Happy 4th of July to all our American readers and supporters, it’s going to be a great week for y’all! From riding and BBQ’ing, to parades, to friends and family, to drinking and eating a little too much, to smiles that last the miles! Cheers my friends! Also Total Motorcycle has 2 little Harley-Davidson surprises for you today to start your day off on the right foot. Independence Day isn’t complete without motorcycle riding and Harley-Davidson!
Happy 4th of July & Harley-Davidson Surprise, I hope you enjoy the holiday, weekend and moments that come.
Total Motorcycle cuts the mustard every time…
On September 14, 1814, U.S. soldiers at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry raised a huge American flag to celebrate a crucial victory over British forces during the War of 1812 (sadly the “White House” was burned down by Canadians, thus they had to paint it white). The sight of those “broad stripes and bright stars” inspired Francis Scott Key to write a song that eventually became the United States national anthem. Key’s words gave new significance to a national symbol and started a tradition through which generations of Americans have invested the flag with their own meanings and memories.
Complete version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” showing spelling and punctuation from Francis Scott Key’s manuscript in the Maryland Historical Society collection.
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bomb bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,
‘Tis the star-spangled banner – O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History
Making the Flag
In the summer of 1813, Mary Pickersgill (1776–1857) was contracted to sew two flags for Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. The one that became the Star-Spangled Banner was a 30 x 42–foot garrison flag; the other was a 17 x 25–foot storm flag for use in inclement weather. Pickersgill, a thirty-seven-year-old widow, was an experienced maker of ships’ colors and signal flags. She filled orders for many of the military and merchant ships that sailed into Baltimore’s busy port.
Pickersgill and her assistants spent about seven weeks making the two flags. They assembled the blue canton and the red and white stripes of the flag by piecing together strips of loosely woven English wool bunting that were only 12 or 18 inches wide.
The Capital Captured
“Every American heart is bursting with shame and indignation at the catastrophe.” —Baltimore resident describing the burning of Washington, 1814
Angered by British interference with American trade, the young United States was intent on reaffirming its recently won independence. Instead, a series of defeats left Americans anxious and demoralized. They were stunned when, on August 24, 1814, British troops (Canadian’s) marched into Washington, D.C., and set the Capitol building and White House ablaze.
Baltimore in the Balance
“The moment of suspense is awful.” —Editor of the National Intelligencer in Washington, D.C., awaiting news from Baltimore, 1814
America’s future seemed more uncertain than ever as the British set their sights on Baltimore, Maryland, a vital seaport. On September 13, 1814, British warships began firing bombs and rockets on Fort McHenry, which protected the city’s harbor. The bombardment continued for twenty-five hours while the nation awaited news of Baltimore’s fate.
A Moment of Triumph
“Then in that hour of deliverance and joyful triumph, my heart spoke.” —Francis Scott Key recalling the morning of September 14, 1814
By the “dawn’s early light” of September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key, who was aboard a ship several miles distant, could just make out an American flag waving above Fort McHenry. British ships were withdrawing from Baltimore, and Key realized that the United States had survived the battle and stopped the enemy advance. Moved by the sight, he wrote a song celebrating “that star-spangled banner” as a symbol of America’s triumph and endurance.
National Treasure
New York stockbroker Eben Appleton inherited the Star-Spangled Banner upon his mother’s death in 1878. The publicity that it had received in the 1870s had transformed it into a national treasure, and Appleton received many requests to lend it for patriotic occasions. He permitted it to go to Baltimore for that city’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1880. After that his concern for the flag’s deteriorating condition led him to keep it in a safe-deposit vault in New York. In 1907 he lent the Star-Spangled Banner to the Smithsonian Institution, and in 1912 he converted the loan to a gift.
Appleton donated the flag with the wish that it would always be on view to the public. Museums constantly balance the desire to display an object with the need to protect it from the damage created by light, dust, and other environmental factors. The Smithsonian has had to balance its effort to fulfill his wishes with the need to care for the fragile and damaged object.
The Lyrics
Francis Scott Key was a gifted amateur poet. Inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over Fort McHenry the morning after the bombardment, he scribbled the initial verse of his song on the back of a letter. Back in Baltimore, he completed the four verses and copied them onto a sheet of paper, probably making more than one copy. A local printer issued the new song as a broadside. Shortly afterward, two Baltimore newspapers published it, and by mid-October it had appeared in at least seventeen other papers in cities up and down the East Coast.
The Melody
The melody Francis Scott Key used for his song was the popular English tune known as “To Anacreon in Heaven”. Anacreon was an ancient Greek poet noted for his praise of love and wine. Written about 1775 by John Stafford Smith, the tune was originally the “constitutional song” of the Anacreontic Society, a gentlemen’s music club in London.
The Anacreontic Song
To Anacreon in Heaven, where he sat in full glee,
A few sons of harmony sent a petition,
That he their inspirer and patron would be;
When this answer arrived from the jolly old Grecian:
Voice, fiddle, and flute, no longer be mute,
I’ll lend you my name and inspire you to boot
And besides I’ll instruct you like me to intwine
The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus’s vine.
–Words by Ralph Tomlinson, music by John Stafford Smith, about 1775.
National Anthem
During the 19th century, “The Star-Spangled Banner” became one of the nation’s best-loved patriotic songs. It gained special significance during the Civil War, a time when many Americans turned to music to express their feelings for the flag and the ideals and values it represented. By the 1890s, the military had adopted the song for ceremonial purposes, requiring it to be played at the raising and lowering of the colors. Despite its widespread popularity, “The Star-Spangled Banner” did not become the National Anthem until 1931.
