Harley's Dirty Little Secret

[Meister]

I always thought that Harley Davidson was like an American icon. You know like manufactured and assembled in America.
I was sadly mistaken.

Technically speaking, Harley-Davidson motorcycles sold in the United States are not actually made here, but assembled here. Harley contracts manufacturing of parts to plants located all over the world, including Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, and Mexico. Those parts are then shipped to Harley factories here. And these are not just accessories, but components for engines, chassis, and wheels. Exactly what percentage of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is American made, is not exactly known, as each model and model year is different.
Where are Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Made?

 

[RDD_1210]

Careful now....your corporate Masters don't like your tone.......socialist.

^^^^^ Another putz who suddenly believes Harley is righteous to off-shore solely because they hate Trump...pitiful, stupid dirtbags...that's the modern commiecrat.

Why do you hate Capitalism?

 

[BluesLegend]

They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts.

That is illegal. Harley can put a suggested retail price tag on the stuff, and can restrict them from advertising discounts, but cannot legally force retailers to charge customers full price retailers can discount if they choose.

Not true. They can contractually set a retail price and forbid their retailers from discounting. Mattress Firm discounted Temperpedic, lost their contract and paid ten million dollars to Sealy-Temperpedic for discounting in violation of their contract.

“Rule of reason” determines illegality on a case-by-case basis, whereby “the factfinder weighs all of the circumstances of a case in deciding whether a restrictive practice should be prohibited as imposing an unreasonable restraint on competition. This rule not only examines circumstances, but also weighs likely harm as well as legitimate business justifications and consumer benefits (i.e., procompetitive justifications). Thus, minimum RPM is not always legal.

 

[Tom Horn]

I always thought that Harley Davidson was like an American icon. You know like manufactured and assembled in America.
I was sadly mistaken.

Technically speaking, Harley-Davidson motorcycles sold in the United States are not actually made here, but assembled here. Harley contracts manufacturing of parts to plants located all over the world, including Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, and Mexico. Those parts are then shipped to Harley factories here. And these are not just accessories, but components for engines, chassis, and wheels. Exactly what percentage of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is American made, is not exactly known, as each model and model year is different.
Where are Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Made?

The fact of the matter is that they are liars and weasels. When their new franchisee walked into my shop, I already knew who he was, told him he wasn't getting shit because it would never end up with Harley, and threw him out...literally. And to rub salt in their wounds, I continued selling Harley merchandise to my chopper shops who treated him the same. Harley never moved on any of us...they knew the score...we'd helped promote their company for years before the bean-counters tried to cut us off.

 

[BluesLegend]

They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts.

That is illegal. Harley can put a suggested retail price tag on the stuff, and can restrict them from advertising discounts, but cannot legally force retailers to charge customers full price retailers can discount if they choose.

In a lot of "seconds" stores, they just rip out the mfg. label. Would that have made it legal, or is it the logo itself?

Minimum retail price maintenance (RPM) is a slippery slope, pretty easy to cross the line into illegal. Manufacturers have no say in what 2nd hand stores price used goods, though the 2nd hand stores cannot use the manufacture's IP e.g. logo, trademarks, etc. without permission.

 

[RDD_1210]

TIL that Tom Horn is a closet socialist.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Harley sales are down because Baby Boomers are slowly but surely giving up riding, and they are the only ones who can afford to buy their insanely overpriced bikes.

I was in a Harley dealer this last Saturday in Coos Bay Oregon. The first two bikes by the entrance were both baggers and fully dressed, I think one was an Electra Glide Ultra.
Anyway, both bikes had dealer add-ons with extra chrome. Beautiful, but one was $42K and the other $43K.
Now who in their right fucking mind would pay that kind of money for a damn motorcycle ?

I realize that they have plenty of models less expensive, but none of them are reasonably priced.

 

[OldLady]

95% of Trumps crap is made overseas, he has no room to whine.

F Trump

You know, I never thought about it before, but it is ironic that a US President is making his products, his "brand" overseas. Especially one with the slogan, MAGA.

 

[Winston]

They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts.

That is illegal. Harley can put a suggested retail price tag on the stuff, and can restrict them from advertising discounts, but cannot legally force retailers to charge customers full price retailers can discount if they choose.

Not true. They can contractually set a retail price and forbid their retailers from discounting. Mattress Firm discounted Temperpedic, lost their contract and paid ten million dollars to Sealy-Temperpedic for discounting in violation of their contract.

