15 July,2010 08:19 AM IST | | Anshuman G Dutta and Shashank Shekhar
The Capital gets its first authorised dealer of the cult bikes
Soon the mighty roar of the Harley may become commonplace in the Capital. The first showroom of the Milawukee-based iconic motorbike maker opened in Delhi at DLF Promenade Mall with a line-up of twelve sparkling bikes. Among hundreds of enthusiasts present only two passionate bikers got the privilege to drive these monster machines back home.
Wheels in motion: Harley has refused maintenance services to those
in India who have imported their bikes. Pic/mid day
35-year-old Vikram Bhalla, owner of an event management company in Gurgaon, could not stop gushing as he prepared to hit the roads with his 1200 cc H-D Nightster. "I'll take this bike to show it to my wife so that she could finally see what I have bought spending eleven lakh rupees," Vikram said enthusiastically.
The proud owner is all set to take this bike to all corners of the country. "I have driven all models of Royal Enfield, proof of which is all the injury-marks on my hand. But I am not a speed-person so I have got the silver cruise bike," said Vikram.
For quite long critics of cult bikes have been raising questions about preparedness of Indian roads and the traffic system. To this another Harley owner Umesh K Anand replied: "The traffic stops for these bikes; they are showstoppers."
47-year-old Umesh had been waiting for this day for as long back as he could remember; he wanted to be a part of the Harley legacy. "I am buying The Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic which is a powerful machine but has a classic heritage look. I was planning to buy this bike for long; before this I had Honda's Tourer," he informed.
Umesh K Anand believes buying Harley is not about buying a machine but about being part of an iconic lifestyle. "I am all set to join the Harley Owners Group (HOG). HOG is one of the largest owners' groups in the world with about 1.4 million members. I will take my bike to Jaipur first."
But apart from all the good news, there is bad news for the existing Harley-Davidson owners who have got their bikes imported. "We will not entertain any bike which has not been bought from an authorised dealer. We will treat all the bikes bought before as illegal and we will not give any services to them," said Harley-Davidson India Director (Marketing) Sanjay Tripathi.
The new showroom aims to bring world class Harley-Davidson experience to India and is on the same plane as most international H-D outlets. The showroom will offer all the 2010 models lined up for India which include the XL 883L/R Sportster, XL 1200N Nightster, XR1200X Dyna, FXDB Street Bob, FXDC Super Glide Custom, Softail FLSTF Fat Boy, Classic and the stealthy Night Rod Special.
Apart from the motorcycles, the showroom will also offer riding gear, apparel and merchandise. There will also be parts and accessories available for those who want to customise their H-Ds. Expect more of your favourite Harley-Davidson outlets coming up in other parts of the country soon.
| TOP GEAR |
| Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, Harley-Davidson, often abbreviated H-D or Harley, was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression.u00a0 Harley-Davidson also survived a period of poor quality control and competition from Japanese manufacturers. |
