| Author | Message | ||
     Whatever |
http://www.jsonline.com/business/99073224.html | ||
| Crusty |
They're going to build bikes in India; but they're going to move cautiously so they don't tarnish their American image.  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
As long as the bikes built in India stay in India, I don't see that there is a problem. GM and Ford produce cars in Europe for European sales. GM produces cars in China for Chinese sales. | ||
| Greg_e |
Cost of shipping, and of course cost of labor all works to reduce price for the lower cost of living areas. It also reduces tariffs since are not imports, it's a wise move for any company that has enough sales in a market to justify the factories. And never fear, once Wandell sees that he can build parts for 1/10 of the cost (including shipping) he'll close some USA plants and import those parts. Soon it might only be assembled in the USA out of domestic and foreign parts just like all the "American" made electronics. But one final thought... Remember that this is the country where they needed to make a car for more people to own, the price is the $2000 car, Harleys are going to need to be damn cheap for them to take off in a country where you can get mopeds and small cycles for what we might consider pocket change. | ||
| Bads1 |
Old news to me. I knew this 5 months ago. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I doubt the bikes manufactured and sold in India as "Harleys" would be recognizable here in the US. | ||
| Whatever |
What I wonder about is this... Will they be using children (under 18 years old) to build them, will they have air permits for their painting operations, will they provide workers compensation for people who lose their health or their body parts, will they actually allow toilet breaks on demand or only allow them one every three hours, will there be smoking inside the factories or respirators provided for people who are breathing carcinogenic fumes, will they have a wastewater discharge permit if they dump solvents into the water, will they actually be liable for any injuries casued by poor workmanship and or mechanical faluire, will they provide actual health care for their workers, will they allow unions, will they have a risk management plan for any liquified toxic gases they may use- such as chlorine that killed thousands in bohpal, will they... etc... i think you get the picture... sounds like a great plan...  | ||
| Bads1 |
I doubt the bikes manufactured and sold in India as "Harleys" would be recognizable here in the US. Wanna bet ?? | ||
| Slipknot |
When I was in India in 1979 there were WW2 vintage flathead trikes being used for cargo and passengers. I saw these things running through Delhi with the front wheel bouncing off the pavement, so heavy the loads. The passenger models would have 4-6 passengers with a canopy for shade. I still regret not paying for a test ride. | ||
| Court |
Wasn't this predicted on Badweb over a year ago? . . . HD, as we have known it for years, is history. They need to reinvent themselves or perish. Shame . . . because they could do it here in the UNITED STATES and market themselves as an "AMERICAN MADE" motorcycle which is the hook that holds them in good stead around the world. Those lacking vision however have chosen to make Harley-Davidson a "cheap motorcycle". We'll see how that hook works out for them. | ||
| Greg_e |
Cheap but not inexpensive motorcycle. | ||
| Swampy |
I have this same problem with the people I deal with daily. "We want to be number one" is nothing more than lip service. So when I discover their inadequate operations, I ask myself "How far from being first class do you really mean to be" It all boils down to not spending the intellectual efforts to develop a plan(Help me here Court)and letting the Problem run you, instead of realistically facing what is keeping you from being Number One. I see the sucessful companies I deal with having the same M.O. Get good people, Get a good direction, Get out of the way. The three "G's" From what I read about H-D(spit) is pretty disheartening. They seem to be ignoring the future. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I have first hand experience with massive outsourcing several years down the road. Cheaper? No. Better? No. Significantly worse in fact. Faster? Not really... sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes its a freaking disaster. The one thing that it does bring to the table is scalability... provided you are doing something over that you have done before. FWIW. | ||
| Swampy |
I am watching a Big group of Indians working as contractors for the IT doing some sort of programing project. With the horrible unemployment in this field why are we doing this? CHEAP Is it any better? Don't know, I do know that the programs are very single minded and don't intregate with the other programs we are required to use. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Bads1 Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2010 - 12:37 pm: Old news to me. I knew this 5 months ago. Your trophy is being built as I type this. | ||
| Oddball |
Well they have a tablet pc for $35. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100723/ap_on_hi_te/as _india_supercheap_computer How long till the Tata-Davidson? | ||
| Fahren |
HD are behind other companies in going to India. F'rinstance: Damn fun-looking Honda for $900 from Honda - India: http://www.retrothing.com/2010/01/honda-cb-twister -110.html | ||
| Oddball |
Aren't all the India Hondas called Hero Honda such and such displacement or model? | ||
| Fahren |
I don't know but I bet it would be great blasting around over there on one of those little bikes, riding on the wrong side of the road..... | ||
| Britchri10 |
Fahren: But it you guys who drive on the wrong side of the road. It took me 6 months to start looking in the LHS mirror over here in the USA!   | ||
| Fahren |
I knew that would get a rise out of someone :-) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
studying the ol econ.... at the Masters level; just amazing. So apparently, When Total Costs out pace production levels and Marginal cost ROIs deminish past Marginal Revenue, your first move is to reduce Variable Costs (employees) next is to reduce fixed costs (move locations, devest future investments) mitigate competitive markets impact (outsource what ever you can at lower margin cost) but keep the price of your product the same, or nominally short run deductions and INCREASE brand advertising and market 'awareness'..... Notice nowhere in the discussions to date is identify your market correctly and produce a product that they WILL consume! me and the prof are not getting along famously. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I am eagerly awaiting one of these: http://www.roadandtrack.com/future-cars/spy-photos /spied_2010_mahindra_pickup_truck I figure at the very LEAST that it will shake up the other companies into making a small turbo diesel pickup. My little toyota pickup would be so much better if it just had one of those engines in there. I want to take one of these indian things for a spin! | ||
| Xb12mel |
if you've ever been to a moderate to large city in India, you know there is no "blasting" around over there. The reason that they're the 2nd largest motorcycle population is because it's total gridlock and a motorcycle, unlike a car, lets you lane split to the light. I've seen guys on 250 Royal Infields carrying ladders and televisions riding in flip flops on roads in India. I once even saw, and have the picture to prove it, a family of 4 riding on a single motorcycle with the wife riding side saddle. It's a whole different world over there. | ||
| Greg_e |
The urea injection is nothing pleasant when it comes to replacement, the Mercedes units are damn expensive. | ||
| Twobuells |
India should be CKD bikes just like Brazil operation for the last 10 years to avoid the tariffs. All the parts that are made here are still made here and the bike is crated partially assembled and finished in that country. | ||
| Swampy |
It will be an impossibility as the Hindu's won't allow for the killing of animals, so the question is How will the FAGs of India get the big horn helmets like we have over here? Plastic! Anybody speek chineese?  Poor Bastard, he doesn't know how stupid he looks... | ||
| Oddball |
Imagine the public uproar when a Harley riding Indian is wearing leather chaps, vest & boots while sitting on a leather seat and carrying his stuff in leather saddle bags. Just mooooving along.  | ||
| Whatever |
How about a Moo Glide???  | ||
| Brumbear |
dey will have bipteen hunded cc and criuse at bibtybive miles an hour @ bipteen hunded rpm | ||
| Kenm123t |
They will wear plastic vests and gloves! No Cowhide leather Cows are ancestors looking around the Kart track last weekend they are probably right | ||
| Nik |
My little toyota pickup would be so much better if it just had one of those engines in there. My long term plan with my taco involves a Hilux swap to take care of that. |
