Smiths Factory Swot

Why do people ride? Itʹs almost impossible to explain. Because there are roads and distant towns. Because we share a sense of adventure. Because we have the freedom to do it. For the commuter, motorcycles receive freeway access benefits, get great fuel mileage and are easy to park. For the touring rider, motorcycles bring you into the world instead of enclosing you from it. Others enjoy the challenge of riding, leaning into turns and feeling the motor beneath them. Motorcyclists connect with other riders in a way that goes beyond mere transportation, which is why many riders attend events and rallies. And everyone who rides a motorcycle does so because itʹs fun.

~ Harley‐Davidson Website 2003, Reason to Ride (http://www.harley‐davidson.com)

From 1975 to 2003, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha continued to dominate the motorcycle industry, although several European and American companies (BMW, Ducati and Harley‐Davidson) established strong positions in niche markets. Important economic and political developments in various regions, including the strong growth in Asia, changed the playing field significantly and forced the manufacturers to adjust. For low‐end models, manufacturing operations shifted closer to emerging markets in Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and India. As a result, the motorcycle industry evolved from an export‐based operation in the 1960s to a truly global business. The maturing economies in North America, Western Europe, and Japan increased the demand for high‐end recreational models, while the developing economies in South East Asia and South America created a need for easily assembled, inexpensive transportation. Although Japanese makers entered the high‐end market in the 1970s and 80s, several nice players remained dominant in this segment.

Harley‐Davidson rebounded from near disaster in the early