Beals was a middle-aged Leaguer, a far cry from what one might think of I Engineer heavy motorcycle aficionado. He had graduated from MIT's Aeronautical ing School and was considered a production specialist. But he was far more than that. His was a true commitment to motorcycles, personally as well as profession ally, concerned with AMF's declining attention to quality, he achieved the buyout from AMF. The prognosis for the company was bleak. Its market share, which had domi- the industry before the Honda invasion, now was 3 percent. In 1983, Harley nated Davidson celebrate its 80th birthday; some doubted it would still be around by then. Tariff protection seemed Harleys only hope. And massive lobbying paid off. In 1983, Congress passed a huge tariff increase on Japanese motorcycles. Instead of percent tariff, now Japanese motorcycles would be subject to 45 percent tariff for the coming five years. The tariff gave the company new hope, and it slowly began to rebuild market share. Key to this was restoring confidence in the quality of its products, and Beals took a leading role in this. He drove Harley-Davidsons to rallies where he met Harley owners. There he learned of their concerns and their complaints, and he promised changes. Harley-Davidson users, called HoGs (for Harley owners Group), were to be trailblazers for the successful growth and mystique to come. Beals had company on his odyssey: Willie G. Davidson, grandson of the com pany's founder and the vice president of design. Willie was an interesting contrast to the more urbane Beals. His was the image of a middle-age hippie. He wore a Viking helmet over long, unkempt hair, while a straggly beard hid some of his wind. bumed face. An aged leather jacket was compatible. Beals and Davidson fit in nicely at the HoG rallies. t Peter c Reid, wvll Made in America-Lessons fiorn Harley Davideon on Being the Best N