Harley-Davidson enthusiasts are a loyal breed.

They are all part of a cultural phenomenon that bridges class, race and religion, members of an elite fraternity that honors the Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Indeed, Harley fans take great pride in ownership, treasuring their motorcycles like family heirlooms. Some fanatics even tattoo the Harley-Davidson logo on their bodies, adorning it like a family crest.

Zealousness aside, Harley-Davidson owners have good reason for their brand loyalty. Not only is the Harley heralded as the premier bike in the industry, but the rise of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company is epitomized as an American success story.

Founded in 1903, the company endured two World Wars, the Great Depression and fierce Japanese competition, to earn a place in history as the industry leader. Today, as the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer and a global supplier of premium quality, heavyweight (651cc+) motorcycles, Harley-Davidson is the undisputed “king of the road.”

Offering 20 models of traditional, factory custom and touring motorcycles, as well as police and military motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Road King names are among the best known in the industry.

Harley-Davidson has successfully maintained its status as an American icon thanks to its ongoing commitment to quality manufacturing and innovative management techniques. During the 1970s, Harley was among the first American companies to institute just-in-time inventory management, statistical process control and employee involvement programs. Last year, Harley exceeded all motorcycle production goals and continued its extensive new product development, delivering more vehicles, in more configurations, than any other year in history.

Harley also continues to offer a wide selection of custom bike accessories and related gear – a part of its business that has grown exponentially over the years.

“For Harley-Davidson enthusiasts, the actual motorcycle is only part of the ownership experience; customizing the bike can become an obsession," said vehicle maintenance and repair manager Pat Karl. "Consequently, a large part of Harley mania is due to the company’s ability to provide quality custom components and accessories.”

The Milwaukee headquarters serves as the center for custom Harley bikes. New models are manufactured at the York, Pa., plant and shipped to a facility in Milwaukee, where they are prepped for catalog photo shoots, industry trade shows and overall launch to market. Everything from custom painting and pin-striping to designer wheel covers is added at this facility.

Because motorcycle customization plays such a major role in Harley’s popularity, the company decided to upgrade its custom operations. One of the key areas renovated was the vehicle maintenance and repair department, which is responsible for assembling the motorcycles and installing all bike accessories.

“We wanted to expand this area to meet the unprecedented demand for motorcycle accessories,” said Karl. “In particular, our storage and workspace needs had changed, and we sought a new system that would afford us functionality and organization.”

Consequently, Harley-Davidson enlisted the help of local industrial equipment distributor Able Equipment Inc., which recommended a modular storage system from Lista International. Headquartered in Holliston, Mass., Lista is a manufacturer of storage and workspace solutions.

In the vehicle maintenance area, Lista installed a network of modular drawer storage cabinets. These high-density cabinets feature 50 percent more storage capacity than conventional shelving, enabling Harley to condense small-parts storage and maximize organization. Their relatively small footprint (28 ¼” wide X 28 ½” deep) utilizes space efficiently.

To optimize floor space, Lista cabinets are configured to form seven work bays; each bay is comprised of four or five cabinets. Equipped with rugged stainless steel counter tops, each workstation is both a space-saving storage system and a functional, U–shaped work area.

As a storage system, Lista’s cabinets maximize organization and item retrieval with customizable drawers. These cabinet drawers, which each feature a 440-pound load capacity, are available in seven different sidewall heights for full cubic storage capacity. Furthermore, each drawer can be subdivided with a wide variety of drawer accessories to create organized, customized compartments. For easy and fast item retrieval, Harley stores a plethora of fast-moving small parts, such as fasteners and screws, in the top drawers. Because drawers extend 100 percent from the housing allowing full use of the furthest corner, accessibility to these components is greatly enhanced.

Conversely, the lower drawers are used to store larger items, including meters, scanillizors, and other test and diagnostic devices. 

“Because of the varying drawer heights that Lista offers, we were able to store more parts and tools in less space,” said Karl. “In addition, every work bay maintains its own inventory, so that technicians do not have to search the department for a particular item. This goes a long way toward increasing productivity.”

Additionally, Lista’s patented PreventTip safety system, which prevents accidental cabinet tipping by allowing only one drawer to open at a time, is an important safety feature, particularly for the free-standing cabinets that divide each work bay.     

At Harley, the Lista storage solution also functions as a workstation, forming a self-contained, practical work area. While cabinet drawers store tools and parts within easy reach, Lista’s durable stainless steel cabinet tops provide a durable work surface for component assembly. Harley employees simply wheel a motorcycle into a work bay and are able to fulfill any work order from beginning to end.

The Lista workspace solution is a vast improvement over the previous system. Installed during World War II, the old cabinets were not space-efficient. Bulky and inflexible, the cabinets dominated the floor space, creating an uncomfortable, confined work area. Moreover, because the cabinets did not feature different drawer heights, there was much wasted storage space.

Karl is also quick to point out the superior weight-bearing capacity of the Lista cabinets.

“We could never fully load the old cabinets, because we would encounter problems opening the drawers. By contrast, the Lista system is extremely durable. We can stock the drawers to full capacity, and they will always roll out smoothly,” he said.

For bulk storage between the work bays, Harley utilizes a similar system of Lista modular drawer cabinets. Installed in rows between the work bays in lieu of shelves, the Lista storage solution stores Harley’s main inventory of small parts, including nuts, bolts and o-rings. Lista’s sliding door cabinets are stacked above the drawer storage units for larger items, such as motor oil, greasing and cleaning agents.

“The organizational benefits and the overall increase in productivity have been extraordinary,” said Karl. “Since we installed the Lista workspace solution, we no longer have to spend time searching for tools or replenishing stock. It’s as though we’ve increased our manpower by 200 percent.”

It seems Harley-Davidson has turned into a real Lista fan. Although they may never tattoo the Lista logo on their chests, Harley is happy to say that Lista is the vendor of choice for storage and workspace solutions.

This article provided by Lista International.

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