Harley-Davidson On Full-Throttle Reaches India

By Staff

Published: Tuesday, September 1, 2009, 14:17 [IST]

The meanest and the oldest of the two-wheel king is finally here, yes, and now very proudly you can make that killer-machine your own. Harley-Davidson, the god of all bikes and the love of all bikers was launched in India on August 27.

With a cult following that extends across the world, Harley-Davidson lovers in India can own the bike for a starting price of about ,000 that is, Rs 7 lakh in the first half of next year.

"The strong Indian economy, the growing middle class and the tremendous Government investment in infrastructure, makes this the perfect time for our entry," said Mr Matthew Levatich, President and COO, Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

The decision to enter Indian market had nothing to do with the current situation in the US, and falling sales that have called for "belt tightening" activities, said Mr Levatich. The Indian market was ripe, as proven by the existing international heavyweights that have outperformed their own estimates.
Assembly line

Anoop Prakash ,the company"s newly appointed Managing Director for India,, said Harley-Davidson would be importing 12-15 models, representing each of its family of bikes as completely built units from the US.

Mr Levatich also said that, the decision for a full- manufacturing unit in India would depend on the market demand. The Harley-Davidson bikes start at 883 cc going up to 1550cc. It is currently also considering building Harley lighter bikes, however, Levatich adds that the fans but would be always looking for the authentic Harley experience.

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