Harley Davidson appoints dealers across India

shrini78 · 3rd April 2010, 23:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

Will take atleast a decade I guess; HD doesn't have a factory outside US as of now; this means, not even in China;

You ain't right on this one pal, HD has a manf unit setup in THAI after USA.
dont know what they do there, but they have a factory presence there

aargee · 4th April 2010, 05:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrini78

You ain't right on this one pal, HD has a manf unit setup in THAI after USA.
dont know what they do there, but they have a factory presence there

Oh!!! is it? This is a news to me. I know HD outsource leather jackets from China & Singapore; Thai is a facility that don't know. Like Audi still being imported, wish HD also imports their motorcycle for a long time. By the time they open a factory in India, let the good old infrastructure improve a lot.

Anyway, I heard that HD is opening showrooms by June instead of April. Could somebody confirm this?

GTO · 5th April 2010, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by black12rr

Direct access to top guys and the top guys directly listening to customers is the way to go and this is what harley seems to be doing

And the volumes will be limited too. I expect this new breed of dealership owners to have a more "hands-on" approach, especially in the area of customer interaction.

Quote:

This is very different from HONDA here ,who does not even care to register there own superbikes and leave the dirty or PIA work to be sorted out by customer and dealer .

Could you elaborate on this?

Quote:

Just one suggestion to Harley , built them here and offer cheap superbikes .

.

They won't. A premium price is just one of the factors that go into making a "premium brand".

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodhogan

from all the above comments it sounds like harley and its dealers are not in it for the money but for the passion and culture. very generous of them to take this approach if thats the case.

Fat chance. Profits are key to any sustainable business. The business model has got to be solid, and the venture profitable to dealers.

BIKeINSTEIN · 5th April 2010, 12:00

Any of these dealerships hiring interns/staff still? :P

shan2129 · 5th April 2010, 12:31

got a call from HD mumbai no. , they invited me to the harley ride in Delhi on May1, 2

they said the bike can be booked there and will be delivered in a month or two. Hope to checkout the monsters.

hollywoodhogan · 5th April 2010, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Fat chance. Profits are key to any sustainable business. The business model has got to be solid, and the venture profitable to dealers.

and thats exactly my opinion too. perhaps the sarcasm was not evident enough in my post.

aargee · 5th April 2010, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by shan2129

got a call from HD mumbai no. , they invited me to the harley ride in Delhi on May1, 2

they said the bike can be booked there and will be delivered in a month or two. Hope to checkout the monsters.

Shan, one question, when the dealership will be open in Mumbai, why do they want to invite you to Delhi? Isn't Bangalore nearer to Mumbai than Delhi, so why didn't they invite you to Bangalore?

Gansan · 5th April 2010, 14:52

Is it true one has to buy a whole range of accessories along with the bike to feel "in" the fraternity? Such as Harley jackets,boots,gloves, helmets and even underwear?

aargee · 5th April 2010, 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gansan

Is it true one has to buy a whole range of accessories along with the bike to feel "in" the fraternity? Such as Harley jackets,boots,gloves, helmets and even underwear?

. No Sir, its upto the individual that what he/she needs to buy. Its upto the individual to buy only the motorcycle or in the combinations of motorcycle, customization, clothing & gears.

gthang · 5th April 2010, 22:12

I, for one, think that Harley is going to do very well in India, and they need it more than ever with dwindling sales elsewhere. I believe there are enough people in India who understand Harley and what its about, rather than see it as just another bike. Even though they hope to sell decent numbers to make it worth the effort, the merchandising like t-shirts and stuff alone should be profitable.

Just my humble opinions on a few earlier posts:

Quote:

Originally Posted by black12rr

This is very different from HONDA here ,who does not even care to register there own superbikes and leave the dirty or PIA work to be sorted out by customer and dealer .

Dunno where you get your info from. Honda is very committed to their superbikes and have already set up 2 Wing worlds with 2 wheeler dyno and all required and more service equipment. If you are in Mumbai, take the time to visit the friendly folks at Saki Naka. Which other manufacturer has a dyno here in India? Really, I dont know. Moreover, they are using their existing dealer network to enable non-metro buyers to buy superbikes. They provide all necessary paperwork including customs clearance papers required to register the bike. It was just the odd cases in MH mostly because of adamant RTO officials that they had problems. I had mine registered in a day with no issues at all. Just because they dont have "Stars" selling their wares, doesnt mean they are not doing a good job.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodhogan

from all the above comments it sounds like harley and its dealers are not in it for the money but for the passion and culture. very generous of them to take this approach if thats the case.

and if thats the case than i am sure that they wouldnt mind giving away their bikes at 50% discount too.

