AMA Hall of Fame Opens Exhibit on Harley-Davidson’s Turnaround

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, has a new exhibit about one of the biggest comebacks in American motorcycling. "We Did It Together: A Harley-Davidson Leadership Story" opened with a ribbon cutting on Saturday, Oct. 17, during the museum's Fall Bike Night, and the American Motorcyclist Association announced it on Oct. 19.

It tells the story of how Harley-Davidson went from near-bankruptcy in the 1980s to booming sales by the late 1990s and early 2000s. The focus is less on the bikes than on the people, especially former CEO and Hall of Famer Richard Teerlink.

Key points:

• Open now: the exhibit is on display at the Hall of Fame, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington.
• What you'll see: a timeline of photos and company milestones from 1980 through 2005, plus Teerlink's four anniversary Electra Glides.
• Still to come: a community photo mural, with submissions taken through July 31, 2027 and an unveiling planned for Oct. 12, 2027.

Four Electra Glides and a 25-year timeline

The centerpiece for most riders will be the motorcycles. The exhibit gathers the four anniversary Electra Glide touring bikes presented to Teerlink for Harley-Davidson's 85th, 90th, 95th and 100th anniversary celebrations. The AMA calls them a one-of-a-kind collection.

Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903, so those celebrations fell in 1988, 1993, 1998 and 2003. That's our arithmetic; the AMA release doesn't list model years or specifications for the four bikes.

Around them, a timeline runs from 1980 to 2005 with historic photographs and key milestones. That window covers the company's hardest stretch and its recovery, ending a few years after Teerlink retired.

Teerlink's turnaround was about how the company was run

The exhibit's argument is in its title. According to the AMA, it shows how Harley-Davidson moved away from a traditional top-down management model and toward trust, employee participation, shared responsibility and collective ownership. The AMA adds that the approach has since been taught in university business programs.

The numbers behind that story come from the AMA's own record of Teerlink's career. When he died in 2025 at age 88, the association noted that:

• He joined in 1981 as chief financial officer and focused first on finding new financing.
• He later became Harley-Davidson's president and CEO.
• In his first year as CFO, Harley posted a $15.5 million operating loss on $210 million in revenue.
• When he retired in 1999, it had $416 million in operating profit on $2.45 billion in revenue.
• He entered the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2015.

The exhibit was put together by Teerlink's family, friends and former Harley-Davidson executives. AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman thanked Ann Teerlink and Jeff Westphal by name, saying the exhibit lets the museum "celebrate those people while preserving an important part of motorcycle history."

Westphal, a longtime friend and mentee of Teerlink, put the lesson simply: "Rich taught me that mutually beneficial relationships are what matters most."

A community mural is planned for 2027

The opening also launched the "We Did It Together" Mural Campaign. The AMA describes the exhibit as permanent and is inviting the Harley-Davidson community to become part of it.

Here's how the release describes the campaign:

1. Who can appear: people whose lives were connected to the brand, such as factory employees, H.O.G. members, dealership staff, rally-goers, veterans and lifelong enthusiasts. Submitters can send photos of themselves, family members or loved ones.
2. How photos get in: submissions go with a donation to the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, and selected photographs become part of the mural. Not every submission is guaranteed a spot.
3. Where to submit: through the "We Did It Together" exhibit page on the Hall of Fame's website.
4. Deadlines: photos are accepted through July 31, 2027, and the finished mural is scheduled to be unveiled Oct. 12, 2027.

The AMA hasn't said how photos will be selected, how many the mural will hold, or whether a minimum donation applies. If your family has a Harley story, read the terms on the museum's page before sending anything.

Visiting the Hall of Fame in Pickerington

The Hall of Fame sits on the AMA's headquarters campus outside Columbus. The AMA's hours page currently lists:

• Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors, $3 students ages 12 to 17, $9 members of national motorcycle organizations, and $25 for a family. Children 11 and under and active AMA members get in free.
• Contact: (614) 856-2222.

The museum lists Tuesday and Wednesday closures from September 29, 2026 through March 31, 2027, plus holiday closures. Call before you ride over to confirm your visit.

Admission prices and the call-ahead guidance for groups of 10 or more are listed on the museum’s rates page.

What the AMA hasn't said yet

• Model details for the four Electra Glides, beyond the anniversaries they marked.
• How mural photos will be chosen, and how many will appear.