Showing posts with label Harley-Davidson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harley-Davidson. Show all posts
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Has Harley-Davidson mistimed Fat Boy launch?
Harley-Davidson may have launched its Fat Boy Special motorcycle in India, priced at a whopping Rs 19.7 lakh, but considering the US downgrade by Standard and Poor’s (which has sparked fears of a slowdown across the globe) coupled with firming up of key bank rates and an unprecedented slump in auto sector sales, the iconic bike maker has probably mistimed the launch.
Harley-Davidson’s Fat Boy has been launched in select markets and the growth potential of superbikes in India has prompted the motorcycle major to bring the coveted bike to India.
Last year, the superbikes market in India logged sales of a mind blowing 1,000 units and it is believed that this figure could surge 10-fold in the next five years.
But owing to the current slump, Fat Boy sales could be dented in the short term. However, with the festive season just three months away, Harley-Davidson’s Fat Boy Special could witness an uptick in demand.
The Fat Boy model will be imported as a completely-built unit and will be parked in all Harley-Davidson dealerships.
The bike major offers 14 models from its stable currently, according to the company.
The bike major offers 14 models from its stable currently, according to the company.
Harley-Davidson India began operations in August 2009 and appointed its first dealer around July 2010.
Speaking on the Fat Boy launch, Harley-Davidson India managing director Anoop Prakash said “We have now rolled out the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Special, offering a special take on the motorcycle that embodies Harley-Davidson’s rich heritage.”
The Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Special comes with a low seat (the height being the lowest in the Harley-Davidson family) and the hand bar is also low, making way for a very easy and comfortable ride.
The engine has been dubbed Twin Cam V-Twin Unit, which Harley says has lower friction parts to pave the way for more durability and better performance.
The torquey motor has a 125 Nm peak torque that allows you to not ride but cruise on the bike and the primary auto chain tensioner that the engines use spur the comfort level substantially.
The 6-speed cruise drive transmission comes with a new helical-cut fifth gear for smooth operation.
The Fat Boy Special also has a satin chrome finish that redefines the colour aspect of the bike.
There is also black powder coating on the Twin cam air-cooled V-Twin engine’s air cleaner and the frame refurbishes the Fat Boy Special’s looks.
To maintain continuity in the colour scheme, the exhausts also come with a powder-coated black finish and even the mirrors have it.
The company had tied up with ICICI Bank for financing its bikes. Now, it is also in a pact with HDFC Bank and will offer a slew of services such as consumer financing, dealer financing and banking services, it added.
“This arrangement will pave the way for more motorcycle enthusiasts to fulfil their dreams of joining the Harley-Davidson family,” Prakash added.
But the Fat Boy Special has been launched when there is gloom everywhere amid fears of another downturn, and with customers shying away from bank loans owing to the high interest rates, premium bike Fat Boy’s sales may be affected but with the high-end category usually unfazed by any slowdown or banks firming up rates, the superbike could wade through the slump to a certain extent.
That brings us back to the question: Has Harley-Davidson mistimed the Fat Boy launch?
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
CKD unit to make Harley-Davidsons cheaper in India
‘Bikers envy, owner’s pride’: Well, that’s what a Harley-Davidson is. Realising its potential, the iconic motorcycles giant has put its money on India, where it plans to set up an assembly unit mid-next year, making it the second such facility outside the US. Fans can now jump in joy as this move could make the Harley-Davidson cheaper by over 60% in India!
“We are building a strong foundation for our business in India, first by establishing a world-class dealer network and now by commencing completely knocked down or CKD assembly operations,” Harley-Davidson India managing director Anoop Prakash said.
The company will set up the new facility near Bawal in Haryana. Harley-Davidson, however, did not specify the production capacity or the investment that will be made into the facility.Currently, Harley-Davidson India imports completely assembled motorcycles from its US final assembly plants. These attract an import duty of 91.28%. Besides India (outside the US), the company has CKD assembly operations in Brazil.
