Harley Motorcycles American Made?

I dunno, just a (typical?) crazy thought BUT.... how bout' if we just give up labeling stuff 'Made in the’ USA, Japan, China, Germany, or Tim-Buck-Too and just go with 'Made On The Planet Earth'?! And for all those who still insist on griping about this origin and that, we could start a Pro-Terran campaign like "Don't Buy That Mars & Venus Crud - Buy From Earth ONLY and be a Real Terran"! Point is the world is getting smaller (not bigger) everyday. And this Us versus Them schitt better come to an end in short order otherwise ain’t NONE of us gonna’ make it. Nuff' said?!

LRG



Let’s Help Those Who Truly Can’t Help Themselves: Save a LIFE by making a donation to the Sturgis Animal Shelter at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/SD02.html Your Karma will thank you and so will the Critters!

[TFee3]

LRG - you have a good point. I don't think anything I've bought in many years was totally built in the United States, except maybe for home grown vegetables! It is pretty senseless for us to bicker about what is and isn't made in America anymore.

I don't like the HD image, I'm not a big fan of cruisers, and you'll never catch me in a pair of chaps. But I love my FXR. It's just the feeling I get riding it, and I would never sell it. Not because it's American, I've owned and would own other bikes, but just for how it makes me feel. You either get that or you don't, either way, go with it, Gammaqueen is right.

Hollywood, don't let these guys bust your ba..ah...um...chops, if you like your bike, enjoy it. I waited over 20 years to get the bike I lusted after in High School, and it was worth every minute.

[Maico Shark]

The HD factory is less than 50 miles from my house and I can tell you that the whole region around here is proud of Harley Davidson. It has been copied closely by the Japanese companies for no other purpose than to put it under. They pay their workers a good wage with all the fringe benefits all workers hope to get. Their product is envied the world over and people scrimp and save to own one. I've owned several and hope to own another before I'm done riding.

[BH121869]

If they were made in Yokahama I'd still like them.
I like most bikes but I am glad we still have a few bike companies of our own.

[harley01]

Nothing like Harley chrome....its addictive. Plastichrome isnt the same.

[Chuckshonda]

Originally Posted by bsporty

Someone yapped to me that Honda(motorcycles) is pulling out of america....anybody else heard that one yet?

I heard that Goldwing was or is going to

[Chuckshonda]

Like I have said before... I love my Honda!

[bagger]

I agree with gammaqueen. It doesn't matter what you ride, as long as you are riding and enjoying it. That's the reason for riding. If I had a bad day at work I like to get on my bike to unwind, on the weekends We (my wife and I ) will take off for overnight trips it" like little mini getaways We ride an ultra. Last weekend our youngest daughter rides a star and her husband rides a VTX joined us for a short trip I guess you could say it's a great way to do some family bonding

[Chuckshonda]

Bagger, cou;dn't agree with you more. When I can get all the kids together, our outings usually consist of boating and finding a sandbar to hangout at. My motorcycle trips are mostly solo. But it does help me unwind after about 200 miles.

[als2052]

About 40% is foreign made

[Chuckshonda]

gammaqueen, I bout my Honda in 07 new, I had to go out and look again, but mine just rolled 47,000. I rode it the other day for about 130 miles after some time out of the saddle, I found that either my seat is hard or my bottom got flatter. I think I need to spend more time on it.

[Dodsfall]

Originally Posted by als2052

About 40% is foreign made

Is that 40% by weight or by number of parts?

Which parts, exactly?

Or is this just a guess that "sounds about right"?

[Eye_m_no_angel]

<sound of crickets chirping>

[Lurch77]

Originally Posted by als2052

About 40% is foreign made

The world wants to know, which 2/5ths of the bike is made elsewhere? The employees here in Milwaukee, and in Pennsylvania might be interested in this.

[als2052]

Originally Posted by Lurch77

The world wants to know, which 2/5ths of the bike is made elsewhere? The employees here in Milwaukee, and in Pennsylvania might be interested in this.

Start with carbs, clutch, brakes, nuts, screws, springs, etc...structural and engine USA made

[Dodsfall]

Originally Posted by als2052

Start with carbs, clutch, brakes, nuts, screws, springs, etc...structural and engine USA made

Which model is HD producing with foreign-made carbs?

I believe my clutch is stamped made in USA. The brake calipers, brake lines, rotors and even the pads are made here. There is a sticker on the frame that says "Union Made in the USA". I haven't been able to find a single OEM part that's stamped China or Japan, but I haven't disassembled the motorcycle. I suppose some of the electronics under the seat could be. I'll check at a later time.

