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[Boatman]

On Tuesday the 26th, Ohio Dave, myself, and a few of our missfit friends had the privilege of touring the York Plant to see production of 15 bikes.

Many of us on CVO Harley had been there before thanks to the efforts of Don Twolanerider to organize the outing.  When the CVO group went, the CVO's were built on their own line, the touring's were built in a old building and the softails were built in a new building.  Don got us in to see the CVO's actually being built (something that not many people would witness).

Today, the old touring building is gone as well as the CVO production line.  And there are two types of tours, a regular free 1 hour tour and an optional $35 "Steel Toe Tour" 2 hour tour that gets you further back in the plant to see fenders being stamped etc..  The $35 tour tickets can be bought on line (non refundable)..   24 people go at a time for the Steel Toe Tour but are seperated into groups of 8 people.

Being from central Ohio, I had been to the VTX1800 and Goldwing plant on 2 occassions and came away impressed in what I saw in the plant operations and workers.  Back in 07 or so, I did not come away with that feeling from the York Plant.  Plant aisles were dirty and not impressed with workers attitudes (saw one on the phone).  Speed a ahead and in 14, I saw at the York plant what I saw at the Honda Marysville Plant a few years ago.  Basically a well oiled machine.  Came away impressed with the facilities and the workers.

Well, I know, a few of you are thinking Boatman drank the Harley koolaide since he just bought a 14.  I am a highly critical hard to impress show me person.  And the York plant/workers did.  Major overhaul in about 7 years.      to York.
If you are in the area, it is a must do.

[SBB]

  Basically a well oiled machine. 

Wish I could say that about my 110's.
If I could there wouldn't be discussions about lifters.

Sorry Bob, glad you were impressed!

 

SBB

[D-N-D]

I live about 1 hour and 15 Min's from the York plant and toured this plant many times and you are on the money with lots of changes in the last 7 years and the last few years they did most of them. They have there open house in September every year so August is a big prep month for them to get the place looking its best and it dose right now I'm sure.

[BUCKNUT GREG]

Bob, I am not saying you drank the Kool Aid at all.

But what about the tank badge you stated being a special limited.  Does that not come from the assembly line.

My Limited (non cvo) came with right side cover from an  Ultra same paint scheme but not striped the same.
That comes from the assembly line.

SBB's comment about the lifters is a true statement but has nothing to do with assembly line.

JM2 cents.

[Boatman]

I have no idea why my badge was wrong and why sometimes the tank badges get put on upside down.  It is still an assy line with workers on 2 shifts working 4 days a week building bikes at York.   Machines seldom have a bad day but people do. 

There should be an inspection area where mishaps can be fixed before leaving the factory but I believe the MOCO and others feel it easier to have the dealer deal with it.

I guess the main gest of my post is that if you would have seen the operation in 07 and now today, it is a 180 degree reversal in a good way.  Clean facility, new machines, and fewer people to build the bikes.     

[BUCKNUT GREG]

I have no idea why my badge was wrong and why sometimes the tank badges get put on upside down.  It is still an assy line with workers on 2 shifts working 4 days a week building bikes at York.   Machines seldom have a bad day but people do. 

There should be an inspection area where mishaps can be fixed before leaving the factory but I believe the MOCO and others feel it easier to have the dealer deal with it.

I guess the main gest of my post is that if you would have seen the operation in 07 and now today, it is a 180 degree reversal in a good way.  Clean facility, new machines, and fewer people to build the bikes.   

Use to go yearly, but have not in last three yrs.  Always enjoyed the place. 

Did not know that the old building was taken down.  Are you saying the only buildings left are the Original softail plant
and the museum sales building. 

Gonna have to go soon.

[BigLew]

Well Bob I understand got a behind the scene tour last year ( our dealer here and the plant manager in York are old buds) and I was very impressed with the new digs. And maybe the employees we all smiling and great because they still had jobs because a lot of folks were no longer needed with the automation. But I'm not sure what that has to do with buying cheap junk components to put their top of the line, exclusive, screaming eagle, CVO, bikes together with. I hope with the new players in the V twin market that the Motor Company will start taking some pride in what they are building and selling and be responsible instead of sticking their heads in the sand!

BigLew

[Boatman]

Use to go yearly, but have not in last three yrs.  Always enjoyed the place. 

Did not know that the old building was taken down.  Are you saying the only buildings left are the Original softail plant
and the museum sales building. 

Gonna have to go soon.

Yes-the softtail plant and gift shop is all that is left. They were building 75-80 percent touring bikes.

[Cvostu]

Hey Bob.  Really glad you enjoyed it.  I wish I was closer,, I'd go check it it as well.  Like you said,, it's an assembly line deal.  Mistakes will be made.  Hopefully the real important stuff like safety won't be over looked. As long as you have people doing this type of work,, there will be mistakes.  So just deal with that. That goes with almost anything we buy today.  Just my .02 tossed in.   Stuart

[grc]

I have no idea why my badge was wrong and why sometimes the tank badges get put on upside down.  It is still an assy line with workers on 2 shifts working 4 days a week building bikes at York.   Machines seldom have a bad day but people do. 

