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EU Harleys made in Thailand

  • Timmy
    Timmy
    4 years ago
    Hi all,
    I moved to Germany from Australia nearly 1 year ago and I brought my Softail with me, that’s a topic I might create another day as it was completely crazy. 

    Folks here are complaining because their new Softails they have bought from the dealer here have ‘Made in Thailand’ on the frame. “Apparently” Harleys sold in the EU are made in Thailand now to avoid tariffs of something like 25%.

    I’m just wondering if Australian models are coming from there now too? Or if they plan to?  

    Cheers
    Tim
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    4 years ago
    Quoting Timmy on 13 Aug 2020 08:05 PM

    Hi all,

    I moved to Germany from Australia nearly 1 year ago and I brought my Softail with me, that’s a topic I might create another day as it was completely crazy. 

    Folks here are complaining because their new Softails they have bought from the dealer here have ‘Made in Thailand’ on the frame. “Apparently” Harleys sold in the EU are made in Thailand now to avoid tariffs of something like 25%.

    I’m just wondering if Australian models are coming from there now too? Or if they plan to?  

    Cheers
    Tim

    Tim they even make them in India now, Brazil and Thailand also have plants but i believe ours will still come from USA. It seems to worry some forum members where the bike was made last time this topic was raised.
  • RossW
    RossW
    4 years ago
    Quoting Timmy on 13 Aug 2020 08:05 PM

    Hi all,

    I moved to Germany from Australia nearly 1 year ago and I brought my Softail with me, that’s a topic I might create another day as it was completely crazy. 

    Folks here are complaining because their new Softails they have bought from the dealer here have ‘Made in Thailand’ on the frame. “Apparently” Harleys sold in the EU are made in Thailand now to avoid tariffs of something like 25%.

    I’m just wondering if Australian models are coming from there now too? Or if they plan to?  

    Cheers
    Tim

    The Street range I believe is made in India. As far as my 2019 Sportglide goes, its VIN says it was made in York, Pennsylvania.
    Ultimately it matters little. I've owned cars and motorcycles from many different countries.  My Thai made Honda Jazz was a great little car, very well made and reliable.
    Here in Australia, we have no practical interest in the whole "Made in the USA" thing apart from those who dislike the idea of their car/motorcycle being made by brown people. (Which, let's face it if it was built in the USA it probably was.)
  • tussuck
    tussuck
    4 years ago
    Yep... And if you try to throw the 'quality' card into the conversation then lets just look back to the AMF days for Harley which should close that one out.
  • RossW
    RossW
    4 years ago
    Quoting tussuck on 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AMedited: 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AM

    Yep... And if you try to throw the 'quality' card into the conversation then lets just look back to the AMF days for Harley which should close that one out.

    Yep. People look with so much nostalgia at the old Shovels now but at the time they were so bad they nearly sent the company broke. Saved by the Evo(first HD engine with a Japanese carburettor)
    I actually passed on Low Rider when I went shopping. Why would anyone want AMF era graphics?
  • Timmy
    Timmy
    4 years ago
    I know that many cars like are made all over the World, and motorcycles too.  And I realise a lot of a Harleys parts aren’t made in USA.  I just found it interesting that the Big Twin models were getting made in Thailand, not just the Street models.  And essentially they are just assembled in Thailand from parts from all over the world, not technically made in Thailand as the sticker on the frame makes you think. 
  • Krash Kinkade
    Krash Kinkade
    4 years ago
    Quoting tussuck on 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AMedited: 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AM

    Yep... And if you try to throw the 'quality' card into the conversation then lets just look back to the AMF days for Harley which should close that one out.

    I did 1 million k on an AMF shovel kick start only.
    sold to a friend he used to ride it interstate ( now COVID-19 ) but what's the problem?

    also aside note, Dave Barr road an AMF shovelled wide glide around the world & in Australia up to cape York on his own  ( out did MDB )
  • RossW
    RossW
    4 years ago
    Quoting tussuck on 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AMedited: 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AM

    Yep... And if you try to throw the 'quality' card into the conversation then lets just look back to the AMF days for Harley which should close that one out.

    Quoting Krash Kinkade on 14 Aug 2020 04:43 AMedited: 14 Aug 2020 05:15 AM

    I did 1 million k on an AMF shovel kick start only.

    sold to a friend he used to ride it interstate ( now COVID-19 ) but what's the problem?

    also aside note, Dave Barr road an AMF shovelled wide glide around the world & in Australia up to cape York on his own  ( out did MDB )

    Any that are still out there would be the survivors, not the lemons, of which there were many. 
    Build quality tends to diminish in importance with age as the owner gradually rebuilds the bike.
  • Sturgis
    Sturgis
    4 years ago
    Quoting Timmy on 14 Aug 2020 04:39 AM

    I know that many cars like are made all over the World, and motorcycles too.  And I realise a lot of a Harleys parts aren’t made in USA.  I just found it interesting that the Big Twin models were getting made in Thailand, not just the Street models.  And essentially they are just assembled in Thailand from parts from all over the world, not technically made in Thailand as the sticker on the frame makes you think. 

