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Author Topic: HOG history  (Read 867 times)

Richard230

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HOG history
« on: October 16, 2019, 08:06:24 PM »

For you future LiveWire owners who may (or may not) be called "Hog" riders, I copied this interesting comment (at least to me) regarding the history of how Harley Davidson motorcycles came to be called "Hogs" from a post on the Royal Enfield forum:

A little pig (real pig) became the mascot of The Wrecking Crew, harley's racing team in the 1920s. I think one of the riders was a pig farmer. A little silver pig figurine was passed around from top scorer to top scorer during the year. Somehow it became hog. Long before The Wild One.

https://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/hog-history-this-1919-photo-featuring-the-coke-bottle-helped-nickname-harley-davidson-motorcycles

        The change to HOG (from HDI) as the NYSE abbreviation in 2006 was because of the success of H.O.G. (Harley Owner's Group) which was a brilliant PR scheme that was an amazing success for sales and allowed lawyers and doctors and bankerbikers to wear a patch after they ditched their wives and dyed their hair. Bro's Club followed close on its heels. This (and cable TV) contributed to the huge glut of used harleys in the years that followed.

         The Motor Company even mandated that its dealerships MUST provide space for a "club house" for HOG members to meet within the dealership. If necessary they had to build new buildings to keep their dealerships. Floor plans of dealerships were mandated with square footage mandated for the tons of Chinese leather and clothes and after market accessories; HD Temporary Tattoos and Hair Mousse anyone?     
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Richard's motorcycle collection:  2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2020 KTM 390 Duke, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 (FZS1000N) and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.

Brammofan

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Re: HOG history
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2019, 08:24:50 PM »

Fascinating stuff! My brother is a member of HOG. He has a Harley trike, although I always refer to it as a tricycle. 
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Crissa

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Re: HOG history
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2019, 01:59:33 AM »

Mo-tri-cycle?

Where I grew up there was an annual HOG get-together.  Then they'd ride around the town in a huge parade.  The town had 110 miles of paved road, so it'd be like a sixteen to twenty miles ride.  You could hear them from miles away.

They were always really nice, most of them had put their bikes back together from parts rather than bought them... But that was right before the 90's revamp of the company that culminated in the stock-ticker-change.
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