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[muddypaws]

Harley-Davidson museum.

Technically speaking, Harley-Davidson motorcycles sold in the United States are not actually made here, but assembled here.  Harley contracts manufacturing of parts to plants located all over the world, including Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, and Mexico.  Those parts are then shipped to Harley factories here.  And these are not just accessories, but components for engines, chassis, and wheels.  Exactly what percentage of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is American made, is not exactly known, as each model and model year is different.
 Back in 1929, Harley-Davidson contracted with a manufacturing plant in Hiroshina, Japan. Rikuo Internal Combustion Company  produced actual Harley-Davidson models that carried the Harley-Davidson label, for use by Japanese military and police.   Rikuo continued under contract until 1958.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles are also made in Manaus, Brazil.  The factory there opened in 1998 and continues to produce Harley models for the Brazilian market.

In 2011, the company announced plans to open a factory in India to produce the new Street 500 & 750 models.

Harley-Davidson has expressed interest in moving it’s US-based factories overseas due to expensive employee costs.  The recession of 2008 caused the company’s value to drop by 43% in 2009.  Harley’s American rival, Polaris Industries, manufactures Indian and Victory motorcycles using an outside staffing service.

Harley-Davidson is also seeing a shift in the overall motorcycle demographic.  Riders are becoming younger.  The baby-boomer market that Harley had relied on is going away.  Younger riders tend to favor smaller motorcycles and place less importance on American-made products.

So, where are Harley-Davidson motorcycles made?  All over the world, actually.  But those sold in America, are assembled here in the United States, using a lot of foreign made parts.

At least for now, anyway.

[iski]

Interesting read, applies to other industries as well.

A % of Harley's sales in the USA is to riders who buy Harley because they are USA made.  Not sure if there is a statistic out there for how big that % is, my guess is it is a sizable portion.  Harley benefited, and still does somewhat, from the "last man standing" American MC company.  Many components are made elsewhere, a sizable portion.  Same is true on autos and many other things that are assembled in the USA as "American made."  Perception is, domestic auto brands, Harley etc. are home grown because they are assembled here.  Harley carefully furthers that image, good marketing on their part.

Part of their problem is the Baby Boomers getting older.  The generations following were not raised the same, my opinion, to buy American.  Speaking in general terms here, obviously the younger riders who do buy Harley are more likely to be pro-American as to purchase decisions.  Reality is: the USA has lost so much of it's manufacturing ability over the last 50 years that many companies could not make an "All Manufactured in the USA Product" if they wanted to. The manufacturing does not exist here.  That reality has taken a few generations to sink in.  Younger buyers - my opinion again - are less likely to shop American made simply BECAUSE it is American made.

Almost inevitable for companies like HD to continue to grow to shift some production to other countries.  Easiest way is what they are doing now - assemble where the majority markets of the buyers are.  At some point, unless trade agreements change or USA manufacturing has a resurgence, some HDs will be made somewhere else and shipped to the USA.  Am not promoting that idea - just seems to be inevitable.  Hope it does not happen or if it does is so far in the future will not be around to see it.

[JCZ]

I think we've known most of that for many years.....we were just in denial.   

[charles05663]

If the P&A catalog is reflective of anything then 90% or more must be made in China.

 

[Indenial]

JC, most of my days I'm in denial.

[iski]

JC, most of my days I'm in denial.

And that isn't a river in Egypt! ?!   

[coloradotom]

When I was over in China I stopped in the dealer in Beijing and the clothes all have "Made in USA tags" and that was nice to see, especially over there.

[RGlideKid]

I'd be interested to see where Indian Motorcycles get their hardware from.
My guess is these import facts are something Harley would rather not be made too widespread in terms of public knowledge.

[VaEagle]

When I was over in China I stopped in the dealer in Beijing and the clothes all have "Made in USA tags" and that was nice to see, especially over there.

I wonder if the USA tags were put on so the dealership could charge larger "Harley prices" as import even if they were made by Larry in the factory down the street in China? 

[grc]

When I was over in China I stopped in the dealer in Beijing and the clothes all have "Made in USA tags" and that was nice to see, especially over there.

And the ones in American dealerships are made in China.  I would guess those tags you saw in China were like many things from China, counterfeit.

Jerry

[smkymtnboy]

 i do not like this thread ! ! 

[Mikey]

People want to buy American - but most won't pay the price.
$42K CVO 100% US made

[longlast]

I have recently bought some Harley Davidson parts" components" and the packaging has stamped on it MADE IN USA where they're made in the USA don't know.

[muddypaws]

Just found out my Jeep Wrangler is the most American made vehicle....

[moscooter]

 
I've never been "hung up" with the notion that ya gotta buy the item that is made in America.  As a pre (baby boomer), I can tell ya that I bought whatever from whereever the best one was made.  When I learned to snow ski waaaaaaay back when, my skis were made in Austria as I recall,  the ski bindings were made in France.

Those countries had the skills and knowledge to make those items the best.  Same with ski boots, back then, there was only one ski boot as I recall made in the USA.

