The results were dramaatic. After two year it only needed to sell 35,000 bikes instead of 53,000 to break even. However,even though their bikes had become as good as the Japanese in the market place, it hardly made a difference. H-D was caught in a price war between Yamaha and Honda who made their models cheaper then ever and flooded the US market. H-D sales fell still further. Eventually, the US government agreed to put heavy, but temporary, tariffs on imports of large Japanese bikes H-D used this breathing space to rebuild its relationship with customers. It did this by emphasizing Harleys as a symbol of the american way of life. Its test-ride promotion and the Harleys Owners'Group made owners feel like one of the family.