Iconic American Harley Davidson Motorcycles to be Made in Thailand

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Harley-Davidson serves as an example of the nuanced economic realities that are pushing US companies to lay off workers at home and set up new factories overseas. Unions representing its workers accuse the company of cutting US jobs to hire lower-paid foreign workers. Yet global trade barriers and proximity to a growing base of new customers also play roles, complexities inherent in Trump’s ambition to overhaul trade policy.

Yeah sure I can sure see Somchai selling his old Honda Wave and buying a new Harley. Most will be exported or bought by Hi-So's Why do they move abroad and pay much lower wages well here is a clue increased profits. They will more than likely export them back to the US and put the same old overpriced price sticker on them and pocket the difference. Don't take it personal its only business. If they stay on this path one wonders who among the working class will be able to afford them. 

[Jimbo in Thailand]

1 hour ago, ben2talk said:

Actually I think Thailand just has a social structure applicable to bikes. Only rich people should be allowed to use them, and keeping them legally should be made difficult and awkward (just to register a green book is about 50,000 if you're not connected).

 

We have recognition of sub 150cc sector - for poor people. Not desirable, so must be parked well away from the entrance doors to shopping areas (Central Bangna recently rectified this, moving them twice - now at the furthest end of B1 carpark from the entrance). Superbikes (i.e. 250cc up) are 'HiSo' now and subject to surcharge (30baht parking) alongside the Supercars. Really,  500cc Honda goes next to the Ferrari.

 

Now I'd like to hear an explanation of pricing... Honda's PCX 150 is made here, and priced here... 80,000 (cheaper than the West). Then we have Honda's 300cc bike priced for an extra 150cc at 175,000.... woah - extra 100,000 for an upsize scooter! This does seem more than a reasonable increase in price to get out of the gutter scootering brigade. Of course, the police never allow you out of the gutter, as there IS no difference between a motorcy and a motorcy. They simply don't have enough intelligence to develop language or thinking to accommodate these... ahem.... new ideas?

 

Police stopped me on a GSX-R750 and told me that 'motorcycles' (which is Thai for Automatic Scooter) should not be ridden over 60km/h because they're dangerous. Meanwhile a 1960 Isuzu pickup with no remaining paint and one door held on with some old flex sailed past drowning us in a cloud of diesel smoke...

 

Haha!  Good points ben2talk.  I was a bit shocked when my Thai gf told me that Robinson Mall, here in Roi Et, had recently redesignated a small section of the covered automobile parking area into a special 'big bike' parking lot that's conveniently close to one of the main entrances.  There's even a uniformed parking attendant to open and close the 'gate' for us.   Curious, my next trip I zoomed on over and parked my trusty 2014 Ninja 300 there, even though the sign states "400cc and up".  I now park there every time as it's much much closer than the main 'small' motorbike parking area on the far side. Since all Thais that have seen my little Ninja refer it as a "big bike" I've not had any problems with the attendants there.

 

 

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, fruitman said:

And that's why i'm not happy with this. More harleys in Thailand means much more noise along the roads.....no fun.

Pssst when you mention noise your giving away your age. I was sitting in the bushes waiting for someone to make this comment first. 

[impulse]

21 minutes ago, guzzi850m2 said:

Many Thai assembled HD's will go to China, shipping will be app 7 days compared to 45-60 from the US, so that makes perfect sense by HD, spreading out like many other car/bike manufacturers does.

 

That would make even more sense if scooters are included in the free (or reduced tariff) trade agreement between China and Thailand, and the other agreements around SEA.  

 

I haven't looked for the motorcycle HS code on the items listed on the trade agreements since they're not on my list o' crap I'd like to deal in, though.  I'll post back if I can find my copy...

 

[ben2talk]

32 minutes ago, RigPig said:

I guess everyone that owns a Harley has his own reasons, me, personally, I KNOW if I owned a Yamaha R1 over here I would be dead.  It has been a comfortable and reliable bike, I love adding bits to it to customise it, it's great fun!  I don't have to go fast I have nothing to prove, I RIDE A HARLEY and for me that's enough...

It's something special!

ROFL - well you enjoy it. Before I had the GSX I was riding 400's and saying the same thing until a taxi took a left turn from three lanes out (not into a side-road or junction...) with no warning. My frame completely broke and I got a nice payout which got me my first '92 GSX, carburettor model - fuelling me on to upgrade to a post 2001 version.

