The best Victory PR to come from Sonny was in his book "Let's Ride". It covers why the HDs were the early logicalchoice of the "American MC Biker" and why he personally chose to evolve. All this is coveredfromboth social and mechanical perspectives. Highly suggested reading material for all VOGers and "Allstate Approved" LOL.

 

Sonny Barger is no spokesman for anything except the criminal organization he started up 60 years ago. He may ride his $1 Vision from Arlen Ness but it doesn't change the fact that he's a creep that Victory doesn't need for any promotion.

 

Answer: Because he's not cool. Keep in mind that most of the Harley-Victory-Indian buyers are just regular guys that pretend to be badasses a few weekends during the summer. You know, if a recognizable Rich n Famous guy like Malcolm Forbes can ride a Harley on the weekend well then every other doctor and lawyer can have one in the garage and a leather jacket and bandanna in the closet. This large market is going to look at an old guy with a smoke damaged throat and think, "Huh who?". Polaris will get much greater return on investment by getting spokesmen with more celebrity appeal. p.s. when I say he's not cool, I'm not talking about personal opinion, I'm talking about how a majority of the population responds. Will Smith and Arnold Schwartz are cool. Tom Cruise riding a sport bike in "Top Gun" is cool. Valentino Rossi winning a Moto GP race...huh who?

 

Sonny Barger is no spokesman for anything except the criminal organization he started up 60 years ago. He may ride his $1 Vision from Arlen Ness but it doesn't change the fact that he's a creep that Victory doesn't need for any promotion.

lol everybody makes mistakes brother. Some of ours are worse than others, and some of us get caught more often than others, but saying he's a creep is pretty weak. Also he didn't start the Hells Angels and they aren't a criminal organization, not that this was intended to be that kind of thread.

 

Answer: Because he's not cool. Keep in mind that most of the Harley-Victory-Indian buyers are just regular guys that pretend to be badasses a few weekends during the summer. You know, if a recognizable Rich n Famous guy like Malcolm Forbes can ride a Harley on the weekend well then every other doctor and lawyer can have one in the garage and a leather jacket and bandanna in the closet. This large market is going to look at an old guy with a smoke damaged throat and think, "Huh who?". Polaris will get much greater return on investment by getting spokesmen with more celebrity appeal. p.s. when I say he's not cool, I'm not talking about personal opinion, I'm talking about how a majority of the population responds. Will Smith and Arnold Schwartz are cool. Tom Cruise riding a sport bike in "Top Gun" is cool. Valentino Rossi winning a Moto GP race...huh who?

I was actually thinking the opposite effect. I do agree that the majority of riders buying Harley's do it to be cool/weekend riders etc. but I think for the people who are pretending to be bad asses and DON'T know who Sonny is would google him off the adds and think "Hey! The baddest Hells Angel rides one I could too!" but that's just me. Also in terms of return on investment, I am sure Sonny would do a commercial for a lot less than Will Smith lol

 

Hells Angels and they aren't a criminal organization

I think the Department of Justice (DOJ) would have a serious disagreement with you.

"Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) are organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises. OMGs are highly structured criminal organizations whose members engage in criminal activities such as violent crime, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking.

http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ocgs/gangs/motorcycle.html

 

If I was a Marketing Manager at Polaris/Victory/Indian Sonny Barger would be the last person I would want as a spokesman.

 

I thought it was because Sonny cannot speak because he had his vocal cords removed due to cancer whereas he uses an electric kazoo to speak.

 

I think the Department of Justice (DOJ) would have a serious disagrement with you.

"Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) are organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises. OMGs are highly structured criminal organizations whose members engage in criminal activities such as violent crime, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking.

http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ocgs/gangs/motorcycle.html

If one cop commits a crime we don't classify all cops as criminals. If one teacher rapes her student we don't classify all teachers as rapists. Are there criminal 1%ers? Absolutely. But there are also airline pilots in the Hells Angels, there are custom home builders who are Hells Angels. There are carpenters who are Iron Horsemen, there are all kinds of respectable upstanding tax paying citizens in 1% Motorcycle Clubs. Don't believe everything the DoJ says my friend, just ask the family members of the people killed in Fast and Furious if the DoJ took care of them.

 

If one cop commits a crime we don't classify all cops as criminals. If one teacher rapes her student we don't classify all teachers as rapists. Are there criminal 1%ers? Absolutely. But there are also airline pilots in the Hells Angels, there are custom home builders who are Hells Angels. There are carpenters who are Iron Horsemen, there are all kinds of respectable upstanding tax paying citizens in 1% Motorcycle Clubs. Don't believe everything the DoJ says my friend, just ask the family members of the people killed in Fast and Furious if the DoJ took care of them.

Don't most of these clubs require some level of illegal activity to earn the patch? It's pretty hard to be an outlaw biker without being an outlaw. We don't call all cops or teachers criminal because of a very small percentage, small like say 1% are bad. Just like we don't call all bikers criminals when only 1% are. We have a special name for that 1% that is, wanna guess what that is? Lol.

 

The original 4 Hells Angels clubs all denied knowing that the other 3 Hells Angels clubs existed. They did that to have plausible deniability for criminal activity. Barger was the founder in Oakland. To give you an idea of his influence over the club it was his logo design and size that the club adopted in about 1960ish. The logo was the same as the 1953 logo from a club he never heard of when he used it in Oakland in 1957. He was a founding member not just a member.

