Will new H-D have seven sets of footpegs?
The great American motorcycle company
will start building its bikes in India later this winter.
Harley-Davidson has announced that an
assembly plant will open in the Indian state of Haryana in the first
six months of next year.
Harley-Davidson India imports finished
motorcycles from the United States, but duties are high.
When the plant is operational,
Harley-Davidson in the U.S. will send kits to India, to be assembled
there, reducing import duties and cutting the cost to the Indian
consumer.
Some current models will be assembled
in India, while others will continue to be imported as completed
products.
TB. I hear ya. I’m in telecom and going through exactly the same thing now. Our SA group is going offshore to cheaper labour markets. Last day is Dec 8. Nice Xmas present!! Pavement is getting pounded hard at the moment. As for Harley, time will tell the tale.
“Would be interesting to know how many parts on current “US built” HDs are NOT made in the US!?”
Only the ones that don’t break or leak.
All Harley model designations end in FRT,PDI,HST,LIC
“Would be interesting to know how many parts on current “US built” HDs are NOT made in the US!?”
Just woke up from a 20yr coma, did we? Welcome back!
Would be interesting to know how many parts on current “US built” HDs are NOT made in the US!?
Wow, I thought “2010 Screaming Eagle CVO Ultra Classic-FHSTCUSE5-BLACK” was a ridiculous made up name for a bike like you were mocking Harley. Crazy that it’s really the name. Who cares where your bike is made, what label it has as long as it’s fun to ride? Hop on, twist the throttle and smile. I had a blast riding a 150 cc Chinese scooter on vacation last month. If you can’t have fun riding a cheap toy, you shouldn’t be riding.
Just bought the 2010 Screaming Eagle CVO Ultra Classic-FHSTCUSE5-BLACK—very limited edition. It will always be an American ICON because even if duplicated in India it will NEVER be the American ICON. Their model will be comparable to the KIA Sedan or another piece of similar crap. What in the hell is Harley thinking??? Are they not aware of their positive creditability if they held all Harley motorcycles “American Made”. I suspect even native India buyers would prefer such.
“Will Indian H-D riders wave back?”
They will but it will look like they’re screwing in a light bulb.
Will Indian H-D riders wave back?
I bet a lot of Americans thought that when they started building GM, Ford and Chrysler products in Canada!
Dammit, chris, DON’T FEED THE BEARS.
Hey Guy’s
On another note is any one out there in the market for a Brand New 2009 Scream ‘n’ Eagle FLTRSE (Road Glide) in Inferno Orange?
This is a Brand New ( Canandian ) bike with full 2 year factory warranty which was only just un-crated this Wednesday for $39,419.00, plus FRT,PDI,HST,LIC.
Once work is “off-shored” it never comes back. In my industry (telecom), what started out as a small sub contracting job to India has turned out to be an open floodgate. The North American jobs are lost and the work NEVER comes back. Quality standards and quality control have gone down and customer service is all but forgotten. As long as the “big suits” can pump up profits and share values for the short term, they will do anything to cut costs and try to justify these moves with lies. I have seen it and lived it.
Well now, I heard that Harley is going to start an assembly plant in ‘Nam using MIA POW.
cheers
ken
Pat W,
He can afford them but they’re made by Harley Davidson.
Hey Chris,
I wouldn’t be too sure about the Kansas assembly plant. I understand there are labour issues which need to be addressed.
How on earth is that guy going to be able to afford
a Harley?
He can’t even afford condoms. :grin
“So you true blue Harley owners need not worry about the Motor Company ever building your Harley in India and shipping to North America.”
Yo, Chris… news flash: some of us (Canadian) Harley owners are aware that we are already riding a foreign bike and are comfortable with that. Where it is assembled and where the parts are sourced is irrelevant, especially considering we’ve already bought ours.
Everybody out there needs to remember that the Harley’s will be assembled in India, for the Indian market place ONLY!
Harley-Davidson Motor Company will continue production at their York and Kansas plants for the rest of the world markets, including bikes being shipped even to China. So you true blue Harley owners need not worry about the Motor Company ever building your Harley in India and shipping to North America.
