It seems the current US-India trade deal means cheaper Harley Davidson motorcycles but the reality is a far cry from that. While Harley Davidson remains one of the most iconic motorcycle manufacturers in the US, the current deal will have little effect because the current Harley bikes don’t come from America to India.
Yes, Harley Davidson sells its imported motorcycles from Thailand where already it attracts zero custom duties due to a India-Thailand free trade agreement. Thailand is the export hub for Harley and unlikely the imports will shift to the US since import duty cuts would be negligible.
Why Prices Are Unlikely to Fall
While zero duty on 800cc-1600cc American motorcycles will mean good news, Harley Davidson wont see the effect. More so the sales volume for the large capacity motorcycles are too small when compared to the rest of the market.
Some Harley models which fall under the 800-1600cc are the Nightster, Nightster S, Sportster S and Pan America while dont expect a cut since these are bought from Thailand. Those that are made in the US meanwhile fall above the 1600cc category and won’t get any cuts at all.
Harley has sold only 90 units from April to December 2025 and remains a niche player. The other talked about Harley motorcycle is the Harley-Davidson X440 and the X440 T but since they are locally manufactured they won’t be eligible for the duty cut.
Hence, don’t expect massive price cuts for Harley Davidson Motorcycles due to our market getting these bikes from outside America.
