For anyone in Lititz looking for a weekend outing in late September 2015, a short drive west offered something unusual: a chance to see motorcycles that starred in Hollywood blockbusters. The annual open house at the Harley-Davidson plant in York featured bikes from “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” along with free factory tours and live music.
An alternative weekend plan
The open house fell on a busy weekend in Lancaster County. For those who missed out on tickets to the Lititz Craft Beer Festival, or who felt that a corn maze was a little too much like the morning commute, the York event offered a free and very different alternative. It ran through Saturday, September 26, the final day of the weekend event.
Movie bikes up close
The biggest draws were the film motorcycles. Harley-Davidson had supplied bikes for several Marvel films, and fans could see some of those machines on display at the open house. For moviegoers, it was a rare chance to stand next to a vehicle they had seen tearing across the big screen.
A jump-start on LiveWire
Visitors could also get a look at the future of the brand. Harley-Davidson’s Project LiveWire, a sleek electric motorcycle, was part of the experience. At the time, LiveWire was still a prototype that the company was showing to the public to gather feedback. For a company famous for the rumble of its engines, a nearly silent electric bike was a striking departure, and many visitors were curious to see it in person.
Demo rides and tours
For those holding a valid motorcycle license, free demo rides were available on new 2016 models. It was a chance to test the latest bikes on the road without any sales pressure.
Visitors who preferred to stay on foot could take free self-guided tours of the factory floor, which offered a look at how motorcycles are assembled. The York plant has been one of Harley-Davidson’s key manufacturing sites for decades.
The event also featured live music, with the band Lynchpin playing on the final day, plus vendors and other attractions. Hours were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tours ending at 3 p.m. Visitors were reminded that the campus had become non-smoking.
The plant and its place in the region
Harley-Davidson’s York facility sits at 1425 Eden Road and has long been one of the largest manufacturing employers in York County. The company’s annual open house became a tradition that drew riders and families from across the region, and the plant’s tours have been a popular attraction for visitors interested in American industry.
For residents of Lititz and northern Lancaster County, York is an easy trip. The drive across the Susquehanna River takes well under an hour, making the open house a manageable day trip for families and motorcycle enthusiasts alike.
Open houses like this one also serve as a thank-you to the community and to the riders who make the brand what it is. Many visitors arrived on their own motorcycles, filling the parking areas with bikes of every vintage and turning the lots into an informal show of their own.
Why it drew a crowd
The open house combined several things that appeal to a wide audience. Motorcycle fans got demo rides and a look at the newest models. Movie fans got to see famous film bikes up close. Families got a free outing with music and food. And anyone curious about how things are made got a look inside a working factory.
Admission was free, and more information was available through the event’s page online. For a late-September Saturday, it was a hard combination to beat, and one that offered a taste of both the history and the future of one of America’s best-known brands.