Harley-Davidson, The Special One

“It’s not just a motorcycle, it’s a brand,” said Guilliaume Kruger, general manager of Harley-Davidson Windhoek.

The famous American motorcycle brand had their official launch in the capital last Saturday, however, has been active since 7 December 2016. Kruger speaks of the brand with much passion and shines light on what the name Harley-Davidson is all about.

“Harley-Davidson is the oldest motorcycle brand in the world. And it’s not just a motorcycle, it’s a lifestyle. It gets under your skin and becomes part of you. Everything revolves around Harley-Davidson. We have such a big range. From clothing to jewellery, you name it – gifts, everything,” Kruger said pointing to all the various accessories around the shop.

Kruger also mentioned that once you own a Harley, you become submerged in the brand. “You buy a bike and all the accessories and all of the stuff comes with it. Everything you wear becomes Harley-Davidson. There are walking ambassadors all over. Once you buy a Harley, you don’t just the buy the bike and nothing else again. It’s a lifestyle and you become part of a family which is more like a brotherhood than family,” he said.

But you may wonder, ‘what makes Harley-Davidson different from other motor cycles? What makes it different from other motorcycles?’ Other motorcycles are just a motorcycle,” Kruger said with a smile on his face.

“This is something unique. This is a cultist brand you get into. Worldwide it is the biggest brand and most tattooed logo on people’s bodies in the world, if that makes any sense to you,” Kruger mentioned, adding that the brand is an all-or-nothing brand.

Kruger also mentioned that the Harley is not only for certain individuals. “We’ve got a rainbow of different people. From youngsters to old people, all races, all ages, all walks of life, basically.”

When asked what he expects from the Namibian market, Kruger jokingly said “their money”. However, on a more serious note, he said that the attraction towards the brand is impressive and that there certainly is a market for Harleys in the country.

“I’ve been busy with Harley-Davidson now for the last four years and since this branch opened up, there’s been an absolute explosion of the brand. We are selling on weekly basis, something like four Harleys,” he elaborated.

“We opened last December, that was the soft opening and this is now the official opening. Throughout Namibia – from Oshakati, right through to Swakopmund and the south, Gobabis – everyone buys Harleys,” he added.

Kruger went to mention that each person who buys the Harley and wears the name is an ambassador of the brand.

Owning a Harley might be an exciting thought, however living in a country where the roads’ death toll is very high, is it safe for motorcyclists? “Honestly speaking, we don’t have safe roads,” Kruger said, however he mentioned that the people in the vehicles are the real problem. “The drivers we have on the roads are a concern for the safety of bikers. Because of the mentality that there wasn’t a big amount of bikes on our roads. If you go ride in South Africa, Joburg or Cape Town, the people really have respect for the bikers. They keep open lanes. They keep space for the guys to do lane splitting. Here it’s a matter of we don’t know about bikes, we don’t see them every day, so we don’t care about them. And that’s why there are so many accidents,” Kruger said.

“But I’m not putting the blame on the motorists at all. The bikers have got just as much responsibility to accidents, because they also have this feeling that ‘we are untouchable’,” he added.

Harley-Davidson Windhoek not only sells motorcycles, but also deals with everything the brand has to offer, including clothing and accessories.

“We’ve got riding gear. We have the riding pants and the riding jackets, but we also cater for everyday wear. It’s like what you buy at Edgars or Woolworths. It’s a brand, and it’s a big brand,” Kruger said.

Kruger went on to explain that Harley customers stick to their brand. “People are proud to have this brand on their chest or on their back. Loyalty to this brand is a type of loyalty you won’t find anywhere else. You will never find a guy riding Harleys, then go to Yamaha or Honda. You will never get that. You will rather get a Honda guy come to Harley, but you will never have the reverse of that,” he said.

Kruger mentioned that he currently does not only own a Harley, but in fact there was a time when he owned 14 of the motorcycles. “I was in my 30s when I got my first Harley. It started young, I was a rider. I got my first bike when I was four years old. It’s something you will always pursue, and once you get that, you will feel like you made it in life. And that was the case with me,” he said.

“Harley is like the Ferrari of motorcycles. It’s like the Bentley, it’s the benchmark. If I reach that, I’ve done good, then I’m on top. Harley is your top brand, you will work your way up there,” he added.

If you want a taste of the brand, all you have to do is book a test drive online if you have a licence. However, if you don’t, someone will take you out for a ride.

Harley-Davidson has a worldwide membership club, the Harley Owner’s Group (HOG) as well as a club for Namibian owners.

“The HOG club is the world’s biggest factory sponsored motorcycle club. They have a over a million members. You get HOG International, then you get individual HOG clubs, Kruger said.

“We have people from all over. From Oshakati, Rundu, to Mariental and Keetmanshoop, Gobabis, Swakopmund, all over. Our club is currently over a 100 members strong,” he added.

Being a member offers access to a host of benefits and services including the quarterly HOG magazine, chapter membership, the touring handbook, events and rallies, HOG assist emergency road side recovery services, discounts on a range of goods and services and so much more.