1- Harley-Davidson Bikes To Be Built From The Ground Up In India? Going from imported bikes to India to imported kits assembled locally saved a lot of money in Tariffs to Harley-Davidson. Now, 2 India magazines (Indian Express and Indian Cars Bikes) are reporting that Harley will be upgrading its India plant to be able to manufacture complete bikes from the ground up. Expected, many will comment. Lowering manufacturing costs using local manpower (and no unions) is estimated to allow a consumer price reduction of 40%, widening Harley market opportunities not only in India but also in all the fast growing Asian market.
2- Jesse James American Outlaw. Jesse signed a deal with Gallery Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint, to write a Memoir (not his Memoirs), in a book to hit the shelves later this year. It is to be called “American Outlaw” and in it you can expect Jesse to “say it all” about some unknown facts about his life. Because as we all know, there is always 2 sides to a story.
3- Bikers Choice. Tucker Rocky President Steve Johnson wants to refocus on the V-Twin after-market business and muscle up Bikers Choice, its its V-Twin business group. Additional resources include the addition of Charlie Hadayia Jr. (ex S&S Cycle) to its management staff. will handle business development duties for Biker’s Choice while Director Richard Schafer will work on product and inventory.
4- Big Dog Motorcycles Refusing Tax Breaks. When the motorcycle manufacturer informed the Wichita City Council, without any explanation, that it declines receiving a new tax exemption for which it qualifies, city mayor and officials scratched their heads. Are cities and states so addicted to giving out subsidies to private businesses that they can become disoriented and upset when they are turned down?
5- Harley-Davidson To Race Again In Daytona. Harley returns to AMA Racing. Based on a largely stock Harley-Davidson XR1200 motorcycle equipped with a race-preparation kit provided by Vance & Hines, the series brings the Harley-Davidson V-Twin engine back to the high banks of the Daytona Speedway. Harley-davidson stopped the VR1000 Superbike program in 2001. A record five-time winner of the Daytona 200 race, former Harley-Davidson factory VR1000 Superbike rider, and 1993 World Superbike Champion, Scott Russell will ride a Harley Owners Group sponsored XR1200 wearing his favorite No. 4 in his first AMA Pro motorcycle race at the Speedway since retiring from the series in 2002. The seven-lap XR1200 feature race is scheduled to start at 3:15 pm EST on March 11th.
6- Harley-Davidson Customer Service. Since February 28th, if you want to talk to the good people of Harley-Davidson for praise, technical information, recalls, complaints, etc, whatever your good or bad reasons to call them, US customers need to use a new toll free number 1-800-258-2464 (same number for anything H.O.G. related)
You have to take the news out of India w/ a grain of salt. Their standards make most tabloids look like serious news.
Still I wouldn’t be shocked if HD starts building bikes overseas for export back to the west. Especially any of the lower margin bikes like the 883’s. You’ve got bmw’s and triumph’s low end models coming out of Thailand now.
Its up to our gov’t to make it worthwhile to multinational corporation to keep production here. Our lopsided free trade policies encourage the export of manufacturing and discourage the repatriation of overseas profits. When you cannot bring the money back here you wind up spending it overseas.
Why would BDM not want further tax incentives?
Doc, very good question. My guess is because they don’t hope to be there a long time…and may have to pay back if conditions for these tax incentives are not met. What could be another explanation?
Luis. You wrote “Our lopsided free trade policies discourage the repatriation of overseas profits” Really? Where did you get that US companies can’t bring back their profits. Wherever profits are made, they are at the bank wherever a company has bank accounts. Please, explain.
Jesse James has a special talent to turn the negative into a new source of income.
@Donnie.
This is a SEVERE over simplification:
When most multinational corporations make money overseas its usually deposited in a foreign bank many time in the local currency. You then can either keep the money in that country or repatriate it back to the US. Thing is when you repatriate these foreign-earned cash piles, U.S. firms must pay combined state and federal corporate income taxes that can range as high as 39 percent. So if you have the profits in a lower tax nation you will keep it there to save on the taxes.
