Be Free from Unhealthy Relationships

By Rhonda Findling 

If you want to be free from unhealthy relationships, then the first step is not to call, text, e-mail or even Facebook a person that you: 

· Have broken up with or has broken up with you 

· Have determined is abusive 

· Are highly attracted to but they are not returning your level of interest (for whatever reason) 

· Have an unhealthy connection or relationship with

· Is presently in your life but you’re trying to not act needy with 

When you contact someone you're not hearing from or trying to let go of, there can be a pleasurable rush of adrenaline from the anticipation of seeing them, hearing their voice or reading their message. But this rush is just a temporary fix, which you may have to pay a tremendous price for. 

Even if the person does respond positively when you contact them, it may be momentarily thrilling or electrifying, but soon the anguish will return, because the problem is still there. Nothing has really changed. You're still not a couple or the person remains emotionally unavailable. You'll just have to start detaching all over again, doubling your efforts. 

If you've ended the relationship because someone was doing something that you experienced as hurtful or refused to tolerate any longer, contacting them would take away your credibility for the boundary you set. By initiating a contact you would also be colluding with the behavior that you already told them was unacceptable. 

Impulsivity 

When you contact someone you're trying not to act needy with, it's often impulsive. Acting on impulse can make life exciting and dramatic but it can also put you at risk because you are not reflecting on whether it's a productive behavior. You're not thinking of the future and consequences. You're just acting in the moment. 

So if you're thinking of making a contact, take time to reflect. Sit on your feelings. Endure your anxiety. Don't just do something because you feel like it. There could be disastrous effects if you do. 

Call people in your support system to discuss any impulsive urges that come over you- whether to see, e-mail, call, or text them. Discuss and process your feelings with safe reliable people Remember that feelings do pass. Feelings are only temporary, which is why it's important to hang in there even when the urge to contact them feels unbearable. 

You have to do whatever it takes to endure urges to make a contact and move past them. As you do this more and more, you will feel yourself gaining emotional strength. 

Clinging 

Clinging is any behavior that demonstrates holding on, not letting go. This can be exemplified by activities ranging from a compulsive phone call, text, or e-mail when they haven't responded to any of your previous contacts. Contacting someone who is not reciprocating your interest, or has rejected you is a form of clinging. The urge to cling can be irresistible. You know with your rational mind that your behavior isn't appropriate, but you are driven by a compulsion you feel you can't control. You may experience actual discomfort when you don't carry out the compulsive act. 

It's essential to remember that clinging behavior causes most people to distance themselves even further. If someone has issues about intimacy your clinging will make them feel closed in and claustrophobic. They may feel that they have no room to breathe from your relentless trying to get them to prove that they're not going to leave you. Your clinging also makes you look emotionally hungry making them feel that they'll have to endlessly supply you with reassuring love which will scare them off. 

It's human nature to have a hard time falling in love with someone who's bombarding them with phone calls, texts or e-mails. A clinging person doesn't leave someone a chance to long and yearn for them. They are so available another person doesn't have the space to fantasize about or miss them, which unfortunately is sometimes what falling in love, is all about. 

Why clinging is not productive 

There are people whose psychological problems prohibit them from having a relationship. These people are married to their pathology. Your chasing them will not break through their defenses, resistances and impairment. 

Sometimes their lack of response or reciprocating is not even about you. It's truly about them. It doesn't make a difference because no matter who it's about; they just can't do it. They can't be there for you. You must face the truth of their unavailability so you can let them go and move on. Bottom line, you can't force another person's feelings, motivation for relationship, or emotional health no matter how many rules and programs you follow or implement. 

In fact if you don't chase them around you'll get an opportunity to see what they do when they don't get any prompts or reminders from you. 

Action steps: What you can do when you want to cling 

· Go on dating sites online. It will also show you the abundance of people out there. You might also meet someone new who is even better than your ex or a person you're trying to let go of. 