2024 Harley-Davidson X440
What lurks in the shadows? The known devil, or the unknown ally? For the sun chasers or the night birds? You decide. The Harley-Davidson X440. Soon to ride off the line, straight into your reality. And when it does, everything will change. Arriving 3rd July ‘23.
Embargo lifted, check out our First Look of the new Harley-Davidson X440 here and the new Harley-Davidson X models below:
Harley-Davidson X
Built for urban riding. Born to be more free to explore.
– 2023 Harley-Davidson X500 – New model (World)
– 2023 Harley-Davidson X350 – New model (World)
– 2023 Harley-Davidson X440 Denim – New model (India)
– 2023 Harley-Davidson X440 Vivid – New model (India)
– 2023 Harley-Davidson X440S – New model (India)
2024 Harley-Davidson X440: A NEW STEP FOR HARLEY-DAVIDSON.
Introducing the 2024 Harley-Davidson X440…
Harley-Davidson in collaboration with Indian motorcycle manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp is all set to unveil its highly anticipated Roadster model, the 2024 Harley-Davidson X440 in early July in India.. The partnership aims to combine the strengths of both companies and deliver a thrilling riding experience to motorcycle enthusiasts.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON LAUNCHES H-D MEMBERSHIP, A NEW INDUSTRY-LEADING COMMUNITY PLATFORM AND MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
MILWAUKEE (July 4th, 2023) – Building on the 40-year history and success of its Harley Owners Group, the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world with over 500,000 members, Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) today launched its new H-D Membership program. H-D Membership is an industry-leading community platform and membership program that will bring together riders and moto-culture fans under the United We Ride banner to connect, engage and ride with one another.
H-D Membership will allow riders and fans to enjoy a personalized experience of in-app social features, riding benefits and access to the Harley-Davidson brand like never before. H-D Membership is a new and positive hub for moto-culture – serving as inspiration to riders and non-riders alike.
“Our community is at the heart of everything we do – building on the success of the Harley Owners Group, H-D Membership will enhance the way in which we engage with our members, leveraging modern tools to connect riders, deliver new benefits and create new experiences,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. “We’re excited about giving our community of riders and non-riders a new way to connect on and off the road, while ensuring we deliver unique and tailored content to really make their experience with the brand as personalized as possible.”
H-D Membership will offer riders and non-riders new benefits to further unlock the benefits of the unique moto-culture community:
- New app experience – The revamped H-D app, now exclusive for members, has been designed to connect and engage with the wider community. Members can now explore new digital and social tools that enable sharing of experiences, and for members to learn and be inspired by each other. With the help of member profiles, member groups, ride planning and sharing and numerous other tools, members can engage both on and off the road, making these new offerings exciting additions to maximize the H-D experience.
- Unique and personalized content – H-D Membership creates special access to the H-D brand. Tailored to a member’s individual lifestyle and riding interests, members will have access to information on new products, special membership events, curated H-D content (e.g., educational riding, moto-culture inspiring, H-D community), and much more.
- Expanded benefits – H-D Membership provides high-value benefits both on and off the bike such as roadside assistance, motorcycle service, unique member products and more. Additionally, members gain access to exclusive benefits and special offers through collaborations with Hilton, SiriusXM, AT&T, EagleRider Rentals, the Fuel Rewards program at Shell and Tentrr (two-wheel friendly camping).
- Introduction of loyalty rewards – With the new H-D Membership program, members will earn points for purchases of H-D products at participating Harley-Davidson dealerships and online at H-D.com. Members will also earn rewards for engaging with the community by sharing great content, riding together, attending events and completing challenges. Members who also hold the Harley-Davidson Visa card can earn even more points and enjoy extra redemption options and benefits.
H-D Membership is free for all participants, offering multiple ways for members to tailor their experiences, engage with the H-D community and earn rewards. Members who look to further enhance their H-D experience and benefit package may elect to add the Access Pass, for riders and non-riders, with exclusive access to key brand events and content as well as benefits such as enhanced rewards and partner benefits. Another option is the Rider Pass which includes tools, content, and benefits such as roadside assistance, motorcycle service benefits and partner benefits to enhance the riding experience. Members who ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle may also elect to join Harley Owners Group, with an enhanced riding benefits package, including extended roadside assistance, inspection benefits and special H-D rewards for engagement.
H-D Membership seeks to engage the broader riding community and H-D brand fans, extending support to members who are new to the sport and further promoting an inclusive, positive moto-culture community. On or off the bike, H-D Membership connects, empowers and rewards our community, enhancing the H-D experience. Members can download the H-D app to stay up to date on special events, including the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival, July 13 – 16, 2023 (h-d.com/homecoming).
H-D is launching its new Membership program first in the United States and will continue the roll out across its regions. To learn more about H-D Membership, please visit h-d.com/membership.
About Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Our ambition is to maintain our place as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture by delivering a motorcycle lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, experiences, motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get riders on the road. Harley-Davidson also has a controlling interest in Livewire, the first publicly traded all-electric motorcycle company in the United States. LiveWire is the future in the making for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. Drawing on its DNA as an agile disruptor from the lineage of Harley-Davidson and capitalizing on a decade of learnings in the EV sector, LiveWire’s ambition is to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world.
