V-Twin Forum banner

Chinese Harley clothes

17K views 42 replies 28 participants last post by  93Horse 
#1 ·
Went to Harley shop looking for a jacket and noticed all clothing have nade in China labes.Wonder why we have people loosing jobs.U would think an americasn motorcycle co would try to get some made in America clothes.For the prices they have on them they could get them made here.I wont be buyibg from them.
 
#2 ·
Like everything else Harley has it is over priced.Harley is one of the most greedy companies in North America, it is all about the dollar and that my friend will be how Harley will cut its own throat.I ride a Harley and love it but when I go shopping for parts 99% of the time it will not be an OEM part. Very few Harley OEM parts are better then the after market.
Ken
 
#5 ·
Guys hate to break it to you...it's not just Harley. The other day I happened to be shopping with my girlfriend (yeah I'm secure enough to admit that, plus it was only one store :) ). It was Nordstrom Rack, a division of the high end retailer. Anyhow, I decided to look for a winter coat while there, and being the label checker I am, found every coat to be made in China. I looked at a few dozen different ones too...this is the world now, everything is made there. We can try our best to not buy any of the crap they make but it's harder and harder these days. You wouldn't mind so much if they made quality merchandise, but the fact is that it's all junk too!

We like to think that we are buying into American Made with Harley Davidson but this isn't the case....and now as we speak, Obama is working on more free trade with Asia!!!
 
#7 ·
How else are we going to develop these 3rd world countries?
 
#9 ·
I hear you there brother. Harley Davidson vs Metrics? Made in the good ole US of A? Harley Davidson is indeed a greedy MF of a company. Maybe if all the supporters they have start a f'n boycott on their motorclothes, accessories, service dept chgs, etc they may get the message. Harley's are very popular and it has gone to their heads and pocketbooks. Fckem!!!
 
#11 ·
How many Americans are willing to work in a factory for $0.80 hr like they do in China?
Factories are increasing payments to workers. Governments are raising minimum wages.

The incomes of factory workers are still low compared to the workers in United States and Europe. The hourly earning in southern China is only about 80 cents per hour.

The workers from rural provinces usually earn about $200 a month, working six or seven days a week.
Link

No one even wants to work for $8.00, most complain if it's "only" $16 hr. 20 times more than what the Chinese are paid.

If you have a company and you need something made, no matter where you have it made, you will want it done as inexpensive as possible right? HD is doing what makes good business sense for them. If they went out of business and you found out it was due to high operation costs, you'd probably chastise them for that too. Every business deserves to make a profit, and nothing is overpriced as long as consumers are buying.
 
#15 · (Edited)
We are suffering the same where I live. Made in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan. I'm sure in a lot of cases we are supporting sweat shop labour and exploitation in these countries. You will never stop big corporation greed, it seems everyone is out to make fast profit rather than long term growth. One thing is fact, these countries are not going to stay cheap for very long. The Chinese are starting to wake up to the fact they are worth more than a bowl of rice to supply the west with cheap goods. They're looking to improve their lot all the time and who can blame them. If you read the right press, the stories of industrial unrest are becoming more common. Western companies can afford to pay much higher wages and still make a gigantic profit from these countries. It's all about greed people.

Greedy Edit; Jeans made in Pakistan are s**t. They have tape measures 4 inches shorter than anyone else.
 
#16 ·
We are suffering the same where I live. Made in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan. I'm sure in a lot of cases we are supporting sweat shop labour and exploitation in these countries. You will never stop big corporation greed, it seems everyone is out to make fast profit rather than long term growth. One thing is fact, these countries are not going to stay cheap for very long. The Chinese are starting to wake up to the fact they are worth more than a bowl of rice to supply the west with cheap goods. They're looking to improve their lot all the time and who can blame them. If you read the right press, the stories of industrial unrest are becoming more common. Western companies can afford to pay much higher wages and still make a gigantic profit from these countries. It's all about greed people.

Greedy Edit; Jeans made in Pakistan are s**t. They have tape measures 4 inches shorter than anyone else.
I believe HD has been around long enough to be considered a 'long term growth' company.

For those who think companies are full of greed, what is a fair profit margin? If you had a company, wouldn't you charge as much as you could for your products? Why make 30% profit if you can make 40%? Or is that greed? Maybe you should break even and not make anything other than to sustain the company.

