Built in CHINA:

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Nov 20, 2009 | 09:42 AM

#51

RHPAW

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Aug 2007

Posts: 21,741

Likes: 17,591

From: Driftless Area

We have had a lot of tooling pulled out of our plant and sent to China. We are now getting most of it back. Turns out, nagging unspecified problems prompted our customers to throw their hands up and come back to us for the quality. I was able to get hold of some of the defective product. After research, it appears that the underlying cause could be attributed to substandard material.

Certification to material and product specifications means nothing over there. It's not a global economy if we're the only ones playing by the rules.

Nov 20, 2009 | 10:05 AM

#52

frog13

Outstanding HDF Member

Joined: Apr 2008

Posts: 3,140

Likes: 17

From: Wisconsin

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHPAW

I think China has good and bad. Our company manufactures in China (and the US And many other countries) and the quality is excellent. However, we aren't buying "purchased parts" made by a Chinese company, we are manufacturing our products there with a Chinese work force managed by us. Plus, many other Chinese products are getting better as they grow, much like the Japanese did to electronics. I believe Chinese quality will only get better, but then the prices will go up as they pay labor more. Then we'll all start bitchin' about India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc., because those are the next "Chinas". Face it, we'll exploit cheap labor around the world until it's gone.

Nov 20, 2009 | 10:13 AM

#53

harleybill2008

Road Captain

Joined: Jun 2008

Posts: 613

Likes: 2

From: Tallmadge, Ohio

It is a global economy and we might as well get used to it. Not much is made in America anymore and it will be a long time until all of the 3rd world countries have been exploited and finally catch up with everybody else. Now if the whole bike was made in China I wouldn't buy it but as long as parts pass STRINGENT tolerances and meet all expectations, then I could care less. It's still the Harley engineering and assembly that is done in the USA that I am paying for. I'm tired of sending money oversees (toyota, nissan, bmw, etc) when I can help the USA out by buying AMERICAN made products. I will keep following that philosophy until I'm dead and gone (as long as quality is not an issue).... Here is a link to some interesting reading on HD parts in China.

http://www.manufacturers.com.tw/vehi...ycle-part.html