The Harley Davidson Motor Company has announced a new line of motorcycles that will be manufactured in India. Not Milwaukee, but Inn-dee-ahh.
*Sounds of Harley loyalists screaming*
The new motorcycles, named Street 500 and Street 750, have liquid-cooled, overhead cam engines. They don't shake or leak oil like air-cooled, unbalanced Harley engines. They are small. They are not possessed of bad ass-edness.
*Sounds of Harley loyalists slamming their beer bottles onto the bar and screaming "NO FUCKING WAY!!!*
Harley's American-based suppliers were taken by surprise. Blog comments on motorcycle forums include stories of HD suppliers seeing the photos of the new motorcycles for the first time and being shocked that they had never heard of them, and weren't asked to supply parts.
The design, engineering, testing and parts sourcing and manufacturing were all done in India. The motorcycles will be manufactured in India for sale primarily in Asia. The Street 500 and 750 motorcycles sold in the US will be assembled in Kansas City from kits imported from India.
Fans have suggested alternate names. "Gupta Glide" is the current favorite. Other names aren't as pleasant.
The big question is: Will they sell? Overseas, absolutely they will. The Asian market for motorcycles is ten million per year. Wrap your head around that number. Smart move, Harley.
But in the US, the jury is out. Mid-size, well-made bikes are a good thing, especially for smaller riders, first-time owners and people who do most of their riding in cities. And the price point (ca. $6,500) is decent for a well-made bike. Maybe they will sell well, or maybe they won't. It's a big gamble. There is a lot of competition, and HD buyers are big on the "made in America" image.
My opinion: More choice is always better. I hope Harley sells a lot of these smaller bikes in the US. Then in two years I'll be able to pick up a nice low-mileage used model at half the MSRP. And with a little tinkering I'll turn it into something like this: A nice mid-size bike for ripping around country roads.
Website here.
15 comments:
Judging from the ad copy at that website I'd say they're aiming for the preadolescent market.
"Curry Burners" will be the nick among hard core hog riders.
Actually, the design makes some sense and can bring more riders in to the long term Harley fold, just like the Brit Triumphs, BSA's, and Nortons did back in the day....when you wanted something more. Somehow the Harley "883" just didn't manage to do that...the mini-hog image wasn't cool.
Seems like Indian should have made this move.
Or is that too obvious?
Sixty Grit said...
Seems like Indian should have made this move.
LOL!
@Ari - You're right about the 883. It has a lot of potential, but having to start by rebuilding the suspension so the bike has more than 2" of shock travel, de-smog the engine, improve the seat, etc. means that the MoCo's least expensive bike becomes a $12K purchase.
If the curry burners are a good bike, they may be a better bargain. Although the 40 hp output can be a problem. That's not very much horsepressure for highway riding in the US. Just right for Asia, though.
It will be interesting to see if the new Harleys will have an impact on Honda. The Honda Shadow has long been the Harley alternative for people of smaller stature who don't want the weight of even the Harley 883 Sportster, or who don't have the body proportions to fit that bike. The HD 750s could fill that need, if they are brought to the US in sufficient quantity.
Nothing beats a good used $2,500 Honda Shadow as a learner's bike. Durable, reliable as the sun, easy to ride, low maintenance.
Hey wait. That sounds like me.
The smell of success? Or a stinker?
Sixty, good comment!
It's either that or start slimming down. Harley needs to explore other markets for it's own viability and health.
Well Indiana could use the business... oh wait.
Indians are made in Wisconsin and Iowa.
I thought Casino was a good name for one of their motorcycles.
It's a bit odd to name a motorcycle after a people who never invented the wheel.
Yeah, they should have gone with Aztec.
Deepak Chopper.
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