Week 1 at Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee

My first day at Harley-Davidson began with a bike night. How very fitting! H-D has a bike night every Thursday outside the H-D museum during summer. Bikers from all over Milwaukee, and not just H-D owners, congregate outside the museum to show off their bikes and enjoy some good food and drinks. It is quite an amazing site!

Besides bike night, there’s another reason that summertime in Milwaukee is the best time of the year. It’s also summerfest time! Check out the website at www.summerfest.com. Harley-Davidson sponsors a stage, and on the first day, I got to watch the show from the HD deck, with free food and drinks flowing through the evening. This privilege continues during the 2 weeks of summerfest late in the evening, and it’s a great opportunity to meet other HD enthusiasts.

My project is turning out to be very interesting as well. For a complete motorcycle novice like me, getting to know every part & accessory that H-D sells on its various models is quite a daunting task, but I am learning so much! The sheer passion of the H-D customers and employees is very infectious, which is probably what makes the work culture here so very easy-going and open.

I am especially looking forward to the plant visit to Kansas City next week, where I get to see how HD manufacturers its legendary bikes. In addition, I will be visiting the dealers to understand the sales process. But the most awaited portion of my on-the-ground research is a currently tentative trip to Sturgis for the largest annual motorcycle rally in the US. There’s no better way to get to know HD customers.

Milwaukee is a very beautiful city, and is very European in its building architecture. The German influence is still very visible in the city’s construction, people and culture. And of course, it is known as the ‘drunkest’ city in the US. Policemen cruise around in their special ‘Police’ edition Harley-Davidson bikes, and also on really large horses! Apparently, the easiest way to get a drunk crowd under control is to show up on either of these 2 beasts.

I am learning so many new things not just from a project perspective, but also about the local people, and the American culture. My next update will have more details about my Kansas City visit, and my discussions with H-D dealers. Till then, keep riding!