If the Masons are plotting to blow up the Knights of Columbus they are a criminal organization

If the Knights of Columbus have a shootout with the Masons killing a couple, they are a criminal organization.

I don't care that he was a career criminal until he was able to profit by writing about his criminal career. I just don't see him selling a single motorcycle for them. Nobody cares about Barger. Now the unreal deal Charlie Hunnam could probably sell some bikes! The theme being, you too, can be a make believe badass. Cept HD has him locked down with non compete I am sure.

 

lol everybody makes mistakes brother. Some of ours are worse than others, and some of us get caught more often than others, but saying he's a creep is pretty weak. Also he didn't start the Hells Angels and they aren't a criminal organization, not that this was intended to be that kind of thread.

Maybe you need to read the second sentance of the first article you linked.

Yes there is an argument on the HA. Lawyers, doctors, artists, etc. are part of the membership. However that means littl. Paint a jaguar purple and it is still a jaguar. It will hunt and bite.

I doubt Polaris, Victory, Indian wouldwant such a contraversial spokesman, even though some may think him as one to look up to.

 

Maybe you need to read the second sentance of the first article you linked.

Yes there is an argument on the HA. Lawyers, doctors, artists, etc. are part of the membership. However that means littl. Paint a jaguar purple and it is still a jaguar. It will hunt and bite.

I doubt Polaris, Victory, Indian wouldwant such a contraversial spokesman, even though some may think him as one to look up to.

Everybody has a past my friend.

 

Tim Allen was arrested with 1 and a half pounds of coke, plea bargained and snitched on his friends ... now he's Buzz Lightyear, Santa Claus and Tim the Toolman Taylor. Just because someone gets arrested or makes a mistake decades ago doesn't mean they can't sell stuff today.

 

Everybody has a past my friend.

The "past" wasn't the question. The denial of such was. Please don't deflect or redirect, very unbecoming.

 

The "past" wasn't the question. The denial of such was. Please don't deflect or redirect, very unbecoming.

Go watch any interview with the man about his time in prison, or read his books. He got arrested for possesion, never denied it, just said the mandatory sentences were a joke. What's unbecoming is sitting at a keyboard and judging a man you wouldn't have the guts to approach let alone say anything negative to in person.

 

I think that Sonny Barger would be a feeble attempt at identifyingwith a stereotype/image that Victory doesn't need/want. However, if a mainstream actress/popular female persona was pulled into the marketing, that would have an impact. The percentage of women vtwin riders keeps increasing, and they have buying power. That would be a smart move.

 

I think that Sonny Barger would be a feeble attempt at identifyingwith a stereotype/image that Victory doesn't need/want. However, if a mainstream actress/popular female persona was pulled into the marketing, that would have an impact. The percentage of women vtwin riders keeps increasing, and they have buying power. That would be a smart move.

Good call ... the Playboy shoot was fun lol

 

Go watch any interview with the man about his time in prison, or read his books. He got arrested for possesion, never denied it, just said the mandatory sentences were a joke. What's unbecoming is sitting at a keyboard and judging a man you wouldn't have the guts to approach let alone say anything negative to in person.

Itwas your denial, not his. There goes the redirecting and deflecting again.
You look up to the man for your reasons. You asked a question of the board.Of the opinions given (all you'll get without asking Vic themselves), you don'tseem to like the answers or the outlooks. Fair enough, but they are still the answers.

As to what I would and wouldn't do in life, you are entitled to your opinion of that too.

I'll leave you with this one. No since in argument, you have your mind set on a path, ok too.

Cheers

 

Everybody has a past my friend.

Everyone does not have a past, Some of us started with brains,,,And Sonny isn't the problem, it is former associates,associations and lifestyle that leads it to be a marketing black hole. HA are and always will be a 1% club, just becuase some "functioning members of society" join them, does not make them something to emulate.

 

While I dont agree with most of the comments about outlaw clubs...polaris wouldnt use him as a spokesman. Having said that they do need to overhaul their marketing. Has anyone noticed they have a nicki sixx bike. Hasnt he admittedly used illegal substances and im sure has had his fair share of problems. HD is considered to be a badass' bike because their marketing does a great job. Their holiday ads are geared toward a "naughtier" side and they do an excellent job appealing to the ladies. I think Victory needs to have more of an edge applied to that brand to go along with the heritage of Indian. The only hint of an indian commercial in my market is with american pickers...I never see a victory commercial...yet HD is on all the time

 

this thread is amusing . first they are not motorcycle gangs.!!! they are clubs and not all of em are into criminal activity .
and who cares if they are ? have you watched your goverment latly??? they are far more dangerous than any biker club .but your misconceptions are a great read on a cold day.

 

I think that Sonny Barger would be a feeble attempt at identifyingwith a stereotype/image that Victory doesn't need/want.

Last I checked Victory has 5% of the market share. I assume any image that increases sales is an image they would take. Would anyone who loves these bikes NOT buy one because an ad featured him? Of course not. But some people who want an image would imo

 

On a side note, I saw this and lol'd... had to share it...

-kg

 

Everyone does not have a past, Some of us started with brains,,,And Sonny isn't the problem, it is former associates,associations and lifestyle that leads it to be a marketing black hole. HA are and always will be a 1% club, just becuase some "functioning members of society" join them, does not make them something to emulate.

The question isn't "should we emulate the Hells Angels?", it is can their image help sell our bikes?