Harley-Davidson, the iconic American motorcycle brand, is facing a cultural crisis under the leadership of its European CEO, Jochen Zeitz. For decades, Harley has been more than just a brand; it’s been a symbol of American freedom, individuality, and rebellion. But critics argue that Zeitz’s attempts to modernize the company by embracing “woke” values are alienating its core customer base—the American biker brotherhood.
The clash here is not just about business strategy; it’s about the very soul of Harley-Davidson. Zeitz, who took over as CEO in 2020, has made it clear that he wants to reshape the company’s image to appeal to a broader, more global audience. This includes initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion, which might sound noble on paper, but in practice, they’re creating a rift between the brand and its most loyal supporters.
Harley-Davidson’s traditional customer base consists of rugged, independent-minded individuals who value the freedom of the open road. These are men and women who have built their lives around the culture of Harley-Davidson—its values, its history, and its unapologetically American identity. But under Zeitz’s leadership, Harley is being pushed to conform to the latest corporate trends, trends that many of these bikers see as an outright betrayal.
Critics argue that this shift is not only unnecessary but also dangerous for Harley’s long-term success. The company’s strength has always been its deep connection to a specific culture—a culture that doesn’t take kindly to being told how to think or what to believe. By imposing a European-style corporate ethos on a quintessentially American brand, Zeitz risks alienating the very people who have kept Harley-Davidson alive through thick and thin.
The backlash from the biker community has been swift and intense. Many feel that their beloved brand is being hijacked by a CEO who doesn’t understand—or worse, doesn’t care about—their values. They see the push for “wokeness” as an attack on their way of life, an attempt to force them into a mold that doesn’t fit.
But it’s not just the bikers who are concerned. Industry analysts are also questioning the wisdom of Zeitz’s approach. Harley-Davidson has already been struggling in recent years, with declining sales and a shrinking market share. The last thing the company needs is to alienate its most loyal customers in pursuit of a new, untested market.
There’s a broader lesson here for corporate America. In the rush to embrace the latest social trends, companies risk losing sight of what made them successful in the first place. Harley-Davidson didn’t become an American icon by following the crowd; it became an icon by standing apart, by being different, by embracing a rebellious spirit that resonated with millions of people around the world.
If Harley-Davidson loses that spirit, it loses everything. The company’s future doesn’t lie in chasing the approval of woke activists or pandering to a global elite. Its future lies in staying true to its roots, in honoring the legacy of those who built the brand into what it is today.
Jochen Zeitz may be trying to save Harley-Davidson, but he’s doing it by tearing down the very culture that made it great. If he continues down this path, he risks turning an American legend into just another corporate casualty of the woke revolution. And that’s a tragedy that neither Harley-Davidson nor its loyal bikers should have to endure.