Matthew Levatich will leave the post of chief executive at Harley-Davidson and its board of directors. The AP reported the news: Harley-Davidson CEO Matthew Levatich is leaving the struggling motorcycle maker. The Milwaukee company announced Friday that Levatich will leave his post and seat on Harley's board of directors. Board member Jochen Zeitz will become acting president and CEO while a board search committee is formed and Harley hires an outside search firm to fill the job. "The Board and Matt mutually agreed that now is the time for new leadership at Harley-Davidson," Zeitz said in a prepared statement. Harley has been struggling with declining sales in the U.S., its biggest market, as it tries to adapt to an aging customer base while looking to expand markets overseas. The announcement of the leadership change, made after the markets closed, pushed Harley's shares up 5% in after-hours trading. They had fallen 2.3% with the broader markets during the trading day.