The Last Real American Motorcycle?
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I'll bite
Ok, when?
I am by no means a Harley history buff but I would guess it would be back in the fourties early fifties? I've been told the hydraulic front end is/was actually a Showa Japanese item? I could definately be wrong there though.
I think it's also been a long time since you could buy a USA made chain?
Ok, when?
I am by no means a Harley history buff but I would guess it would be back in the fourties early fifties? I've been told the hydraulic front end is/was actually a Showa Japanese item? I could definately be wrong there though.
I think it's also been a long time since you could buy a USA made chain?
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I'm sure it' s been awhile as it has been for pretty much any complex machine that is made in the USA.
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And if Harley could get all the same parts in the USA that they can get elsewhere for the same cost, they would probably still be 100% made in the USA. Let's face it, a lot of parts on American cars ain't american made. I'll continue to buy Harley's because they are the probably the closest thing to American made out there. I'm sure my 2011 Jeep has foreign parts too but I'm tryin to buy American when I can. I rode a '52 Panhead for eight years, if there were some foreign made parts on that bike, they weren't stamped so.
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The FTC uses an "all, or virtually all" standard for companies claiming the "made in USA" label. The problem is there doesn't seem to be any clear cut guidelines as to what constitutes "virtually all." The FTC judges each reported violation on a case by case basis. If you go to the FTC website you'll find that violations are constant. So, do you really think that Honda lawn mower you just bought was really made in the USA?
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34 Posts
Hyundais are made in the USA
Toyotas are made in the USA, how Nascar can run them on a track is beyond me!
Nissan has a plant....think it's in Tn
Honda makes cars here
What does made in the USA mean anymore?
I think what bothers me the most is when you buy Harley clothes or jackets....or chaps.....and you got a tag saying it's made in China!! 35.00 for a t-shirt made in China?? That's a really huge profit on each shirt and it just goes up from there on the other stuff.
Toyotas are made in the USA, how Nascar can run them on a track is beyond me!
Nissan has a plant....think it's in Tn
Honda makes cars here
What does made in the USA mean anymore?
I think what bothers me the most is when you buy Harley clothes or jackets....or chaps.....and you got a tag saying it's made in China!! 35.00 for a t-shirt made in China?? That's a really huge profit on each shirt and it just goes up from there on the other stuff.
Halloo. I would say in the fifties. Some of the early 60's HD had Keihn carbs that were Japan made. At any rate, there is a darn good idea: get the gov'mnt to grant ya a loan to start up a business that makes genu-ine made in the frickin U S of A HD parts, and employs American citizens, pays 'em a decent wage, makes a decent profit (and I don't think a decent profit means having several helicopters, a couple of summer houses, two Marsaydees, etc.) and pays honest to goodness taxes back to Caesar. Good luck with that ah reckon.
C......
C......
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There was a time when that really mattered when we felt we might have a say.As we have all learned it has always been about the almighty dollar and there aint nothing we could say to change the top floors decision to farm stuff out over the pond.So why fret about it.If you want to ride a new Harley guess what somethings you will have to compromise on.
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Watched a news spot the other day regarding the overseas outsourcing movement, and I must say on the surface this guy has my respect.
The names and networks have been excluded here to protect the guilty - errrrrr, I mean - innocent, but you can google it pretty easy.
Donny McCall from NC, came up with an idea for a nifty pick-up truck storage rack and was invited to be a featured inventor/entrepreneur on this reality show. Business know-it-alls tell him that outsourcing manufacturing overseas is the only way to make any real money...quality, finish and workmanship be damned. Donny tells these annual seven figure brains and potential investors to go piss up a rope. He intends to keep his company All-American to better enable the U.S. economy to get off of the foreign teat, which may and probably will never truly happen, e.g. petroleum.
I want to buy Donny a lite beer, cuz that's all I can afford right now.
The names and networks have been excluded here to protect the guilty - errrrrr, I mean - innocent, but you can google it pretty easy.
Donny McCall from NC, came up with an idea for a nifty pick-up truck storage rack and was invited to be a featured inventor/entrepreneur on this reality show. Business know-it-alls tell him that outsourcing manufacturing overseas is the only way to make any real money...quality, finish and workmanship be damned. Donny tells these annual seven figure brains and potential investors to go piss up a rope. He intends to keep his company All-American to better enable the U.S. economy to get off of the foreign teat, which may and probably will never truly happen, e.g. petroleum.
I want to buy Donny a lite beer, cuz that's all I can afford right now.
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131 Posts
I had a 1972 XLCH that I completely retored in 1979
and I didn't see 1 non American part on that bike. It had a
Bendix carb, the ignition as I recall was Prestoite and
(I'm not 100 % sure about this) the suspension was not
imported. The quality of castings, machining fit and finish
were way behind the imports (even by 1972 standards).
I think the next model year HD went to Showa front ends.
and I didn't see 1 non American part on that bike. It had a
Bendix carb, the ignition as I recall was Prestoite and
(I'm not 100 % sure about this) the suspension was not
imported. The quality of castings, machining fit and finish
were way behind the imports (even by 1972 standards).
I think the next model year HD went to Showa front ends.
I had a 1975 1000 XLXH, had a Keihn carb and Showa forks, but I don't remember any other parts than those. I drive a truck for a living and it's pretty bad the number of places I pickup or deliver to that has overseas parts on hand, I don't know if we make much in this country that stays here. My new bike has so many non american parts I think almost just the name is the only american thing about it, and I believe it has foreign partners.
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What about the motorcycle made by Victory? they too are made in the USA.
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I knew someone would chime in about Victory when I wrote that. Do some research, you will find they aren't any more "American Made" than Harley either. I like Harley because of it's history and tradition. IMHO Victory hasn't been around long enough for that. Secondly, there are some Victory bikes that are decent looking but that Vision is about the ugliest thing I've ever seen on two wheels. Once again, my opinion.
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I had some mid seventies Sporsters, and I don't recall seeing any non American made parts on them. Not sure about all of the ign, but the points were DelcoRemy right out of a six cln Chevy.
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I believe in taking care of our own. As much as possible, when I spend money I try to spend it "locally". I want to keep the wealth here. So when I buy a new bike, car or anything else, once factor in my decision making is to keep as much money as close to home as possible. It's part of what I believe is the unwritten social contract we have with each other, to identify with not only our needs but with the needs of the community, and act in a way that supports the community, too. So my next new bike will be a Harley, too, for that and a number of other reasons.
One of the main reasons I ride a Victory is because not only is it made in the USA but in my home state of Iowa. It also doesn't hurt that I think they're great looking bikes! Don't get me wrong, I think HD makes some great bikes but I don't buy into all that nostalgia and history BS. I respect any company that sees a market for a good product and successfully fills it, HD or otherwise. Sure there are people that think that the Vision is ugly, but others think it looks great. If everyone had the same taste we'd all be riding the same damn bike and how boring would that be?! I won't be getting rid of my Hammer anytime soon, but my wife rides too and between the 2 of us ya never know what may show up in our garage!
Ahook
2011 Victory Hammer 8ball
Ahook
2011 Victory Hammer 8ball
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Curious about something. I don't see very many of the Japanese bikes from the 70's around, but I do see a lot of 70's vintage HD's, especially sporties. So why did these superior bikes vanish?
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Out here in California we see a lot of Japanese machinery from the 70's still running around. They are mostly rat bikes at this point. There is not a lot of money being put into their maintenance but they do keep running. They do seem to have a lot of longevity for how little care they get. There were a lot of them sold here and a lot are still around. They tend to be very inexpensive.
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