New Harley-Davidson Models: In the world of motorcycle manufacturers, new Harley-Davidson models may be the most recognizable. The motorcycling tycoon has never failed to make headlines with internationally renowned models like the ‘Fat Boy’ motorcycle, made famous by ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’, and the Livewire S2 Del Mar, which aided in starting the EV revolution. But very few people genuinely understand where their hogs are produced. Who owns the traditional corporation is much more mysterious. On the other hand, you would be largely accurate if you surmised that Harley-Davidson is owned by Americans.
William Harley and the three Davidson brothers—Walter, Arthur, and William—founded Harley-Davidson in 1903. The corporation is currently publicly held with over 138 million free-floating shares and over 24.5 million corporate-owned shares, following more than a century of prosperity. Put another way, Harley-Davidson is currently owned by US citizens, international investors, and other stock market participants.
Naturally, a sizable portion of the shares are held by investment organizations such as Vanguard, BlackRock, and H Partners Management; Vanguard alone owns more than 9% of HOG, the stock ticker for Harley-Davidson. After that, a lot of these shares are put into index funds, so individual investors still hold some of the stock. As a result, Harley-Davidson is an American business with millions of domestic owners in addition to numerous international owners. The production side, however, isn’t quite as clear-cut. Multiple nations are involved in the intricate process of producing parts and assembling Harley hogs.
Where your Harley was made
The majority of new Harley-Davidson models motorbikes and their parts were produced in the US for most of the company’s existence. In actuality, four American companies employed thousands of people and hundreds of American suppliers of raw materials up until 2019. However, one plant in Kansas was shut down and a new one was established in Thailand in the twenty-first century due to growing global demand and rising steel import costs.
However, you can still be sure that a Harley you purchased in the US was put together in Wisconsin or Pennsylvania. In this sense, the company’s reputation for being American-made endures today, and hundreds of people are employed in its three active American operations. A tradition like this has produced some extremely rare and sought-after Harley-Davidson motorcycles, many of which are still powerful after decades. However, the parts aren’t always made in the United States.
New Harley-Davidson models use several plants worldwide to manufacture the motorcycle parts it sells. Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Italy, and Mexico all have manufacturers of parts. For any Harley purchased in America, the “Made in America” label is earned since some parts are still produced in the United States and utilized frequently enough. It’s almost hard to determine the precise origins of every motorcycle that leaves the factory, though, because there are so many disparate sources, components, and motorcycle types.
Is Harley-Davidson still based in the United States?
It is undeniable that Harley-Davidson is an American company, whether you are a fan or not. Beginning with the Harley-Davidson Model 1, the road-hog titan has manufactured millions of motorcycles in the United States since its founding in Milwaukee in 1903. However, it should come as no surprise that the company, one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers still in operation, has changed its business strategy and outsourced some operations.
For new Harley-Davidson models, outsourcing the production, assembly, and supply of parts to foreign nations is nothing new. Some Harley hogs were produced in Japan during the Great Depression, which severely impacted American manufacturers’ supply chains. World War II caused significant disruptions to business, although production carried on afterward, with some Japanese assembly lines operating until the late 1950s.
For more than a century, the new Harley-Davidson models has managed to thrive in an increasingly globalized world by exporting a portion of its production and parts. But it’s important to keep in mind that every Harley offered for sale in the US market is manufactured and built in the US. It makes sense to believe that new Harley-Davidson models might save money if all of its manufacturing were done elsewhere, but the firm needs to live up to its reputation as an American brand.