2003 Speeches
Speech by Ambassador Frank Lavin to Harley-Davidson Owners Group - 20th Anniversary Dinner Dance
September 27, 2003
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate one of the extraordinary achievements of our era. There are few examples of perfection in our world, and Harleys are perhaps as close to that goal as is humanly possible to achieve.
It was 100 year ago that a 21-year old William S. Harley and 20-year old Arthur Davidson made available to the public the first production Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The bike was built as a racer, with a 3-1/8 inch bore and 3-1/2 inch stroke. The factory in which they worked was a 10 x 15-foot wooden shed with the words "Harley-Davidson Motor Company" crudely scrawled on the door.
This year, Harley-Davidson will produce almost 300,000 motorcycles. A few of these, ridden by a lucky few, will end up in Singapore.
With its century of success, Harley Davidson has created one of the most powerful brands in the world. Think of the Rolex watch, the Montblanc pen, the Tiffany necklace. All things of beauty, to be sure, but none of them come with 1450cc of raw power.
The Harley is more than a brand, it is an icon, a personal statement. The rev of the engine alone has been known to turn heads, provoke admiration, prompt questions and conversations, and even stimulate the interest of people of the opposite sex. No matter how good looking your man is, he is better looking on a Harley. No matter how good looking your woman is, she is better looking on a Harley.
It is not just a beautiful machine, it’s magic. It transforms the driver. We spend our work hours with our jobs and our obligations. Crunching numbers, examining patients, and dealing with customers. But when the work is done, we can pursue our dreams. We can live life as we chose. We can march to our own drummer. The Harley is our magic carpet.
There are many people, even highly successful people, who lead lives with no poetry. These desperate souls know not the thrill of the open road, the camaraderie of the group expedition, the adventure of exploration, the lure of distant towns, and the great inclusive brotherhood of the H.O.G.s. In fact, the Singapore H.O.G. chapter is a “melting pot” for all the races, religions, age, genders and income groups in this country.
Bruce Springsteen, “The Boss,” sums up this magic in the final lines from his signature song,
Someday girl i don't know when we're gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go and we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us baby we were born to run
If someone says Harley riders are not fit for polite company, I say it is those who do not like Harleys who are not fit for polite company. You take it from me: Anyone who doesn’t like Harleys is not to be trusted.
Some say that machines strip us of our humanity. Harleys prove them wrong. Harleys show us that we can marry man with a machine, and improve both.
So let me offer a toast: to the glorious machine that is the Harley Davidson and to the wonderful people who ride them.