· Distract yourself - do whatever it takes to not think about your ex or a person you're trying to let go of even if it feels counterintuitive. 

· Call someone in your support system. 

Writing exercises 

-Think of a time you were clinging to someone you were in love with. What were you feeling? What was behind the clinging? Was there another action you could have taken to not cling? 

-What does it feel like to show someone that you have been clinging to that you are now independent? Does it feel empowering? 

Action step/ Writing Exercise: 

·The next time you feel insecure or lonely, try not to reach out to the emotionally unavailable person you are currently attached to. Instead, see how you get through it on your own. Write about your feelings that come up in your journal. 

·Try to imagine life without the stress of an emotionally unavailable person's confusing behavior. Get to know how it feels to have emotional space free of them. Write about your feelings in your journal. 

·Visualize yourself in a relationship with someone who's sure of their love for you. Someone who makes you feel secure. Someone who has never disappointed or betrayed you. Describe your relationship in your journal? What is that person like? How do you feel with them? 

Spiritual Tip #5: Surrendering To What Is 

If you're trying to hold onto someone even though you know it's a hopeless situation then you are resisting the inevitable. When it's time for someone to go you can't fight it. The relationship time with them has passed, even if it hurts. Surrender to what is. 

Nine Common Traits Of Happy People

Happiness. It’s the term thrown around more often than any other term when people are asked what they are looking for in life. A loving partner, a fun high-paying job and endless world travel are also amongst some of the most common answers, however all of these are preference-based means to the one ultimate end, which is happiness. Being so sought-after, I thought I’d comprise a list of common traits that seem to be found in happy people -and I'm talking about the genuinely happy people, and not just those who appear to be so on the surface.

By compiling this list I'm not suggesting that these are the only keys to happiness, I’m simply shedding light on some common characteristics I've come to find.

1. Love Themselves For Who They Are

On the surface this may sound incredibly egotistical, but by it I simply mean that they are truly comfortable in their own shoes. They accept and embrace themselves physically, they maintain their true character traits regardless of whether or not they receive approval and they work to make the best of the human experience they are living -rather than wallow in what others would define as weaknesses or shortcomings.

2. See Relationships As An Extension To, Rather Than The Basis Of The Human Experience

Relationships, whether friendly, familial or romantic, are certainly one of the greatest parts of the human experience. However, far too many of us let their presence or absence, and even more so the value we attribute to them dictate our overall happiness in life. I’ve found that genuinely happy people tend to find complete contentment within themselves, and see all relationships as the awesome extension to their self-content. It’s often when we are not looking for others to fill a particular void, or to make us feel a certain way, that most of the truest and most-valuable relationships are formed.

3. Embrace Change

Life is a constant lesson and happy people tend to be well-aware of that. Not only are they always open to change, but they truly listen to suggestions, respect and consider all opinions and take criticism constructively rather than offensively.

4. Celebrate Rather Than Compare Themselves To The Accomplishments Of Others

Jealousy is a killer, and as Gary Allan once said, “You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars.” We are all capable of accomplishing anything in this life and are the only ones that are going to find the drive within ourselves to do it. Rather than observe and compare to those who have accomplished, the truly happy tend to celebrate it and use it as motivation to accomplish things within their own lives.

5. Never Dwell In Being A Victim

We’ve all been the so-called ‘victim’ to several things in life. Whether it be an unexpected break-up, getting fired from a job, or even something as serious as the recipient of domestic abuse. Truly happy people tend to be those who choose not to dwell in it. They choose to let the victimization strengthen them, rather than wear it as a badge of weakness or as the thing that makes them consistently worthy of receiving sympathy.

6. They Live In The Present

As fun as reminiscing about the past or fantasizing about the future can be, nothing will ever be done in anything but the present and happy people tend to realize that. Not only do they realize it, but they tend to use it as motivation to make the most of it. In addition to being motivating, presence can also come in handy for truly appreciating those moments of relaxation, allowing yourself to be truly in them, rather than projecting future concerns into them.

