While U.S. President Donald Trump encourages Americans who boycott Harley-Davidson, the Secret Service that protects him continues to ride Harley motorcycles.

Just a couple of days ago, the Federal Business Opportunities website published the Secret Service’s plans to buy a new Harley and pair it with a sidecar. The website is a usual spot for federal agencies to publish solicitations and requests for proposals from private businesses and government contractors.

The Secret Service said they have decided to buy a Harley-Davidson instead of some other motorcycle because they already had mechanics that are familiar with Harleys. Their trained mechanics already know how to work with Harley’s spare parts, and they know which sidecars would best fit the bikes.

“Any other motorcycles would require additional training of staff,” the Secret Service claims.

Trump’s feud with the Milwaukee based company started this summer when Harley-Davidson announced it was moving apart of its production overseas. Harley officials said the moving was happening due to the EU slapping a whopping 31% tariff on the U.S. made motorcycles – which was a response to Trump’s tariffs on aluminum and steel imports.

Trump stated Harley was using the tariffs as an excuse to execute a plan they have been working on for years.  In August, the President tweeted about encouraging Americans to boycott Harley-Davidson and he also openly told the iconic motorcycle-maker to keep its production in the United States.

However, Harley said that motorcycles that made for selling in the U.S. would continue to be manufactured in the U.S.

The fact that Harleys for the U.S. market are still made in the U.S. is the crucial sticking point for federal agencies when buying new motorcycles because they are often bound by made-in-America requirements.

For example, the U.S. Parks Service also uses Harleys.

As Journal Sentinel reports, Harley may have competitors for police motorcycle sales, but BMW is still a distant second. Harley-Davidson is the only one that builds specially made police bikes in its factory – all the other manufacturers modify existing models for police use.

Photo by Photo YourSpace

Source: Journal Sentinel