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[greglyon]

I was told if the ABS fails it shuts off and the brakes will act as though there was no
ABS   Also was advised that the bike comes with a special video explaining the ABS system

[9 1/2 Beers]

HOG   just raised the dividen

[BigR55]

HD is not the only manufacturer who is deaf when it comes to what innovations the customer wants. Appliance manufactures have spent the last forty years designing "innovations". What they have done is made them consideably cheaper so much so that the basic models are really disposable. Is your beer any colder or your cloths really any cleaner than in 1970? In 1965 we had a Maytag front load washer and dryer all in one unit.

The energy and resources invested in "fly by wire" throttle controls should have been directed to KEEPIN MY BIG ARSE COOL!
How long would it take to develop a fan driven oil cooler, heat reflective seat liners or flow through ducts to carry the heat away from the rider and the back cylinder?

[9 1/2 Beers]

09/17 12:31A (DJ) DJ Harley-Davidson Plans To Shut Some Plants For One Week
                  >HOG
Story 0070 (HOG, I/AUT, I/XDJGI, I/XFFX, I/XISL, I/XNYA, I/XSP5, N/DJEN...)
  YORK, Pa. (AP)--About 2,800 Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG) workers will be idled
for a week this fall when the company temporarily closes its York County
plant.
  The Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker, which continues to face low dealer
sales, told workers that it will shut down its assembly plants in
Springettsbury Township and Kansas City, Mo., for the week of Nov. 26.
  Harley-Davidson will also shut down three operations in Wisconsin that week,
the company announced Friday.
  The company will not pay its employees during the shutdown but will continue
their health care coverage, company officials said. All laid-off workers will
be recalled after the shutdown.
  Harley-Davidson expects third-quarter shipments to total between 86,000 and
88,000 motorcycles. Previously, the company had expected to ship between
91,000 to 95,000 motorcycles in that period.
  "The company regrets the temporary impact the shipment reduction will have
on so many of its employees as well as its dealers, suppliers and customers,"
company spokeswoman Rebecca Bortner said in an e-mail. "The company believes
this solution is the best option for balancing the needs of our stakeholders
while doing what's right for the long-term prosperity of the company."
  Earlier this year, workers at the Springettsbury plant went on strike for
three weeks when contract negotiations fell through. Workers approved a
three-year contract on Feb. 22.
 
  09-17-07 0031ET
  Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

[miker]

09/17 12:31A (DJ) DJ Harley-Davidson Plans To Shut Some Plants For One Week
                  >HOG
Story 0070 (HOG, I/AUT, I/XDJGI, I/XFFX, I/XISL, I/XNYA, I/XSP5, N/DJEN...)
  YORK, Pa. (AP)--About 2,800 Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG) workers will be idled
for a week this fall when the company temporarily closes its York County
plant.
  The Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker, which continues to face low dealer
sales, told workers that it will shut down its assembly plants in
Springettsbury Township and Kansas City, Mo., for the week of Nov. 26.
  Harley-Davidson will also shut down three operations in Wisconsin that week,
the company announced Friday.
  The company will not pay its employees during the shutdown but will continue
their health care coverage, company officials said. All laid-off workers will
be recalled after the shutdown.
  Harley-Davidson expects third-quarter shipments to total between 86,000 and
88,000 motorcycles. Previously, the company had expected to ship between
91,000 to 95,000 motorcycles in that period.
  "The company regrets the temporary impact the shipment reduction will have
on so many of its employees as well as its dealers, suppliers and customers,"
company spokeswoman Rebecca Bortner said in an e-mail. "The company believes
this solution is the best option for balancing the needs of our stakeholders
while doing what's right for the long-term prosperity of the company."
  Earlier this year, workers at the Springettsbury plant went on strike for
three weeks when contract negotiations fell through. Workers approved a
three-year contract on Feb. 22.
 
  09-17-07 0031ET
  Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Now that is loyalty.  They have built a market on it but won't live by the same standards for the employees, no wonder the bikes are junk...

Miker

[skreminegul07]

No wonder the quality remains in the toilet and it takes forever to get parts.  Somewhere in Milwaukee is a really happy employee putting my replacement engine together and another who may decide when it ships.  Please acknowledge sarcasm here.

[grc]

Now that is loyalty.  They have built a market on it but won't live by the same standards for the employees, no wonder the bikes are junk...

Miker

Loyalty:  Blind devotion that is required of the peons by the lords and masters.  Reciprocity is not required, and is in fact frowned on by most of the lords and masters.

I hope no one was surprised by the plant shutdown notice that indicated the employees will be laid off without pay (but the company will magnanimously continue their health care coverage).  Did you really think the greedy jerks running that company would perhaps use the downtime to hold employee training classes or perform other tasks so they would continue to be paid?  The Japanese have been known to do such things, even American auto companies have been known to do such things.  Now, does anyone still not understand why the Harley union folks went on strike earlier?

I have a much better idea:  Take the top 2 or 3 levels in the executive ranks, the folks who make the big decisions, and stop their pay and benefits until they address and rectify the quality issues. Considering the fat salaries, benefits, and bonuses at that level, this would save the company a lot more than screwing the little guys out of a week or two of their pay.  

Jerry

[RedFXR2]

....perhaps use the downtime to hold employee training classes or perform other tasks so they would continue to be paid?  The Japanese have been known to do such things, even American auto companies have been known to do such things.