7. Trust That Everything Happens For A Reason

This can very easily be paired with the choice to not be a victim, but happy people tend to trust the process and existence of everything in their life. They know that nothing is ever too big to handle and choose to embrace what life is currently throwing at them rather than cowering at the sight of it.

8. They Don’t Let Money Dictate Their Lives

Nobody is denying that in this world right now we all need money to exist, and as a result many of us spend the bulk of our lives doing things that help us earn it. What I’ve found to differentiate happy people is that they don’t let money be the ultimate dictator in their life. They still make sensible choices within their means, but they never let money: A) prevent them from pursuing a so-called “risky” passion, B) be the factor that is blamed for why their life is so miserable, C) complain about how little they have. There are creative ways to do everything in this world, and seeing money as only being possible to make in the standard ways is the most crippling thing to that creativity.

9. Look Within For Solutions

One of the most powerful realizations a genuinely happy person will often operate based on is “change starts within.” The empowerment that comes as a result of not only realizing this but even more so in using it as the backbone to everything in life can be quite remarkable. There are thousands of books, mantras, techniques and practices out there that can all help us to find solutions to so many things in life, but they all require one thing to truly be serviceable: the consciousness to support them.

The Power of Disengagement

Playing Mind Games

Life should not be lived through a series of mind games, but from truth and looking deep within.
For better or worse, many people have been raised to believe that communicating in an honest and open way will not get them what they want. They have learned, instead, to play mind games or go on power trips in the service of their ego’s agenda. People stuck in this outmoded and inefficient style of communication can be trying at best and downright destructive at worst. We may get caught up in thinking we have to play the same games in order to defend ourselves, but that will only lead us deeper into confusion and conflict. The best way to handle people like this is to be clear and honest with them 

As with all relationships and situations in our lives, we must look within for both the source of our difficulties and the solution. Reacting to the situation by getting upset will only entrench us more deeply in the undesirable relationship. Only by disengaging, becoming still, and going within can we begin to see what has hooked us into the mess in the first place. We will most likely find unprocessed emotions that we can finally fully feel and release into the stillness we find in meditation. The more we are able to do this, the less we will be bothered by the other person’s dramas and the more we will be free to respond in a new way. In the light of our new awareness, the situation will untangle itself and we will slowly break free.

Whenever people come into our lives, they have come for a reason, to show us something about ourselves that we have not been able to see. When unhealthy people try to hook us into their patterns with mind games and power trips, we can remind ourselves that we have something to learn here and that a part of us is calling out for healing. This takes the focus off the troubling individual and puts it back on us, giving us the opportunity to change the situation from the inside out. 

Guitar Center and Music Group Break Up

Guitar Center decided to terminate their 20-year relationship with music gear manufacturer Music Group.

Instead of just "citing irreconcilable differences" or quietly ending their supplier-retailer relationship without comment, both companies have provided some interesting stories in the wake of their business break up. Obviously, the more interesting bits for us guitar players would be those related to GC(Guitar Center)'s publicized financial woes, but let's also look at the "who broke up with who" stories on the side!No doubt that this messy break-up rocked the entire music industry, especially since the two companies provided some juicy details about the split.

I first got wind of the news from Bugera's Facebook Page (Music Group Brand) where they said and I quote:

"After 20 years, Guitar Center recently decided to terminate our relationship. Frankly, it became increasingly difficult to do business with GC as they sought to increase their profits, which would have forced us to increase our prices to you. We didn’t agree."

That by itself is revealing e a statement, so I dug further and found that Guitar Center was the first to move, terminating their relationship with Behringer (part of Music Group) on May 16. An online press write up says that the break up was due to Behringer's "continuous attempt to force unfavorable changes into agreements" and their "revision to unreasonable business terms late last year".