“Harley-Davidson is moving forward with the launch of operations in India to assemble motorcycles for the Indian market from the component kits supplied by its US plants and it expects the facility to be operational in the first half of 2011,” the company said.
Commenting on the plans, Harley-Davidson Motor Company president and chief operating officer Matthew S Levatich said, “Given the strong response we have received in the initial months of retail operations, we believe this is the right investment for this important market.”
After the Haryana facility becomes operational, Harley-Davidson India will import CKD kits for select models from the company’s US plants and employees at the Haryana facility will then assemble the components into finished motorcycles, the company added.
Harley-Davidson came to India in January this year and hopes to sell over 250 bikes by the end of this year. Its most popular model in India is the Sportster 883 from the company’s Sportster family, which has four bikes. The entry level version comes for Rs 6.95 lakh. Prakash added the bike major would announce the models it would assemble in India and their prices in January.
The company’s highest-priced model, the custom vehicle operations or CVO, comes for a cool Rs 35 lakh. Harley-Davidson sells 12 models India against 35 models in the global market.
The Indian market is swamped with superbikes even though the segment is still in the budding stage. Although all two-wheeler giants bringing in their luxury liners are not here to stay, the first name that comes to mind when there is talk of superbike is Harley-Davidson.
This unparalleled brand name, which the legendary bike maker has gained over the years, is surely going to make Harley-Davidson among the top premium bike sellers in India in the long term.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight may find many takers
There are many takers for luxury cars and bikes in India, indicating an inclination for the Good Life, and to cash in on this growth, iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson has launched its 1,200 cc superbike christened Forty-Eight in India, with a price tag of Rs 8.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
The Forty-Eight has Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection or ESPFI and performance tuning with a broad torque curve. This allows a powerful responsive ride with smooth clutch feel.
The Forty Eight is part of the Harley-Davidson’s Sportster cruiser range and comprises the V-Twin engine.
The bike wears a retro look with bulky tyres and low seating and this feature will pave the way for a comfortable ride.
The target is clearly the Indian youth even with the retro look.
The target is clearly the Indian youth even with the retro look.
According to the company, bookings for the Forty-Eight will start from this month itself at its five dealerships throughout the country.
This model can be bought from all the Harley-Davidson dealerships, which already stock 14 other bike models, Harley-Davidson India said in a statement.
Harley-Davidson is also aware of the intense competition it is slated to face in India in the near future and also the price factor which could partially influence a buying decision in the luxury segment.
Keeping this in mind, the US motorcycles giant said it would not raise prices of its two models (the SuperLow and Iron 883) that will be assembled in India despite a higher import duty for completely knocked down parts.
The US iconic brand was allowed to foray into India in 2007 after emission norms for giant bikes above 800 cc were relaxed but the company rolled out bikes almost three years later.
In November last year, Harley-Davidson said it will assemble motorcycles in India from 2011. The Indian factory will be its second facility outside the US, the first one being in Brazil.
Harley-Davidson, which is planning to set up an assembly facility at Bawal in Haryana, said it was weighing this option on the backdrop of new CKD norms that have led to higher import duty, which has prompted bike makers to mull price hikes.
In December 2010, it had stated that the SuperLow and Iron 883 would be the first two models to be launched from the CKD assembly facility at Bawal in Haryana. The bikes come for Rs 5.5 lakh and Rs 6.50 lakh (showroom price) respectively. Currently, the bikes are assembled outside the country.
Other bikes from its stable that are fully imported are priced between Rs 7.79 lakh and Rs 38.66 lakh.
High-end bikers literally swear by Harley-Davidson, which is clearly the first choice for anyone keen to buy a luxury or a superbike.
As the market for high-end, high capacity bikes evolves in India, we will see more rollouts by companies. This is set to jack up earnings substantially, especially for players like Harley-Davidson while the smaller ones may have to shut shop sooner or later.
So, with the superbikes segment revving up from its nascent stage, we are likely to see companies like Harley-Davidson setting up production centres in India and this could scale down the prices of bikes like the Forty-Eight by almost half, especially if parts are manufactured locally.
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