Harleysite Annual Chronicle 2023 | Milestones and Adventures

A look back at an eventful year for Harley-Davidson, marked by significant milestones and exciting adventures.

Harleysite Annual Chronicle 2023 | A year full of highlights and milestones

My personal highlights for 2023: 20 years of Harleysite! | My trip to Milwaukee – visiting the Harley-Davidson Development Center, H-D Museum, and H-D engine factory. | The Homecoming Event, 120th Anniversary Budapest, along the Adriatic Highway in Croatia, European Bike Week, and the new CVO Street Glide, Norway in November on a Harley!

2023 was a year full of exciting experiences for the Harley-Davidson community and for me. It started in January with some exciting news: the unveiling of the Breakout 117, a real highlight among the 2023 Harley models. Even before the official presentation in January, there were initial signs of the new cruiser with the 117 Milwaukee-Eight Engine.

But that was just the beginning of an eventful year. The 120th anniversary models, especially the CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary, were real eye-catchers with their elaborate paintwork and were the most expensive Harley-Davidson models to date. Limited to 1,500 worldwide, they were certainly the last CVO Road Glide models in the classic design. Harley-Davidson incorporated craftsmanship from the factory into the model in a double limited edition.

40 years of the Harley Owners Group

A special moment was the 40th anniversary of the Harley Owners Group. From its beginnings in the 1990s to today, where we have more than 1,350 worldwide H.O.G. Chapter A lot has happened since then. This community is an important part of the Harley-Davidson brand and plays a key role in organizing many Harley-Davidson Events They are actively involved. Not to mention that they organize countless aid projects and fundraising campaigns that they have initiated.

New Harley-Davidson stores in Wesselingen and Augsburg

Harley-Davidson's expansion continued with the grand opening of the new megastore in Wesseling between Cologne and Bonn and the new store in Augsburg continued.

Negotiations for European Bike Week to start in January 2023

In January 2023, negotiations for European Bike Week became more concrete, and it became apparent that perhaps everything was not as simple as initially expected. Negotiations dragged on until European Bike Week 2023. One major issue was the ever-decreasing range of entertainment on offer for visitors, as well as rising prices for visitors and exhibitors. Added to this was the government's treatment of visitors and exhibitors during checks, where there was a growing lack of tact and sensitivity. Nevertheless, European Bike Week is very popular with bikers and, according to a Harley site survey, the answer is clear! They want the European Bike Week right there, at the Lake Faak!

25 years of European Bike Week at Lake Faaker See

And so, after tough negotiations, Harley-Davidson signed a cooperation agreement with Kärnten Werbung and the Villach – Faaker See – Ossiacher See region for the next seven years during European Bike Week.

The first photos of the new CVO models appeared in February.

This was a disastrous event for Harley-Davidson, with the poor photos of the CVO Road Glide causing particular panic among fans. According to Harley-Davidson's website, the launch of the new CVO models was not planned until August. Meanwhile, the demise of the brand was being predicted on the internet, which led to the first information being released in April, followed by official photos and reports on the CVO models in June 2023.

The 120th Anniversary models reached stores far too late.

The new Harley-Davidson anniversary models were announced on January 18, 2023, but they didn't arrive until early May in the stores of the Harley-Davidson dealer. Of course, it is important to note that most new motorcycle registrations take place in March. This may have cost some customers money, as delivery was sometimes delayed even further.

Harley-Davidson turns 120 – and celebrates in 2023

In 2023, Hamburg also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Hamburg Harley Days. I wasn't there this year, as the season started a little later for me, so I can't say much about what really happened at the Harley Days in Hamburg.

Presentation of the Highway King Electra Glide in May

In May, the highlights from the Icons Collection and the Fast Johnnie models, from the Enthusiast Collection . There had been no advance word about these bikes; they just suddenly appeared. There were no rumors, nothing at all, so it came as a surprise to everyone. It's also boring when there are no rumors. But especially the two Highway King The models turned out really beautiful.

Harley-Davidson Dresden celebrates its 15th anniversary in May

With Harley-Davidson Dresden there was plenty to celebrate in the capital of the Free State of Saxony. Harley-Davidson honored the occasion with an appearance by senior management figures. In addition to the Dresden site, Leipzig and Chemnitz also contributes to this.

120 Years of Harley-Davidson Exhibition at the Central Garage in Bad Homburg

A truly remarkable 120 years Harley-Davidson exhibition in Bad Homburg, which runs until January 19, 2024. It impressively showcases the Harley-Davidson timeline over the past 120 years.

The Homecoming Event in Milwaukee was another highlight, featuring top bands such as Green Day and the Foo Fighters. The event was not only a musical spectacle, but also a tribute to the place where Harley-Davidson history began.

„2023 was a year in which we made history and celebrated. It showed how vibrant and dynamic the Harley-Davidson world is and makes us excited about what is yet to come.“

Willie G. Davidson turns 90

Willie G. Davidson's 90th birthday in May was not particularly spectacular. Harley-Davidson didn't really do anything to mark the occasion, but my colleague Rudi Herzig published an article about it in his column on Harleysite, which you can read here. here can read about.

The 120th Anniversary Festival in Budapest was one of the highlights of 2023.

The 120th Harley-Davidson Festival in Budapest was certainly one of the absolute highlights of 2023. Rarely have I received so many questions about Harley-Davidson events achieved, as was the case this year at the festival in Budapest. That was one of the reasons why I compiled an extensive list of tips and advice for the tour to Budapest. I immediately used it to plan a proper tour, via Dresden, to Budapest and on to Croatia.

