Raptors & Rockets spoke and rode with Bill Davidson during the European Bike Week in Faaker See, Austria. Our rideout took us through three European countries, Austria, Slovenia and Italy. The pictures were taken at the top of a Slovenian mountain not far from the Austrian border.
Interview with Bill Davidson-We put the fat back into the Fat Boy
Location: Middle of nowhere, on the top of a mountain in Slovenia
When: On a rideout with ten selected journalists in connection with the European Bike Week in Faaker See, Austria. September 8, 2006.
Bill Davidson is the third generation Davidson since the original Davidson brothers started up with William Harley in 1903. Bill has been working for the motor company for more than 20 years now and has experienced the rise in fortunes throughout the nineties to this present day. Bill Davidson occupies the position as Director of motorcycle product development in Milwaukee, USA.
What about the Harley part of Harley-Davidson? “The Harley family have not been involved with the motor company for many years now.” Davidson is now the family that are involved and Bill Davidson’s sister works in the Harley-Davidson fashion department.
Do you feel bothered when people are referring to your bikes as a “Harley?” “Not at all, it’s just a way of speech and Harley is short and easy.”
Bill Davidson comes across as an easygoing and down to earth 45 year old. He could just as easily have taken a position amongst the board of directors and played with his shares, but instead he has taken on the very hands on role of motorcycle product development director. It’s all about how the motorcycles looks and feels and as a Harley-Davidson owner you can rest assured that the product has been approved by Bill Davidson himself.
Bill Davidson on the future: Bill talks about the 10 year plan Harley-Davidson operates with when asked about the future. “We are in it for the long run, we expect our dealers to be too and that is where the profit lies” The liquid cooled revolution engine launched in the V-rod was the biggest step in Harley-Davidson history and something completely new. Will Harley-Davidson come up with something equally big within the next ten years? “Yes, we will”
Bill Davidson on Japanese cruisers: The Japanese have been quite aggressive in the latest years with big twins such as the Kawasaki VN2000 and Honda VTX1800. What are your thoughts on developments from Japan? “All the Japanese are doing are copying our bikes. I have spent some time on the VN2000 and I don’t like it. I can’t find any sweet spot like you will on any Harley-Davidson.” With a glimpse in his eyes of true enthusiasm, I can see that Bill Davidson is visualising just that Harley sweet spot in his mind when telling me about it.
Bill Davidson on Buell: “I really respect what Erik (Erik Buell) is doing. He is a true innovator and a motorcycle race bike engineer.” I bet Erik Buell is nagging you a lot to get his hands on the Revolution engine? Bill laughs out loud as if to confirm I was right, but went on to talk about the XBRR. “Have you seen the XBRR? That’s a real race machine and great fun. Buell has had its difficulties, but all that is now in the past and we expect great things in the future”
Bill Davidson on Victory Motorcycles: Do you look upon Victory as a competitor? “They are certainly a competitor. We think it’s good to have competitors. It keeps us on our toes. Our philosophy is to stay one short of demand. In the late nineties the gap got too big with a 2 year wait for certain models. That allowed our competitors to get in and Victory was one of them. Now we have the capacity. I follow them (Victory) and respect what they have done. Everyone have good product these days.”
Bill Davidson on Triumph: “Those guys make some really impressive and unique bikes. They are not copying anyone and I really respect what they are doing with the bikes.”
Harley-Davidson Scrambler? Would you ever consider developing a Scrambler model from the XL883? “Like the whole Steve McQueen thing you mean? Didn’t Triumph just launch a Scrambler? Those are pretty neat with crossed tall pipes.” Bill did not say that Harley-Davidson would ever build a Scrambler, but I could see that the motorcycle product development side of the man could visualise those crossed pipes straight away. Our picture is a CG by Robert O'Brien.
Whilst we were waiting for the photographers to move the two bikes used for the photo shoot Bill spotted an original 1990 Fat Boy parked on the road. “Wow, that’s an original Fat Boy! He’s changed the colours a bit and added some stripes, but apart from that it’s an original 1990 Fat Boy.”
I had been riding the new Fat Boy with the Twin Cam 96 engine up the mountain, but not once did I think of just how good a photo opportunity this was. Bill mentioned it later that it would have been good to photograph the two together so that we could really see what he meant by saying; “We have put the fat back into the Fat Boy” about the new 2007 Twin Cam 96 Fat Boy with a 200mm rear tyre.
The guy that owned the bike came to see us. Little did he know that Bill Davidson himself had just commented on his bike. I asked a couple of questions and then they asked me who that guy that got his picture taken was. It’s Bill Davidson, I told them and in a second they had disappeared and a second later the pair of Harley-Davidson owners was back with camera in hand. Bill Davidson, friendly as ever, agreed to have his picture taken with the two lucky punters. I took their picture and watched stars sparkle in the two biker’s eyes.
This sort of episode repeated itself during dinner in the evening when I saw Bill sign at least three helmets and countless t-shirts. Bill Davidson always carries four different marker pens on him to get the right colour on the items that he signs. That is attention to detail, just like on the bikes that he builds.
When asked about his favourite Harley-Davidson he answers very diplomatically: “I like them all, I have no favourite. I own 20 bikes, but I use them all. I don’t believe in storing them.”
Some of Bill Davidson’s personal interests involve spending days out in the wilderness on his KTM 450 dirt bike in the summer, snowmobiling in the winter and hunting wild turkey.
“I really enjoyed this rideout! I don’t get to do much riding like this in America and the hairpins and scenery (in the Alps) are awesome.” At this point I did not dare tell Bill that there are quite a few other bikes than the ultra-low Night Rod Special with a 240mm rear tyre I would have chosen for tackling hairpin-bends with.
The day spent with Bill Davidson comes to an end when one of the band members of a cover group enters the stage in the Harley-Davidson village at Faaker See. The rhythm guitarist works for Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee and Bill went to support them with the rest of the audience.