Maybe you should go to the company you work for and tell them to give you a pay cut because you are being too greedy. If you have anything above the absolute bare necessities to make it through life, isn't that greed? Admit it, you'd rather make more so you can buy more and live a more comfortable life.
 
#18 ·
Harley-Davidson is assembled in America, not made in America. H-D out sources there parts. Do you think the OEM china part from the parts counter is different than the one already on the bike?
 
#23 ·
So if you have been into your local Honda dealer lately, you will find a dealership that is no where near on caliber with your local Harley dealer. Typically the service departments, the showrooms, parts counter and clothes/motorcycle apparel are less than appealing. If memory serves me well, HD makes alot of money in motorclothes. This is applied to the bottom line. Which in turn, helps the moco invest in the really nice 2012 motorcycle you own.

They have built an empire, and they sell a brand, or really a "lifestyle". They have done an amazing job of it. 25-30 years ago Harley was on the ropes if you don't remember, or don't know. They have weathered the down turn as of late, and hopefully will succeed in years to come.

So if you oil changes cost more than 12.95 and a Harley t cost 24.95, you have TWO CHOICES. 1) Shop elsewhere. 2) RIDE A DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLE.

Haven't priced a Goldwing lately, have you?
 
#26 ·
When I go into an H-D shop, it's full a cheap nick knacks. Try to get a part that you need to fix something, and the answer is we need to order it.

The H-D shops are a boutique shops, they stock lots of cloths and other non motorcycle stuff. Except of oil filters, every part I have wanted, they had to order. I can do that from home and get it faster. My local dealership only orders parts on one day a week, so if you time it wrong you can wait 2 or weeks for a part.
 
#25 ·
The cost of doing business in the US is high, it's a lot more than labor cost that drive companies to markets other than the US.
 
#33 ·
It doesn't matter that the jacket is made in China or America. It does care that the quality of clothing. If a jacket bought from Smalltao(China) is the same quality as it made in America, it fits your body. Also "made in China" is not the sign that China will be the No.1 in the world. Opposite, still now China is only a processors, America is the core.
 
#34 ·
Let me go out on a limb here and suggest that Harley-Davidson prices its stuff to keep it out of the hands of the riff-raff.

Harley-Davidson is a status symbol. (BMW is another, and their prices are comparable.) If you have a look at "metric bikes" and the "Harley wannabe" bikes you see immediately where corners were cut to get the price down.

If I want to cut corners and keep the price down, I'll shop at Wal-Mart. I don't want to be riding a bike I purchased from Wal-Mart.

I look at the accessories I have on my Street Glide, opted for the $530 LED headlight, and the $730 Road Zeppelin saddle, along w/ lots of chrome trim, rails, racks, "farkles."

Harley-Davidson bikes and gear are not cheap. I'm not interested in riding cheap. I like pulling next to a rice burner and thinking . . . "Just can't afford a Harley, or he'd have one."

-- and no, it doesn't sit in the garage or just get ridden to the shop on the week-ends so I can pose with it.
 
#37 · (Edited)
most moto jacks are chinese

i say support u.s. workers and you get quality in return...i've heard fox creek is good, for my part i go with schott, have bought new cafe racer and it is simply amazing...liked so much i got an exact same one with little to no use on ebay for $180 (new one cost me $500)...the second one will be to put on authentic Indian moto patches...this is the way to go if you want to support your motorcycle brand...usually the branded jackets are chinese made as with harley.

however, i did like the look of a few harley jackets and since having already patronized u.s. i wanted one with the HD logos already on the leather, so i went on ebay for a slight/no use one which was bought at harley dealer, but was made in china. i was ready however to buy from a chinese site as they sell the same jackets harley marks up to $400 for $150, but got a good deal on the ebay one.

i do say get the quality, keep the jobs here, go u.s. and get the better jacket, and add your patches if you like...since i already did that i went for the harley jack, which i'm pretty sure won't be the same as u.s. schott quality, but it's a secondary jacket and not everything i get has to be u.s....but always go u.s. first if you can i suggest.

as for pakistani jackets, i've found them in the past to be very good quality and build, however after the last few years of official pak govt actions in afghanistan, i will not patronize any good from that country. will be a long time before i do.
 
#39 ·
I still have a bunch of pre-chinese made harley T-shirts. They have lasted quite a long time. The only Harley T-shirts I have worn that were made out of the country have been ones that I have recieved as gifts. Usually whenever I go to purchase anything the first thing I check is were it was made. Especially tools. Kind of get excited when I see another country other than China. Crazy isn't it!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top