 

Nothing more comfy than a GSX - once you put those bars up to get an upright sitting position... Actually I agree with the point about speed. Not so much about dying, speed keeps me safe - but it's just not justifiable living in Bangkok, with the associated traffic, I bought a PCX. Strangely much lighter and very comfortable (maybe a little rough over the bumps) and not much slower - especially when the traffic gets thick. Now, instead of 2 baht per km fuel and hot air rising every time you stop the bike, I pay maybe 200 baht to do 300km and sit in complete silence at the lights.

 

Add keyless ignition, USB for mounting your phone on the bars to use GPS, stupid reliability and with the exception of a little bolt-on rack that enables me to carry stupid amounts of stuff on the back (like my son's go-kart to go to the park) no need for any custom parts.

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Pssst when you mention noise your giving away your age. I was sitting in the bushes waiting for someone to make this comment first. 

 

Nah, could be a new parent tired of having the kid wake up each time a modified exhaust system passes by.  They can be even touchier than us old farts.

[elgordo38]

30 minutes ago, ben2talk said:

ROFL - well you enjoy it. Before I had the GSX I was riding 400's and saying the same thing until a taxi took a left turn from three lanes out (not into a side-road or junction...) with no warning. My frame completely broke and I got a nice payout which got me my first '92 GSX, carburettor model - fuelling me on to upgrade to a post 2001 version.

 

Nothing more comfy than a GSX - once you put those bars up to get an upright sitting position... Actually I agree with the point about speed. Not so much about dying, speed keeps me safe - but it's just not justifiable living in Bangkok, with the associated traffic, I bought a PCX. Strangely much lighter and very comfortable (maybe a little rough over the bumps) and not much slower - especially when the traffic gets thick. Now, instead of 2 baht per km fuel and hot air rising every time you stop the bike, I pay maybe 200 baht to do 300km and sit in complete silence at the lights.

 

Add keyless ignition, USB for mounting your phone on the bars to use GPS, stupid reliability and with the exception of a little bolt-on rack that enables me to carry stupid amounts of stuff on the back (like my son's go-kart to go to the park) no need for any custom parts.

Interesting read for a non bike lover like me. Live to close to the road turns one off. Just put another year of crankiness behind be today my birthday please no applause.  

Edited May 25, 2017 by elgordo38

[Grumpy Duck]

2 hours ago, sanukjim said:

I got these prices from the Harley -Davidson sight.

Hmm HD Usa or HD Thai 

hmm I just looked and the site for smart phones is different than the site on my laptop 

[Grumpy Duck]

2 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

It's a sensible business decision.

 

Assemble bikes in Thailand to avoid prohibitive tariffs. The assembled bikes can be distributed and sold to other South East Asian countries under ASEAN free trade arrangements.

 

Harley manufacturing plants in the US can sell components at discount prices to the Thailand plant, thereby attracting tax write-offs under US tax laws. This will help boost profits in Thailand where the payable tax for start-up businesses is much less. 

 

Over the next 10 years the number of Thai middle class with increase 10-fold and Harley sales (along with other big bikes) will continue to rise accordingly.

Yes, perhaps, I have seen a number of Ferrari's around Huaikwang. I understand they are assembled from italian parts in Thailand to save on import duty. 

[Techno Viking]

Fantastic news.

[RigPig]

55 minutes ago, ben2talk said:

ROFL - well you enjoy it. Before I had the GSX I was riding 400's and saying the same thing until a taxi took a left turn from three lanes out (not into a side-road or junction...) with no warning. My frame completely broke and I got a nice payout which got me my first '92 GSX, carburettor model - fuelling me on to upgrade to a post 2001 version.

 

Nothing more comfy than a GSX - once you put those bars up to get an upright sitting position... Actually I agree with the point about speed. Not so much about dying, speed keeps me safe - but it's just not justifiable living in Bangkok, with the associated traffic, I bought a PCX. Strangely much lighter and very comfortable (maybe a little rough over the bumps) and not much slower - especially when the traffic gets thick. Now, instead of 2 baht per km fuel and hot air rising every time you stop the bike, I pay maybe 200 baht to do 300km and sit in complete silence at the lights.

 

Add keyless ignition, USB for mounting your phone on the bars to use GPS, stupid reliability and with the exception of a little bolt-on rack that enables me to carry stupid amounts of stuff on the back (like my son's go-kart to go to the park) no need for any custom parts.

I thought the main point of that was "My frame completely broke".......

[habanero]

SAE vs. Metric

[RigPig]

56 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Nah, could be a new parent tired of having the kid wake up each time a modified exhaust system passes by.  They can be even touchier than us old farts.

You must like the latest Thai trend in pulling the baffles out of their "Monkey bikes" then huh...

[transam]

6 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

What I've seen of these things here is that they're used as treatment for "Little Dick Syndrome"

Anti social to say the least "I have an inferiority complex but my machine is louder than yours"

Glad I never got an old guys attitude when I got to be an old guy....Rock ON....

