You are not thinking about your annoying boss at work anymore.You are not thinking about the laundry, the garbage orswim practice at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. Thinking about those thingsright now could get you hurt.
Right now you are thinking about the road; and that’s why youride. “You have to focus on what you are doing when you are ridinga motorcycle,” explains Fred Bosshardt, “You can’t think aboutanything else. You have to be in the moment. It is a cleansing of themind. For many, riding is a sensory experience in which you relieveyourself of the pressures of the day. For others, it is a fun way to getfrom Point A to Point B using much less gas than a car would.”
Free from the worries of the day, Bosshardt has been helpingSan Antonio exorcise their mental demons by utilizing a specifictool: the Harley Davidson motorcycle.
As owner of Caliente Harley Davidson dealership, Bosshardtand his wife Paige have created a haven for those seeking theunique experience that can only come from riding a classic Americanicon.
Pulling up to the facility, located at Culebra and Loop 410, youwon’t likely see a dive bar filled with Harleys and bad attitudes. It isan ultra–modern facility in which the pampered customer is morelikely to see one of the many concerts or barbeques for which thedealership is quickly becoming famous.
Any imaginable piece of apparel or accessory is available. Youcan find a gift for mom, dad, grandmom and newborn baby sister.The Harley brand is everywhere and feels all–powerful when youstep into the cavernous retail section of the facility.
“The Harley brand is probably the most recognizable one in theworld. I don’t think there is another one that is so loved by its customers,”said Bosshardt. “I can’t think of another brand that peopletattoo the logo on their bodies, can you?”
It is that loyalty that is both the strength and weakness of HarleyDavidson, Bosshardt admits. Harley–Davidson attracts a loyalbrand community with the licensing of the Harley–Davidson logoaccounting for almost 5% of the company’s net revenue ($41 millionin 2004). It is a brand that has had a while to cement itself withthe American public.
In 1901, William S. Harley,age 21, drew up plans fora small engine that displaced7.07 cubic inches (116 cc)and had four–inch (102 mm)flywheels. The engine wasdesigned for use in a regularpedal–bicycle frame.
Over the next two years,Harley and his boyhoodfriend, Arthur Davidson, laboredon their motor–bicycleusing the northside machineshop at the home of theirfriend, Henry Melk. It wasfinished in 1903 with the helpof Arthur’s brother, WalterDavidson.
The prototype of the newloop–frame Harley–Davidsonwas assembled in a 10 by 15–foot shed inthe Davidson family backyard. In 1917, the United States enteredWorld War I and the military demanded motorcycles for the wareffort. Harleys had already been used by the military in border skirmisheswith Pancho Villa but World War I was the first time themotorcycle had been adopted for combat service. Harley–Davidsonprovided over 20,000 machines to the military forces duringWorld War I. By 1920, Harley–Davidson was the largest motorcyclemanufacturer in the world.
Over the next eighty–eight years, Harley would be branded asa much a part of America as mom and apple pie. Harley–Davidsonmotorcycles were seen as the ride of choice for tough guys andrebels. The motorcycle club culture of the 1970s made for a greatbrand image...but image couldn’t be everything.
“During the years that Harley Davidson was owned as a subsidiaryof AMF, the quality of the bikes just wasn’t there. They relied alittle bit too much on the name and the mystique and not enoughon product development and quality control,” said Bosshardt. “Thatbrought them close to bankruptcy.”
Needless to say, Harley–Davidson, like America, doesn’t mind alittle competition. The influx of better–constructed Japanese counterpartskicked Harley–Davidson’s competitive juices into highgear.The result being a brand that could walk the walk the andnot just talk the talk. “The quality of the motorcycle and the ridingexperience are second to none,” said Bosshardt. “The motorcycle’squality now can compete with its own image.”
That experience along with the strong brand is what keeps accountants,doctors and advertising execs coming out to jump onone of Bosshardt’s hogs. “To me it is a culture, a state of mind, thatis more than the sum of the parts of the motorcycle. It’s the history,the legacy that is Harley–Davidson,” explains Bosshardt. “It doesn’tmatter your job, your ethnicity, your religion or gender. Once youget on the motorcycle you are part of the brotherhood, the sisterhood.”
Taking care of the needs of the brothers and sisters of Harley–Davidson is how Caliente spends each waking moment. The 40,000square foot facility over seven acres has all kinds of accessories,leather jackets and Harley licensed products you could hope for asa rider. Even without owning a Harley, you can immerse yourselfin the culture. You also can take care of your ride. Caliente’s Certifiedand Factory–Trained mechanics treat each bike like it’s goingthrough infant surgical care at one of San Antonio’s hospitals. Harleyowners can even watch diagnosticreports on their bikeon closed circuit television astechnicians find the cure forwhat ails their ride. There isalso a wide–screen TV, pooltable, available Internet andmovies to watch in the loungeas they wait for the next concertor barbecue to begin.
“We spend a great deal oftime ensuring that we hire theright people for the right positionsto create a service anddestination facility second tonone. We wanted a facility thatwelcomes every rider and addsto the positive experience ofmotorcycling,” said Bosshardt.“From setting up rides, to takingclasses, we just wanted aplace people can come and be part of the experience.We even had a wedding at the pavilion.”
“Riding a motorcycle has inescapable risks. Is it safe to rideone? No. But neither is riding in a car. Is it much safer? Yes. Helmets,clothing, breaking, suspension, handling, computer manufacturing,have all made the ride much safer than it used to be,” explainsBosshardt. “In fact, riding a motorcycle makes people betterdrivers, they are more defensive, more focused, they expect danger,and know how to avoid danger.”
The danger may be lessened today, but the experience is stillthe rope pulling new members into the brotherhood.“Riding a motorcycle is basically flying. It is a cleansing of themind, a sensory experience. You have to have a remarkable focuson what you are doing. You can’t think about anything else,” saidBosshardt. “People want to fly.”
If you are going to learn to fly, most Americans want to be partof the experience that started in 1901, the same one in which theirgreat–grandfathers rode against Nazi soldiers to the one that onAugust 15, 2006, that had its NYSE ticker symbol changed fromHDI to HOG.
“It is a unique culture, and a brand that brings you in andchanges you…we think for the better,” said Bosshardt.
