Harley-Davidson, which is one of the oldest and biggest bike manufacturers in the world, has just announced plans to enter the used motorcycle business in India. The Indian bike market is the largest new bike market in the world, and the used bike market is also rapidly expanding.
Peter Mackenzie, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India, has said that the concept was being tested at some of the company’s dealerships for a few months now. The program is expected to be rolled-out to dealers across India shortly.
Harley-Davidson has a huge following but due to the high import duty in India, many enthusiasts stay away from the foreign-manufactured bikes like Harley-Davidson. The new program will allow customers with a limited budget to ride home a Harley-Davidson. The American brand currently has 27 outlets across the country and all of them are expected to offer the new used bike services in India.
Details such as warranty and used bike certification by Harley Davidson have not been mentioned in the announcement. Most of the used vehicle retail chains offer a specific number of check points alongside a warranty on the vehicles to gain the trust of the customers. We may hear similar benefits for the used bikes sold through the Harley-Davidson dealerships when the program is announced officially.
While there is no official date for this program to kick off yet, a formal announcement should happen soon. Harley-Davidson’s used bike platform will also provide an opportunity to the current owners to upgrade to new bikes by selling their old ones directly at the dealerships. Harley-Davidson is also opening up new apparel stores inside shopping malls and prominent places to gain customer attention. The brand has already opened three apparel stores across India and more are expected soon. The apparel will target young adults who are potential customers for the brand.
Also Read: Mahindra TUV300 gets royally STUCK on a beach; Needs 3 tractors to rescue it [Video]