US-based cult bike manufacturer Harley Davidson has announced its foray into the used bike market in India with the focus to woo younger buyers.
Harley Davidson is the biggest name when it comes to premium segment motorcycles hands down. Although I’m not fond of bikes, who doesn’t fancy a ride to Leh on a Harley?
With the biggest name tag comes the sky-high price and yes that’s the whole problem.
Maybe now we can afford a Harley
The official launch of this scheme precedes the pilot-testing that Harley Davidson has been undertaking since the beginning of the year through its sales outlets in India.
Harley Davidson offers a range of 17 models across 28 dealerships in India including its latest dealership in Chennai. The prices start at Rs 5.25 lakh and go up to 50 lakh (ex-showroom).
There have been plans of introducing nimbler motorcycles that have smaller engines to cater to the fast-growing markets of China and India.
As part of its plans called “More Roads to Harley-Davidson”, the company hopes to unveil a lightweight motorcycle in India within the next two years through an alliance with an Asian manufacturer.
“The used bike’s business will enable us to attract more customers. Secondly, to enable people, perhaps who cannot afford a new Harley-Davidson, but at least get the right Harley-Davidson experience through an authorised dealership,” Harley-Davidson India, Managing Director, Peter Mackenzie said.
Mr. Mackenzie added that India is an important market for their company which is why they shall continue investing apart from having a manufacturing facility in Bawal, Haryana.
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How will this make a difference?
The US-based biker maker has said that it is set to run a 99-point quality check on the pre-owned motorcycle before certifying them ahead to be sold under the brand name of Harley-Davidson originals.
“Harley-Davidson Originals motorcycles come with an official warranty for 1 year and is similar to the warranty that is issued on new motorcycles, with an option to extend it to a further 2 or 3 years should one require,” said a statement.
So for starters Harley Davidson Street 750 is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs 5.25 lakhs. Once used, it can be bought at a price from between Rs 3-4 lakhs meaning a nearly 20% decrease in price.
The Harley Davidson Iron 883 has an ex-showroom price starting at Rs 9.23 lakhs. A pre-owned bike of the same model costs around Rs 6.5-7.5 lakh. This again is a reduction of around 20% of the original price.
Of course, this is not the price from the official Harley Davidson dealers but other assured pre-owned bike and car selling websites. But expect those prices of the official dealership to be on similar lines.
Harley’s rivals namely Ducati and Triumph have also expressed interest in entering the pre-owned bike market in India. Previously, Royal Enfield announced its entry into this segment with the opening of the Vintage brand.
The American brand has come under intense pressure for its domestic demand last fiscal, after its sales fell by nearly 11 percent to 1,291 units and I’m sure this scheme serves both purposes, helping to live our dream, as well as help Harley, survive the Indian market.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: MoneyControl, Livemint, NDTV Auto
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