“Rule of reason” determines illegality on a case-by-case basis, whereby “the factfinder weighs all of the circumstances of a case in deciding whether a restrictive practice should be prohibited as imposing an unreasonable restraint on competition. This rule not only examines circumstances, but also weighs likely harm as well as legitimate business justifications and consumer benefits (i.e., procompetitive justifications). Thus, minimum RPM is not always legal.

We are not talking anti-trust law here hoss. It is a simple contract between a supplier and a retailer. Nike does it. Temperpedic is famous for it. In both cases it is an integral part in their brand identity. If you want to talk "harm", the harm comes from discounting the value of the "brand". I challenge you to show me one single case where a court ruled a contract limiting discounting and requiring a firm retail price void.

 

[Dragonlady]

Careful now....your corporate Masters don't like your tone.......socialist.

^^^^^ Another putz who suddenly believes Harley is righteous to off-shore solely because they hate Trump...pitiful, stupid dirtbags...that's the modern commiecrat.

You Trumpanzees think that any criticism of his policies is due to hate. Honest disagreement with wrong-headed and destructive policies isn’t hate. Neither you nor the clown you voted for are smart enough to realize that.

Harley isn’t off-shoring because they hate Trump. They’re off-shoring to try to remain competitive with Japanese bikes. Japanese manufacturers aren’t paying 25% tariffs on steel, or tariffs on their exports to Europe. They have a trade agreement with the EU.

 

[Tom Horn]

Careful now....your corporate Masters don't like your tone.......socialist.

^^^^^ Another putz who suddenly believes Harley is righteous to off-shore solely because they hate Trump...pitiful, stupid dirtbags...that's the modern commiecrat.

You Trumpanzees think that any criticism of his policies is due to hate. Honest disagreement with wrong-headed and destructive policies isn’t hate. Neither you nor the clown you voted for are smart enough to realize that.

Harley isn’t off-shoring because they hate Trump. They’re off-shoring to try to remain competitive with Japanese bikes. Japanese manufacturers aren’t paying 25% tariffs on steel, or tariffs on their exports to Europe. They have a trade agreement with the EU.

You can't comprehend simple sentences can you? It's you vermin who hate Trump, not Harley which everybody but you seems to have understood. Maybe you should reconsider posting here....you obviously don't have even the basic skills required.

 

[Dragonlady]

Careful now....your corporate Masters don't like your tone.......socialist.

^^^^^ Another putz who suddenly believes Harley is righteous to off-shore solely because they hate Trump...pitiful, stupid dirtbags...that's the modern commiecrat.

You Trumpanzees think that any criticism of his policies is due to hate. Honest disagreement with wrong-headed and destructive policies isn’t hate. Neither you nor the clown you voted for are smart enough to realize that.

Harley isn’t off-shoring because they hate Trump. They’re off-shoring to try to remain competitive with Japanese bikes. Japanese manufacturers aren’t paying 25% tariffs on steel, or tariffs on their exports to Europe. They have a trade agreement with the EU.

You can't comprehend simple sentences can you? It's you vermin who hate Trump, not Harley which everybody but you seems to have understood. Maybe you should reconsider posting here....you obviously don't have even the basic skills required.

When you can’t refute the facts, you launch a personal attack.

The fact is YOU didn’t make Harley famous. People weren’t going into Harley dealerships looking for gear YOU made. They were looking for gear from Harley Davidson. I’m willing to bet the dealers who bought your stuff did it because the licensed Harley gear had a higher wholesale price.

You were BOTH cheating the corporation of their royalty rights to their trade marks.

 

[hjmick]

Having owned a sportswear printing business for just over 30 years, I had interaction with dozens of Harley Davidson dealers in several states. I sold the business in 2002 but I doubt what I'm about to tell you has changed. The truth is, Harley Davidson is about as much about "freedom" as our commiecrats in Congress. They are as ruthless a corporation behind the scenes as it gets.

Back in the mid-90's, Harley decided they weren't making enough money on their apparel line. Thousands of bootlgers like myself were selling Harley designs to their dealers and after-market chopper shops. Our designs made their stodgy old-fashioned logo shirts pale by comparison. So they informed their dealers in cease and desist letters that they could no longer buy "unauthorized" apparel from us. They sold these printing franchises for $100K and took a healthy cut of the profits. They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts. Nothing wrong so far...they were within their rights.