.... the folks who make the big decisions, and stop their pay and benefits until they address and rectify the quality issues.

Statements like that, thinking like that....you would never fit in at the MoCo.  Don't bother sending them any resumes.

And yes, I'm being sarcastic.

[grc]

Statements like that, thinking like that....you would never fit in at the MoCo.  Don't bother sending them any resumes.

And yes, I'm being sarcastic.

Yeah, I think you're right.  It was probably thoughts and statements like that that stalled my career in the auto industry.  Coming from a blue collar family in a factory town, I probably understand better than many just what this situation feels like.  The company expects the workers to give up personal and family time to work extra hours and weekends when sales are great, but the first hiccup in 15 years comes along and all of a sudden you are expendable. 

Jerry

[RedFXR2]

Coming from a blue collar family in a factory town, I probably understand better than many just what this situation feels like.  The company expects the workers to give up personal and family time to work extra hours and weekends when sales are great, but the first hiccup in 15 years comes along and all of a sudden you are expendable. 

Jerry

If it makes you feel any better, it can happen at the white collar level, too.  Previous career at a huge manufacturing company, here.

When times get tough, those who are retained will be those who know best how things are supposed to "look", according to those in charge.  Throw all reasoning, evidence to the contrary, history, trends, everything, out the window.  Better to play golf with the boss than to have a good handle on problems and solutions.  That might make the current leadership look bad.

Anyway, I have decided that the MoCo is all about selling stuff.  Get them (the customers) to buy stuff.  Whether it's good stuff or not is secondary.  Just get them to buy it.  Assign the problems to Marketing.  If sales slow down come up with a new ad campaign.  Find some new customers to sell the same stuff to. 

I don't think an employee who was writing reports about building customer loyalty through superb quality and value, and the organizational, procedural and cultural changes that would follow would get much attention.  Until he pi$$ed off some managers, that is.

Okay, thread jack and rant over.

[Midnight Rider]

Loyalty:  Blind devotion that is required of the peons by the lords and masters.  Reciprocity is not required, and is in fact frowned on by most of the lords and masters.

I hope no one was surprised by the plant shutdown notice that indicated the employees will be laid off without pay (but the company will magnanimously continue their health care coverage).  Did you really think the greedy jerks running that company would perhaps use the downtime to hold employee training classes or perform other tasks so they would continue to be paid?  The Japanese have been known to do such things, even American auto companies have been known to do such things.  Now, does anyone still not understand why the Harley union folks went on strike earlier?

I have a much better idea:  Take the top 2 or 3 levels in the executive ranks, the folks who make the big decisions, and stop their pay and benefits until they address and rectify the quality issues. Considering the fat salaries, benefits, and bonuses at that level, this would save the company a lot more than screwing the little guys out of a week or two of their pay.  

Jerry

Could not agree with that statement more, Jerry!  There's probably a huge "blame game" going on in the HD management ranks right now.  Kind of like "Trickle Down" economics, it's the regualar folks that wind up getting pissed on.  My contention has always been....and this has been proven to me many times over....that the further up the food chain a person moves, the more they typically lose touch with the reality of the "average Joe".  If Willie G is such a great guy, he could just not take a payday for a couple of months and let those workers get paid while taking some quality control classes, and teach middle management what it means to manage people effectively.   

[RedFXR2]

....that the further up the food chain a person moves, the more they typically lose touch with the reality of the "average Joe".

Right.  But it needs to be said that one won't move up that ladder, or not very far anyway, unless they are invited to the party. and to get invited, they must reflect the philosophy of those in charge.  Only human nature, I suppose.  Are they really losing touch, or are they ignoring/denying  reality in favor of supporting the views of those already in charge?   Guess who will get promoted and rewarded?

It's just an unfortunate organizational fact that the "messenger" bearing bad news still gets shot an awful lot of times.

Corporate culture really is interesting.  Frustrating sometimes, fascinating at others.  But interesting.  Very difficult to truly break and change. 

[RedFXR2]

One thing I would say in the defense of the MoCo:  The shareholders would likely complain about a few lean years in which the profits were plowed back into updated factory equipment and processes, that would eventually result iin better quality and flexibility.  We live in a world of overnight gratification--not much reward for delayed gratification and an eye towrds sacrificing now for the sake of the future.

[Midnight Rider]

Right.  But it needs to be said that one won't move up that ladder, or not very far anyway, unless they are invited to the party. and to get invited, they must reflect the philosophy of those in charge.  Only human nature, I suppose.  Are they really losing touch, or are they ignoring/denying  reality in favor of supporting the views of those already in charge?   Guess who will get promoted and rewarded?

It's just an unfortunate organizational fact that the "messenger" bearing bad news still gets shot an awful lot of times.

Corporate culture really is interesting.  Frustrating sometimes, fascinating at others.  But interesting.  Very difficult to truly break and change. 

Precisely, Red.  One will only get so far by questioning authority.  But, I can't help myself...I've never learned the fine art of BS'ing my way to the top, and quite frankly, don't want to.

It is human nature to some extent, but it helps if people have some clue about human nature to begin with, and are not just greedy SOB's who will step on whoever they must to get where they think they want to be.

[skreminegul07]

They bought the stockholders support by doubling the dividend.  The stockholders don't care that the money is coming out of the workers paychecks.