An additional Harley-Davidson executive has resigned just days after the renowned motorcycle manufacturer’s CEO announced his departure.
The recent shifts in leadership have left some fans anxious about the future of the 122-year-old company, and even a director has expressed serious concerns.
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Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company is now in a state of upheaval after board member Jared Dourdeville expressed “grave concerns” regarding the brand and abruptly resigned.
In a scathing letter to the board, Dourdeville, representing Harley’s second-largest shareholder H Partners, condemned the company for “severe underperformance” and “cultural depletion.”
He called for the immediate resignation of CEO Jochen Zeitz and two additional directors, accusing them of leading the brand into disarray.
The April 1 letter was direct, criticizing Harley’s work-from-home policy, high turnover, and the departure of key senior leaders.
Dourdeville resigned on April 5, just days after dispatching the letter and prior to a meeting scheduled to address his grievances.
His dramatic exit coincides with Zeitz announcing he’d retire once a new CEO is appointed.
Zeitz, who has been at the helm since 2020, revealed his retirement on Tuesday after five years at the company.
The brand is currently looking for a successor.
However, Dourdeville was unwilling to wait and demanded more changes at the top.
He highlighted plummeting sales, excessive inventory, and a deteriorating company culture under Zeitz’s “The Hardwire” strategy, as reported by Fox local affiliate WITI.
Implemented in 2020, the five-year plan aimed to increase profits and expand Harley’s customer demographic, yet with only a few months remaining, it has not met expectations.
The brand has struggled to engage younger riders as its primary baby boomer audience ages out.
In response to declining sales, Harley has shifted focus towards higher-end Touring bikes and custom models aimed at wealthier buyers.
However, internal tensions have been escalating for months.
Harley-Davidson Closures in 2024
There are over 650 Harley-Davidson dealerships across the United States.
Nonetheless, numerous shops have closed for various reasons throughout 2024 – with little to no explanation.
The following is a list of some Harley-Davidson locations that have closed this year and their reasons for shutting down:
A San Francisco branch closed in June 2024 after 110 years, attributed to ‘chaos’ caused by new management.
Miracle City Harley-Davidson in Titusville, Florida, shut its doors in September 2024 with no explanation provided.
Harley-Davidson’s historic location in New York City closed on September 28, 2024, with the proprietor citing economic concerns.
Reiman’s Harley-Davidson dealership in Kewanee, Illinois, ceased operations in October 2024 after the owners sold the business to the Walter Brothers Harley Davidson dealership in Peoria, Illinois.
Another Illinois dealership ceased operations in November 2024.
Additionally, the dealership in West Bend, Wisconsin, is ‘temporarily closing for the season’ from November 2 until April 1, 2024.
In 2025, Hideout Harley-Davidson in Missouri announced it would close at the end of March.
Harley responded to Dourdeville’s letter, stating he was never a “dissenting voice” in meetings and left before the board could deliberate on his complaints.
“Mr. Dourdeville was not a dissenting voice in the boardroom as to the matters he raised in his letter,” the company asserted in an SEC filing.
This leadership shakeup also coincides with Harley preparing for new tariffs on American-made motorcycles sold in Europe – a situation executives warned could drive prices into the six-figure range.
Harley alerted Congress that the EU’s proposed tariffs are “devastating” and “indefensible,” with the CFO warning that a Road Glide in Denmark could leap from $28,000 to $124,000, as previously reported by The U.S. Sun.
Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Root testified that tariffs could severely impact international sales and claimed Harley is being politically targeted.
He added that the company absorbed $166 million in costs during the last round of tariffs in 2018 without passing the expense onto consumers.
Employing 4,500 American workers, Harley sources the majority of its components from US suppliers and indicates it is already facing pressures from Trump’s broader auto industry tariffs.
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