For the details, let me quote the GC Spokesperson:

"Decisions like this are never made easily. There are rare occasions where the integrity of the relationships and agreements we make with vendors are challenged, despite the potential impact to the bottom line or overall sales. We can’t speak for anyone else in the industry, but we’d had enough of watching Behringer try to do business this way. It’s not the way we like to work with people and it’s not productive. They made some questionable choices that put us into a position to develop a contingency plan. As we re-evaluated that plan several weeks ago, we found that it would allow us to build better relationships with other vendor partners in the category. When Plan B starts to make this much business sense, it became clear we didn’t need to tolerate this anymore. We’re focused on where we can succeed in partnership with our new vendors and we’re excited about the future."

Music Group's CEO and Behringer founder, Uli Behringer himself responded to the story of Guitar Center. He signed a press release and said that they were surprised by the public statement issued, which put the Music Group company in bad light. Here is the rest of Behringer's statement regarding the break up:

"Over the last year, due to GC’s highly publicized financial situation, we were forced to evaluate their credit worthiness. As a result of their credit rating, it was determined that they were a high risk and we were forced to put them on business hold. We certainly respect GC’s decision to discontinue business with us and we thank them for our excellent 20 year relationship."

So now that they have parted ways, what does the future hold for Music Group and Guitar Center? From an outsider's point of view, Music Group seems to be doing well in terms of business, and on their press release, they boasted that "The Company experienced a historical record revenue last year and also celebrated an all-time record revenue in April in the United States."

Guitar Center however is another story, Wall Street Journal reported back in March that the giant retailer is to be acquired by one of its creditors, Ares Management. While the LA Times reported in April that a debt-for-equity swap already happened giving Ares Management more control over the retailer in-exchange for reducing their debt.

So what does Guitar Center have to do with us guitar players when we can buy our guitars elsewhere? We should remember that many small business gear manufacturers are dependent on this giant retailer, so if anything happens they will be affected.

Instead of naming these small manufacturers, maybe we should name the biggest guitar manufacturer that is "closely tied" with GC, Fender! As it stands now, Fender itself are having financial worries, recently closing down one of its US based facilities and selling the Guild guitar brand. Analysts are keen to say that Guitar Center's worries will unfortunately have adverse effects to the already ailing popular guitar maker.

In light of these developments we will have to wait and see if the current GC management could turn the business around, it's not over till it's over.

Kancamagus Scenic Byway:

New Hampshire's state motto is Live Free or Die, and that could not be more synonymous with the motorcycle lifestyle ethos. With motorcycle culture running deep in the state of New Hampshire, native riders are proud to call Laconia Motorcycle Week their home turf. While more recognizable bike fests have only been around for 6-7 decades, Laconia recently celebrated their 90th year. So, where is the best riding in New Hampshire? While that particular question can yield any number of answers, many natives to the area will tell you Kancamagus Scenic Byway is the best in the state.

Born along State Route 112, a 56-mile highway system that traverses the scenic White Mountain National Forest, the Kancamagus Scenic Byway takes up 34 miles of this state road. Kancamagus Pass is the highest point of elevation throughout the ride, and its elevation is just under 3,000 feet. While it's certainly no epic, mountainous ride like the Western Rockies, the Kanc – as it's often called – is certainly a splendid ride through natural scenery. The White Mountain National Forest has remained a natural wonder, leaving behind restaurants, gas stations and other man-made structures. You won't find luxurious lodging options along the Kancamagus Scenic Byway, but there are plenty of campgrounds available to those who wish to spend a bit more time getting to know the area. Of course, if you simply must stay in a man-made building, there are hotel and condo options at the beginning and end of the Byway.

State Route 112 connects the New Hampshire towns of Bath and Conway. Surrounding highway systems and roads may be closed during the winter due to snowfall, but the Kancamaus Scenic Byway stays open for all of its visitors. Make sure you plan accordingly if you choose to travel in the winter months, as navigating around these small mountain towns can be tricky if some are closed. Of course, riding the Kancamagus Scenic Byway in the winter offers a unique experience for riders, as the snow-covered mountain tops create a picturesque scene that simply cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the state.

