz quit after he publicly pushed for DEI programs, LGBTQ policies and climate change issues
Individuality is stamped on nearly every machine, from simple accessories to trick paint jobs and full-blown Easy Rider-style conversions. The center of Sturgis is a pulsating, thumping, roaring mass of thousands of them.
That very dominance in American culture only emphasizes the crisis now facing the world-renowned company, established in 1903 and worth an estimated $6billion.
First it faced a backlash by conservatives angry at Zeitz's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts that allegedly include sidelining white people in business and supporting Pride events involving children.
Now, as DailyMail.com has discovered, it's facing an unprecedented full-blown rebellion by its army of devotees whose families have bought Harleys through generation after generation. The crowd at Sturgis spend big on their machines – many have more than one.
Harley-Davidsons make up an estimated 90 percent of the motorcycles cruising in the small city of Sturgis, South Dakota , and the adjacent Black Hills for the 10-day, 500,000-strong rally that wraps Sunday
Harley-Davidson owners at the world's biggest biker rally have told DailyMail.com they believe the historic company is heading for the end of the road
Ernest Chapman spent two days riding to the historic rally from his home in San Antonio, Texas, on his 2014 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. He's owned Harleys for 30 years and this is his fifth. His father and uncle also rode them.
'Harley needs to stick with building bikes and leave the wokeness alone,' he told DailyMail.com amid the roar of engines and competing sound systems from passing bikes.
'I'm sure there's people that live all kinds of alternative lifestyles, but as Harley owners, we keep that to ourselves, we don't advertise it.'
Canadian biker Tony Isaac, 42, said he's considering buying a motorcycle from another company because he doesn't 'agree with the woke'
One of Harley-Davidson's most vocal critics has been online influencer and filmmaker Robby Starbuck, who was a 2022 Republican House candidate for Tennessee
And in a biting reference to the 2023 disaster for Bud Light with its ad featuring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, he added: 'And we don't appreciate our motorcycle dealer hopping on the Budweiser bandwagon.'
Chapman, 53, is torn over his loyalty for future purchases. But the Harley name is now mud with him.
He traditionally pays extra to buy a model without any brand markings 'because Harley doesn't pay me to advertise. If I got another I'd be even more proud to rip that symbol right off it.
'I'm not for boycotts or protests. I think people need to make up their own minds because there are plenty of people that will probably go and buy another American motorcycle make, such as Indian.
'I've considered building my own machine. The only Harley parts I'd use are the tank and the seat. The frame and motor? Nope.'
Canadian biker Tony Isaac, who spent three days riding to the 84th annual rally from his home in Calgary, Alberta, was sitting astride a rival Indian motorcycle at the company's display area when DailyMail.com approached him.
Isaac, 42, currently owns three Harleys – a 2015 Road Glide, a Road King and customized 'big wheel' model – and has had five others.
'They're going away from providing great products to people who want them to follow the trend of wokeness that I think is a fad that's going to fade and it's going to hurt their brand and it's going to hurt their cult following,' he told us.
Brooke Buck, 26, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was one of the estimated 500,000 who rode into Sturgis on a Harley Daavidson
Rows of motorcycles fill the streets of Sturgis for the annual rally, the world's largest
'They have people like me, I've ridden Harley for 20 years and I'm considering buying something else because I don't agree with the woke.'
Isaac said he isn't against inclusion. But he believes forcing agendas on people can lead to stigma and have the opposite effect to the one intended.
'I support inclusion. I've got a daughter that's in that world and she says that she doesn't want this wokeness,' he said.
'She's like, 'We don't need a Pride Month'. We're just normal people. And I think Harley needs to figure that out. If they don't do it quickly, they could really, really hurt the brand and chase away people like me that just want to ride a bike.
'So they need to get it out of marketing, get it out of products, let people be people. I just want a good old classic Harley bike.
'So stay outta my life. Stay outta my kid's life. Let people be people. We have to get away from this. We need to love people for who they are and not divide people.
'What they're doing right now is they're dividing their loyal followers in a battle that is not theirs.
'They're a product supplier. They're not a social advocate. I don't care whether you want to call yourself Bill or Bob or Martha or Sally, God bless you. Fill your boots, but don't f*** with my bike.'
Nick Randall, the owner of a 2011 Harley Fat Bob, instantly reacted when $12million-a-year Zeitz's name was mentioned. 'They need to figure out a way to get rid of his a**,' he said bluntly.
'We've got a company that's just supporting a woke agenda and I don't like the way they're going. It's upside down.'
