By Chris Callen
Robby Starbuck has become one of the loudest voices in the ongoing battle over corporate culture in America.
Before he was exposing executive backgrounds and corporate policies, Starbuck built his reputation as a filmmaker and music video director, working with artists like The Smashing Pumpkins and Yellowcard. Today, he’s amassed a massive following by challenging major American companies including John Deere, Tractor Supply, Ford, Walmart, and most recently, Harley-Davidson.
His criticism typically centers around DEI initiatives and corporate policies that he believes have drifted away from the values of a company’s customer base.
When Starbuck turned his attention to Harley-Davidson, it hit the motorcycle industry like a thunderclap.
And to be fair, some of what he uncovered deserved scrutiny.
At the time, Harley’s leadership appeared to be spending an awful lot of energy focused on issues that had very little to do with motorcycles and the riders who built the brand into what it is today. The backlash was real, and frankly, some of it was earned.
But now we’re at a different point in the story. And that’s where I have a problem.
Motorcyclists Know What Profiling Feels Like
One thing riders have fought against for generations is profiling.
We’ve lived with it since the aftermath of Hollister. Ever since the term “1%” entered the American vocabulary, motorcyclists have been judged by what they wear, what they ride, who they associate with, and what people assume about them before they ever speak a word.
For decades, riders have pushed back against stereotypes and demanded to be judged as individuals rather than caricatures. So why would we turn around and do the exact same thing to someone else?
After watching Starbuck’s latest comments regarding Harley-Davidson’s new leadership team, what stood out wasn’t necessarily the information he presented.
It was the verdict. The conclusion seemed to arrive before the evidence.
Give the New Leadership Team a Chance to Lead
Starbuck specifically targeted Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz and Chief Brand Officer Markus Flasch.
That’s fair game.
Public figures and corporate leaders should absolutely be scrutinized. Accountability matters.
But here’s the question nobody seems to be asking:
What have they actually done at Harley-Davidson so far?
Jochen Zeitz has spent much of his time traveling across the country meeting with dealers, employees, and riders. He hasn’t been standing behind a podium telling everyone how smart he is. He hasn’t unveiled some sweeping corporate manifesto.
Instead, he’s been asking questions.
One question in particular:
What’s wrong with Harley-Davidson?
No, that’s not a solution.
No, it’s not a strategy.
But it’s a lot better than walking into the room pretending you already have all the answers.
As for Markus Flasch, much of the criticism aimed at him focuses on previous comments regarding DEI initiatives and even the fact that he uses pronouns on one of his social media profiles.
Maybe that matters to some people.
Maybe it doesn’t.
What matters to me is whether he can help Harley-Davidson build a stronger brand, sell more motorcycles, and bring more people into our culture.
That’s the scoreboard I’m watching.
The Questions That Actually Matter
While social media continues arguing over pronouns, political labels, and past affiliations, there are much bigger questions facing Harley-Davidson.
Questions like:
- What’s the long-term plan for American manufacturing?
- How does Harley attract younger riders?
- What’s the roadmap for dealers?
- How does the company grow its customer base without alienating the loyal riders who carried it through difficult years?
Those are the issues that will determine whether Harley-Davidson succeeds or fails.
Not somebody’s pronouns. Not somebody’s previous employer. And certainly not guilt by association.
Respect Is Earned
Motorcycles have always operated on a simple principle. Respect is earned. Builders earn it through their work. Racers earn it when the green flag drops. Companies earn it through the motorcycles they build. And leaders earn it through the decisions they make once they’re in the saddle. That’s how Harley-Davidson’s leadership team should be judged.
Not by assumptions. Not by rumors. Not by predictions of what somebody thinks they might do. By results.
The new CEO and leadership team deserve the same opportunity every rider, builder, and business owner in this industry deserves—the chance to earn respect or lose it through their actions.
If they take Harley-Davidson in a direction riders reject, then hold them accountable.
Absolutely.
But at least give them the opportunity to prove themselves first. That’s not being naive. That’s being fair.
And fairness is a standard worth protecting regardless of which side of the debate you’re standing on.
Who Are Influencers Really Serving?
One final thought.
Over the coming weeks, there will undoubtedly be a parade of social media influencers climbing aboard the latest Harley-Davidson controversy, hoping to ride it all the way to clicks, followers, engagement, and advertising dollars.
That’s the nature of today’s internet.
In fact, one of the first things Starbuck did during his presentation was encourage riders to abandon Harley-Davidson and switch to another motorcycle brand.
Not once. Three separate times.
Which raises an important question: Why are we allowing influencers to decide our next move in the first place?
The real question riders should be asking is simple:
Who are they serving?
The motorcycle industry? The riding community? Or the algorithm?
Influencers who sell opinions to the highest bidder are a stain on the age-old craft of journalism.
And before anyone asks, neither Harley-Davidson nor Indian Motorcycle advertise with Cycle Source Magazine, nor do they pay us for favorable editorial coverage.
What’s at stake for me isn’t access. It isn’t advertising.
It’s the thirty years I’ve spent practicing journalism and trying to tell stories honestly.
That’s something I take far too seriously to stand by and watch it get auctioned off to the highest bidder.
At the end of the day, Harley-Davidson’s future shouldn’t be decided by influencers, assumptions, or social media outrage.
It should be decided by the motorcycles they build, the decisions they make, and the results they deliver.
Like every rider who’s ever thrown a leg over a motorcycle, they’ve got a road ahead of them.
Let’s at least give them the chance to ride it.