Harley stock hit hard

[maxcruiser]

There's a H-D "boutique" (it actually says that on the sign) in Lake Placid. I guess it's an offshoot of some local dealer. It's a moderately large store, stocked literally to the ceilings with harley merch. It's like the wal-mart housewares section, but everything is black and orange and has flames on it.

I won't deny Yamaha's definitely dropped the ball here and there, but at least they toss up in the pursuit of something new, improved, or different. Harley trudges along with the same outdated mediocre-at-best product year after year after year after year. Take the fenders from this one, the gas tank from that one, slap on saddlebags from a touring and BAM! you've got a "brand new" model.

Harley trademark clothing & stuff accounted for $40 million in sales in 2010 or 15% of their total sales.

 

[j2dawson]

Honda is one of the only bike manufactures that I know of the actually manufactures their bike here in the states...

And which Honda bike is manufactured in the USA? None, as a matter of fact. As a "professional biker" you should know that.

Harley and Victory are the only ones.

I've owned 3 Yamahas, 1 Honda, 1 Triumph, 1 Suzuki and 6 Harleys. The Harleys have been the most trouble free of the bunch, by far.

As far as their stock, my Harley stock has done really well for me.

 

[KJShover]

Quite a few motorcycles are made in the USA. I was suprised, some of them I thought went the way of the ghost.

• Alligator
• American IronHorse
• Arlen Ness
• ATK motorcycles
• Big Dog
• Boss Hoss
• Confederate Motorcycles
• Covingtons Cycle City[7]
• Falcon
• Fischer
• Harley-Davidson
• Indian
• MTT
• MotoCzysz
• Roehr Motorcycles
• Rokon
• Ridley
• Titan
• Victory
• Whizzer

Now if you include assembly in the US, you will find that Honda does have plants in the US as well as all over the world for thier cars and the Goldwing. there is one in Ohio, Other places include, Canada, U.K., Pakistan, China, Mexico...

Whats wierd is the only motorcycle listed was the Goldwing. All the other products were thier cars. Then again, the modern goldwing is basically a 2-wheeled car :rofl_200:
I think Kawi was being assembled in the US too for a while, but don't quote me on that.

My next bike will be another big twin. I miss my old one, getting rid of it was a mistake. I should have just sold off the rigid frame and put something more cush under it. Then again, I still miss my goldwing. Now that was plush to take from point A to B.

The guy that lives up the street from me has a sweet HD dresser that he's always out on, It sounds sweet. I don't know what pipes are on it, but its a soft rumble not raspy at all. I wouldn't mind having it in my garage at all.

As far as trouble free bikes, My XS' (750, 1100 x2) Goldwing, Vmax, Venture, Chopper, were the trouble free ones. The Kaw and Suz gave me a few fits. My Honda XL100 and XL125 was damn near bullet proof.

 

[j2dawson]

The last Goldwing produced in the USA was in 2009. Then Honda moved the assembly line back to Japan.

 

[a113ycat]

And which Honda bike is manufactured in the USA? None, as a matter of fact. As a "professional biker" you should know that.

Harley and Victory are the only ones.

I've owned 3 Yamahas, 1 Honda, 1 Triumph, 1 Suzuki and 6 Harleys. The Harleys have been the most trouble free of the bunch, by far.

As far as their stock, my Harley stock has done really well for me.

Hahaha Knew that was coming...As a professional bike I actually do know this for a fact. Victory and Harley are only assembled in the states and not even completely. They are manufactured in Taiwan and China, yep just crawl around one or the other and take a look. Its kind of like playing the wheres the Made in the USA game at Walmart. They outsource just like every other manufacturer. The "assembly" plants only do that...assemble the bikes. In 2010 Honda did stop production of the GoldWings in Ohio to focus on automotive production. But they were the last of the ones in the states. And unless Im wrong they still have a plant here. The other bike companies that were brought up are only again assembled of aftermarket parts. There is not one of them that truly is made in the USA that died out in the 70's...

I would raise a challenge, who does actually manufacture and assemble their motorcycles completely in the US, all components all labor.

 

[RaWarrior]

I'd suspect not a single one.

The simple fact of the matter is that all companies outsource some degree of parts, assembly, or both, to Asian countries. Harley does it, Polaris/Victory does it, ATK uses Korean engines, you could go on all day and "pick apart" how each one isn't truly "Made in USA".

If it wasn't for "heritage" and "tradition" and "freedom" BS HD wouldn't have a leg to stand on...want proof? Look at HD sales at their new dealers in Asia....they sell like sno-cones in a blizzard.

 

[j2dawson]

...I would raise a challenge, who does actually manufacture and assemble their motorcycles completely in the US, all components all labor.

Of course no one does, nor do any TV, computer, automobile, refrigerator, etc. makers manufacture anything totaly in the USA. There are many materials and parts that can't be made here due to EPA, etc. overregulating everything in the manufacturing sector.

In the case of motorcycles, especially on this forum, this is just another way to bash Harley Davidson, for what reason I have no idea.

I suspect most of the quoted statistics came from around the coffee machine at the local Yamaha dealer.

HD's 2010 revenue broke down:

Motorcycles 75.5%
Parts and accessories 17.9%
General merchandise (MotorClothes apparel and accessories) 6.2%

International sales was 32.5% of motorcyle sales. 50% of which was to Europe, 3.8% to Canada, and 5.6% to Japan.

Harley has over 50% of the US heavy motorcycle market.

It sounds like they're doing ok to me.

 

[a113ycat]

In the case of motorcycles, especially on this forum, this is just another way to bash Harley Davidson, for what reason I have no idea.

I said it before in this post and Im saying it again now...I am not bashing HD or the owners/riders...Hell I owned 12 over the years and will most likely own another dozen or 2 before I leave this planet. The people that ride Harley's support most of the biker community. That was never anything I was trying to debate. Its the idea that Harley is and always was a USA only company that never deviated from the Made is the USA monicker is what I brought up. Someone said earlier that they have survived on the Nostalgia. That nostalgia is what also happens to be fueling this discussion. The company image is made in the USA for sure, but the bikes sure aren't.
I dont think Harley will ever fall away or go under it just cannot happen, the same applies to Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki & Suzuki. I am not as certain about the other companies that pop up in every garage all over the place or teh Euro companies like BMW, Moto Guzzi & Triumph, but the big 5 are definitely here for good.

 

[RaWarrior]

HD is far too ingrained in the general public to ever disappear. Even if the company got run into the ground and went flat-ass broke, someone would buy up the rights to the name and start it back up again, you can bet your firstborn on it.

Hell, Indian, a company that hasn't originally existed since the early 50's, has been bought up by Polaris and re-started.

The good news of HD having 50% of the "heavy motorcycle" sales is that your Vmax is faster than at least 50% of the new bikes on the road.

That's not bad for a motor originally designed in the early 80's.

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

I toured the Honda motorcycle plant in Marysville Ohio many times. Its a shame they closed it, it was a very beautiful and clean place to work (or at least it looked like it). They made many different models through the years, CR dirtbikes, 400ex quads, goldwings, shadow sabre's, and I'm sure others not listed. The workers had a lot of pride in their work, you could see it in their faces and smiles. Hopefully Honda might open it back up someday!