It's not adding up to 40% by any means.

(By the way, that's a trick question above. Harley doesn't produce motorcycles that use carburetors and haven't for years.)

[Goliath616]

Originally Posted by COFats

Dods....are you saying this isn't an HD carb? Yes, most of the Harley is still made in the USA, but there are parts (not 40%, but still there are some) that are made overseas......a lot of the electronics are made in Japan because it's cheaper to import them than to build them here, even for Harley

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Yes, the Keihin REPLACEMENT carburetors were made in Japan, and SOME of the original equipment carburetors used in the 70's were too. MOST of the OEM used carburetors were made by Keihin USA in Indianapolis, Indiana. But as Dods pointed out, Harley does not make a bike anymore that uses a carburetor.

About 12% to 16% of the parts used to make a Harley are manufactured overseas. The amount depends on the model, with the V-rod having the most parts of foreign origin. For the most these parts consist of wiring, switches, and other electrical parts such as light bulbs. Many gaskets are also made overseas as are some bearings. There are many source countries for these parts such as Great Britain, Brazil, Australia, Germany, and Japan. There are no "large" parts still made overseas, with the possible exception of some cast wheels which are still being made in Australia.

How do I know this? When I was in Harley school we had to inventory the parts room which had at least one of EVERY part used by Harley to manufacture their motorcycles, and all parts, or their packagings, are stamped with the country of origin. The "12% to 16%" figues come from Harley-Davidson themselves.


So yes, they do use some parts made overseas. But every Harley-Davidson motorcycle available for sale in the United States is built in the United States.

[markk53]

Originally Posted by mattsmithe

Are Harleys even made in America anymore. Someone told me that they were in fact, now a Japanese bike. Doesn't this kind of fly in the face of the whole Harley Davidson image? I thought that the fact that it was American was the main reason that people bought them.

When did this happen, and how? Is there anything made in Americ anymore. If we lost Harley, are we finally over the edge? First the car, then the television, and now the Hog.

Has the shift from domestic manufacturing done anything good or bad for the quality of bikes coming off of the chain?

When I was a kid, all of the down home American bos loved Harley, even if we didn't have one. It was the bike to have, as it was an American Legend. Is it anymore?

All I can figure is you are either baiting the Harley faithful and the metric faithful to get into the usual war of words. Or you are pretty much oblivious to what has gone on since about 1980 both in world economy and in H-D.

If you are the former, what a shame that's all you have to do.

If it is the latter, suffice it to say there is little need for discussion here other than to back up the point others have made, that the parts are sourced from what is deemed the best maker (not just by H-D) and that H-D has a tremendous export business as well. In addition some of what might be deemed "Japanese" by the manufacturer's home may be made in an entirely different country (like Showa in Sunbury, Ohio for suspension). Good manufacturers will try to give back to markets to keep them going (like Honda, of which I believe Showa is a subsidiary) moving manufacturing in if feasible. It is also a hedge against inflation. When parts are made here, paid in dollars, the fluctuation of the yen has far less effect on domestic product and vice versa for foreign homeland production.

Harley is a world wide business, not just in the U.S. It ain't 1957 anymore - or 1967 for that matter.

[Dodsfall]

A lot, if not most, of the "aftermarket" parts, accessories, trinkets, and clothing that are found in the dealership are stamped "Made in China". I think this might be where the "mostly made overseas" rumors might stem from.

Some of the cast aluminum wheels were made in Australia, but I heard that plant was closed down a couple of years ago. I don't know where they are made now.

[BH121869]

Acording to MSN money report today 7/2/12 40% is not made here.
The front forks have been made by Showe for years, probably spelled wrong, and they it are owned by Honda. my rear shocks on my 01 Sporty E are also made there.

MSN says
Harley does import parts from vendors worldwide, making its bikes roughly 60% American-made. But it remains 100% American cool. Harley takes advantage of its image: Licensing revenue from its logo and trademark design brings in an estimated $40 million a year.

[Eye_m_no_angel]

"Acording to MSN money report today 7/2/12 40% is not made here.
The front forks have been made by Showe for years, probably spelled wrong, and they it are owned by Honda. my rear shocks on my 01 Sporty E are also made there."

