Mumbai Iron for Real?

What did I tell you? Harley Davidson has announced that they're considering an assembly plant in India. Haha!!

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.

Some suspect that HD might follow the path of Royal Enfield. They began assembling motorcycles in India back in the mid 1950s, then making parts there, then the entire bike. Ironically the British company went under while the one in India was going strong. Now India is 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.

By having the assembly lines in India, HD will hurt the image and identity of American motorcycles. The tradition.. The heritage...You can't deny that its image of Harley riders and lifestyle has generated huge chunk of sales. It is hard to believe people choose HD motorcycles because of pure performance. If you begin building motorcycles in other countries, those sales are sure to put in jeopardy...

A Honda isn't given points as a Japanese bike since they are built in other places as well. In fact, GoldWing was developed and built in Columbus Ohio...Pretty much American bike...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. I can already hear those Harley riders are bitching and moaning...They are never happy....I bet you they do give a fuck about that...

Hey!Let's build Indian motorcycles there. Then it will be real Indian motorcycle. Its logo might have to have turban instead of feather, though...

Link: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel