I think Most of my Honda 750 Shadow is made in Louisiana.

Sad, Sad day when it looks like Milwaukee's doors may be closing a bit....

You're joking right????? I have been around Harley's for awhile and I have never heard of, or saw a Harley that came with Yokohama tires from the factory.

What!Care 2 be more informative, please!

NOPE, Not kidding. Of the Harleys I've owned, everyone had American tires, but the last one, a wide glide, rolled off of the show room, rode it home, played around with some poishing, and danged if it didn't have Jap tires on it. I mean they're good tires, but on a Harley? I never would have thought it.

__________________

My 2007 Ultra Classic came with Dunlops, never seen anything else.

What year was this wide glide?
You are the first person I have heard say their Harley came with those brand of tires.
Is there a possibility they had been changed before you took delivery?

This is an interesting thread.
It is true the parts come from foreign countrys. Allmost all of the chrome add ons are imports. They have been using Showa fork assemblies for years. The Screamin Eagle parts are made in the Millwaukee plant along with engine reman.
All Sportster and Buell engines come from the plant in Wisconsin. They are then shipped to Kansas City for production.
The York, PA plant assembles the Touring and Softail models. I did not see the report on the news however being that it is a major holiday I would not be surprised to see them shut down for this time frame. A lot of manufacturing plants do for maintenance.
Yes you don't have to wait on a list anymore to get a bike. Flooded the market? Maybe. Keep in mind this company does business around the globe.
I did a tour at the Kansas City plant on one of thier open houses. If you go on the Friday they have some production going on so you can see what it takes to make a bike. The stamp and form fenders, fuel, and oil tanks on site. The frames are cut, bent, and robot welded on site. The bare metal is painted there as well. Custom sets are painted in Arizona.
The front ends are assembled there. Also if the wheels are to laced this is done right there. It is really wild to watch a guy grab a rim in one hand and spokes in the other and put a wheel together. Once it is trued it is sent down the line to the tire guy ( I have only seen Dunlops but think they were having problems) who mounts, balances the wheel and sends it on to be put on fork assembly. This then goes across the isle to where the line is bringing the bike along with most components on, as the bike goes by the front end is installed. From final assembly to testing. This is a block building with two stalls. There are rollers in the floor so the bike is started and rode in place for 1 mi. They are run through all gears, lights checked, horn etc. Then they are rolled out in front of big fans to cool. Put on long metal pallets, boxed and put onto a trailer for shippment.
Yes you do have to perform maintenance on them. I own two AMF era bikes and a 01 Touring bike. As far as not being able to ride for fear of breakdown I have heard this a lot but just don't see it. That touring bike has over 40,000 miles and I have not had to do any repairs just routine maintenance.
There are other American made motorcycles. Victory and Indian are two that will be interesting to watch. Indian is in the process of starting up again. In 09 they are suppose to be introducing thier own engine. Victory is becoming more popular. They do build a quality bike.
I don't care what kind of bike you own and ride. Just ride it!
Be Careful Out There!!!

My FIRST RIDE all by myself was on a 1980 Gray Sporster, some yrs back. I have been hooked ever since.

calling a christmas break a shutdown is a little misleading...


they are retooling and taking some time for interior upgrades in KC and york...

usuall during the hollidays they went to 1 shift as opposed to 3 shifts and a weekend swing shift...


no big deal..


my buells and vrod are safe and sound knowing their brothers and sisters will be rolling out next week again. hehehhe

__________________
TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....

A christmas break in mid november? Thats new to me.
I heard it on nbc news last month, the guy said it was dew to saging sales and the factory making more bikes then it was shipping.
And it was in wisconsin not KC or york.