ATK & Hyosung get inside the Harley dealer network

[budah1]

“The management at Harley-Davidson knows what we are doing with some of their dealers, however, they do not endorse our activities in any way.”


Last I heard, HDI frowned on dealers carrying anything other than HDI -- Uke's caught a ration, IIRC, for their KTM business . . . . .

This'll be interesting to watch, no matter what. Folks dismssed Honda not all that long ago, but they did ok.

Uke's has a 2nd building and it has the ATV's a watercraft.  It's not like they are next to each other on the same showroom.

I remember stopping by a dealer in NE and there were Honda and Harley's in the same showroom separated but the sale desks. I think in Beaver Dam, WI the dealer also sells BMW.   The HD dealer in Waukon IA is right next to the Asian dealers and would not be supprised if they were not the same owners.  

[Kat-Rider]

One of the HD stores where my in laws live sells Indians on the same floor.  That at least makes sense though.  Similar products at a similar price point.

[budah1]

One of the HD stores where my in laws live sells Indians on the same floor.  That at least makes sense though.  Similar products at a similar price point.

I would think HD would have more heartburn over that then having a import that costs 6K on the same floor.  

[bomber]

Uke's has a 2nd building and it has the ATV's a watercraft.  It's not like they are next to each other on the same showroom.

I remember stopping by a dealer in NE and there were Honda and Harley's in the same showroom separated but the sale desks. I think in Beaver Dam, WI the dealer also sells BMW.   The HD dealer in Waukon IA is right next to the Asian dealers and would not be supprised if they were not the same owners.  

The second building has been for sale for a while now -- I'm not sure of the status of their KTM franchise (I haven't stopped in for a couple of years) --

The fact that the bikes were in a second building does not mean they didn't catch some heat from the Iron Tower -- they did -- it just didn't change things much ;-}

[tjhess74]

i dont give a rats ass where the gas goes, or who makes the pipes...i too thought it looks kinda like a vrod.

this whole thing would give me a reason to actually visit a harley dealership!  im kinda excited to see thier faces when they have to give that sales pitch on a non-hd product with a smile on their face!

croaks right, all the companies we know and love today started out as 'jap crap' to help get through tough times...

[motoguy128]

This'll be interesting to watch, no matter what. Folks dismssed Honda not all that long ago, but they did ok.

I agree.  Most also dismissed Hyundai/Kia but look at where they are now.  The 3rd and 4th generation of their products are comparing very well to the segment leaders.  They have gobbled up market share, mostly I think at the expense of Chrysler and then GM, but it's still market share nontheless.

[ninegear]

Well considering Korean made bikes are complete junk, this will be a step up for HD.

a freind of mine has a hyosung 250 and the brand new kawaski ninja 250. ones his the other is his roomates.

the hyosung needed a few things tightened on it. like the swing arm wobbled when we rode the bike faster than 60 mph. we just had to tighten it. thats all. the paint worn off rather quickly so we had to re paint a few things. after while he just stripped the whole thing sanded off the paint on the frame,tank ect. and re painted it outselves. not as shiny. but it will last longer we thinks.as for performance. the hyosung has 27 hp @ 10500 rpm. i dont know what the ninja has but it should be around that. the hyosung 250 is also a v twin. my eperiance with the hyosung and the 250r is about the same. cept the hyosung is a bit bigger and i think its heavier. the hyosung 250 is very close if not the same size as its 650 v twin brother.

the hyosungs instument gauge isn't as good as i wish it was. often times the speed your going shows up as a tad bit higher on the digital display.

the kawasaki is built better but the hyosung still isnt a bad bike.

[dinkwinkerson]

S&T motorcycles, the Korean manufacturer of the Hyosung brand motorcycles will be working directly with ATK motorcycles, the US manufacturer of dirt bikes.  Together they will produce a motorcycle that will be largely produced in Korea by Hyosung and  assembled in the USA by ATK.  These ATK-badged motorcycles will be smaller displacement motorcycles that will be sold in selected Harley-Davidson dealerships.

Sources close to the deal tell me that ATK may also begin selling their off-road motorcycles in some Harley dealerships as well.  It is not yet entirely clear which of the ATK-badged Hyosungs will be made available to the Harley Dealers, although the new 700cc Aquila is a likely candidate.

Sources also tell me that it is possible–although exactly how possible is still unclear–for modified versions of the 250cc and 650cc cruisers and sportbikes, with new bodywork created by ATK, are candidates for those dealers who desire them.

UPDATE:

This has nothing to do with Harley-Davidson.  HD is aware of what is happening, but does not endorse it.

This is purely a deal between some select Harley dealers, and ATK's Frank White, who pushed the deal through.

The MoCo has their hands completely off on this one.

Dale, do you really know anything about Frank White and ATK?  Have you been to his "big manufacturing plant"?  Do you know it consists of about 2000 sq ft of old cannondale parts and a tiny office?  Did you know he lost the lease on most of his building?  Did you know that ATK's are just old Cannondales that have been sitting in dealer warehouses until Frank can scrape enough money together to buy one, change the plastic and VIN and call it a 2009 ATK?  Haven't you figured out that 9/10ths of everything Frank tells you is "embellished" at best?  He tells a great story, but there is little truth behind any of it.  