Luis. What you say is incorrect. A profit abroad is a US profit. A tax return is filled in foreign country. Tax is paid in this foreign country. Then the US corporation fills a US tax return on its worldwide income (foreign currency is translated in US dollars at the current exchange rate). If these 2 countries, foreign & US have a convention of non double taxation, the foreign tax already paid becomes a tax credit against US taxes to be paid. I have a US corporation with subsidiary abroad. Your statement, even simplified, is not in any way the reality of the taxation system and the way it works for international corporations.
Charlie Hadayia Jr. (ex S&S Cycle) good move for TR in Hiring Charlie
@J. Kemer. As a business owner I’ll take what you say as fact for your business model. So i ask you why is there this big push to lower the taxation on repatriated funds?
For example:
http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/16/news/companies/repatriation_lobby.fortune/index.htm
Luis. You are confused by the CNN article. They talked about money abroad that has never been reported to the IRS. The debate is about a tax amnesty or tax holiday if these foreign corporations “officialize” the money that they earned abroad and didn’t report. Practically, it’s the same thing for individuals hiding money abroad. The government, from time to time, offers an amnesty, usually paying taxes without penalty and interests if you volunteer to declare and bring back your money in the country.
Thanks for clearing that up 🙂
Another Book from Jessie! Enough of those lies, I would be tremendously more interested in Sandra’s Book. At least hers would be the Truth.
Kudos to Big Dog.
Many profess to be anti government but then expect money for roads and bridges
from the same government. By not taking the tax amnesty he supports his community and
the work that needs to be done their. Now, he can go to those same officials who represent
him and insist the taxes he paid be used appropriately. That is actually how the system works.
Democracy is participatory. Any future meetings he has with his local officials will be from a
stand point of I’ve done it right now you do what’s right. He is leading by example.
It takes balls to say my community is just as important as me. If riders have a choice of who
to share their money with it should be Big Dog.
Good job J. Kemper on clearing that up. It’s an issue many are confused on. Their is a difference
between moving your company to say, Bermuda which is a tactic some use to not pay any taxes
and being a global business who is founded, operates in and supports our nation.
I wonder what “unknown facts” JJ can tell us in his new book? Cool chops or not, part of his success is based on his “oulaw” image, being related to the real outlaw. But…
The president of the James Preservation Trust, says he can not find a record of him in the family tree, and asked JJ to provide a family genealogy and DNA sampling for the Trust to test. JJ has not accepted the offer.
For a culture that shows a huge disdain for poseurs, I wonder why this has never been an issue for most of his fans.
Harley-Davidson Bikes To Be Built From The Ground Up In India?
I think I just heard a pin drop ————– it’s very quiet in here… knock knock… is there anyone here?
“For a culture that shows a huge disdain for poseurs, I wonder why this has never been an issue for most of his fans.”
Or claiming to be for the working class Joe then selling bikes in the 60K to 80K range?
Or making clothes for the “American blue collar worker” in China and selling them in Walmart?
Or always mentioning how he hates the spotlight meanwhile being on any and every show that will have him?
Theres a lot more then these inconsistencies but I somehow think that the book is going to paint our hero as the victim of a mean dad and any deception by him is really the fault of his overbearing father.
Big Dog Recently sold off most of there motorcycle lifts and welding equipment. Could the Kit bike deal be just clearing out the last of the parts? is this the end
@J.Kemper: My thanks as well, for clearing up that common misconception. It’s easy to attack people who misunderstand in a subject and make a mistake and your explanation was well thought out and easy to understand. If more people stood up and helped to correct common misconceptions in an intelligent manner this world would be a better place. Kudos also to Luis for admitting his mistake and taking the opportunity to learn something new. I admit, I was ignorant of how it all really worked too and I know i understand it alot better.
The president of the James Preservation Trust, says he can not find a record of him in the family tree, and asked JJ to provide a family genealogy and DNA sampling for the Trust to test. JJ has not accepted the offer
its ok he is just obama and not going to prove nada
and JJ isnt running for president in the near future
Well put chopperfreak. Thought it was helpful as well.