I don't think it's political. It happens that HD fell victim to loose credit, just like the mortgage industry did. As I understand it, as sales began to suffer, the strategy was to rejuvenate sales by dramatically lowering credit standards and offering new bike loans to just about anyone regardless of their ability to repay.
When a household loses an income, keeping that $20k+ recreational/hobby mobile seems fairly low on the list of priorities. All of the motorcycle manufacturers have seen a dramatic drop in sales during the recession, but not all of them tried to artificially keep sales up through inadvisable credit practices.
It's just the business of credit and the culture of credit biting another corporate victim and many households too.