    It's largely due to the tariff wars initiated by the USA and China. The EU introduced a 25% increase in US manufactured goods back in 2017 and China similarly.  The HD plant in Thailand is an assembly plant for Asia and the EU to get around the tariff barriers.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    4 years ago
    I was under the impression that Toyota Hilux’s are made in Thailand. Not much wrong with them.
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    4 years ago
    Mate, have a BT50 from Thailand , bought new in 2013. Gearbox shate at just under warranty, phewwy. But  the skin is like soft as  cant lean on her, or dent . But she been a good rig till now at 140,000 kms, handles ok, but with good tyres, new Michelin work well.
  • Krash Kinkade
    Krash Kinkade
    4 years ago
    Quoting tussuck on 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AMedited: 14 Aug 2020 03:14 AM

    Yep... And if you try to throw the 'quality' card into the conversation then lets just look back to the AMF days for Harley which should close that one out.

    Quoting Krash Kinkade on 14 Aug 2020 04:43 AMedited: 14 Aug 2020 05:15 AM

    I did 1 million k on an AMF shovel kick start only.

    sold to a friend he used to ride it interstate ( now COVID-19 ) but what's the problem?

    also aside note, Dave Barr road an AMF shovelled wide glide around the world & in Australia up to cape York on his own  ( out did MDB )

    Quoting RossW on 14 Aug 2020 05:55 AM

    Any that are still out there would be the survivors, not the lemons, of which there were many. 

    Build quality tends to diminish in importance with age as the owner gradually rebuilds the bike.

    RossW , I think it was more to do with who had worked on the Old Shovels from new. all the Old Harleys not just AMF required more attention as they vibrated. I used to carry a few spanners & screw drivers Allen Heads in my pockets all the time.
    & rebuilds I used people with the right equipment and tools. I've seen inside motors that back yard operators tentioned the crank pin nut ( rebuilding Flywheels ) with a chisel, the drive shaft nut on flywheels needs 400 ft lb tq, not many in the back yard could tention that high.
    Also I had the feel for my bike, I could tell when top engine mount was loose & would fix on the road.
    my friend I sold it too, at the start just road it hard, never checked anything, he cracked two cast iron Barrels, serving his time as a long distance Shovel rider, the Hard way. now he knows more, but now the bike has a Riviera 6 speed late model electric start & it is very Smooth.
    now we all get it easy & if it goes south post it on internet.
    cheers just telling the truth.
  • RossW
    RossW
    4 years ago
    Quoting Krash Kinkade on 14 Aug 2020 04:43 AMedited: 14 Aug 2020 05:15 AM

    I did 1 million k on an AMF shovel kick start only.

    sold to a friend he used to ride it interstate ( now COVID-19 ) but what's the problem?

    also aside note, Dave Barr road an AMF shovelled wide glide around the world & in Australia up to cape York on his own  ( out did MDB )

    Quoting RossW on 14 Aug 2020 05:55 AM

    Any that are still out there would be the survivors, not the lemons, of which there were many. 

    Build quality tends to diminish in importance with age as the owner gradually rebuilds the bike.

    Quoting Krash Kinkade on 15 Aug 2020 12:03 AM

    RossW , I think it was more to do with who had worked on the Old Shovels from new. all the Old Harleys not just AMF required more attention as they vibrated. I used to carry a few spanners & screw drivers Allen Heads in my pockets all the time.

    & rebuilds I used people with the right equipment and tools. I've seen inside motors that back yard operators tentioned the crank pin nut ( rebuilding Flywheels ) with a chisel, the drive shaft nut on flywheels needs 400 ft lb tq, not many in the back yard could tention that high.
    Also I had the feel for my bike, I could tell when top engine mount was loose & would fix on the road.
    my friend I sold it too, at the start just road it hard, never checked anything, he cracked two cast iron Barrels, serving his time as a long distance Shovel rider, the Hard way. now he knows more, but now the bike has a Riviera 6 speed late model electric start & it is very Smooth.
    now we all get it easy & if it goes south post it on internet.
    cheers just telling the truth.

    I agree with you. Keeping those Shovels running was a labour of love. It was true of a lot of cars too. I regularly marvel at how my VF Commodore ( and most other modern cars) requires no more than a service every 15k to keep it happy, where my old Mini needed attention of some kind or another on a weekly basis. For some that's all part of the joy and I get that, although I don't really share it these days.
    My M8 just works. You could never have said that of any 70s or 80s bike that wasn't Japanese, and even the Japanese ones had their moments.

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