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I just read in Dec.08 American Iron Magazine that a milestone was reached at a H-D plant in Manaus, Brazil. It seems that they make the Softail Deluxe FLSTN at that plant (for the Brazilian market). After nine years they had produced their 10,000th bike at that plant. That's not quite 93 bikes per month, in a country with a population of 180,000,000 (that's million). I know its a poor country and only a handful could handle the purchase price. I wonder if sales would be better if the Brazilian's knew it was made in the USA instead of Brazil ? Is there no more room in the USA for another H-D assembly plant? Its supposed to be an AMERICAN COMPANY MAKING AMERICAN BIKES. I own a Rolex watch but would not have bought it if were made anywhere but Switzerland. I don't like this one bit, and I also don't like buying H-D branded parts for my AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE that were made in Taiwan. Anybody share in my opinion?
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__________________ TRVSDAD "I love the life I live, I live the life I love"
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Brazil trade laws make it attractive for companies to open plants there.
In simple terms, you can't ship a product into Brazil if a similar product is made there.
Don't worry, the bikes are probably just assembled there.
(The parts are from China just like our American built Harleys).
HD probably builds bikes in Brazil specifically for that market because the cost of labor keeps the price down. If the bikes were built here the labor costs would most likely raise the purchase price to the point it would be out of reach for the people that live there. With that said I agree that the bikes should be built here for the world market.
How long before they start shipping them back here for sale in your local HD dealer. Gotta be more profit for them since they're built with Brazilian labor.
Makes one wonder how many of those "Brazilian made" bikes might end up here on a stealers showroom floor? It's sad enough to know that electronics and chrome parts are made off shore, let alone the whole bike.
Kinda puts the hurt on "Made in the USA".
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Since a lot of the coffee we consume as well as a lot of the sugar comes from there, what's the big deal if the bikes they buy are built by their countrymen?
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Harley-Davidson's Softail Deluxe made in Brazil!
