Originally Posted by Bart van der Meulen

I can give you an example from Europe, guys. In my youth there were no Japs as bikes in the market for 50cc and higher. Without driver license you may ride a 50cc at the age of 16. With driver license >50cc and cars. The youth between 15 and 18 had no other choice than riding the 50cc. The entire market in Europe was dominated by Germand and Austrian 2-stroke bikes, Kreidler (world top in 50cc racing), Zundapp (German quality) and Puch from Austria (bike for alternative youngsters)
The Kreidlers were very good to up power, even the same frame holds the (in German legal) 70cc block and you were 'the man' with the girls. For the ignorants: the looks were of a cafe racer, with or without racing windscreen. They were all expensive in purchase and in parts.
But the companies were absolutely dominating the huge market in Europe. The first Yamaha's appeared on the market, together with the 4-stroke Honda. Riding as fast, must cheaper and consuming less fuel and 2-stroke oil. More attractive for others than only youth.
Twenty years later the dominating European companies hava a niche market, allowed by the Japs to service a small part of the market. Kreidler has bankrupted already in the beginning, trying to compete the Japs on 'image'..
Moral of this story? Don't try to compete the competitor on his own strong fields. Don't imitate him after twenty or more years experience of the competitor in these fields. Don't try to compete your competitor in a market, completey dominated by him.
Develop something complete new, stay with your distinctive models which are imitated by your competitors but never be able to be defeated.
An in the case of Harley Davidson this will mean: stay with your heavy models, your image of 'Made in USA' and the strong points of Harley.
Honda may try with the GoldWing to imitate you, but despite of these efforts most of the HD riders don' t want to be seen on a GW, not even dead.
Develop your engines further, with new techniques to avoid water-cooling, downsize your engines to avoid this as well.
If you want to invade the foreign markets, dominated by Japs, try something new. Develop a trike with a cargo hold on the back, replacing the small 'tuk-tuks' in city cargo transport and deliveries. This part of the market is underdeveloped in these South- and Southeast Asian countries, with choked cities...And will restore Harley's image as 'work horse' as the Liberator were once...Just an advice of a HD rider, living in Asia and just because I have warm feelings for the USA...

Originally Posted by TwiZted Biker

Originally Posted by FLTR08

You have to understand that there are a lot of people who have shot their mouth off about how Harley is "Building bikes in India." Despite the KC business reporters, the motor company themselves, and all the people who attended the November dealer event in Kansas City and actually saw the Street production line, these people aren't going to admit they have made fools out of themselves. Despite the fact that Harley-Davidson has spent the week holding web conferences with employees, dealerships, and contractors detailing the roll out and manufacturing of the new Street models, these clueless people aren't going to admit they don't know what they are talking about.

They will just go on babbling their BS about how the bike is made in India and just assembled here no matter how wrong they are. For some people, stupidity is a badge of honor.

Originally Posted by HotIceHD

Yep, and then you have Japanese trying to re-make a Morini, a "few" years later (new CB1100)