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Harley-Davidson set to roar into China

10880 Views 56 Replies 27 Participants Last post by jjasper, Dec 2, 2004

chingbaby

Discussion Starter · Nov 29, 2004

Gonna be interesting to see how they protect their precious trademarks and patents in the land of bootlegging.

21 - 40 of 57 Posts

Neal

· #21 · Nov 29, 2004

I have a feeling 5 years from now China will be selling more street bikes(Im not including 300 buck "pocket bikes") here than HD sells there. I wonder if HD is mindful of the past(late 20's early 30's) when Alfred Childs talked them into selling and manufacturing bikes in Japan.Japan kicked em out and manufactured HD flathead knock offs under the name Rikuo,which is loosely translated as "King of the Road".....now HD makes the Road King...is that a Rikuo rip off......STOP,Im giving myself a headache.

Vlad

· #22 · Nov 29, 2004

The image of motorcycling

Yeah Sean, let's see if we can get picture other than a circumferentially challenged guy wearing tacky leather for the home page. How about a scantily clad Italian (bike or girl I'm not particular).

Vlad

13630

· #23 · Nov 29, 2004

You proved my point for me.. Easy Rider promoted choppers, not Harleys. There IS a difference.

kpaul

· #24 · Nov 29, 2004

Re: Cut and paste thing.

Oh Stumbler the irony a nickname like that and an interest in Gymnastics.... It would be fun. to race... I am sure you would kick me....

tumbler

· #25 · Nov 29, 2004

Re: Cut and paste thing.

Wait a sec. don't you lift weights, take karate, getting your pilot's license, and riding a motorcycle and you started all of this later in life. It sounds like someone is over compensating for something...

Before you poke fun at my gymnastics background please keep in mind the Purdue gymnastics club is a co-ed club and the majority of the girls I dated in high school and college were those cute little flexible wonders that had to give up a social life for their sport and now are ready to cut loose. The impressionable freshman were such easy pickings. But I digress. Work with on this race thing, I would love to get a trip to Cali and free track time...

longride

· #26 · Nov 29, 2004

I think YOU know the difference between Harleys and choppers Cap, but to the average Joe say "chopper" and the image is of a Harley. To anyone that is on the outside Harleys ARE choppers and choppers ARE Harleys. Easy Rider started the ball rolling and T2 kept it rolling.

kpaul

· #27 · Nov 29, 2004

And Matrix, MI 2, Torque, Biker Boys, Faster ended it

"And the GPTB all rode their thundering V-Twins into the sunset replaced by whine of the inline 4s of the next generation bikers "

KPaul

The Great

kpaul

· #28 · Nov 29, 2004

Re: Cut and paste thing.

My youngest is in gymnastics. Because of her height, I think she should stick to volleyball and basketball but she loves it.

Yep I am compensationg for making a few wrong turns......but....

39220

· #29 · Nov 29, 2004

Heck, you think people not in the know not being able to distinguish between Harleys and chopper's is bad? I was dating a girl and met her roommate one evening for the first time. We got to talking about me owning a motorcycle and I told her what kind. At the time I rode a BMW F650GS Dakar. So when we all left for dinner I pointed out my bike on the street. She looked at it incredulously and said," Thats not a motorcycle!" I would have hit her but I was very interested in having relations that night and I figured punching your new girlfriends roommate wasn't the best approach. So instead I said," If that's not a motorcycle what is?" She replied," I don't know. That just doesn't look like a motorcycle." *****...all right, not really. She was pretty cool. Drank scotch neat, drove a big Ford F150 Super cab, sunbathed nude, and was in a word sultry hot (okay, two words).

Anyway, she obviously expected to see a Harley and didn't consider any other type of bike a motorcycle but a Harley. So if someone confuses your Harley with a chopper don't sweat it. At least they still consider it a motorcycle.

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gatling

· #30 · Nov 30, 2004

Harley will do well in China. High end consumer goods, especially motor vehicles, are doing well in China since their leadership declared that being rich is a "glorious" thing. Their economy is booming and there is a lot of disposable income over there.

I have a lot of photos of Chinese motorcycles at www.joeberkphotography.com (go the motors page and find your way from there). They are still riding new clones of the '37 BMW flathead, so they are used to the idea of big twins. Some of these even have the "Ride to Live, Live to Ride" paraphernalia attached to them.

Joe Berk

www.joeberkphotography.com

JLittler

· #31 · Nov 30, 2004

Re: Dude..

Yes please ! I'll second that motion. That is one ugly pic. Put the MV back up or anything but that !

wrecks

· #32 · Nov 30, 2004

Harley will succeed because every other country in the world wishes it was the USA.

pdad13

· #33 · Nov 30, 2004

Re: Think about the market for arm chaps

Arm chaps. Billions of 'em. Fringed, flamed, Oriental style, Leather, Dogskin, Rice etc., etc. We could make a fortune. I appoint Buz CEO, Seruzawa CFO, and Longride, President.

Now we just need a company name.

roperin

· #34 · Nov 30, 2004

Re: Think about the market for arm chaps

How about "Haw-lee Dave-son"--makes use of the whole oriental L/R issue, sounds like an official motor-company-endorsed product for China, and who would really care about the implied trademark infringement?

Do I get a small slice of the fortune now?

48337

· #35 · Nov 30, 2004

Re: The image of motorcycling

It's always my least favorite items that end up staying for weeks. Or maybe that's how they became my least favorites?

(Ok, the 'flame-wear' thing was a stinker from the get go

MO, here's what I want for xmas. R1200GS, vs DL650, vs KTM 950 adventure, vs Tiger, vs CapoNord, vs KLR650. I'm flexible on the KLR's inclusion if that helps. Now get w/ it.

49605

· #36 · Nov 30, 2004

So Harley Davidson (the XA), the Russians (Ural) AND the Chinese all copied the BMW?

whatta classic

mscuddy

· #37 · Nov 30, 2004

Wow, I wonder how the Rikuo ran? Bet it didn't leak. A Mikuni Tillotson copy? The mind reels.

You can count on China making a Harley knock-off. Name it the Thundering Potato.

Here's a link to a pic of the last Rikuo 750 made: http://home.ama-cycle.org/forms/museum/classic/bike.asp?id=81.

Thanks for the history lesson. Remember those who forget it are doomed to repeat it.

seruzawa

· #38 · Nov 30, 2004

Opportunity knockings!

We could get revenge for all those manuals written in English by Asians. I say we call it the "Happy Good Fortune for Life Company". Our motto: "Our products promise a life of ecstatic happiness. Please buy it after acknowledging the thing. All your money are belong to us."

Good ideas for product names here.

bigjames

· #39 · Nov 30, 2004

well, when the government does not recognize Western Trademarks and Patents because they are capitialist garbage, what does one expect. They already copy BMWs, poorly, Hondas, poorly, Linux, really poorly and licensed copies of the Old Jeep Cherokee, poorly. Betcha they have a field day copying H-D.....but then again, why should they be different from anyone else.....

35244

· #40 · Nov 30, 2004

Not a single joke about R's & L's?

Is that good or bad?

Back to the salt mines for me - as soon as I can barf up a semi cogent thought:

Hope Harley does well there. Can't ignore such a large potential market.

For MO types who are in the business arena - American cars are viewed favorably in China. I forget where I read this in the last 3 wks or so, but Buick is selling fairly well with a steep growth rate.

Big country - like here. I imagine the Chinese Gov will be pushing for improved highways soon. Harleys and other big iron should do very well.

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