The parade through Budapest, across the Chain Bridge, with thousands of people lining the streets, was truly amazing. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the trams, some of which crossed the route, causing the parade to be interrupted. The event site was really large, and the stage was completely surrounded during the live acts. I found Budapest really exciting, especially the large EXPO, which was quite something. Budapest is certainly one of the few places where you can still celebrate such big events undisturbed.

My tour along the Adriatic Highway in Croatia

In July, I'm at the Road Glide Special to Croatia I drove there; it was basically just one of my exploratory trips to see if the area had potential for more.

From Zagreb, we traveled through Plitvice National Park and along the breathtaking Croatian coast from Zadar to Rijeka. The route promised a mix of spectacular landscapes, winding roads, and the opportunity to explore some of Croatia's most charming towns. And that's exactly how it turned out in the end—a fantastic tour in glorious sunshine.

20 years of Harleysite | The milestone

July 17, 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of Harleysite. I didn't celebrate the anniversary in any particularly spectacular way. That may have been because I was in Milwaukee at the same time for the presentation of the new CVO model. That was definitely a highlight for me, but my personal highlight was visiting the Willie G. Davidson Product Development Center. They don't really let just anyone in there, and certainly not people like me, who sometimes have a lot of stress with the company.

Sometimes it's like a love-hate relationship that has been going on for many years and has already cost me a lot of nerves. But I was there, practically in the heart of the company. The Willie G. Davidson Product Development Center is where testing and development take place, so they do exactly what interests me and many of you. In any case, my visit to Milwaukee was the absolute highlight, and I can recommend it to everyone. Harley-Davidson Museum and the engine factory in Milwaukee, it's well worth a visit.

The CVO models were on display in Germany for the first time at Harley Days Dresden.

Back from Milwaukee, it was straight on to Harley Days in Dresden. The new CVO models were unveiled there for the first time in Germany, and because I had already ridden both of them, I was bombarded with questions about the new engines.

Harley-Davidson had been noticeably more involved in the event in the east of the country in 2023. The location and the surrounding area are definitely worth a little more attention from the Harley community.

My criticism of European Bike Week

In August, I couldn't resist and didn't hold back with my criticism of European Bike Week. The question was: „Where's all the money?“. This caused quite a bit of unrest at first, and another reason was that I didn't receive any more information about the event, which I didn't like at all. In the end, there were many discussions and everything is supposed to be better in 2024, so let's wait and see.

Nevertheless, I was of course at Lake Faaker See, and in the run-up to the event, there was already a great deal of interest in the rides organized by the various chapters. So it was clear that many bikers would once again be coming to Lake Faaker See.

New Harley-Davidson flagship stores to open in Zurich and Bern-Belp in September

Bütikofer Harley-Davidson Zurich celebrated its grand opening in Zurich on September 23. And Arni Harley-Davidson opens simultaneously a 1500m² large Harley-Davidson store in Bern-Belp. So there's quite a lot going on in Switzerland.

Curious police report in October 2023

One of the more curious police reports in 2023 was the following report of a collision between a Harley-Davidson rider and a herd of mouflons in Heilbad Heiligenstadt. The Harley biker was riding along the road when suddenly a herd of mouflons crossed the road in front of him. Harley-Davidson crossed. Even though the driver slammed on the brakes immediately, he was unable to prevent a collision with one of the animals. The collision caused damage to the motorcycle, rendering it unable to continue driving. The driver suffered minor injuries in the collision. The animal disappeared from the scene of the accident in an unknown direction—the extent of its injuries is unknown.

The tariff dispute between the EU and the US flared up again

In October, the first reports emerged again about possible punitive tariffs for US companies such as Harley-Davidson on the EU's agenda. Today, we know that this issue has been postponed until 2025.

In November, I was drawn back to Norway once again.

I couldn't resist and drove up to Norway via Denmark with my buddy Hermann in November. It was just a few days' break, nothing major, but a real highlight for us. Being out and about in the snow in sub-zero temperatures was something new again. Just an experience, but still wonderful and beautiful.

The share price and future of Harley-Davidson was once again a topic of discussion.

Rough Ride, was the title of my post, which means something like a tough ride. Another similar post was the one on „TOP 10 Harley-Davidson models„Where it then unfortunately became apparent that in 2023, there would no longer be a single model represented in the TOP 50 among all new motorcycle registrations. Of course, this information once again caused quite a stir.

My experiences with the Road Glide

The article about the Road Glide and my experiences, Over the years, you have shown great interest in this model and its various versions. The Road Glide is known to always spark discussion, but it is now also becoming increasingly popular and common in Europe.

Harley-Davidson event dates for 2024

This year, Harley-Davidson announced the dates for 2024 a little earlier than usual. This post is always very important to you. For many of you, this information is certainly linked to your annual vacation planning, deciding which events you want to and can attend.

The Harleysite crystal ball

My Harleysite Crystal Ball Report, The information about the 2024 model year came a little later this year. I've heard a lot over the last six months, but the background noise has been noticeably quiet this year. The leaked photos of the CVO models in the spring have made it increasingly difficult to get new information, but they can't completely prevent it. Feel free to take another look at my report if you haven't done so yet.,

I wish everyone a happy New Year 2024 and a great season, which will hopefully start again soon!

Volker

Text and image credits: Harleysite / Volker Wolf