Underground Journal

The Belt Buckle and The President

Did a President of the United States ever receive a Harley Davidson belt buckle as a gift? In 1986 President Ronald Reagan toured the Harley plant in York, Pennsylvania. That factory had begun to turn out Harley cycles soon after 1973. That was the year when one businessman bought the building that used to house AME, Inc.

During World War II, AME, Inc. had made bomb casings. Later it produced bowling balls. Both of those items predate the emergence of interest in bike related products.

When Reagan visited the factory in 1986, the Harley executives were just beginning to benefit from certain changes in U.S. trading policies. Protective tariffs had provided those executives with useful time, time for improving their two wheeled product. Those improvements led to a rising interest in motorcycles and all related bike gear.

Today the manufacturing facility in York, PA serves as a testament to the success of America’s only U.S. based motorcycle maker. Indeed that plant seems a bit out of place, there amid the rolling farmlands of that particular county. Yet that plant relies on its overhead conveyor assembly to facilitate production of a steady stream of cycles.

Next to that plant, visitors can examine the pictures and other objects that reveal information about the plant’s history. They can also visit the attached shops, where they can find all sorts of cycle related gear. However, it is not clear just where all that gear is made. Nor is it clear just which items are most popular.

Certainly, one would suspect that any item offered to a visiting dignitary, such as the President, would be one of the more popular items. Perhaps it was a Harley Davidson belt buckle. If so, then one wonders if it was the simple Vintage Buckle or the one with a skull and cross bones? If your looking for accessories, try doing a search online for a belt buckle finder which will help you find the right product for you.

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