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Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG) has sold $600 million of debt, half of which went to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BERK). Berkshire and money manager Davis Selected Advisers LP, the largest Harley shareholder, each bought $300 million of senior unsecured notes carrying an annual interest rate of 15%, according to a Harley news release. The notes mature in 2014. The sale provides Harley-Davidson with more cash after losses at its financing arm, Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) led to a 58% decline in fourth-quarter profit. Harley is also cutting 1,100 jobs, or more than 12% of its workforce, over two years. HDFS...

Harley-Davidson Inc. said Friday it will cut 1,100 jobs over two years, close some facilities and consolidate others as it grapples with a slowdown in motorcycle sales. The Milwaukee-based company also reported its fourth-quarter profit fell nearly 60 percent, and said it is slashing motorcycle shipments in 2009 to cope with reduced demand. The iconic motorcycle maker said it will consolidate two engine and transmission plants in Milwaukee into its facility in Menomonee Falls, Wis. It will shrink its paint and frame operations in its York, Pa., plant and close its distribution facility in Franklin, Wis., whose duties will be...

On Debbie Argel’s first motorcycle trip from California to Wisconsin in 2003, she was nervous about the risks, but encouraged by her son, Air Force Capt. Derek Argel. He told her: "Fear of death is really just a fear of life. Go for it, Mom." Two years later, on Memorial Day, 2005, Derek was killed in Iraq. In his memory, and to raise money for children of special military forces killed in the line of duty, Debbie and her husband, Todd Bastian, are riding their cycles from Lompoc, Calif., to Milwaukee for Harley-Davidson Inc.'s 105th Anniversary Celebration. The big party...

Ray and Jeannie Jordan put 105 flags on their bike for the 105th anniversary Harley-Davidson celebration. Ray, a Vietnam vet, wants to remind people flags are not seasonal.

Chris Bishop has bittersweet memories of the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration. The 46-year-old advertising professional remembers cruising to a street party in 2003 on his 1984 Honda Aero and squeezing the scooter into a row of parking spaces overflowing with muscular Softails and Fat Boys. "I went down to Water Street and parked it down there, and everybody was smiling, and everyone wanted to hop on the back," Bishop said. "It's motorbike culture. You could be cooler if you had (a Harley), but you're still cool." So much for the sweet. Now for the bitter. "I don't think I'd do...

Daniel Gilyeat sauntered through the back door to the offices of Cycle Connections, an online motorcycle magazine, then paused and scratched his chin. He was more than a little aware that a roomful of mechanics and Hooters employees on a Saturday afternoon meant something was up. “Danny, you need to come here,” said sales manager Dave Miller. “For all the things you do to keep us safe, we wanted to give you an opportunity to get back on the road.” Miller then turned to the mechanics. “Go ahead.” Without a word, they pulled a sheet off a sparkling deep blue...

Over in Oakland they like it loud - so loud that all 45 of the Police Department's Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been equipped with shiny new tailpipes, at a cost of $500 apiece, to rev up their roar.It seems the cops just didn't feel safe on toned-down bikes."There's an old motorcycle adage that you are heard before you are seen," said Deputy Chief Dave Kozicki, explaining the department's decision to toss the bikes' muted factory-issued mufflers in favor of the more high-volume pipes.Kozicki cited an accident three months ago in which an Oakland officer riding a toned-down cycle was struck by...

Rolling Thunder, Inc. 21st Anniversary Memorial Day Demonstration in Washington, D.C., May 23-25, 2008, To Include Families of Iraq War POWs/MIAs ROLLING THUNDER MISSION STATEMENT The major functions of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. are to publicize the POW/MIA issue, to educate the public of the fact that many American Prisoners of War were left behind after all past wars, to help correct the past, and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become Prisoners of War/Missing in Action. Rolling Thunder is committed to helping American Veterans from ALL WARS. • Rolling Thunder, Inc. is a class 501(c)(4) non-profit...

Forget inflation, the economy, your unpaid bills, that pink slip in your locker. An edgy new Harley-Davidson ad campaign reflects on today's difficult times, finishing with the tag line, "So screw it, let's ride." The campaign, launched this week with a full-page ad in USA Today, also reminds people that the Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker and the nation in general have endured plenty of pain - and not just lately. "Over the last 105 years in the saddle, we've seen wars, conflicts, depression, recession, resistance and revolutions," the ad says. "We've watched a thousand hand-wringing pundits disappear in our rear-view mirror....

BOSTON — Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG) said on Friday that 2007 earnings would come in 4 percent to 6 percent lower than last year because of tough times for U.S. consumers, sending its shares down 7 percent. The company said it expected 2008 earnings to rise by 4 percent to 7 percent and withdrew its 2009 outlook. In July, it had forecast growth of 11 percent to 17 percent for the two-year period. "Our U.S. dealers' retail sales have fallen sharply during August," said Chief Executive Jim Ziemer. "Against the current economic background, we no longer expect worldwide dealer...

Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealers who have charged premium prices for bikes are easing back on the throttle as sales slow and customers wait for Harley's 2008 product lineup that's being announced in July. American consumers are spending less in certain areas, including motorcycles, boats and all-terrain vehicles, Craig Kennison, a Robert W. Baird & Co. analyst, said Monday. To assess current trends, Kennison recently surveyed 40 Harley dealers in the U.S. and Canada. What he found was retail demand was weaker than expected. More bikes were selling below the manufacturer's suggested retail price, and dealers were discounting 2007 models to clear...

RAINELLE, W.Va. - Cole Kayser signs his name on a white shirt for fifth-grader Christian Martin, then rises from the grass outside Rainelle Elementary School, a tall and imposing figure. He is every inch the retired Marine, from silvery brush-cut hair and camouflage cap to black leather motorcycle boots and the ``USMC'' tattoo on the edge of his right hand, on display when he salutes. But ask him how it feels to be here, in a sleepy southern West Virginia town where children chase one-time warriors like Hollywood paparazzi, and a tear slides down his cheek. ``I've been holding back...

YORK, Pa. — Nearly 2,800 union workers walked off the job today at Harley-Davidson Inc.’s largest manufacturing plant, with small groups quietly picketing each entrance of the York facility. The workers said they were prepared to stay on the picket lines for as long as it took to win a better contract than a company proposal they overwhelmingly rejected two days ago. "There’s no sense in doing this if we’re not going to stick together," said Nevin Bechtel, 59, who works in the plant’s painting department. "If we regress now, we’ve lost everything we’re struggling for, and the company will...

MILWAUKEE, WI (AP) -- Joe McRae has had many motorcycles over the years, but nothing comes close to his bright red Harley-Davidson. Part of a special line of bikes exclusively for firefighters, his Road King represents a tribute to the 343 firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he said. "It's not just a motorcycle. Most people don't understand that," said McRae, a fire captain for 25 years in Orem, Utah. "It's not a bike. It's an emotional thing. It represents more than just a motorcycle. It represents the brotherhood." Harley-Davidson spokesman Mike Morgan said calls starting coming...

Bush Hops on a Harley for Economic Pitch President Also Touts Iraq Policy, Raises Funds for GOP Candidate By DEB RIECHMANN, AP YORK, Pa. (Aug. 16) - President Bush hopped on a Harley-Davidson at a motorcycle factory Wednesday as he made an election-year pitch for Republican stewardship of the economy. The president also was in Pennsylvania to raise cash for a Republican hopeful in the state's gubernatorial campaign. Cheers and applause erupted inside the Harley-Davidson Inc. vehicle operations plant here when Bush straddled a high-end model painted blue and white and revved its engine again and again. Climbing down, he...

Harley-Davidson enthusiasts now have their own stamp of approval, thanks to the United States Postal Service. A 1965 Harley Electra-Glide is featured as one of four new first-class stamps being rolled out in Wisconsin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Capital City Harley-Davidson/Buell, 6200 Millpond Road, on Madison's far east side. The stamp rollout ceremony at kick-starts the third annual motorcycle ride to raise funds for the Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center. The stamps were officially introduced to the public Aug. 7 during the 66th annual Harley rally in Sturgis, S.D., and have been unveiled in local ceremonies throughout America since...

The president worked on policies at the White House before touring a Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations facility and discussing the economy with H-D employees in York, PA. He was interviewed by USA Today. In the early evening he attended a Lynn Swan for Governor reception. Bush granted pardons to 17 individuals, none of whom are still serving time; per Tony Snow, "... these are largely for people who have served their time and this helps expunge their records." Press Secretary Snow's press briefing text and video. Tony sets the record (politicians and reporters) straight on more than one point.

                            Picture from 1916The history of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle began in Milwaukee in 1903. In Milwaukee, Bill Harley and Arthur Walter Davidson developed a one-cylinder motorcycle. Around the turn of the century the gasoline engine was developed and the one-cylinder motor was introduced. In 1901 the Indians were the first motorcycles and in 1903 Mitschell, Merkel and Yale.  This motorcycle was initially built for racing and was powered by a one-cylinder gasoline combustion engine.In 1903 in Milwaukee, Bill Harley and Arthur Walter Davidson developed a one-cylinder motorcycle. It was a reliable and even a beautiful cycle. And ......

(AP) MILWAUKEE Harley-Davidson has been a Milwaukee icon for a century. The company now specific plans to give its hometown another icon with its industrial-style museum slated to open in 2008. The company announced Friday it will start construction on its 130,000-square foot, $75 million museum this spring. The buildings -- which will feature heavy use of glass, brick and steel -- feature four distinct towers, adding another feature to the city's skyline. The museum is slated to open in 2008 with three buildings to house a museum, corporate archives, retail space, restaurant and special events rooms. "Many companies lose...