First, it was all about the new partnership budding between Harley-Davidson and Hero Mototcorp in India’s markets; now, we’re told that the Harley X Hero bike range could see permanency on Western shores.
Suffice it to say our Powersports industry is diversifying at a rate previously unheard of – and while it may not be a bad thing, many continue to carry reservations for bikes made in certain economies… so let’s take a look at the specs.
Currently, the United States boasts the world’s largest economy, with a mind-boggling $23 trillion logged in gross domestic product (GDP) for 2021 (via the World Bank’s data in a Forbes article).
That number, Forbes estimates, may soon be surpassed by China and India’s markets “as soon as 2075.”
Why is this important, you ask?
There’s a lot of additional complexity that comes with global market comparisons, so forgive the broad explanation… but here’s how I see things:
Whoever’s economy can boast the highest reputation for their stuff – coupled with the most amount of money coming and going – tends to be better-trusted than their competitors.
You know who’s a big motorcycle competitor? The world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero Motocorp.
As of this year, Hero celebrates a stunning annual revenue of $4.3 billion USD (via Wikipedia), with stock shares on the uptick and the brand’s potential for market expansion out the wazoo.
Couple this with the fact that Hero’s on the cusp of launching their “biggest onslaught of premium bikes in [the brand’s history] in Fy24,” and it’s no longer a surprise that Harley X Hero’s newest mystery bike is anticipated for the US – in fact, the move was almost inevitable.
Bottom line, Hero X Harley’s co-developed range could be the ideal beta testers for how new countries (cough, America) like(s) Hero’s product – and that’s not even touching on the perks that the world’s largest two-wheeled manufacturer could rake in from the world’s largest economy.
“While the jointly developed bike will be sold as Harley Davidson in India, the same platform will be used for a premium motorcycle under the Hero branding,” adds a new press release from EIN News.
“The Hero Motorcycle based on the Harley platform will be exported to global markets.”
What do you think of Hero? Would you be open to trying out a Harley X Hero bike in the US?
Why or why not?