Is Harley Davidson American made?

Harley Davidson is always an American brand. The debate started when the company declared some of its production would move overseas. At that time, President Donald Trump reacted very sharply against its decision. Some of the workers of Harley Davidson also reacted boldly against the company's decision.

It does not matter whether Harley Davidson assembles their products overseas or not, it was and will always remain an American brand.

A brand specifies an exact value to a particular manufacturer. The brand value of a company should not change with the shifting of its production plant. Harley Davidson is a true American brand from its first appearance. It gives Made in America a new dimension.

What makes a product American Made?

You may have seen a lot of products tagged with the Made in America. But what actually makes a product truly American-made? A company may import different components from a different region of the world to assemble them in America. Is that make the product American-made?

Another product that totally evolved in America but lately expanded its manufacturing plants in a different region of the world. Is it American-made?

The answer is it depends on your understanding. Both the manufacturers have too many valid reasons to declare them an American brand. But it's the emotion that creates a true brand. When you hear the name Canadian Tire, you know that it's a Canadian brand. When you hear the term clothing, you know that Made in Bangladesh is in another height.

In the same way, Harley Davidson is also an American brand. It evolved in America. You may call it a world brand. But when you claim that you have a Harley Davidson, people know that it came from America.

Why the debate?

The debate started after the reaction of Donald Trump. He opposes the decision by saying that it is going to be the beginning of the end. In 2018, Harley Davidson declared that it will move some of its production plants overseas to reduce the stress.

Donald Trump, a fan of Harley Davidson, said that the company should never shift any of its production plants outside of America. It will reduce the validity of the manufacturer. The social media were blown over with numerous reactions after the statement of the president. Even some of the workers of the company also went against the decision.

The decision was taken when the EU imposed further retaliatory tariffs on U.S goods.

How many production plants do Harley Davidson has outside the U.S?

Harley Davidson has four assembly plants outside the United States. The company is assembling its motorcycle in Australia, India, Brazil, and Thailand. The company decided to invest more in these plants to reduce the tariff imposed by the EU on American motorcycle products.

Harley Davidson had to spend around 1700 euro for each motorcycle to export it from America to European countries. This makes the company suffer greatly. That is why the company decided to invest more in overseas plants to reduce the tax cost. Exporting motorcycle from all these countries to Europe will reduce the budget to a great extent.

Where do Harley Davidson Import products?

Indeed, Harley Davidson assembles their products in different states of the United States. The company has four different manufacturing plants across the United States. The harsh truth is that not all the equipment that you notice on a Harley Davidson bike is American made. Here are some of the parts that the company imports from a different region of the world-

• The brakes and clutches that you notice on a Harley Davidson come directly from Italy.
• The company imports the pistons of the engine from Australia.
• The suspension system of the Harley Davidson motorcycle comes from Japan.
• Finally, all the electronic gears that you notice on these bikes come from Mexico and China.

You may ponder how come someone calls Harley Davidson an American brand. You need to learn about the history of the company to find out the answer.  Follow the next section for the history of Harley Davidson-

History of Harley Davidson

• The company laid down its foundation in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• At that time, William S. Harley designed a smaller but effective bike engine to set it on the regular bike frame.
• To make it happen, he worked with two brothers Arthur and Walter Davidson to build the frame.
• They managed to launch the first model in 1903. It was an excellent success, but it needed some modification to race on the street.
• In 1904, they completed the prototype. The bike performed in a local motorcycle race, completing the race with the fourth position.
• Since then, it is all a success story. In the beginning, the company started delivering products for the police department.
• During world war one, Harley Davidson delivered around 20,000 motorcycles for the U.S army.
• The contribution to the Second World War was even much bigger. Harley Davidson produced around 90,000 bikes for the military at that time.
• Many renowned companies have gone bankrupt during all these crisis moments. Bu Harley Davidson has survived by delivering well for the country. The great depression of the world only boosted the production of the company.
• The company has contributed more than any other automobile companies in terms of bringing revenue to the country.

American brand or Global brand?

This is the final section to determine whether Harley Davidson is an American brand or a global brand. A brand always represents a country. When you are talking about Harley Davidson, you can only think about America.

Indeed, Harley Davidson imports many of its equipment from across the world. But if you notice the origination history of the company, it is all American. The company has evolved in America and is serving the whole world. You may call it an American brand or a global brand that represents America.

The company has been there and will continue reigning over the automobile industries for some more years, too.

Final words

It requires a lot of time for a company to create brand value. Harley Davidson has surpassed the time a long ago. It is now reigning all over the world as the number one motorcycle brand. Harley Davidson is a brand that creates emotion not only for Americans but also for world citizens. Indeed, Harley Davidson is assembling its products in a different region of the world. That should only mean that the company has evolved around the whole world, enhancing the brand value of America.