After 107 years in Milwaukee, Harley could leave

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

Especially with wearing beanies even when it's 80 degrees out:

a) to hide the bad hair
b) to hide the balding pattern
c) to look bad-ass or like a "working man" (when they're really a lawyer)

I'm still trying to figure out how giant beer guts and horrendous tats got labeled badass

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by Dave

I'm still trying to figure out how giant beer guts and horrendous tats got labeled badass

In America, big = macho (even if you can't climb a flight of stairs without panting)

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

In America, big = macho (even if you can't climb a flight of stairs without panting)

Shit, still doesn't explain some of the cheesecake I see on the back of those things. I usually. Just assume she's either drunk or high though

[wildchild]

Originally Posted by Dave

Shit, still doesn't explain some of the cheesecake I see on the back of those things. I usually. Just assume she's either drunk or high though

yeah not a lot of "average" HD gals out there. they're either drop dead gorgeous or chew your arm off nasty. seems the exception is the ones who ride their own tend to be more average. just my opinion.

the ones i like are the "i'll only ride bitch on a harley". they won't ride on anything else. alwayss tempting to take 'em out in country somewhere and drop 'em off. then have one of my buddies ride up on their metric bike and see if she'd ride anything else then. LOL

[Dave]

Originally Posted by wildchild

yeah not a lot of "average" HD gals out there. they're either drop dead gorgeous or chew your arm off nasty. seems the exception is the ones who ride their own tend to be more average. just my opinion.

the ones i like are the "i'll only ride bitch on a harley". they won't ride on anything else. alwayss tempting to take 'em out in country somewhere and drop 'em off. then have one of my buddies ride up on their metric bike and see if she'd ride anything else then. LOL

Agreed, and I love it. Yeah the ones who ride are pretty scary. At least the ones I see in the wild anyway.

[Mudpuppy]

Originally Posted by goof2

You seem to know a lot about it and my opinion is just that, it isn't based on facts. From my perspective outside the loop it sure looks to me like Harley is employing the same strategy in this situation as they did last year in dealing with the union at their York, PA facility. At that time they demanded union concessions or they were going to move production to Kentucky. The union in York eventually agreed to the concessions.

Harley seems to me to have a lot of institutional stupidity but I can't imagine them being dumb enough to move a large portion of their production overseas, at least not the production of bikes to be sold in the American market. They have certainly demonstrated the ability to slip some Asian parts on to their bikes without the majority of their customers noticing, but I think complete bikes would be a bridge too far.

think what you want i know who is building their plant in india right now and like i said i have the exact address in india of said plant.. so try to tell me i don't know the facts.. and they are building a new plant in the U.S. with more automation = less people.. so i am not "kind of right about india".. yes they have used the whole we are building bikes to sell in india bs to spin it but its bullshit.. they are already using off shore parts for their bikes.. HD is a spin master.. believe what you want..

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by Dave

Agreed, and I love it. Yeah the ones who ride are pretty scary. At least the ones I see in the wild anyway.

You missed the one at the rally this year. She was interesting to say the least.

[Rider]

We could use some more jobs in MI. Send them over.

[Kaneman]

Harley Davidson Considering Assembly Plant in India

by Paul Crowe - "The Kneeslider" on 7/23/2010

in Motorcycle Business

Harley Davidson is beginning the next logical step in the international motorcycle market place, announcing they're considering an assembly plant in India. Ever since they first began talking about sales in India, this was, to my mind, a foregone conclusion since tariffs in India double the price of imported bikes. Selling in India means making them there.

The company would consider taking that step as Indian sales increase, said Rod Copes, Harley-Davidson's senior vice president of international sales, marketing and business development.

Harley also would consider manufacturing motorcycles in other countries for those markets, a step beyond assembling imported parts into completed bikes.

... "Getting the tariff reduced would be ideal. But we have not seen action on that yet," Copes said.

With 32 percent of Harley's sales outside of the U.S., figuring out how to best get a firm foothold in other countries will be an ongoing process.

I hope their experience doesn't parallel Royal Enfield. They began assembling motorcycles in India back in the mid 1950s, then making parts, then the entire bike. Finally, the British company went under and India is now the only place Royal Enfields are still manufactured.

International sales are an important component of any company's long term growth and right now, international sales are rising. If you have to build there to sell there, then you build there.

The intention is, as quoted above, "manufacturing motorcycles in other countries for those markets." Will motorcycles built there ever be sent back to the U.S.? It's very common in the auto industry and to think no one inside the Motor Company has ever asked that question or considered it for sometime in the future would be naieve.

Harley's strong identity and carefully crafted image as an American motorcycle company, generates some sales on that fact alone for a segment of their market. If you begin building motorcycles in other countries, those sales are put in jeopardy and you now become just another motorcycle company, competing with every other company out there. Then the questions become, "What makes a Harley Davidson better or unique?" Is it style? Quality? Performance? There's no right or wrong here but you can't lean on the American image and build everywhere else. All of the other companies are building in multiple locations and bikes are compared straight up. A Honda isn't given points as a Japanese bike since they are built in other places. Triumph isn't British, either, it's Triumph, for the same reasons. When Harley begins to sever the American manufacturing ties, they enter a new world, and it may be inevitable. How it works for them will be interesting to watch.

One further thought: I left out "lifestyle" as what might make Harley unique. Will that translate worldwide when the bikes are built worldwide? Does the lifestyle require a Harley? Things to think about that make you go hmm ...

[wildchild]

actually an interesting thought occurred to me. if HD builds outside of USA and sells here, we all agree their sales in America will basically dry up. so what would happen to sales of Japanese copies of HD. I truly think those would go away as well.
most of HD's sales go to people who don't really ride. they enjoy the "image" of a Harley. Yes most of us here with HDs ride them. that's why we are on a motorcycle site to start with. we like to ride. the sales of Japanese cruisers go to guys who want to look like Harley guys without dropping the coin. So would anyone want to ride Japanese cruisers if they weren't trying to look like HD's? I had a Shadow for a year. I wouldn't buy another one for anything. The HD I have now is a much better bike then that.
If I weren't on the HD right now I would either be back on a SS or try a BMW for a change. Guzzi is looking interesting as well.