Harley-Davidson lays off another 169 workers despite big sales growth

“The shift is to align with our overall production needs for the facility, as well as the decision to source work performed in the Materials Velocity Center and certain related sub assembly work,”

[cough]China[cough].

I didn't realize only 700 worked in St. Louis.
 
Parts made in China, bikes assembled in India. It will happen. If my Honda burns rice, your Harley will burn curry. Even the new Triumph Bonneville models are all built in Malaysia.
 
CafeRay said:
“The shift is to align with our overall production needs for the facility, as well as the decision to source work performed in the Materials Velocity Center and certain related sub assembly work,
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spyshot from the cutting edge "materials velocity center"...

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Shareholders are people too.
 
So much for all the flag waving BS.
 
RetroGrouch said:
Parts made in China, bikes assembled in India. It will happen. If my Honda burns rice, your Harley will burn curry. Even the new Triumph Bonneville models are all built in Malaysia.
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Is this what is happening already with the new liquid cooled 500cc and 750cc bikes? I think they are on a slippery slope with this. Part of their marketing is really playing up the U.S.A. angle. They are exposing their flank for Polaris to nail them on this. HD has a ton of history but Indian as a brand does as well.
 
I think the indian brand has way more interesting history, HD - build bikes for 100yrs, Indian - build bikes, go under, come back from the dead, co build dirtbikes with some italian guy, go under, sell the name to an apparel company, build bikes , go under, become polaris brand.


Benz and BMW have china factories, GM is in Australia? and ford had brazilian ? its a global production market. HD sub assembly coming from off shore wont likely be much different than milwaukee.
 
crankcall said:
I think the indian brand has way more interesting history, HD - build bikes for 100yrs, Indian - build bikes, go under, come back from the dead, co build dirtbikes with some italian guy, go under, sell the name to an apparel company, build bikes , go under, become polaris brand.


Benz and BMW have china factories, GM is in Australia? and ford had brazilian ? its a global production market. HD sub assembly coming from off shore wont likely be much different than milwaukee.
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Ha ha... So true... Indian does have one heck of an interesting history. That being said, Polaris does seem to be doing an amazing job re-establishing the brand.

As for GM and the other "American" brands. I often get a laugh out of the "Out Of A Job Yet? Keeping Buying Foreign" bumper stickers. My Chevy HHR was made in Mexico; yet the Civic is made in Alliston and the Corolla is made in my backyard in Cambridge. What the heck is American anymore and what the heck is "foreign"?
 
RetroGrouch said:
Parts made in China, bikes assembled in India. It will happen. If my Honda burns rice, your Harley will burn curry. Even the new Triumph Bonneville models are all built in Malaysia.
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Very true companies are exploring new markets for low production cost developing countries are in demand as cost of labour is low, labour laws are not so stringent in short reducing their expenses. Hope quality is not been compromised in all these cost cutting measures.
 
Zoodles95 said:
Is this what is happening already with the new liquid cooled 500cc and 750cc bikes? I think they are on a slippery slope with this. Part of their marketing is really playing up the U.S.A. angle. They are exposing their flank for Polaris to nail them on this. HD has a ton of history but Indian as a brand does as well.
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They have to bring in new blood with the 500 and 750 .You can only get so many people on a sportster . Once they get the new blood in. Watch as a new full liquid cooled bike arrives . The new riders will be more adoptive to the new ride than the air heads . Once you ride any version of the vrod you will see how great the engine is . But it barely sells here .
 
Agreed. I have no problem with the new bikes being liquid cooled. I like that the new Indian Scout is liquid cooled. Just interesting that HD is doing so much outsourcing. They sell their wares at a premium so to me why not keep more American jobs? I feel the same way about Apple. They price their stuff at the top of their market and yet all of their products are made in China.
 
Zoodles95 said:
Agreed. I have no problem with the new bikes being liquid cooled. I like that the new Indian Scout is liquid cooled. Just interesting that HD is doing so much outsourcing. They sell their wares at a premium so to me why not keep more American jobs? I feel the same way about Apple. They price their stuff at the top of their market and yet all of their products are made in China.
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That's the way it has to be. You know, winners and losers. Anything less would be giving an inch. Can't have that.
 
Zoodles95 said:
Agreed. I have no problem with the new bikes being liquid cooled. I like that the new Indian Scout is liquid cooled. Just interesting that HD is doing so much outsourcing. They sell their wares at a premium so to me why not keep more American jobs? I feel the same way about Apple. They price their stuff at the top of their market and yet all of their products are made in China.
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actually, Apple brought back *some* production to the US in 2013.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/12/06/apple-bringing-some-mac-production-back-to-u-s-in-2013/
http://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/06/cook-visits-mac-pro-factory/
 
crankcall said:
I think the indian brand has way more interesting history, HD - build bikes for 100yrs, Indian - build bikes, go under, come back from the dead, co build dirtbikes with some italian guy, go under, sell the name to an apparel company, build bikes , go under, become polaris brand.
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Harley was owned by AMF Italy for a while in the 70s, Harley style and Italian reliability.
 
kiwi said:
actually, Apple brought back *some* production to the US in 2013.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/12/06/apple-bringing-some-mac-production-back-to-u-s-in-2013/
http://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/06/cook-visits-mac-pro-factory/
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Minor assembly by minimally skilled workers. PR move only.
North America has lost the capability of high scale high tech manufacturing, and it's not coming back.

It's really hard to manufacture in the US. When VW tried to do this, they had to train workers with pictograms due to the illiteracy problem. Drug abuse on job is still a major issue, but the nail in the coffin is US health insurance costs - this is the only reason why we still build cars in Ontario.
 
My nephew did some contract IT work at the York Pa plant said more than half the workforce there is on "work release",go figure.
 
CafeRay said:
Minor assembly by minimally skilled workers. PR move only.
North America has lost the capability of high scale high tech manufacturing, and it's not coming back.

It's really hard to manufacture in the US. When VW tried to do this, they had to train workers with pictograms due to the illiteracy problem. Drug abuse on job is still a major issue, but the nail in the coffin is US health insurance costs - this is the only reason why we still build cars in Ontario.
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Maybe somebody could spin that in a way to get Republicans behind public health care instead of trying to stamp it out
 
sharkmotorcycle said:
Very true companies are exploring new markets for low production cost developing countries are in demand as cost of labour is low, labour laws are not so stringent in short reducing their expenses. Hope quality is not been compromised in all these cost cutting measures.
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OMG, I hope they dont start leaking oil
 
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