In 1983, Ronald Reagan asigned a document that made every Japanese motorcycle in America 50% more expensive overnight. No press conference. No public debate. Just one signature — and every rider in the country paid the price.
This is the story of how Harley-Davidson went from owning 75% of the heavyweight motorcycle market to begging Washington for protection in less than a decade. We cover the Honda invasion that started on a single street in Los Angeles, the 'You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda' campaign that rewrote American riding culture, and the AMF era that turned the most iconic motorcycle brand in the world into a punchline. Leaking oil. Rattling frames. Two Harleys just to keep one running.
But this isn't just a story about one struggling company. It's a story about what happens when a business can't win in the showroom and turns to Washington instead — and who really ends up holding the bill.
If you've ever wondered why American motorcycle policy looks the way it does, this is where it started.
This is Torque Exposed. No hype. Just truth.
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