 

[ragpicker]

1 hour ago, fdch said:

thats it no more quality , best bike in the world getting F**ked up

make sure that they have the made in thailand sticker on it like the Lifan bikes( 555 only the sticker is thai made)

so we can avoud buying them

  Yep, you are correct.  Just like the Japanese bikes made here.  I have owned a bunch of them and the Thai "quality" is no where near the quality of the bikes when they came from Japan.

[KenKadz]

Harleys manufactured in Thailand with cheaper labor costs will bring the price down right?

[transam]

1 minute ago, ragpicker said:

  Yep, you are correct.  Just like the Japanese bikes made here.  I have owned a bunch of them and the Thai "quality" is no where near the quality of the bikes when they came from Japan.

Were the assembled parts made in Japan or Thailand...? For sure I do not know...Ducati assembles their stuff in LOS...

[guzzi850m2]

On 5/24/2017 at 11:55 PM, KenKadz said:

Harleys manufactured in Thailand with cheaper labor costs will bring the price down right?

They are not manufactured in Thailand but assembled.

 

So they send all the parts over in boxes and I read somewhere that there will be app 100 people at the assembly plant for a start.

 

It's more some of the taxes that now can be avoided that hopefully will make those models much much cheaper here.

[RigPig]

17 minutes ago, KenKadz said:

Harleys manufactured in Thailand with cheaper labor costs will bring the price down right?

Don't be silly, not in Thailand anyway.  If they did that the Hi So crowd wouldn't want them anymore hahaha

[jmacken306]

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

There's another icon that has gone to the dogs and  cheap labor,

gone is the pride, heritage and good al American made hogs...

what happened to Trump promises to keep US  manufacturing in the

US? gone to dogs as well I guess...

If you read made in Thailand won't be sold in the US and here they probably won't have the Harley Trademark RUMBLE!!! 

 

[cyberfarang]

9 hours ago, Dukeleto said:

Easy to fix...slap the same tariffs on anything manufactured (regardless of if it is foreign owned) in those countries coming into the US. Force manufacturers that want to access your domestic market to manufacture them domestically which is basically why Harley Davidson is doing so in Thailand to access the domestic market here and neighbouring countries. This is the very reason why economies in these regions are still growing and why they are in decline in places like the US. It's not really a level playing field and it needs to be. This would have a positive effect in forcing countries like Thailand with draconian protectionist policies to revise them and make them more competitive and attractive to manufacturers. Or don't...and watch your economy decline rapidly. If your getting it all your own way there's is no incentive to change the status quo.

That will never happen because the US has too many business interests in Thailand. This Harley scheme is just a sweetener to appease the Thais, a case of give and take. Governments and big companies don`t give a toss about the workers in their own countries, it`s all about profits and the old pals networks, the marriage between those who own the companies and the government leaders that most have shares in these same big businesses, including the bankers that act as go-betweens. These are fixed deals between companies, bankers and governments, as are the import and export duties that ensure no one can get in via the back doors.

Edited May 25, 2017 by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes.

[off road pat]

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

There's another icon that has gone to the dogs and  cheap labor,

gone is the pride, heritage and good al American made hogs...

what happened to Trump promises to keep US  manufacturing in the

US? gone to dogs as well I guess...

Hmmm, Trump made all kind of promises to get elected, (like all politicians) once elected he had to face reality that those promises could not be realized !!!

but he got what he wanted ....he's the POTUS now !!!

[dcnx]

Yeh, more loud bikes screaming down the streets at 3am.

[dunroaming]

Well good news for Thailand but bad news for Harley fans I would have thought. 

[RigPig]

14 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Yeh, more loud bikes screaming down the streets at 3am.

You must live in a REAL HiSo area, 'cause your average Thai can't afford one.....

[davidstipek]

I don't think this has anything to do with Labor... Has to do with Taxes/Fee's and Price gouging here now!

 

Have you ever tried to Import your own Harley here?? Tried to buy a new one and be swamped several ways unfairly??

 

At the discretion of the Thai Government Import taxes can be as high as 300% of original price or what The Thai Customs Police, collecting taxes and fee's at port of entry, deem the Value of Bike! (You might have paid $5,000 in America. But if they put Value at $10,000-$5,000 USD. This is what your taxes and entry fee's would be based on. Even this Purchase Receipt and State Licensing paperwork!)

 

Result.... Even owning over the required 5 years to get these tariff's relaxed, You still have Shipping. Either by Container (Ship) or Aircraft.