While the Kancamagus Scenic Byway is open year round and certainly provides a scenic ride during all seasons, the region is best known for its Fall foliage viewings. If you plan on visiting the area during the Fall, be prepared for lots of traffic. Likewise, you should also be prepared with the right attire, such as the River Road Mesa Leather jacket for cooler temperatures. If you're daring and wish to ride through the high 40s and mid 50s in a t-shirt, at least throw theHarrier Vest over your neck in order to stay a bit warmer and protected. Sport riders may wish to choose from a nice Dainese or Alpinestars track jacket and matching pants, as the roads tend to get a bit slippery as the leaves fall. No matter what attire you choose to wear, the Kancamagus Scenic Byway exists as a gateway into New Hampshire's historical native past. Make sure you read up on the area before traveling, as you'll get the most out of your journey while there.

 

About the author:

 

Dewayne Jasper has been riding for over 6 years and currently rides a Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R; this story is about how Dewayne describes Kancamagus Scenic Byway as one of the most beautiful roads for motorcycle ride.

 

 

Bonnie Truett Harley Davidson drag racer named to Sturgis Hall of Fame

                               Bonnie Truett prepares for a race on his double-engine Sporster.

Vian’s Bonnie Truett, 78, is well known in the Harley Davidson drag racing world as a mentor, friend and all-around good guy. In August, he and five others will be inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame in South Dakota.

According to a press release, The Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame is designed to recognize individuals or groups who have made a long-term positive impact on the motorcycle community. And if you ask anyone in the drag racing world about who’s had a broad impact on the sport, Truett’s name will likely come up.

Truett’s History

Truett was born in Havana, Ark. in 1936, the youngest boy of 13 children born to Ezekial “Zeke” and Johnnie Mae Truett. At the age of 6, his family moved to Vian where he attended school until the fourth grade. “My dad built storm cellars out of rock and cut posts out of trees,” Truett said. “Back then there were no chainsaws and it took at least two people to cut with a saw, so I quit school and went to work helping my dad.”

At age 17, he moved to Wichita, Kan. where he found a job at Gold Medal Flour Mill where he worked for the next 12 years until the plant shut down. “It was an easy job with good hours,” he said.  

It was while working there that he saved enough money to buy his first Harley Davidson.

“It was a 1957 Sportster but it wasn’t fast enough for me, and I hated slow things,” Truett said. “Over the next few years I got a lot of speeding tickets, but it didn’t stop me from trying to make it go faster.”

Even with a fourth grade education, Truett has made himself a name as a pioneer in the business, making the fastest Harley bar none. “I didn’t have the kind of education others had, everything I learned was self taught. I would learn by tinkering and figuring it out on my own,” he said.

“The highlight of my teenage years was when my baby brother (Truett) would come home on the weekends,” said Wanda Edwards of Vian. “What other teenager could be seen riding on the back of a big Harley, holding on for dear life to her brother and drawing lots of attention in the 60’s?”

“I had too much Truett stubborn pride to admit that he scared me half to death! He was definitely a speed demon then and he still is to some extent,” Edwards said. Edwards said she could remember riding on the Harley with Truett to their sister’s house in Paris, Ark. “We filled those saddlebags up with fresh, ripe tomatoes from her garden. When we arrived back in Vian, there was mostly tomato juice running out of those bags,” she laughs.

“We’ve shared many trials and tribulations through the years. All those years I spent worrying about him he was fine and burning rubber. I don’t know how fast a speeding bullet is and really don’t care to find out. However, I’m going to compare him to one when he jumped on that racing bike.”

Truett Begins Drag Racing

In 1962, Truett began racing drag bikes but he continued to look for ways to get more speed out of them, and he started by changing the flywheels in his own Sportster. “I changed out the flywheels in an attempt to gain more power,” Truett said. “I also tried a number of unusual additives to increase speed like paint thinner and cleaners, because back in the day, we tested everything in bikes. And believe it or not, it worked.” 

