Syndi sent a message to Matthew S. Levatich – President and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Email Address that said:
Dear Harley Davidson:
Why are your women's products so much more expensive than comparable mens products and/or why do you not offer comparable products for women at similar prices?
Example (but only one of many). I'm looking for a light, low-profile, DOT-approved half helmet. On your site, I found only one in "women". Fly-By Ultra-Light J02 Half Helmet for $220.00. While its awfully cute, I'm not all that into purple, and cute isn't my style, anyway. After I've ridden 700 miles in a day, I could care less whether I had a cute helmet or not.
On the other hand, in Men's, you have several low-profile half helmets, all of them under $220 and most of them much less - in the $100 - $150 range.
Another example: Went into a dealership in January to buy some nice warm riding gloves. Women's, you had one pair. Harley Brand. I think they were around $90 for a stinking pair of gloves! Yet in mens, you had several, both Harley and non-Harley branded and all for much less. I ended up with a non-branded pair of mens for $40. Not the best fit, but hey, for a $50 savings, I'm fine with them.
Do you just think women are stupid and will pay more for the same thing? Regardless, its insulting. On many levels:
1. I ride my ass off. Hard. Harder than most men I know. Maybe Harley doesn't realize it, but we women are just as durable, just as tough, and just as dedicated as most male riders these days, and in many cases, moreso. We DESERVE options that will fit well and protect our asses while we're on the road.
2. I am budget-conscious. Your models on your web pages are all cute, tiny, attractive and "harley-sexy". Maybe they don't care if they are paying $75 for a pink Harley t-shirt so they can look "hot" next to their biker "ol' man" at the next poker run, but I, myself, am old, fat, and road-worn. My version of "hot" is me, standing on the side of the road in freaking 120 degree heat in Florida, my t-shirt and jeans stuck to me, perspiration rolling off me, face flushed red, my hair in a ratty mess, frantically dumping the last of my water bottle over my head in an attempt to not be so "hot". I go through t-shirts like wash cloths. When you're on the road 8-10 hours, you are sweaty, sticky, bug covered and just want to relax. I don't give one shit about your cute pink $75 t-shirt, which, by the way, would not be cute, pink, or even in condition to be donated much less sold, by the end of my riding day. Because whether that t-shirt I'm wearing is covered with Harley "bling", or if its plain white with a Hanes label in the neck, I'm still going to be old, fat, bug-covered, road-worn and "hotter" than I ever wanted to be.
So give it up, Harley. We are out there. Keep on selling the cute girls that cute stuff, but come up with a second line a line of clothing and riding gear that will fit the needs of REAL women riders. And keep in mind we're paying for this ourselves. Most of us don't have hot ol' men who will fork out $75 so we look sexy standing next to them.
