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Originally Posted by Gas Man
Exactly. When does it stop?
Exactly as well. We can't just be a nation of consumers. How do we expect to survive when we don't make anything?
Of course it makes sense. They can capitalize on polaris moving their stuff to mexico.
The difference... HD does assembly in those countries to sell those assembled bikes in those countries to avoid those countries hefty import taxing. Good move by HD to increase sales in those countries and great move by those countries for securing jobs in their own country. We should take notes.
Don't blame nafta, don't blame the corperations... just blame the govt. A hefty import tax would level the playing field. Stock holders just want more profit, so just make it more profitable to keep jobs here!
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The Central and South American Sportsters are being sold right here in the good ole US of A and count on the parts Made in India to make there way here to the US . Protectionism always Fails ask the USSR oh wait you can't. Countries that can't sell their products here won't sell our products there.
If we want American Companies to be competitive American worker has to be competitive. That means we lower his/her overhead. It is our age of entitlement that is killing us, The insanity that manual labor is worth 60k a year is a Huge part of the problem.
If Harley GM Ford or Chrysler wants to sell me a Product Produce something that preforms like I want it to, looks good, is priced reasonably and has a good service culture. NONE of them do. Their labor is over priced , administrative overhead bloated and with with damn few exceptions they all produce mediocre at best products. In the past 10 years we have owned Chrysler products GM products and ford Products, We have also owned Hyundai, Honda and Nissan Service in my experience GM Service was the worst Nissan second Chrysler third worst(it is telling that it is Chrysler best chance of survival is Fix It Again Tony FIAT) a close third and followed by Ford who I would rate fair (oddly enough they didn't need government money) Honda and the absolute best was Hyundai.
My experience with Polaris is with their Victory arm I like the product but like all American bikes I have ridden (HD Indian Victory and Borgett) When compared to their Japanese or European Counterparts they are crude and Unsophisticated and all are Overpriced by comparison. (it isn't the cost of labor my Goldwing is made right here in the good old USA and no American company gets Close to the sophistication or performance without spending 10k more) Worse NO American Company has made a sportbike that is competitive (when Buell got close HD killed them) Even the Korean bikes ar better in the sport market.
I saw hope a few years ago when Polaris had a chance to purchase a 33% of KTM but they blew it.
American companies want to be competitive get labor costs down (UAW is killing us) get Administrative Overhead Down. $1. a year salaries with Merit based bonus would help get something out of CEO's and managers.
Get the Government off the backs of Business and out of the pockets of the working guy.