Harley-Davidson to Buy Italian Motorcycle Maker

[Owen]

Saw this in the Ny Times... a little short on details but interesting... some of the comments are also interesting.

 

story

[Freebird]

Well, it's not their first dealings with an Italian company. I've owned two Harley Sprints, both Italian made by Aermacchi. I don't know if Harley owned any part of that company or just subcontracted the small bikes to them.

[buddy]

Read between the lines. Sounds like maybe Harley Davidson is looking to move out of the USA? Why not GoldWing did...

 

Buddy

[Owen]

I guess I don't know much about the motorcycle market on the other side of the pond, but I find it at least ironic that HD would buy a company to which it had sold another. Referring to HD selling Aermacchi to Cagiva in the '70s and now buying the Cagiva brand back in the deal.

[Tartan Terror]

Read between the lines. Sounds like maybe Harley Davidson is looking to move out of the USA? Why not GoldWing did...

 

Buddy

Only reading between the lines is that Harley is much sought after bike in Europe so if they had a place to build them over there they could expand. Harley is American and most buy them because they are but just like all the tariffs we charge to bring foreign stuff here they could save lots buy building bikes for Europe there. I see them expanding. At least they arent building 08 bikes with cassette players! LOL

[hig4s]

Don't know if this will be good or bad for Husqvarna.

[nelsonrl]

From what I have read, the company they bought has a very goof European distribution and dealer network and thats what Harley was getting out of it.

[PBJ]

Interestingly enough Harley is planning on selling more bikes in Europe than to the American market( or so the magazines say) and they've just developed a 100bhp Sportster with a real suspension that will only be sold in Europe. Maybe its their way of getting around American buyers that only want pushrod and air cooled engines. Not that push rods and air cooled engines have hurt Yamaha sales any.