Did Harley-Davidson, Inc. sell the air-cooled Sportster line to China?

[HarleyCreation]

This (conspiracy?) theory has been popping up on YouTube in the past few days. That Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Inc. sold it's now discontinued air-cooled Evo Sportster line including blueprints, tooling, etc. to China. Specifically the Shineray company that is now producing and selling under the Italian SWM brand a near Evo Sportster copy called the Stormbreaker.

Personally I'm skeptical. Yes, modern Harley-Davidson badly needs money and similarly sold the VL design to Japan in the 1930s and even sent Joe Ryan to Japan to help set up the factory. But since when does China buy anything? Don't they just steal it?

What do you guys think?

https://youtu.be/Otl5KQBXVbE?si=772ObNyOf-bVnV84

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

Uncle Tony is legit.

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

Wow. I watched the entire thing. Chinese Harley's. Money makes the world go around. Disgusting.

[exeric]

Unfortunately, many Americans have no loyalty to American made products and only care about the price. Can't blame them because life in the U.S. is expensive but as the old bumper stickers used to say, "BUY AMERICAN, THE JOB YOU SAVE COULD BE YOUR'S".

[droptopford]

Unfortunately, many Americans have no loyalty to American made products and only care about the price. Can't blame them because life in the U.S. is expensive but as the old bumper stickers used to say, "BUY AMERICAN, THE JOB YOU SAVE COULD BE YOUR'S".

Coincidentally, I was just discussing this very issue this evening with an old pilot friend over a couple of beers. Both of us have been die-hard 'buy American' guys all our lives. Years ago, as a freight pilot, transporting auto parts for the 'Big Three American Auto Makers' none of us would have dreamed or dared to show up to work in (or on) a Honda. But that was then. The conclusion we came to is that things have changed. With regards to the automotive industry anyway, the American car you buy is composed of so many foreign made parts its impossible to keep track. The foreign car you buy may very well be built in the good ol' USA by American workers.

I don't know what the answer is. I would love to spend my money in a way that supports our Country the best way I can but the lines are becoming blurry.

And with regard to Harley Davidson, nothing they do now would surprise me.

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

My understanding is that China is not exactly an ally of the United States. I'm pretty sure it's a communist country but I will have to check on that. It's also not out of the realm of general knowledge that Harley Davidson, Ford, & Coca Cola are about as American as Mom & apple pie. This is why this is very unsettling to certain T-shirt wearing enthusiast. The shirts, Monopoly board games, & pot holders that they buy in droves almost always have the American flag portrayed on the product. You know who I'm talking about.

And now we got "The Chortster". Classic.

ezgif-7f09c3915bb495.jpg ezgif-7eb91a964966da.jpg ezgif-70d55b8133d74a.jpg ezgif-72e0b4b00374f5.jpg

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

While these are more "stolen designs", they got big twins too.

https://www.topspeed.com/this-chinese-cruiser-is-an-odd-fusion-of-two-popular-harleys

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

My, my, how times have changed.

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[DEEBS47Chief1991]

Everything you said is true but is missing the key point. Another American icon has fallen to "The Red's" to simply make a profit with no regard to what that might do to to the rest of us watching in horror. Buying plastic cups and laundry baskets from Wally World is no big deal in comparison. This particular situation is pretty diabolical considering how loyal we Harley riders are.

I'm not sure what to do with my shirts.

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[PaulCDF]

In My Opinion: For decades starting with when Nixon and Kissinger first went to China (in hopes of moving China and the Soviet Union apart)
Trade between USA and China started the message was "We are exporting democracy" "A growing Chinese middle class will demand and get more freedoms.

Well not so much. All we exported were our JOBs while the politicians got rich. The Chinese middle class? Tiananmen Square the Uyghurs,
You are dealing with a ruling class that strictly enforced the one child per family rule on their people. Well I'll get off my soap box

[HarleyCreation]

While these are more "stolen designs", they got big twins too.

https://www.topspeed.com/this-chines...opular-harleys

Don't think I've seen that one before. Overall it looks like a HD touring bike, but the V-twin engine looks more like a Honda Magna 45, or whatever they called it.

[HarleyCreation]

I can't find anything verifying that Harley-Davidson, Inc sold the Evo Sportster line to China. Google is calling it a conspiracy theory. What is true, however, is that Harley-Davidson, Inc sold 15% of the W. Juneau Avenue factory complex to Central Standard Distillery. Thank goodness not the original 1910 portion next to the railroad tracks! Plus it's an American, not a Chinese company -- at least I think it's American.

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

I'm sure their P.R. people don't want info like that out on the street. Could hurt profits. But the truth (whatever it really is) will come out soon enough.

They seem to have gone through a lot of trouble hiding it through an Italian company but that makes sense if you are trying to cover it up. There are too many eyes out there in 2025 to keep this (alleged) incident a secret. But if it's true and successful, perhaps the entire company will get sold off eventually to our "trade Friends". That would change the motorcycle world forever.

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/news/2022/june/chinese-shineray-familiar-v-twin

smw.jpg

[pem]

Oh my!

thttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO3McnAyFQMheir

[T. Cotten]

Oh my!

thttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO3McnAyFQMheir

Needs more cowbell,...





....Cotten