Hogs on the Course
When anyone thinks of a Harley-Davidson the immediately think of big bad motorcycles. Harley-Davidson are the most recognizable bikes on the planet, there big and they certainty are bad (in a good way). Usually when people talk about them they just call them Harleys, and your typical stereotype of a rider is a big with muscles loose jeans on, wearing a leather jacket, sunglasses of course, and one rough looking goatee to go with it all. Well what if I told you that one of the biggest portions of Harley drivers doesn’t look anything like that. Instead of Jeans and Leather, sunglasses, a goatee, and tough looking helmet, trade that all in for a nice pair of slacks, a polo sweater vest with a white dress shirt under it, and a nice beret on the top. Trade those tough looking aviator sunglasses for a nice pair of two hundred dollars sun reflectors. To top this off add one white little glove and clean shaven face. Now if you put those two people that I have described next to each other, you have the makings of one fine Saturday Night Live skit. In reality though those two people that I just described are the Harley-Davidson companies two biggest customers. Now I know the second person I described is probably one of the last people you would see on one of Harley-Davidson’s famous hogs. Well that is because there not hog riders, there golf cart riders. Hogs of the gated community, three wheeled, flame decaled, hogs of the golf course.
Yes golf carts, in the very expensive world of manufacturing and selling gold carts Harley-Davidson actually has a one third stake in the entire golf cart market. Yes that’s right one third of all golf carts sold are Harley-Davidson original golf carts. Harley-Davidson started to manufacture golf carts in the 60’s when William G. Davidson, grandson of William A. Davidson co-founder of the company, joined the company in 1963. Harley-Davidson then started to mass produce Harley golf carts. Now by the end of the 60’s Harley-Davidson was one third of the entire golf cart market. However, the problem with Harley golf carts is that they were gas driven golf carts, and many say they were the best gas golf carts there were. Golf carts though were mostly all electrical driven vehicles, and although it was nice to drive a Harley, it was cheaper to drive any other model. Now the reason that golf carts are electrically driven unlike any other vehicle is because of where they are used. Golf carts are used (besides on the obvious golf course) to drive around gated communities and many rich areas of society. They don’t go fast, many can’t even reach 30 mph, so they don’t really need gas, they are eco-friendly, and most important (especially in gated areas) they are quiet, not a sound is made. Harley on the other hand was quite the opposite, loud, gas guzzler, and pretty mean and tough. Now many people say however that a Harley was the best gas golf cart you could get, it was efficient and it was pretty cool. Eventually thought things and competition caught up with the Harley carts. Yamaha, another famous motor bike company, also came out with a golf cart line. Yamaha didn’t have a great electric cart, but it was defiantly better than any of Harley-Davidson’s attempts, however Yamaha couldn’t compete with the Harley gas carts.
So now Yamaha and Harley-Davidson weren’t just competitors of the highway but also on the golf course. Eventually by the end of the 70’s Harley-Davidson carts were not the hottest and best carts on the market as they were in the 60’s. Harley golf carts are still however some of the best buys for people who want one and they are some of the best carts out there, they might not just be the favorite cart of your neighbors. If you live in a gated community and you want one of these hogs go out and get one of these rough and tough carts, just grab you slacks and polo sweater vest, slip on your beret and grab your clubs. Head out to the links in style on your very own Harley-Davidson Golf Cart.