I spoke to some motorcyclist in Mumbai about Indian built Harley-Davidsons and none of them were interested, if they wanted a cruiser they would buy an Enfield and for a prestige brand that was actually more use on Indian roads a BMW or Triumph. I have only ever seen one Harley on the road in India and that was one of the locally built 750s but all of his mates were riding Enfields and KTM.

Those three brands - Harley, BMW and Triumph - seem to have been in some bizarre kind of 'menage a trois' for a long time. I remember reading way back - probably the 70's - about how they were regarded in their home countries. It was always the other two that were held in high regard, the home product being generally rubbished. So a Brit would think Harley and BMW were great but Triumph a pile of scrap, a German would go for Triumph / Harley but dismiss BMW etc. Times have changed and it probably doesn't still hold today but it's still the same names. Quite where the Japs fit in I never did work out but probably nowhere as the assessments were based on form rather than function.

I suspect that India is not ready for this sort of bike. The article implies that H-D struggled to connect with the local bike industry (assuming I have read it correctly) which won't have helped. As you say, the roads of Mumbai may differ to those in Texas.

Many factors IMHO.

The whole Brando-Easy Rider thing is cool amongst a 75-dead demographic, comical to the 35-55's, just weird to a 20-something Indian.

The prices are crazy

I'd bet thet did not approach the market as a new entry but as "stop everything we're here now"?

A high end Classical style in India looks like it came from Birmingham (Warwickshire) in 1960.

One thing I don't get is why Livewire isn't a stand alone brand. You can't have ecologically conscious customers greeted by someone called Cletus and offered a 1200cc V-Twin with open pipes. That's how they killed Buell.

They are also withdrawing a lot of models in Europe that can't be made to perform to Euro 5. All the 750's, the 883 and some of the 1200's.

Andy

Not all adventures require you to travel:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-54513247

Not news as such as the report is from May 2020 but very pertinent to the HUBB inhabitants - well the four wheeleed variety at least - it would appear that 2 wheels is not an option....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-52790108

I was expecting to see this closely related story.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54544467

I missed that one somehow.

The lack of reference to the two wheeled world makes me wonder if any of the news channels are aware that people travel the world on motorbikes and bikes.

Don't worry Ewan and Charlie are on the case again, joking apart they have probably done more to raise the profile of overland motorcycle travel than even Ted has, not that I like their fake jeopardy and other drama but their programmes are popular.

Plenty of serious riders crap on them and mock their support team, etc. but if I had a chance to go on one of their rides with them I would jump. I've been following their latest series as they ride through the Americas on electric Harley Livewires, and the scenery and roads look amazing!

I do have to say it's perhaps not the best advertising for electric motorcycles, as they're shown constantly struggling to spend hours getting the bikes charged up every 100 miles. Watching the videos has convinced me of two things: a) I want more than ever to go riding through South America, and b) it will NOT be on an electric motorcycle...

I can't even get our posh battery vacuum cleaner to last long enough to clean the house without running out of charge. The tech is going to have to improve quite considerably before I head off into the wilds on an electric bike. I need the bike to serve me, not the other way round.

Listening to Charlie on Adventure Rider Radio recently he seemed to suggest that they sussed out a quicker way of charging towards the end of the trip, or maybe I misunderstood.

Nothing whatsoever to do with travelling but an example of stupidity.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-54760265

I’m not entirely sure that this is a serious publication:

https://newsthump.com/2020/11/02/don...argest-number/

Ah, it is a serious publication:

https://newsthump.com/2020/11/02/boris-johnson-will-not-take-part-in-movember-despite-successful-ineptember-and-cocktober/