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It's been argued that Harley-Davidson's decision to bring production of Revolution Max-powered models back home may have shifted the narrative around the company's investment strategy. The significance of the production reshoring is now being debated.
From a market perspective, reshoring production is a tug-of-war between cost and symbolism. What the numbers show is that making things cheap isn't always the right answer. For Harley, domestic production is brand value itself. Choosing 'Made in America' even at the cost of restructuring their investment narrative reflects, I believe, a strategy that goes beyond pure rationality.
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Bringing manufacturing back home to show their craftsmanship pride feels like a very American-brand attitude, and I like that.
Which models actually use the Revolution Max engine?
That's Harley's next-gen liquid-cooled engine, the one used in the Pan America and Sportster S series.
If the cost increase from reshoring production gets passed on to the bike's price, that's rough for owners.
That phrase 'turning the narrative around' - I'd like to see actual numbers on how much it really moves the business metrics.
Changing production sites involves both quality control and tariff considerations, so it's not something you can explain with cost arguments alone.
Purely on cost, overseas production should be more advantageous, so there's probably some deliberate reasoning behind choosing to reshore anyway.
Reshoring production is a pretty impactful shift if it really means Harley's investment strategy has changed.
