Your Dream Harley-Davidson Cruiser Might Get More Affordable, And Here’s Why

It is reported that the government of India is in talks for cutting tariffs on big bikes to zero! This reportedly applies to bikes with displacement of 750cc and above. This development just seems to be in the discussion stage, and has not been enforced yet. It’s also unclear whether this applies for any specific brands or for bikes that are made in the US. 

That said, it reportedly seems to be tailored to impact Harley-Davidson’s business in India in a positive way. There have been trade talks between US and India, and the US Vice President JD Vance recently visited the country to strengthen relationships between the two countries.  

This comes in just after reducing duties for bikes coming via the CBU (Completely Built Unit), CKD (Completely Knocked Down unit) as well as SKD (Semi-Knock Down unit) routes. You can read more about them here. 

If the reports turn out to be true, your dream Harley-Davidson Street Glide or Fatboy motorcycle might just get a whole lot more affordable! This will go a long way in enhancing the manufacturer's business in India, and it’s high time for the brand to get help as well. That’s because the American manufacturer was recently in a state of turmoil as their CEO, Jochen Zeitz has announced his plan to retire this year. The company has still not announced who will replace the current CEO. Along with this, the brand has also been grappling with the falling demand of premium cruisers world wide. While Zeitz made massive changes to the brand’s direction, trying to garner audiences from different genres (read ADV), it still failed to do what was really necessary - provide cruisers that are accessible to younger audiences both in terms of usability and price. 

Harley-Davidson, as a name, is very popular in India. Even a layman can recognise its big swanky chrome-laden cruisers. The brand is extremely aspirational for Indian audiences, and the removal of duties will mean that folks will buy a lot more Harleys than ever before. The only manufacturer that will face some competition is Royal Enfield. The Chennai-based manufacturer is currently the market leader in terms of sales in the 650cc segment, as they have the price advantage due to their local production. However, even if this stiffens up the competition for Royal Enfield, it will still have the distinct advantage of competitive pricing as their motorcycles are relatively simpler, not to mention the brand having a very cost-effective manufacturing process in place in the country. All said and done, it’s just a matter of playing the waiting game as nothing has materialised so far. 

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