My cornet that I played in grade school was made in Chechleslovokia.  My enduro bike (Bultaco) was made in Spain.  Most Harleys way too heavy for enduro riding.  My shotgun was a Browning.   John Browning I believe was American,  but my version of his 12 gauge shotgun was made in Belgium.

How many of you have Glocks and/or Sig Sauers,  etc. 

Bottom line,  buying American is (not) always the wisest or best choice to be making.  

[FLSTFI Dave]

There are a lot of foreign company parts on a Harley.  Many of those, like the Starter, made by Denso, are made in the USA.  Denso is the 4th largest supplier of parts in the world.  A Japanese company with 22 plants in the USA, the Starter is made in Maryville TN.  Many other parts are the same, a foreign company, but made in USA.

[charles05663]

I've never been "hung up" with the notion that ya gotta buy the item that is made in America.  As a pre (baby boomer), I can tell ya that I bought whatever from whereever the best one was made.  When I learned to snow ski waaaaaaay back when, my skis were made in Austria as I recall,  the ski bindings were made in France.

Those countries had the skills and knowledge to make those items the best.  Same with ski boots, back then, there was only one ski boot as I recall made in the USA.

My cornet that I played in grade school was made in Chechleslovokia.  My enduro bike (Bultaco) was made in Spain.  Most Harleys way too heavy for enduro riding.  My shotgun was a Browning.   John Browning I believe was American,  but my version of his 12 gauge shotgun was made in Belgium.

How many of you have Glocks and/or Sig Sauers,  etc. 

Bottom line,  buying American is (not) always the wisest or best choice to be making.

I agree.  I buy the best I can.  Unfortunately, Harley sells the lowest quality product they think they can get away with.

I like buying American because it supports American workers.  Buying stuff from China only supports the CEO's bonus and builds up China's world power.  We are starting to see them flexing their muscle and it is not going to be pretty.

[moscooter]

I agree.  I buy the best I can.  Unfortunately, Harley sells the lowest quality product they think they can get away with.

I like buying American because it supports American workers.  Buying stuff from China only supports the CEO's bonus and builds up China's world power.  We are starting to see them flexing their muscle and it is not going to be pretty.

Charles........if you are interested,  I recently got a stunning email regarding just what all China has been doing and where we are today with it all.  I'm at moscooter@aol.com,  send me your email address and I'll forward that China writeup to ya.

[Road Dad]

Benefits other than CEO's. Company employees in the US, Investors, shareholders, 401K holders (which is most of us), and everyone that shops at Walmart.

If we can't be competitive we will not be the choice for manufacturing.

I agree.  I buy the best I can.  Unfortunately, Harley sells the lowest quality product they think they can get away with.

I like buying American because it supports American workers.  Buying stuff from China only supports the CEO's bonus and builds up China's world power.  We are starting to see them flexing their muscle and it is not going to be pretty.

[mark]

I agree.  I buy the best I can.  Unfortunately, Harley sells the lowest quality product they think they can get away with.

I like buying American because it supports American workers.  Buying stuff from China only supports the CEO's bonus and builds up China's world power.  We are starting to see them flexing their muscle and it is not going to be pretty.

In our global economy, I don't think anyone can truly "buy American."  What does that mean?  Buying a GM vehicle made in another country?  How about a BMW or Mercedes, made in South Carolina or Alabama? Is that "buying American?"  Honda has a plant in Alabama, Nissan in Mississippi...and the list could go on.  I bought a Samsung TV...it was made in Mexico.

[CAmike]

Whether Harley is the best or wisest choice really depends a lot on personal preference. Are there motorcycles with more efficient engines that put out more horsepower? Yes. Are there motorcycles that handle better? Yes. Are there motorcycles that give you more bang for the buck? Yes.
I bought a Harley because it is a beautiful machine, extremely comfortable, sounds awesome and I enjoy riding it whenever I can. There is a reason Harley has the highest profit per motorcycle. That profit is shrinking but so are Harley's competitors profits.

[grc]

In keeping with my penchant for tilting at windmills, I try very hard to buy American made whenever possible.  Yes I know all about the "global economy" and what that has done to our middle class, and I also know all about how even American brand names are often American in name only.  That still doesn't stop me from seeking out real American made items, such as buying New Balance 990's instead of Nike's, and taking a pass on as many made in China items as I can.  The globalists have basically told America's workforce they now have to compete directly with the lowest paid people on the planet, and the planet has an endless supply of poor people.  First we lost massive numbers of jobs to Mexico, then the jobs moved to Asia, then India, and we still have plenty of other poor countries available to take those jobs.  China has already found themselves having to increase wages and thus lose jobs to other lower cost countries.  Some say they will go to robotics to try to keep the business they have, and they have already done so in some industries.  I remember one of the main cheerleaders for NAFTA blowing off concerns about losing manufacturing jobs by saying Americans would just shift over to "service" sector jobs.  Yeah, right.  Would you like fries with that?

The sad fact is that there are rapidly growing numbers of Americans who now have very little hope of having a better life than their parents, something we baby boomers took for granted.  But as long as the rich get wildly richer, everything is good, right?  Yup, right up to the time when the peons revolt again just like in the history books.  Sadly I doubt I'll still be around to see it.  I was looking forward to watching a guillotine in action.

Jerry