Harley Davidson, one of the most popular American bike makers of all time, has decided to manufacture entry level 'Made for India' bikes in India during 2014. Till now, bikes were built as CKD (Completely Knocked Down) units since 2011 at Bawal in Haryana. Now the company plans to manufacture localized vehicles, which will be showcased in the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo.
The company now wishes to tie up with local vendors to set up a vendor base for their motorcycles. Top officials at Harley in the US and India have already been conducting talks with local vendors for the above mentioned purpose. A new manufacturing unit may also be opened by the American bike maker in 2014. In order to compete better with other similar bikes such as Ninja 300R, Honda CBR500 and KTM 390 Duke, Harley plans to launch a cost-effective 400-500cc motorcycle.
The new fully localised Harley bike would be available in a price range of Rs. 3.5 to 4 lakhs. Currently ten different models are available for Indian customers- Harley Davidson Sportster, Harley Davidson Dyna, Harley Davidson FXDC Super Glide, Harley Davidson Softail, Harley Davidson V Rod, Harley Davidson Touring, Harley Davidson CVO, Harley Davidson Iron, Harley Davidson SuperLow, and Harley Davidson Forty Eight. The lowest priced Harley bike in India is the Sportster, at Rs. 6,95,000.
With a new manufacturing unit and a local vendor base, the global manufacturer would definitely be in a better position to compete with Japanese and European bike companies. As a result, the cost of spare parts would also go down substantially. This move may help Harley gain a stronger foothold in the price-sensitive Indian market.