There should be an inspection area where mishaps can be fixed before leaving the factory but I believe the MOCO and others feel it easier to have the dealer deal with it.

I guess the main gest of my post is that if you would have seen the operation in 07 and now today, it is a 180 degree reversal in a good way.  Clean facility, new machines, and fewer people to build the bikes.    

That's definitely a start Bob, but IMHO they still have a long way to go.  Now that they are saving tons of money by eliminating some of the inefficiencies of the old operations and many of the old employees, they need to spend more on better engineering, better parts, and error proofing.  They also need to stand behind their products better, with a truly competitive warranty and much improved customer service.  I don't think a three year unlimited mileage "bumper to bumper" warranty is asking too much on a motorcycle that costs every bit as much as a well equipped car, or in the case of the CVO's as much as a well equipped mid-size CUV.

It's good to acknowledge the progress they've made, even for those of us who disagree on the methods they used to get there, but I wouldn't start gushing praise just yet.  I still want to see if they plan to do right by the customers, or if they will just be happy making the shareholders and executives happy.

JMHO - Jerry

[kmh364]

I had a tour on a Saturday in '95...I have two buddies that are senior AFM welders in York...they were working multiple shifts then. It didn't look dirty or disorganized then. No CVO line yet... They were making Rotax-powered DP bikes for military and LEO duty. My buddies took me for an "unofficial" tour during '99  York Open House, when the original CVO "line" was the same fenced-in area that previously built the DP bikes. One bud was in charge of adding the bolt-on P&A crap that makes a left-over FXR into a "Screaming Eagle". i had another "official" tour in '06 when friends from Oz were up for Sturgis.  The plant was clean then as well. I toured KC and Capitol Drive that year as well. All very nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[2 ROSE]

Did the steel toe tour in 2012 when I purchased my 2012 CVO Convertible. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have the same hopes as BigLew, in that, I hope the big twin competition improves the HD product and customer satisfaction.

[Eqcons]

On Tuesday the 26th, Ohio Dave, myself, and a few of our missfit friends had the privilege of touring the York Plant to see production of 15 bikes.

Many of us on CVO Harley had been there before thanks to the efforts of Don Twolanerider to organize the outing.  When the CVO group went, the CVO's were built on their own line, the touring's were built in a old building and the softails were built in a new building.  Don got us in to see the CVO's actually being built (something that not many people would witness).

Today, the old touring building is gone as well as the CVO production line.  And there are two types of tours, a regular free 1 hour tour and an optional $35 "Steel Toe Tour" 2 hour tour that gets you further back in the plant to see fenders being stamped etc..  The $35 tour tickets can be bought on line (non refundable)..   24 people go at a time for the Steel Toe Tour but are seperated into groups of 8 people.

Being from central Ohio, I had been to the VTX1800 and Goldwing plant on 2 occassions and came away impressed in what I saw in the plant operations and workers.  Back in 07 or so, I did not come away with that feeling from the York Plant.  Plant aisles were dirty and not impressed with workers attitudes (saw one on the phone).  Speed a ahead and in 14, I saw at the York plant what I saw at the Honda Marysville Plant a few years ago.  Basically a well oiled machine.  Came away impressed with the facilities and the workers.

Well, I know, a few of you are thinking Boatman drank the Harley koolaide since he just bought a 14.  I am a highly critical hard to impress show me person.  And the York plant/workers did.  Major overhaul in about 7 years.      to York.
If you are in the area, it is a must do.

Well, I toured the York plant in 2004, and again this July, and you're right, it certainly has changed.  However, the change is all for the MoCo's benefit, not ours.  It enables them to produce more at a lower cost, and has not - especially as far as CVOs are concerned - increased quality.  In fact, I think the quality on my 2014 is worse than on any of my previous 6 bikes.  The CVOs being mixed in with normal production, for example, is certainly to blame for my 14 coming with one chrome fork tube cover and one stainless.  We are paying a premium price for bikes that were hand built, and are now just on a production line.

[ultrarider123]

First and only time I've been to the (or any of) the MoCo's plant in York was 1997.  A good friend was doing the factory pick-up deal.  Maybe it was because he was picking up his bike that we didn't have to pay and we got the full factory tour but I was impressed with all I saw.  I really enjoyed watching them stamp some tanks....purdy cool.
They treated us very well during our visit and while I've not returned, I would like to do it again someday.  Glad they have made the much needed improvements since your last visit and, hopefully, they will continue on that path along with better quality parts to make 'em with.....

[luc.who]

I am in the York area and toured there friday to see if I could see a black CVO... no..

Anyway the open house is this coming week starting Thursday.