Skip to content

An American turnaround story and the journey of a lifetime

Retired vice president of business development for Harley-Davidson, Clyde Fessler, spends time in his “man cave” with a few in his collection of iron horses, each of which is named and numbered.  Pictured here holding his 1987 lowrider customized in 1992, which is affectionately named “Clydeglide V,” Fessler has an appreciation for life’s journey, the ride, and how he got there.



By Terri Wiebold with photo by Tim Gamble

In life’s journeys, the mode of transportation we take to get to our destination is generally not a significant part of the adventure. For one Castle Pines Village resident, his mode of transportation – Harley-Davidson Motorcycles – was not only a significant part of his journey, but a source of inspiration as well.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a background in finance, Clyde Fessler made a life changing decision at the age of 30. “I decided I would never work at a job that I wouldn’t otherwise do for fun,” said Fessler. Several years working in the snow mobile industry ensued before Fessler decided to make a move to Harley-Davidson.

According to Fessler, it was a time when American motorcycles were having to compete with the Japanese markets, and Harley-Davidson was on the verge of bankruptcy and in need of an image upgrade.

“The biggest challenge we faced was making the change without alienating our primary customer, the hard-core bikers,” he said. “It was like cowboys and Indians…” The Indians (Hell’s Angels and motorcycle gangs) lived with pride, ritual, ceremony and heritage, but with little-to-no boundaries. They roamed the countryside wild on their iron horses, their “mamas” in tow. The cowboys (modern-day bikers) celebrated much of the same heritage and love for the ride as the Indians, but with day jobs and fences that confined them. They were growing in numbers and the demand for their iron horses was growing as well.

In his 23 years with the company, Fessler held many managerial positions and was instrumental in transforming Harley-Davidson. In 1980, he partnered Harley-Davidson with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This not only helped change the hard-core image of Harley-Davidson, but it paved the way for Harley-Davidson to give back to the community. To date, the Harley-Davidson family of customers, dealers, suppliers and employees has raised more than $65 million to aid research and program services for children and adults with muscular dystrophy.

In 1983, Fessler founded the “Harley Owner’s Group” and started connecting Harley enthusiasts nationwide. Thought to be one of Harley-Davidson’s most unique endeavors, the program is fondly referred to as “H.O.G.” The Group is the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world, and today it boasts more than one million members worldwide.

Three years later, Fessler launched the “Motor Clothes” division of Harley-Davidson, which now grosses more than $250 million annually. Giving riders a wider variety of apparel options from head to toe and designing clothes and accessories for women riders earned Fessler recognition in 1991 from the Council of Fashion Designers of America for significant contributions and commitment to fashion.

Fessler was also involved in establishing the “Fly and Ride” program, which allows riders to rent a Harley-Davidson motorcycle almost anywhere in the world, and the “Motorcycle Ed” program, which allows riders to become certified and licensed much quicker and more easily than in the past.

When Fessler retired from Harley-Davidson as the vice president of business development in 2002, he traveled the world with his wife Joan, sharing the Harley-Davidson Turnaround Story with more than 100 corporations and international organizations as a keynote speaker. Fessler still does limited public speaking engagements, and Joan runs the business.

These days, you might find Fessler at the Castle Pines Country Club working on his golf game or riding one of the motorcycles in his collection to Palmer Lake with his buddies for cheeseburgers on Mondays.

Fessler reflects back on his time with Harley- Davidson (both in the office and on his motorcycle) and says it his has enabled him to meet people from all walks of life. “It doesn’t matter who you are when you get on the bike,” said Fessler. “It is the brotherhood and the essence of motorcycling… “From Smitty the pig farmer on my right, to Jay Leno on my left, I’ve made many good friendships where the common denominator is the motorcycle.”

“It is a very spiritual thing when you ride… ‘Potato, potato, potato’…the sound you hear; you feel the vibrations in your hands; you feel the early morning air change temperature and you feel the sun on your face; you see the colors begin to pop and you experience the smells in the air; that’s when your soul comes alive…When you get all those senses going, it clears the cobwebs of your mind and helps to clarify what is important in life – relationships. Harley-Davidson helped me find my ‘true north.’”

To learn more about Clyde Fessler, go to www.clydefessler.com. To learn more about the rich history of Harley-Davidson, go to www.harley-davidson.com.

For five years, Clyde Fessler (pictured back center) quit shaving from Thanksgiving until March for the Daytona Bike Week Rally. Fessler emersed himself in the hard-core Harley culture and rode with them to better understand the mystique of Harley-Davidson.

Avatar

CPC

Posted in

Tags

Recent Stories

Archives