Harley dealers blast Indian Motorcycle over attack ad targeting CEO Artie Starrs being ‘from a pizza company’

Harley-Davidson dealers are accusing rival Indian Motorcycle of resorting to “attack-based marketing” following the release of an advertisement that poked fun at CEO Artie Starrs. This move has sparked speculation about whether a broader anti-Harley social media campaign is giving an advantage to the competitor.

The controversy began when Indian Motorcycle posted a commercial on Instagram that highlighted the fact that Harley-Davidson had hired a CEO with a background in the pizza industry, referencing Starrs’ previous role as CEO of Pizza Hut.

The ad also criticized Harley’s electric motorcycle strategy, overseas manufacturing practices, and previous diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Conservative influencer Robby Starbuck and UFC fighter Sean Strickland have been vocal in their criticism of Harley-Davidson, urging riders to turn away from the iconic brand due to what they perceive as the company’s adoption of “woke” corporate policies.

Harley dealers expressed concerns to the Milwaukee Business Journal about the timing of Indian Motorcycle’s ad campaign and the broader social media attacks, raising suspicions about potential connections between the efforts.

“The personal attacks on Starrs are uncalled for,” said Jeff Binkert, president of House of Harley-Davidson in Greenfield, in an interview with the Business Journal.

“Regardless of the source, I believe the motorcycle industry thrives when manufacturers compete based on products, innovation, dealer support, and customer experience—not personal attacks,” Binkert added.

Indian Motorcycle’s advertisement contrasted Starrs with its own CEO Mike Kennedy, portraying Kennedy as a seasoned industry veteran and motorcycle enthusiast.

Kennedy, a former Harley executive, mentioned to the Milwaukee Business Journal that recent executive changes at Harley presented an opportunity for Indian to capture more market share.

“There’s a window of vulnerability there,” Kennedy stated. “We see a significant opportunity to gain market share.”

The ad received backlash from some Harley riders and dealers who accused Indian Motorcycle of trying to leverage the anti-Harley influencer campaign instead of focusing on product competition.

Indian Motorcycle refuted the criticism and defended the commercial, stating that the conversation about Harley-Davidson was already happening among riders.

“Harley’s dealer group labels our ad as ‘attack-based’ because they refuse to call it false. We stand by our message. The focus was on leadership, decision-making, and Harley’s understanding of its riders,” a spokesperson for Indian Motorcycle remarked.

The company also pointed out that Harley had previously targeted Indian customers through its “Indian Conquest” program and emphasized that competition between the brands was nothing new.

“We believe Indian produces superior motorcycles and is more aligned with the rider culture that shaped American motorcycling,” the spokesperson added.

Neither Kennedy nor Indian Motorcycle’s PR firm responded to requests for further comments. Harley-Davidson opted not to provide a statement.

The conflict coincides with Starbuck’s renewed campaign against Harley-Davidson, alleging that the company has failed to make significant changes despite scaling back DEI-related initiatives in the previous year.

In his recent statements, Starbuck accused Harley of promoting executives who had previously backed DEI initiatives, LGBTQ programs, and educational materials addressing topics such as white privilege, gender identity, and intersectionality.

Starbuck particularly targeted Starrs and Chief Brand Officer Marcus Fischer, arguing that their backgrounds do not align with traditional biker culture.

Starbuck denied any involvement from Indian Motorcycle or external sponsors, stating that neither Indian nor any other entity sponsored his recent investigation into Harley-Davidson’s leadership and policies.

“The most significant criticism of Harley-Davidson did not come from me,” Starbuck clarified in an email. “It came from executives who prioritize pronouns over understanding their riders.”

Starbuck defended his critiques of Harley’s leadership, stating, “Dealers should question if their hiring decisions were truly in the company’s best interest.”

He further expressed his belief that Harley’s board is disconnected from its customer base and indicated that his investigative reporting on the company would persist.

“It’s evident that the board lacks an understanding of their customers at this point,” Starbuck remarked.

The Harley-Davidson Council of the National Powersports Dealer Association released a public letter supporting Starrs and the company’s leadership team while condemning what Chairman George Gatto referred to as “attack-based marketing.”

Gatto denounced the Indian commercial and anti-Harley influencer posts as “reprehensible,” “contemptible,” and “unscrupulous.”

The Post reached out for comment from Strickland.