But then they took it too far. They sent their new franchised printers into Harley and Chopper shops posing as customers to find out where they'd been getting their merchandise....sneaky. Then they sent us printers cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if we didn't surrender our artwork and silk screens to them. They followed that by RAIDING their own dealers and seizing unauthorized inventory and FINING them $1 for every piece of apparel seized. If the dealer objected, Harley would pull their parts kit...effectively putting them out of business. And what did all this result in?

Harley Davidson now makes more money on the apparel line than they do selling motorcycles. The popularity of their brand is based on two factors. How the Harley engine sounds, and that it's an AMERICAN icon, falsely posing as the "Great American Freedom Machine". Ask a Harley dealer how "free" he is dealing with Milwaukee, soon to be Bangkok, Thailand.

Dang, I thought you were going to tell us their motorcycles leak oil... but I guess that's not really a secret...

 

[Tom Horn]

Dang, I thought you were going to tell us their motorcycles leak oil... but I guess that's not really a secret...

You'd think after a hundred years they'd have figured out how to true up their cases, eh?....maybe gaskets will be cheaper in Thailand.

 

[Tom Horn]

People weren’t going into Harley dealerships looking for gear YOU made.

Yeah they were...moron.

 

[del]

Having owned a sportswear printing business for just over 30 years, I had interaction with dozens of Harley Davidson dealers in several states. I sold the business in 2002 but I doubt what I'm about to tell you has changed. The truth is, Harley Davidson is about as much about "freedom" as our commiecrats in Congress. They are as ruthless a corporation behind the scenes as it gets.

Back in the mid-90's, Harley decided they weren't making enough money on their apparel line. Thousands of bootlgers like myself were selling Harley designs to their dealers and after-market chopper shops. Our designs made their stodgy old-fashioned logo shirts pale by comparison. So they informed their dealers in cease and desist letters that they could no longer buy "unauthorized" apparel from us. They sold these printing franchises for $100K and took a healthy cut of the profits. They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts. Nothing wrong so far...they were within their rights.

But then they took it too far. They sent their new franchised printers into Harley and Chopper shops posing as customers to find out where they'd been getting their merchandise....sneaky. Then they sent us printers cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if we didn't surrender our artwork and silk screens to them. They followed that by RAIDING their own dealers and seizing unauthorized inventory and FINING them $1 for every piece of apparel seized. If the dealer objected, Harley would pull their parts kit...effectively putting them out of business. And what did all this result in?

Harley Davidson now makes more money on the apparel line than they do selling motorcycles. The popularity of their brand is based on two factors. How the Harley engine sounds, and that it's an AMERICAN icon, falsely posing as the "Great American Freedom Machine". Ask a Harley dealer how "free" he is dealing with Milwaukee, soon to be Bangkok, Thailand.

it's amazing how fast you trumplings parrot his talking points

i guess there are advantages to lacking a spine.

 

[deanrd]

Having owned a sportswear printing business for just over 30 years, I had interaction with dozens of Harley Davidson dealers in several states. I sold the business in 2002 but I doubt what I'm about to tell you has changed. The truth is, Harley Davidson is about as much about "freedom" as our commiecrats in Congress. They are as ruthless a corporation behind the scenes as it gets.

Back in the mid-90's, Harley decided they weren't making enough money on their apparel line. Thousands of bootlgers like myself were selling Harley designs to their dealers and after-market chopper shops. Our designs made their stodgy old-fashioned logo shirts pale by comparison. So they informed their dealers in cease and desist letters that they could no longer buy "unauthorized" apparel from us. They sold these printing franchises for $100K and took a healthy cut of the profits. They could only sell designs and apparel approved by the company at full retail...no discounts. Nothing wrong so far...they were within their rights.

But then they took it too far. They sent their new franchised printers into Harley and Chopper shops posing as customers to find out where they'd been getting their merchandise....sneaky. Then they sent us printers cease and desist letters threatening lawsuits if we didn't surrender our artwork and silk screens to them. They followed that by RAIDING their own dealers and seizing unauthorized inventory and FINING them $1 for every piece of apparel seized. If the dealer objected, Harley would pull their parts kit...effectively putting them out of business. And what did all this result in?

Harley Davidson now makes more money on the apparel line than they do selling motorcycles. The popularity of their brand is based on two factors. How the Harley engine sounds, and that it's an AMERICAN icon, falsely posing as the "Great American Freedom Machine". Ask a Harley dealer how "free" he is dealing with Milwaukee, soon to be Bangkok, Thailand.

I think their Bangkok company is located next door to Ivanka Trump's shoe store and across the street from Trump's MAGA Red Hat company.