Around 1964, Truett found that using nitro-methane worked the best in powering the bikes.

“I trained with nitro when most people didn’t even know what it was,” he said, “and was the first to go to nitro racing in Wichita.”

Diane Truett

                                          Bonnie Truett, right, with his wife of 40 years, Diane
                                
During this time, Truett also began dating his future wife, Diane.  Diane worked as a licensed beautician but it didn’t stop her from getting involved in the oil and grease to keep up with Bonnie.

“I mixed chemicals for the beauty shop to do hair and it wasn’t long before Bonnie had me mixing the fuel for the drag bike, too. It was the same as work except I was using different additives,” Diane said. Truett said some of the chemicals mixed were literally liquid dynamite. “It took four people to stage and start the bike,” he said. “But it was just me and Diane. She was my pit crew, and would stage the bike until I was on the driver’s seat.” “Not only did I mix the fuel, I learned to change the oil and spark plugs, work the clutch and file it, and a lot of other things,” Diane said.

 

But Truett’s racing career did not come without sacrifices. The two said they travelled short distances quickly and on a budget so Bonnie could race. “We’d pack a bag and be ready to go in at a moment’s notice,” Diane said. “We had to race on a budget and a lot of times we slept in my van instead of having to pay for a motel room,” Truett said.  

Opens Shop

Truett was working for the railroad in Kansas when he and a racing buddy, Paul Osborn, decided to open their own Harley shop, Truett & Osborn, in 1971. Eventually they started to create and manufacture their own flywheels, cams, cylinders, and rods.

It was also in 1971 when Truett founded the Truett-Osborn Bike Drags, which will commemorate its 43rd year this August.“When we were married in 1973, I gave Bonnie the okay to get back into racing,” Diane laughs.“After a race we would drive non-stop to get home in time for me to go to work at the shop,” Truett said.
  

He and Osborn continued to run the shop together while Truett raced alongside legends Pete Hill, Jim “The Judge” McClure, Dave Campos, T.C. Christiansen and Marion Owens.

Even daredevil motorcyclist Evel Knievel, who is also a fellow Sturgis Hall of Famer, knows who Truett is.

“Me and Diane used to go to his shows and eventually we got to meet him in person,” Truett said. “About eight years ago in Las Vegas, we ran into him at a Harley shop there where he was making an appearance and when he saw me, he remembered me. We had a good visit.”

Truett Frameworks

Around 1979, Truett started building his own drag bike frames. “I built my first frame in my home’s garage,” he said. “They would cost me anywhere between $800 and $2200 to build them.” His hobby soon turned into a side business, “Truett Frameworks” and it wasn’t long before others began wanting the frames, too. “Back in the day, we didn’t keep records of how many we built,” he said.  “It wasn’t until I got to frame #403 that I started keeping records.”

Truett’s frames had been sold all over the country, including London, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and New Zealand.  But Truett’s frames are now like rare rubies - they’re hard to come by.  

“Today my frames are worth between $4,000 and $5,000 each, and some are even going for higher than that,” he said.  

Following In His Footsteps

Truett retired from racing in 1984 but continued to build drag racing frames. He and Paul also continued to run Truett and Osborn together until his retirement from the shop in 1997. The business is still in operation in Wichita, Kan. today.  

Following his retirement from racing, Bonnie began helping his son Scott race full time. “I had been helping Scott race since 1985 and I always knew he would end up following in my footsteps. Growing up, he was around me and the bikes all the time,” Truett said. “He’s a natural born racer.”  

Diane also helped Scott with his racing, just like she had done with his father years before.

Scott is now a four-time champion in Pro Drag class in AHDRA and retired from racing just this year.