Harley really wants to sell the culture and passion, and knows that it is not cheap to get inducted to it, especially with 80% taxes. They spent almost 2 years trying to convince Indian govt to reduce taxes to 60% at least. But our govt, in its infinite wisdom, and "to protect the Indian domestic industry" insisted on 80%. So, maybe you should ask the govt. for that discount, because Harley sure as hell will give it to you

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gansan

Is it true one has to buy a whole range of accessories along with the bike to feel "in" the fraternity? Such as Harley jackets,boots,gloves, helmets and even underwear?

Its your option whether to go the full HOG or not. But I doubt that less than 10% of all Harleys sold roll out of dealership in stock trim. Most people accessorize their bikes, and they have a dedicated accessories catalog that no other manufacturer can even compare with. Most other bikes, once bought, the only time you go back to dealership is for the service. Whereas, any Harley dealership around the world, you walk in and are bound to find a few owners there looking for something to add to the bike. Harley doesn't just sell you a bike, it offers you an opportunity to participate in a lifestyle.

Cheers.

shan2129 · 6th April 2010, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

Shan, one question, when the dealership will be open in Mumbai, why do they want to invite you to Delhi? Isn't Bangalore nearer to Mumbai than Delhi, so why didn't they invite you to Bangalore?

they invited me to delhi, because i am from Dehradun

, its just 5 hrs ride for me

aargee · 6th April 2010, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by shan2129

they invited me to delhi, because i am from Dehradun

, its just 5 hrs ride for me

I was under the impression that Bangalore was nearer or the best thing WHY not in Mumbai itself when you've the dealership over there? Is the test drive confirmed? Anyway, don't forget to post your experiences here. Thanks.

Gansan · 6th April 2010, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by gthang

Its your option whether to go the full HOG or not. But I doubt that less than 10% of all Harleys sold roll out of dealership in stock trim. Most people accessorize their bikes, and they have a dedicated accessories catalog that no other manufacturer can even compare with. Most other bikes, once bought, the only time you go back to dealership is for the service. Whereas, any Harley dealership around the world, you walk in and are bound to find a few owners there looking for something to add to the bike. Harley doesn't just sell you a bike, it offers you an opportunity to participate in a lifestyle.

Cheers.

I think Harley is unique that way. But somehow I can't help drawing parallels with the barbie doll though!

aargee · 6th April 2010, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gansan

I think Harley is unique that way. But somehow I can't help drawing parallels with the barbie doll though!

You're right Sir; change is the way of life; if barbie is for a kid, HD is for grown up kid

gthang · 6th April 2010, 12:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gansan

I think Harley is unique that way. But somehow I can't help drawing parallels with the barbie doll though!

If passion for motorcycles can be compared to barbie dolls in an automotive forum, I guess all of us are living in a doll house. I'll stick with my Transformers, though, thank you very much.

Think from this perspective: You can have a 20 year old Harley look like it rolled out of the showroom yesterday thanks to their parts and accessories availability. I already have a Harley, yet I am excited about the fact that they are setting shop in India so that I can keep mine shiny and new for as long as I want. There are several others like me in India. Some on this forum as well.

I really want that new cool LED fuel guage to go with my Ballerina Barbie, oops, my Nightster

5th April 2010, 12:00	#19
BIKeINSTEIN BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 101 Thanked: Once	Any of these dealerships hiring interns/staff still? :P Last edited by BIKeINSTEIN : 5th April 2010 at 12:03.
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5th April 2010, 12:31	#20
shan2129 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Dehradun Posts: 303 Thanked: 82 Times	got a call from HD mumbai no. , they invited me to the harley ride in Delhi on May1, 2 they said the bike can be booked there and will be delivered in a month or two. Hope to checkout the monsters.
	() Thanks

5th April 2010, 14:52	#23
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,535 Thanked: 5,560 Times	Is it true one has to buy a whole range of accessories along with the bike to feel "in" the fraternity? Such as Harley jackets,boots,gloves, helmets and even underwear?
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