Bore and Stoke Podcast Ep. 8: Bill Davidson Talks Harley-Davidson
Stories from inside the Davidson family
In this episode, we sit down with Bill Davidson, the son of Willie G. Davidson and great-grandson of Harley-Davidson co-founder William A. Davidson. Few names carry as much weight in the motorcycle world as Davidson, and Bill has spent his entire life surrounded by one of the most iconic brands in motorcycling.
We talk about his unique upbringing in the Davidson family, what Harley-Davidson means to him, the responsibility of carrying that legendary last name, and how he’s seen the brand evolve over the decades. From stories about life inside the family to thoughts on Harley’s future with bikes like the LiveWire and Pan America, Bill gives us a rare perspective you won’t hear anywhere else.
If you love Harley-Davidson, motorcycle history, or just great storytelling from someone who’s lived it, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to our podcast sponsor, the Honda Gold Wing. If you’re gonna ride, ride something legendary. Learn more about the 50th anniversary of the Honda Gold Wing here.
Bore and Stoke Podcast Ep. 8: Bill Davidson Reflects On All Things Harley-Davidson
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Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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The new Sportster is a good example of why Harley is failing. They build what they want to build with very little input from potential customers. The Old Guard wants to keep the big inch twin while the industry is moving in a much different direction. I put over 150,000 miles on Harley Davison products but my last purchase was a Honda (smooth, powerful, excellent handling ). Pretty tired of overpaying good money for a HD and getting less value. What Harley actually needs is a whole different approach away from the twins and perhaps build in-line fours or triples that they can sell in volume. I truly think they exist to serve their current customer base which is shrinking every day. They’ve lost my business and it’s a story that is repeated 10,000 times a year. If they keep on their current path they’ll shrink to nothing more than a boutique builder of motorcycles rather than the conglomerate that they are now.
Would love to own a Harley but they are too expensive for me to buy and keep up the maintenance. I've been pretty much a Honda rider since I was a teen and I'm 69 now. Have a VTX1800 F that I bought new in 2005 for $15K... just bought a 2025 Goldwing DCT for $29K and they'll last me the rest of my riding life.