"1981--On February 26, thirteen Harley-Davidson senior executives sign a letter of intent to purchase H-D motor company from AMF. By mid-June, the buy back is official, and the phrase "the Eagle Soars Alone" becomes a rallying cry."
"1984-- Harley Davidson unveils the 1340cc V2 Evolution engine on 5 models including the all- new Softail."
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/H-D_History/history_1980s.jsp?locale=en_US
Harley nearly died because of AMF. My mechanic lived in Milwaukee during these times and seen the effects of it first hand. No way, no how did AMF help H-D, they just kept it on "life support" till H-D (Willy) could regain control and head it in its proper path.
Also the nick name "HOG" came from....... Beginning in 1920, a team of farm boys, including Ray Weishaar, who became known as the "hog boys," consistently won races. The group had a hog, or pig as their mascot. Following a win, they would put the pig (a real one) on the back of their Harley and take a victory lap. In 1983, the Motor Company formed a club for owners of its product taking advantage of the long-standing nickname by turning "hog" into the acronym H.O.G., for Harley Owners Group. Harley-Davidson attempted to trademark "hog", but lost a case against an independent Harley-Davidson specialist, The Hog Farm of West Seneca, NY, in 1999 when the appellate panel ruled that "hog" had become a generic term for large motorcycles and was therefore unprotectable as a trademark.
On August 15, 2006, Harley Davidson Inc. had its NYSE ticker symbol changed from HDI to HOG.
Now to Klipsch..... Don't let it go overseas!! This past summer my company(CASY) was in a raging battle with a Canadian hostile take over. Scarey times to say the least. America NEEDS to stay American owned....PERIOD!