Harley-Davidson Celebrates 5 Years in India

So far, Milwaukee has sold more than 8,000 motorcycles in India. The figure may seem diminutive, but we must not forget that import taxes for CBU (Completely Built Units) motorcycles over 700cc are huge and can easily double the price in the dealership. And putting things together, imagine yourselves having to spend double on the bike you’re already loaning money for…

Better prospects with bikes built locally

Things are going to get better in the Indian market as Harley has debuted their all new Street line-up, comprising the Street 750 and Street 500 models powered by liquid-cooled engines and which can be sold for noticeably lower prices. For starters, the Street bikes are built locally, so they are exempt from import duties, which is a major price-cutter. Then it’s the cheaper labor force in the Indian manufacturing process, plus the overall smaller costs of a bike which looks nice, but only just.

As a matter of fact we had a close encounter with the Street 750 at EICMA 2014 and left a bit disappointed, as the finishing and materials still leave a lot to be desired. Anyway, given the noticeably lower price the Street 750 sells in India (around $6,485, equivalent to €5,475), there will definitely be a lot of people willing to fork out the money ride a Harley home.

The third India HOG Rally

The city of Goa will host the third India HOG Rally, an event which has drawn more than 1,200 Harley riders. This year, the H-D Rally will take place on February 19, just before the 2015 India Bike Week rally, scheduled for February 20-21.

Harley is once more the funding sponsor for the IBW, so it’s obvious they have a solid advantage on Indian soil. It will be interesting to see how Indian Motorcycle and others eyeing a piece of the cake will be able to compensate in this market …