Lisa Berry, 58, was critical not only of the reported 'wokeness', but also of Harley-Davidson's push for electric motorcycles
The movement aagainst Harley is being led by conservative influencer Robby Starbuck. Some 1,800 employees were trained on how to become an LGBTQ+ ally, while some sessions singled out white men for specific diversity-training, he said
On Zeitz's 2020 appointment as CEO, 56-year-old Randall said: 'I just can't figure out why he was installed in that role if this is what is happening now.
The biker, who lives with wife Holly in nearby Rapid City, South Dakota, said he was considering a different make of bike for his next purchase.
'Harley owners are going to have to vote with their pocketbook,' he said. 'That's the biggest thing. Until that happens, this woke agenda is going to carry on – unless someone in the company can stop it.'
First-time Harley purchaser Jesse, who preferred not to give his last name, said he bitterly regrets buying his 2002 Electra Glide Classic last year because of the controversy now surrounding the company.
American flags are placed for those who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars at Sturgis Buffalo Chip on August 9
'I'm totally not into this woke bulls***,' he told DailyMail.com. 'I just purchased this Harley a year ago. It's my first. But had I known they were going woke, I would've never bought it. Not in a million years, nope.
'I just don't subscribe to any of their woke bull, it isn't in my DNA. I can't deal with it.'
The 67-year-old married biker, who transported his machine in a trailer from his home near Portland, Maine, continued: 'And I'd been looking forward to buying one for several years after owning two Yamahas.
'Now, in retrospect, I wish I'd kept those other motorcycles. I wouldn't do Harley now if my life depended on it.
'However, I'm not selling it – yet. I'm hoping that they wake up and realize their mistake like Bud Light did. But if they continue on this course, I very well get rid of it. My heart won't be in it.'
First time Harley buyer Jessse, who opted not to provide his last name, said he now bitterly regrets buying his 2002 Electra Glide Classic
John Peek from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, summed up the anger by saying of Zeitz: 'That guy should keep his social and political views out of the business'
Sturgis has a population of less than 7,500 but it swells into a sea of red, white and blue during the annual rally
Female biker Lisa Berry, 58, who lives near Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, has been attending the Sturgis rally since 1978. She has a 2017 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim.
She was critical not only of the reported 'wokeness', but also of Harley-Davidson's push for electric motorcycles.
'I believe they're going to put themselves out of business with everything that is going on. Their drive for electric now means Harley dealerships won't service a traditional bike if it's more than 10 years old. And getting parts for an older bike is becoming a nightmare.'
Referring to William 'Willie G' Davidson, the company's former chief styling officer, and his father William Herbert Davidson, who was president for 29 years up to 1971, she added: 'They should run the place like those two did. It needs to be more old school, more traditional.'
Standing beside his 2017 Harley Street Glide Special, worth $21,000, John Peek from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, summed up the anger by saying of Zeitz: 'That guy should keep his social and political views out of the business.'
One of Harley-Davidson's most vocal critics has been online influencer and filmmaker Robby Starbuck, who was a 2022 Republican House candidate for Tennessee. 'Harley-Davidson seems to have forgotten who their core customers are,' he has posted.
'I don't think the values at corporate reflect the values of nearly any Harley-Davidson bikers.
'Do Harley-Davidson bikers 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?'
The bike-maker has partnered with political groups that push hard-left ideas, including the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, United Way and the Human Rights Campaign, according to Starbuck
The company is facing an unprecedented full-blown rebellion by its army of devotees whose families have bought Harleys through generation after generation
Starbuck claims the company is also gradually cutting its number of white employees, suppliers and dealers
According to Starbuck, Harley-Davidson has a 'total commitment' to DEI policies in offices and factories.
This includes funding a recent Pride event in Pennsylvania, with face-painting and balloon twisting events for youngsters, as well as a 'rage room' where adults could 'let off steam', he said.
The bike-maker has partnered with political groups that push hard-left ideas, including the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, United Way and the Human Rights Campaign, he added.
Harley-Davidson money has therefore promoted sex-change procedures on children and anti-racism efforts against 'whiteness' and 'Christian privilege,' he alleged.
DEI efforts have changed life inside the company of some 6,400 people, Starbuck claimed.
Some 1,800 employees were trained on how to become an LGBTQ+ ally, while some sessions singled out white men for specific diversity training, he added.
The critic also alleged the company is gradually cutting its number of white employees, suppliers and dealers.
Harley-Davidson failed to answer requests for comments when DailyMail.com first reported Starbuck's accusations.