lrd (02/21/83)
The Harley-Davidson company, in an effort to protect their business from the effects of Japanese competition, has initiated action that has resulted in a recommendation by the International Trade Com- mission which, if signed into law by president Reagan, would increase the duty on all imported motorcycles with engine displace- ments of 700cc or more from the current 4.4% to a whopping 49.4%! Not only will this be reflected in price to the buyer at a time when energy considerations indicate that we should be looking at alternate means of transportaion, but other serious effects should be considered. The impact on US sales of European motorcycles (Triumph, BMW, MotoGuzzi, Ducati, Laverda, etc.) will be so serious that many of these brands will lose some or all of their US dealers. Triumph and BMW in particular are marginal operations and depend, for a large part of their business, on US sales -- this tariff could easily drive them out of the motorcycle business. The ironical part here is that Harley-Davidson's suit and request for relief did NOT include European makes -- it was aimed at the Japanese big four (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha), but the International Trade Commission's recommendation did not look at this in detail and made the recommendation all-inclusive. Harley-Davidson does not allege that they are threatened by the small volume European manufacturers -- it is the mass-manufactured Japanese machines that are threatening HD. Further irony: Several of the large displacement Japanese motorcycles are manufactured or assembled here in the US (Honda, Kawasaki) and would presumably not be affected by the import duty. If you are concerned about this, as I am (where do I get parts and service for my BMW, and my wife's if the BMW dealer population in this country is decimated?) write RIGHT NOW to: The President Washington, DC 20500 Don't delay. Mr. Reagan has until April 2 to sign this bill, but he could do anytime earlier. Your voice counts! Don't forget -- it is much easier to forestall action of this type than to reverse it once it has taken effect. Speak up and be heard! L. R. DuBroff BTL -- Naperville, Illinois
mel (02/22/83)
The Japanese import iron ore, rubber, coal, and oil over thousands of miles of ocean. Smelt all this with imported fuel, fashion motorcycles out of the raw products, then ship them back over thousands of miles of ocean, stand a 4.4% import tax -- and then get accused of being "unfair" to American manufacturers because their price is too low. How can this be? Somewhere some basic laws of nature must be being violated, or what? Could it be that the American products just are rotten (I never see anything but BMWs and Japanese products mentioned here)? Or is someone raking off too much profit somewhere in the chain? Fighting this war with an additional tax is assinine. Locate the enemy, and fight him (I have a feeling he is here in the U.S., not in Japan). Mel Haas , houxm!mel
mes (02/22/83)
#R:ih1ap:-12600:harpo:7000009:000:1626
harpo!mes Feb 22 08:38:00 1983
Of course, one could start the argument that if HD made modern motorcycles
with good reliability and the feature set that most Americans want, even
at the price disadvantage, there would be far more HD's sold.
However, I prefer not to purchase a machine with a proven unreliability
record, and one that has very (precious) few of the features that I want,
especially when I am taking such a cost penalty.
Arguments for motorcycle "purity" aside, the fact remains that the majority
of Americans can/will spend in the vicinity of $3000 for a machine, while
$4000-$8000 is utterly out of the question.
Damn it, I would absolutely love to buy American products, if only they weren't
so unattractive in terms of features and cost!!!
Now...(I feel the heat of the flames already)...who would care to comment on:
(1) - the reputation of a HD - lets face it - a Harley Hog to John Q. Public
reeks of Hells Angels and other unsavory characters, and general
unlawlessness.
(2) - the HD dealers themselves - the few times I gone into either of
our two local HD dealerships, I have been met with a suspicious
stare, and not that willing service. Perhaps that is because I
don't fit the mold of (1) above... all I know is that HD is aware
of this problem, but they've done little about it, as far as I
can tell...
Flame on, but that's the way I (and most of my
riding friends and aquaintenances) see it...
Michael Sajor, harpo!mes, BTL-WH
yes, I ride a Kaw kz750...