 

Harley.... setting in place  a factory to Build here, removes all of this. Harley Corporate understands this. Thus took the simplest root to "Boost" Sales in Asia. Very smart move! Eliminating the Tariffs and Middlemen, they have squarely put the Harley Band back to an affordable Price! Not leaving Owners with something so highly priced even a second or third owner could not afford. Also service and parts can now be readily available without disappearing as they went thru Customs!!

 

Smart Move!! Harley Davidson.... All of Asia and even into Europe, will Benefit! Now fairly priced Bikes equating to prices in U.S.A.

 

(P.S.   Harley is not a loud Screaming Bike! Yes can be made to be a Thumper.... Nothing even close to the 2 Cycle bikes we have had for years.....)

 

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by davidstipek

[leeneeds]

 

for those that drop the bike and can not pick it up,

a free 24 hr number , plus sold with leggings  to keep the slight in the saddle at high speed,

option to come with mini ape hangers for the gravity affected,

go quick no stop, suit the thai riders to a Tee,

 

 

[davidstipek]

9 minutes ago, davidstipek said:

I don't think this has anything to do with Labor... Has to do with Taxes/Fee's and Price gouging here now!

 

Have you ever tried to Import your own Harley here?? Tried to buy a new one and be swamped several ways unfairly??

 

At the discretion of the Thai Government Import taxes can be as high as 300% of original price or what The Thai Customs Police, collecting taxes and fee's at port of entry, deem the Value of Bike! (You might have paid $5,000 in America. But if they put Value at $10,000-$5,000 USD. This is what your taxes and entry fee's would be based on. Even this Purchase Receipt and State Licensing paperwork!)

 

Result.... Even owning over the required 5 years to get these tariff's relaxed, You still have Shipping. Either by Container (Ship) or Aircraft.

 

Harley.... setting in place  a factory to Build here, removes all of this. Harley Corporate understands this. Thus took the simplest root to "Boost" Sales in Asia. Very smart move! Eliminating the Tariffs and Middlemen, they have squarely put the Harley Band back to an affordable Price! Not leaving Owners with something so highly priced even a second or third owner could not afford. Also service and parts can now be readily available without disappearing as they went thru Customs!!

 

Smart Move!! Harley Davidson.... All of Asia and even into Europe, will Benefit! Now fairly priced Bikes equating to prices in U.S.A.

 

(P.S.   Harley is not a loud Screaming Bike! Yes can be made to be a Thumper.... Nothing even close to the 2 Cycle bikes we have had for years.....)

 

 

Just a note further... I have seen Items like Motorcycles and Cars be shipped here with everything including Import Taxes. Get hit again here for more Taxes... Because Customs Officer refuses to accept accompanied Thai Paperwork from America. Owner refuses to pay, Bike is labeled to be shipped back to sender.... Disappears! Never gets back to America, ends up in some related Thai's garage or some Hi-So riding it. This happened to a friend of mine with a Orange County Chopper, Blue/White Trans Am Style. He Found it and Rider was arrested. He got his Bike with no extra fees!!

[harleyclarkey]

8 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

What I've seen of these things here is that they're used as treatment for "Little Dick Syndrome"

Anti social to say the least "I have an inferiority complex but my machine is louder than yours"

Every now and again you get these idiotic infantile comments straight out of the cave. 

There seems to be a certain type of person who tries to be ever so clever and smart to make laughable comments, which just goes to show his intelligence level. If it could be measured that low. "these things".....you mean every single Harley has loud pipes? What about the thousands of locals screaming around with the straight through pipes? The sports bikes with after market pipes (see the video just above), especially twin cylinder bikes? Guess you are deaf to "these things". Have you complained yet about the cars and trucks with big bore exhausts? Haven't got around to them yet? 

 

 Guess you reckon those on small quiet scooters have monster d**ks? Wow...go down again and check the size of those on a bicycle. 

 

Let's see how tough you are to say that to a patch member....got the balls there buddy??

 

Pathetic comment man...just so pathetic. You need to get out and see the sun now and again and forget the jealousy syndrome.

 

I have owned Harleys (and Ducatis/Aprillias/ a Gilera/ an Agusta) since 1995. I have over 300k.480k fantastic miles/Kms on Harleys alone and nobody has ever complained about the size of anything on my body. 

I don't need to draw attention to myself with loud pipes.....I don't need any help to get attention. Learn to never tar everyone with the same brush.

 

I love Harleys....but dislike the company.   

Edited May 25, 2017 by harleyclarkey

[grumbleweed]

33 minutes ago, harleyclarkey said:

Let's see how tough you are to say that to a patch member....got the balls there buddy??

Do you want my address, or are you just another "all shirt and no trousers" super hero?