Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 12:49 pm:

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h. Approval of Formula Xtreme® Motorcycles
1. Only approved motorcycles may be used in Formula Xtreme competition.
2. Formula Xtreme competition is restricted to motorcycles (engines and frames) produced for US street use and available in the US through retail dealers.

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Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 03:05 pm:

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Remarks at the Harley-Davidson Company Employee-Management Forum in York, Pennsylvania
May 6, 1987
The President. I have to tell you, this has been very exciting to see all of this. And at the same time, I had a great feeling of familiarity, because as I was telling you earlier, during my 8 years on a television program called ``The GE Theater,'' I would spend about 10 or 12 weeks every year visiting GE plants. And I met 250,000 employees in those years, and I think it was 139 plants in 39 States. And I came to the conclusion then if the people who are the customers out there could see what goes into the products they take for granted, they'd be deeply moved and very excited.

I want to thank you for this excellent presentation. And when I hear all this talk about how unbeatable some foreign competitors are, I am reminded of a little incident in World War II. At my age, I'm always being reminded of things like this. [Laughter] It was General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz, and during one of the campaigns in the South Pacific, they were changing ships and the waves overturned the small boat they were in. And Admiral Nimitz called out to General MacArthur for help, and the General finally got to him and held him above water, so he could breathe, until they were finally rescued. And when it was all over, the Admiral said, ``Doug,'' he said, ``Please, don't ever tell my men I can't swim.'' And Doug said, ``I won't tell them that you can't swim if you won't tell them I can't walk on water.'' [Laughter]

But I've heard a lot about this comeback before coming here today. But what's impressed me most was not any one thing -- not changes in financing or marketing or in the product or the way it's made, but something much bigger. And it's been very evident here in what I've been hearing right now: that Harley-Davidson is moving forward because Harley-Davidson has become a team. You're working together; there's literally a hotline between the factory floor and the top office; and ideas are coming from every part of the company. You work in small teams to figure out how to do things better. And this isn't a top-down company; this is a company in which everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder on the front line -- everyone. It didn't take huge, new investments, as you've pointed out here today, in exotic technologies to put Harley-Davidson back on top; it just took a huge, new investment of faith in each other.

You know, listening here, I can't help but think that there's something familiar about the source of your success. It sounds a lot like what was at the bottom of another success story. Now, we all know that story, but maybe sometimes we get a little indifferent and let it slip from our minds. It concerns people from every corner of the Earth. They had a little more drive, and they dreamed a little more than others around them, and they had that little extra ounce of courage to leave everything behind and make a long, difficult journey across the ocean to a new continent, a new world, and where they built a new nation called America. And the strength that comes when free men and women join together and work for a common purpose -- it's a story as old as our great nation and as young as the reborn Harley-Davidson.

And, yes, it's the key to America's success in the competitive world of the 21st century. For the last few months, I've been talking about how we've got to begin preparing for the 21st century. I've talked about quality in education, about training for the jobs of the future, and about how America will continue to grow. The economy of the 21st century will be an international economy where American companies like Harley will compete on every continent and in every country.

Now, some want to hide from that world, not to compete, just to throw up walls and protection and hide. But if we really look back, America has never been afraid of a challenge. We've always been ready to compete and always been ready to win. And I think you have proven, and it's confirmed, all that I had heard before I got here, and that is that you are ready still to compete, to not ask for quarter, and to go forward.

And I just thank you for all you've done. I was president of my own union one time. [Laughter] God bless you. This is what it's all about, and you've shown it. And I hope that this is a seed that spreads throughout American industry.

Moderator. We're pleased to have you.

The President. Well, pleased to be here.

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April 1, 1983
Memorandum for the United States Trade Representative

Subject: Motorcycle Import Relief Determination

Pursuant to Section 202(b)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (P.L. 93 - 618, 88 Stat. 1978), I have determined the action I will take with respect to the report of the United States International Trade Commission (USITC), transmitted to me on February 1, 1983, concerning the results of its investigation of a petition for import relief filed by the Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Inc., and Harley-Davidson York, Inc., producers of heavyweight motorcycles, provided for in item 692.50 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States (TSUS).

After considering all relevant aspects of the case, including those set forth in Section 202(c) of the Trade Act of 1974, I have determined that granting import relief is consistent with our national economic interest. Therefore, I will proclaim the USITC five-year import relief remedy with one modification. I will impose tariff increases of 45 percent ad valorem in the first year, declining to 35, 20, 15 and 10 percent above scheduled rates in subsequent years. Imposition of these tariff increases should allow the heavyweight motorcycle industry to adjust to the threat of injury caused by increased imports, which have raised inventories to twice their normal level.

To assure small volume producers who have not contributed to that threat of injury continued access to U.S. markets for heavyweight motorcycles, I will modify the USITC remedy by proclaiming tariff-rate quotas of 5,000 units (increasing yearly to 6,000, 7,000, 8,500 and 10,000) for imports of motorcycles manufactured in the Federal Republic of Germany, and 4,000 units (increasing yearly by 1,000) for imports from all other countries except Japan. The additional duties will apply to all imports above the tariff-rate quotas. In order to treat Japan fairly I will also proclaim a tariff-rate quota of 6,000 units (increasing 1,000 yearly) for motorcycles imported from Japan.

I also direct you to keep the issue under close review so that, should the U.S. motorcycle industry no longer need this level of relief, you may, in consultation with the Trade Policy Committee, obtain other necessary advice and propose changes in the terms of relief. If no earlier review is initiated by such conditions, you are to undertake such a review in two years. The objectives of this review would be to assess the effectiveness of import relief and Harley-Davidson's trade adjustment efforts.

Ronald Reagan

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