Why don't you take a trip to Utah and check out the real situation before you re-broadcast mis-information and get used as a conduit to market this baloney..  javascript:void(0);

[X1rider]

I wouldn't mind being involved with THIS ATK company!

http://www.atk.com/capabilities/information.asp

[scotteroni]

The R1200C is King Fugly.  Painted shit-brown, just to make sure it ruins yer lunch.  

That bike looks like was custom made for Jar Jar Binks.

[bikerstarfjr08]

One of the local Harley dealerships also sells Andretti-Beneli motor scooters. They even had a promo a few months ago, where they gave away a scooter with the purchase of a new Harley.  

They shoulda sold the scooter and gave away the Hardly.

[dinkwinkerson]

Dale, do you really know anything about Frank White and ATK?  Have you been to his "big manufacturing plant"?  Do you know it consists of about 2000 sq ft of old cannondale parts and a tiny office?  Did you know he lost the lease on most of his building?  Did you know that ATK's are just old Cannondales that have been sitting in dealer warehouses until Frank can scrape enough money together to buy one, change the plastic and VIN and call it a 2009 ATK?  Haven't you figured out that 9/10ths of everything Frank tells you is "embellished" at best?  He tells a great story, but there is little truth behind any of it.  

Why don't you take a trip to Utah and check out the real situation before you re-broadcast mis-information and get used as a conduit to market this baloney..

[Kootenanny]

this whole thing would give me a reason to actually visit a harley dealership!  im kinda excited to see thier faces when they have to give that sales pitch on a non-hd product with a smile on their face!

They won't.  They'll try hard to upsell you to a Harley product.  If you insist, they'll give you a long suffering look, then sigh and agree to sell you the Korean bike.

At least, that was my experience when I bought a Buell (which you'da thunk they'd endorse, since it was at least built by an American company that Harley owned...).

And, I'm pretty sure that statement about H-D management not "endorsing" this, is exactly right.  

[Liquidsilver]

I test rode a Hyosung a few years ago (My Honda dealer threw me the keys and laughed).
Horrible, horrible motorcycle.

 
That's what Keith Olberman said about Sarah Palin, but I rode her and I found it pretty damn entertaining!  
 
 
 

[coho]

a freind of mine has a hyosung 250 and the brand new kawaski ninja 250. ones his the other is his roomates.

the hyosung needed a few things tightened on it. like the swing arm wobbled when we rode the bike faster than 60 mph. we just had to tighten it. thats all. the paint worn off rather quickly so we had to re paint a few things. after while he just stripped the whole thing sanded off the paint on the frame,tank ect. and re painted it outselves. not as shiny. but it will last longer we thinks.as for performance. the hyosung has 27 hp @ 10500 rpm. i dont know what the ninja has but it should be around that. the hyosung 250 is also a v twin. my eperiance with the hyosung and the 250r is about the same. cept the hyosung is a bit bigger and i think its heavier. the hyosung 250 is very close if not the same size as its 650 v twin brother.

the hyosungs instument gauge isn't as good as i wish it was. often times the speed your going shows up as a tad bit higher on the digital display.

the kawasaki is built better but the hyosung still isnt a bad bike.

I think I read a year or two ago that they use the same frame dimensions for both so that big fat bastages normal-sized americans can/would ride the 250.

[ninegear]

I think I read a year or two ago that they use the same frame dimensions for both so that big fat bastages normal-sized americans can/would ride the 250.

i wound up later reading that the 250 frame was originally going to be the 650 frame. wouldn't surprise me.

[R.Markus]

Dale, do you really know anything about Frank White and ATK?  Have you been to his "big manufacturing plant"?  Do you know it consists of about 2000 sq ft of old cannondale parts and a tiny office?  Did you know he lost the lease on most of his building?  Did you know that ATK's are just old Cannondales that have been sitting in dealer warehouses until Frank can scrape enough money together to buy one, change the plastic and VIN and call it a 2009 ATK?  Haven't you figured out that 9/10ths of everything Frank tells you is "embellished" at best?  He tells a great story, but there is little truth behind any of it.  

Why don't you take a trip to Utah and check out the real situation before you re-broadcast mis-information and get used as a conduit to market this baloney..  javascript:void(0);

Proof please.

[dinkwinkerson]

Funny how Mr. Made in USA Frank White is so easily re-badging Korean stuff.  ATK's entire history has been emphasizing Made in the USA and as soon as the whore has a chance to make a buck without borrowing it from some poor, unsuspecting schmuck, he jumps at the chance to eat kimchi.

[stk0308]

Funny how Mr. Made in USA Frank White is so easily re-badging Korean stuff.  ATK's entire history has been emphasizing Made in the USA and as soon as the whore has a chance to make a buck without borrowing it from some poor, unsuspecting schmuck, he jumps at the chance to eat kimchi.

Did this unreasoning hatred of an entrepreneur begin with his use of Candian parts, or Austrian parts?  Or were those OK because they weren't made by yellow people?

[chornbe]

Funny how Mr. Made in USA Frank White is so easily re-badging Korean stuff.  ATK's entire history has been emphasizing Made in the USA and as soon as the whore has a chance to make a buck without borrowing it from some poor, unsuspecting schmuck, he jumps at the chance to eat kimchi.

 

You ride a Harley Deuce according to your thingy over there on the left. Correct?

Check out the "made in..." stickers all over your Harley parts. Just saying.

(I'm allowed to call you out on this: I own, and love, a Harley.)