Holloway Makes Nomination

“Bonnie is my mentor and best friend.  He is very deserving of this great honour,” said Ken Holloway, former Truett Racing pit crew member, who also nominated Truett for the honour.

“His frames dominated the track, and still today you see bikes running his frame,” Holloway said. “I find them all the time on the computer.”

Truett and his legacy have been featured in numerous racing and motorcycle magazines and he has also been inducted into the Oklahoma Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Hall of Fame as well.  

“Bonnie shares this honour with other inductees like Peter Fonda, Ed “The Ironman” Kretz, Jay Leno and others, who, like him, help pave the way in the motorcycling community,” Holloway said. “In a book put out around 2003 called, The History of Harley Davidson, they say motorcycle racing started in the early 1900’s when motorcycles were the main mode of transportation.  They go on to talk about drag racing and mention Bonnie Truett as one of the legends, while other books and articles mention him as the nicest man in racing and the person who would help any person who asked.”  

“So it looks like I will be going to Sturgis this year!” he said.

Truett Returns To Vian

In 1997, Truett returned to his hometown with Diane and ran a small bike shop out of his home, and it wasn’t unusual to see a flock of bikes pulling off HWY 64 into his driveway to visit or still seek advice.

In 2007, he decided it was time to hang up the bike tools and actually retire. “I knew it would be hard to completely retire because Harley Davidson has always been a way of life for me,” Truett said "and it still is. I had to sell my tools to quit because I couldn’t stop as long as I had them,” he said. “It’s still not unusual for me to still get a call from someone asking about one of my frames or where to buy one; I actually just got a call this morning. I always tell them the same thing, “If you find one, you better latch onto it because I’m no longer building them and no one wants to sell theirs.”

After being diagnosed with leukemia five years ago, Truett is now in remission. He and Diane plan to do some traveling once his extended treatment stops. This week, he will be having surgery to remove his spleen, but it won’t stop him from going to Sturgis. “For now, it looks like we will be traveling to Sturgis in August. We have our room rented and we’ll be ready to go,” Truett said.

Truett will be formally inducted during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast at 9 a.m. on Aug. 6 at The Lodge at Deadwood in Deadwood, SD during the Sturgis Rally, which is also known as Bike Week.

 By Amie Remer

Harley Davidson brings home the bacon in marketing shift

Motorcycle enthusiasts celebrate Harley Davidson's 110th anniversary celebration in 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
  Photo: Getty Images 


Harley Davidson just rattled Wall Street’s windows.

The bad-ass motorcycle brand’s stock — which trades under the ticker symbol HOG — surged 6.4 percent after the company posted a bigger-than-expected profit jump.

Harley execs boasted of especially brisk sales growth overseas, which jumped 11 percent on demand for shiny chrome and spokes in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. The Asia-Pacific region showed the most dramatic jump, with sales up 21 percent.

The Milwaukee-based motorbike icon conquered America’s highways with famously big, burly bikes that required similar riders, and its core customers are still white men over age 35.

Harley, however, is kick starting growth by chasing customers outside the US with lighter, more affordable models such as the Street 500 and the Street 750, which the company began shipping this month.

At home in the US, which accounts for two-thirds of Harley’s business, the motorcycle maker knocked out a 3 percent sales gain.

Execs said the increase was driven partly by their efforts at “outreach” to non-core US customers, including younger men ages 18 to 34, women, Hispanics and blacks.

Indeed, sales to those riders rose twice as fast as sales to older white guys, according to the company.
Profits for the most recent quarter surged 19 percent to $266 million, or $1.21 a share, blowing past analysts’ forecasts despite a harsh winter that kept many riders off the roads and curbed traffic at dealerships.

Overall, quarterly sales rose more than 10 percent to $1.73 billion. Stronger demand in balmier parts of the country, including California, were a “significant” help during the quarter, the company said.
There’s plenty of gas in the tank for 2014, as Harley plans to ship more than 284,000 motorcycles worldwide, up 9 percent from last year.

 By James Covert