MSN is mistaken. (Not that the news media ever makes mistakes.....) Like I said, 12-16% of the parts that go into a Harley are made overseas. Not 40%. I have put my hands on every part used to make a Harley. I doubt MSN has.

Showa forks for Harley's are made by Showa USA, which as Mark pointed out, is in Ohio. The parent company is Japanese owned, but the forks are 100% American made.

[Dodsfall]

Originally Posted by BH121869

Acording to MSN money report today 7/2/12 40% is not made here.

I'm not finding that article. It would be interesting to read if you could provide a link.

[Lurch77]

Originally Posted by BH121869

The front forks have been made by Showe for years, probably spelled wrong, and they it are owned by Honda.

The Showa Corporation has had a strong relationship with Honda since Honda was established. But Honda does not own them. Showa merged with Seikigiken Kogyo. Co., Ltd in 1993. They provide products to nearly all major motorcycle manufacturers. This wouldn't be the case if one manufacturer owned them.
http://www.showa1.com/en/corporate/profile/index.html

[markk53]

Originally Posted by BH121869

Acording to MSN money report today 7/2/12 40% is not made here.
The front forks have been made by Showe for years, probably spelled wrong, and they it are owned by Honda. my rear shocks on my 01 Sporty E are also made there.

MSN says
Harley does import parts from vendors worldwide, making its bikes roughly 60% American-made. But it remains 100% American cool. Harley takes advantage of its image: Licensing revenue from its logo and trademark design brings in an estimated $40 million a year.

Not sure about the Sportster stuff, but Showa is manufacturing Harley suspension parts along with Honda car stuff and who knows what else in a plant just east of Sunbury Ohio:


The Sunbury, Ohio plant was established in November 1986 under the name of Sunbury Component Industries. In April 1994 Sunbury Component Industries, Blanchester FCM and Showa American merged to form American Showa, Inc.

American Showa Sunbury plant and the Head Office division are located at 707 W. Cherry St., Sunbury, Ohio on 39 acres with a floor space of 251,101 sq. ft. The Sunbury plant manufactures suspension and steering components for the transportation industry including automotive, motorcycle, and All-Terrain Vehicles. Its' operations include assembly, welding, cathodic electro-static and powder coat painting, in-line spring installation and testing, spring forming, sintering and stamping.

So it is possible your Harley stuff is American made. Sure, Showa is Japanese, associated with Honda, but my former neighbor who works at Showa will tell you they, and the others at the plant, are making an American manufactured product.

Cool thing - there is an R&D section. That would be an interesting place to work.

Same is true with a wide variety of Japanese manufacturers. They realize if you want to sell in a big market it is a good thing to manufacture and/or build there if feasible. If nothing else it is a hedge against currency fluctuation. Even if the Yen goes up compared to the dollar, the cost of manufacture at Sunbury doesn't change, the price doesn't jump. Good economic policy.

[markk53]

By the way, this whole percentage thing is kind of a waste. It's just an argument that is foolish when it comes to manufacturing in a world market. Realize that about 30% of Harley's sales are outside the U.S. The V-Rod is a hot seller in Europe and other countries. If they had the attitude there that some have here, Harley would be severely damaged by the loss of sales.

I guess I'm saying that old cliche - "Don't sweat the small stuff."

Don't let people bait you into BS discussions that are not winable and mean nothing. Of course we do learn about how industry spreads though. Nissin, NGK, Showa, Kayaba, Yuasa, Dunlop, and many others manufacturing in the U.S. Along with multiple foreign auto manufacturers.

Now if you really want to get peeved, consider that Volkswagen U.S.A. actually manufactures a diesel Passat that gets 60-70 mpg - legit - but it can not be sold in the U.S.A. due to EPA and DOT regulations. It' is Europe only. Who has control over the U.S. government? Give you one guess... and it starts with the initials Big Oil.

[BH121869]

Originally Posted by Dodsfall

I'm not finding that article. It would be interesting to read if you could provide a link.

http://money.msn.com/investing/10-pr...id=vt_twmsnmon


See if this works? titled top 10 products America makes best. # 2 of 12.

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Okay, they still have their facts wrong. They should at least take a factory tour some time.

Not only about how much is American made, but they're not close either as to how they got the "Hog" nackname.

(The mascot for the racing teams in the 20's and 30's was a pig which the rider would carry on a victory lap.)

[Dodsfall]

The article also assumed Harley makes "loud" motorcycles. I think there was a lot of guesswork and assumptions in writing that. It doesn't sound very well-researched.