This is something that you can quote me on since I work in the Harley business and have for over 20 years. 8)
Someone at H-D is watching the global economy. India has the fifth largest GDP after the EU,U.S. Japan and China,their GDP has had a 7% growth rate yearly since the late `90s
This smacks of desparation if you ask me (which they didn’t) but they must know the demographics on the North American market better than any of us, and realize that they’re toast unless they do something different. Buell, while an admirable effort on Eric’s part probably didn’t do much for cash flow. HD’s gotta move some metal, if they can get some going in India and build some brand equity, then once the Tshirt sales take off they’re get some return on their investment.
Hey, JoBlow, I need your address. I want to come over to see where your TV, stereo, car, motorcycle, clothes wwere made. If any of them (or their components) were built outside of North America, am I free to call you an idiot?
@Dave
If you don’t like Harley why did you post here?
If Harley want to sell in Indian that’s a good bet only North Americans idiots buy goods from anywhere around the world. And you are surprised when company close doors c’mon wake up fat a…
If you’re ‘one in a million’ in India, there are 1,200 just like you.
Do the math, HD sees a market and they’re going for it – good on ’em …
So what is wrong with Hardly building some bikes in India?
The Royal Enfields imported to N.A seems to be well engineered and BMW is building many of it’s MC motors in China. If I was into Harleys I wouldn’t mind riding one made in India.
Why do you assume that a guy in Milwaukee does a better job than a guy in Delhi?
At least harley is playing the global game, only 20 years too late….. I’d watch were harley sets up shop next, BRIC(brazil,russia, india and china) nations are the up and coming ones, time for america’s motorcycle manufaturing gem to rethink its’ strategie(s)! :eek
“I think the HD executives are blowing smoke out their ass again.”
BMW has announced they’ll be selling bikes in India by this December. Guess their execs must be inhaling that smoke, eh?
The evisceration of the American middle class continues. Maybe a kid with a begging bowl in India can bolt your future Harley together. The new management of Harley would like to get the same pay scale in the ole’ USA. The new Republic.
Just what we need, another Indian revival. At least they’ll be real Harley parts this time.
I know those Indian cars aren’t very good. :grin
What’s the big deal? Many Harley parts are already made off-shore.
and as the great american empire slowly set in the west or should i say east we bid farewell.
“Americans WILL NOT take this lightly.”
With respect, you’re deluding yourself. As long as it has the Harley logo on it, the faithful won’t care. Who knows, they might be better built.
Remember, this is being done to ostensibly get around a duty and taxes issue. I’d tend to believe them until they prove different.
As someone has already pointed out, if Harley sells bikes to one tenth of 1 percent of the population of India – its 100,000 bikes!
while a startling high number of India may not be able afford a harley, an equally absurd number will be able to. with a population of over a billion even a fraction of a percent would translate to pretty good sales figure.
I’m not likely to buy an HD no matter where its built but I’d be happy to buy a machine built in India IFF it is competitive, in terms of both price and quality, with machines built USA/Germany/Japan/etc
Harley is saying that these units are for sale in India? To whom?? Most people in India can’t afford the basic necessities of life, let alone a vehicle for basic transportation. I think the HD executives are blowing smoke out their ass again. For sale in India, that’s bulls**t, look for those units to be shipped to other countries in the very near future. If I worked for Harley, or was a loyal American HD consumer, I’d be pissed. Americans WILL NOT take this lightly.
Yeah, that’s what they said about china too…
I they build one (1) HD in India I will NEVER buy one again.
Its called globalization, Doug. These Harleys will be sold in India. Your Harley will still be meticulously assembled in America.
Has anyone here heard about the 2010 Commonwealth Games? There was an Indian “moment”, and done poorly to be diplomatic. I’m a Harley rider now, and I’m not happy to hear this. I have respected Harley for being Harley. I’ll think twice in future. India, not Indiana hhmmmm…..
This will really make the All American Workforce very happy. How long til the Motor Company realizes that it’s cheaper to have those kits assembled in India ? Those workers are already threatened by management to take cuts or face additional plant closures.
Not a good time to consider a new HD.