Northwest Harley rolls out Military Sales Program

By Tyler Hemstreet on May 7, 2012

Ever since the first American troops rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles during the Mexican Expedition in 1916, the company has enjoyed a long-standing bond with men and women who have served the nation.

Northwest Harley Davidson in Lacey has strengthened that bond at the local level for several years. The store put on its second annual Military Appreciation Event in November, inviting local Servicemembers out to the showroom for color guard presentations, food, live music and a chance to check out the hottest bikes on the market.

Northwest Harley is continuing its commitment to troops this year with its new Military Sales Program. 

While it has been a courtesy delivery dealership for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, dealership officials started noticing a trend of Soldiers returning from deployment to find the wrong bike has been ordered or the bike is delayed, said Tina Torfin, the dealership's guest relations manager.

Troops also might not have realized that when purchasing through AAFES they have to pay tax and licensing fees in cash. But that paled in comparison to the top priority for the dealership: making sure riders are safe.

"Deployed Soldiers are choosing and purchasing motorcycles right out of a catalog, never having sat on or rode on the bike first," Torfin said. "When it comes to purchasing a motorcycle, personal fit is a huge safety factor."

In an effort to remedy these problems, dealership officials started the Military Sales Program. Any active-duty Servicemember or Reservist (deployed or not) can purchase a new Harley Davidson motorcycle from Northwest Harley at the manufacture's suggested retail price. In addition, there are no freight or set-up charges, which amounts to a savings of more than $1,000.

"The best part is that it's a no muss, no fuss process for the Servicemember, as everything would go right through our Military Sales Department," Torfin said. "We are doing this because it is such an important safety precaution to ride a bike that you are comfortable handling and that fits your body, arm length, leg length, torso and so on."

For more information on the program, call Torfin at (360) 705-8515.