York PA. H-D Plant

[Jack Klarich]

The York assembly Plant is the final assembly plant for Big Twins yes our Motors are made here in Milwaukee it will be a sad day if they have to close this plant AMF was instumental in shipping our bikes to York for final assembly

 

[SeaRider04]

I did the tour (and got a t-shirt) on the week before last open house(last Sept/09), my bike was born in York too, I did talked to the tour guide lady and asked her about it but she said "there's no plan of closing the York plan as of now". I got to go to Baltimore MD on this Monday coming and may drop by the plan if time is permitted.

 

[Sheepdogmarine]

I often hear people exclaim "I will never buy a Harley, nor will I ride one if they are made by foreigners". Guess what? Harleys are full of foreign components and they have been for years. Harley, like any smart manufacturer sources products from the lowest cost provider. They spec it out and put it out for bids. He who sells if for less and maintains specs, gets the bid. To want to buy products made by Americans is admirable, for sure. But, in today's world that just isn't practicle. Harleys are assembled in America, for the most part. But, that is about to change. Never mind that old farts like myself have sworn they would never buy a Harley assembled in Mexico. We are in the minority and as the years go by and we die off, we are being replaced by an ever younger base of consumers who will buy anything from anywhere. The United States is the largest consuming nation in the world (mostly imported) and will buy just as many Harleys if they are made in Lower Slobovia as if they were in Wisconsin, Pensylvania or Kansas City. Outsourcing does work and it will work for Harley Davidson as well. In truth, Harleys customer base is small. Ya, we American owners don't add to much in the grand scheme of things. It is for that very reason that the MOCO has decided to expand in China and India. When I heard them say that in their analysts meeting a few weeks ago I could not help but crack a smile. In my mind's eye I was visualizing some of those short Chinese and Indians try to hold up an 800+ pound Harley at the stoplight. For the guy who manufacturers lowering kits I would think he should be on the plane right now trying to figure out where he can put his manufacuring plant.
Patriots don't seem to make very good capitalists, do they?

:newsmile08:
You are exactly right. It is sad that things will never be built in the USA again the way we are used to. But that is the way it is. People can say what they want, but in the end companies will do what they can to survive. Americans have all gotten greedy and now we suffer from it. Kids don;t want to work for minimum wage, foreigners do though. It is just the way it is and we all will have to live with it.

I personally think it sucks, but there is nothing to do but live with it.

As long as they still sound the same I will be happy.

Ride safe!

Eric

 

[Axel]

I have to laugh when people claim Harleys are mostly foreign. The frames, engines, sheetmetal, transmissions and fiberglass are manufactured in the U.S. By weight, that makes them at least 75 percent American. Dunlop is foreign-owned but makes the tires here. And there are many more American parts. Plus, they are all assmebled here. Foreign cars and motorcycles are manufactured elsewhere and merely assembled here. Honda has closed their Ohio motorcycle plant.

 

[bjryman]

Difficult not to buy a car at least partially made in Mexico or Canada....that's where even GM, Ford and Chrysler placed assembly plants

 

[Drumrguy]

The deal is that the guy who is now running Harley Davidson, used to be the CEO for Johnson Controls, the problem that he has with the York plant is that it is not a plant that you can build a bike in one building, they have several different buildings that you have to go between. He feels that this is not smart for production. That is what I was told from a general manager of a Harley store, I also believe he told me that the plant closing was still up in the air.

 

[hapbob]

I did the tour about 3-4 years ago..even dragged the wife through...she hates motorcycles and she thought the factory tour was interesting..If your near and are a Harley person you should make the time..

Hap

 

[troxlerld]

I took the tour through hd factory in York Pa. in the middle of sept I enjoyed it very much they take you through the plant that makes the touring bikes the tour guide told me the soft tails and cvo were made in another plant on the grounds I ask because I have a fatboy that was made there the plant is old amf plant the guide also told me if I had been a week later they were having open house and all 2010 bikes would be on display and could ride them and you could tour any the plants with out a guide

 

[Jim B.]

I did the tour about 3-4 years ago..even dragged the wife through...she hates motorcycles and she thought the factory tour was interesting..If your near and are a Harley person you should make the time..

Hap

Also dragged my wife through last year. She was not a happy camper at first. However, she was much happier after she toured the plant and found it interesting. She was even happier when she found on the map that Gettysburg was close by. Guess where we went after the factory tour?

 

[Neilwillo]

While changing my rear tire i noticed my cast wheels are made in Australia. As long as, whomever, wherever they build'em, if they bikes aren't inferior like AMF, i'm still buying. The majority of the mc's require an "american made ride" what are they gonna do? Food for thought.

Australia has been making the mag wheels for Harleys for years now. I seem to recall that recently Harley bought the plant so i guess it can be said that harley make their own mag wheels - just not in the USA.

Neil
(In Australia)