There was a time when Harley-Davidson’s future was anything but certain. In the early 1980s, the Motor Company was fighting for survival. By the end of the following decade, it had pulled off one of the motorcycle industry’s most remarkable comebacks. A new exhibit at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, looks beyond the balance sheets to tell the story of the people who made that turnaround happen.

We Did It Together: A Harley-Davidson Leadership Story opened October 17, 2026, during the Hall of Fame’s Fall Bike Night. The exhibit puts the spotlight on former Harley-Davidson CEO and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Richard Teerlink, along with the employees, riders and leaders whose collective efforts helped rebuild the brand.

Harley-Davidson’s Comeback Was a Team Effort

Harley-Davidson’s troubles in the 1980s were no secret. The company faced serious financial challenges and an uncertain future. Its recovery, however, involved more than a new motorcycle or a better sales pitch. It also meant changing how the company operated from the inside out.

The exhibit follows Harley-Davidson’s shift away from a rigid top-down management structure toward an approach built around trust, employee participation and shared responsibility. Teerlink was a central figure in that transformation, but the exhibit’s title makes its point clear: the comeback wasn’t the work of one executive.

That philosophy helped turn a struggling American motorcycle manufacturer into a success story in the 1990s and early 2000s. The company’s approach to leadership also became a subject of interest beyond the motorcycle business, including in university business programs.

Four Anniversary Electra Glides Tell Part of the Story

For motorcycle people, there’s more here than a wall of corporate history. A timeline featuring historic photographs and milestones from 1980 through 2005 charts the company’s turnaround. Alongside it is a particularly special collection: four Anniversary Electra Glide motorcycles presented to Teerlink during Harley-Davidson’s 85th, 90th, 95th and 100th anniversary celebrations.

Displayed together, the bikes offer a tangible connection to the years when Harley-Davidson was finding its footing again and then building on that momentum. They also provide a look at how the Motor Company marked major milestones during a pivotal chapter in its history.

The exhibit was brought together by family, friends and former Harley-Davidson executives who wanted to preserve Teerlink’s legacy and the larger story of the people around him.

“Rich taught me that mutually beneficial relationships are what matters most,” said Jeff Westphal, a longtime friend and mentee of Teerlink who helped bring the exhibit to life. “I’m proud to help bring his story to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and excited to celebrate Rich, Harley-Davidson and the culture of meaning, trust and support he helped create.”

Harley Riders and Employees Can Become Part of the Exhibit

The story isn’t finished with the exhibit’s opening. The Hall of Fame has also launched its We Did It Together Mural Campaign, inviting people with a connection to Harley-Davidson to contribute photographs for a permanent mural.

That includes factory workers, dealership employees, H.O.G. members, veterans, rallygoers and families whose lives have crossed paths with the brand. With a donation to the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, selected submitted photos will become part of the mural.

Submissions are open through July 31, 2027, with the completed mural scheduled to be unveiled October 12, 2027.

“Harley-Davidson’s history is deeply connected to the people who built, rode and supported the brand,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman, adding that the exhibit offers a way to celebrate those people while preserving an important piece of motorcycle history.

Visit the Exhibit

We Did It Together: A Harley-Davidson Leadership Story is on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, Ohio.

Whether you remember the company’s difficult years firsthand or know Harley-Davidson only as the giant it later became, the exhibit offers a closer look at the workers, leadership decisions and motorcycles behind that transformation.

For exhibit information and mural submissions, visit the official AMA exhibit page.