New Harley Trike

[tis]

I heard Harley has cut all ties with Lehman, and they will be building their own Trike for 2011, has anyone heard any similiar stories?

[ultraboy]

Lehman had a contract to build all of the 2009 and 2010 TG's. The contract will run out when they have completed all of the 2010's. HD will build 2011 and beyond in York. Saying "severed all ties" is pretty harsh, and just not factual.

[1550vt]

Dave....meaning HD will continue to build with Lehman components just doing the assembly in York?

[tis]

I stand corrected Dave, I guess I could have put it milder, I was just checking to see if it was true that Harley is gonna do their own Trike in 2011 & it looks like that is true...

[Gorilla]

Yes it is.

[tfdeputydawg]

Would be great if HD offered an IRS trike!

[ultraboy]

The TG's for 2009 and 2010 weren't built with "Lehman components" per se. Lehman received the trike with the front end completely assembled, trike swingarm already installed, rear brakes in and bled, with spacers between the pads, etc. The rear ends were already assembled, and shipped to Lehman on racks. The 'glass components came directly from the molder, unpainted, unfinsihed, raw. Same with the tour pac's, unassembled, unpainted. Lehman's own state-of-the-art paint & body shop prepped and painted the bodies, fenders and tour pacs, and assembled the whole on an 8 position assembly line. HD provided Lehman with all the assembly fixtures,and unique roller stand where brakes, alignment, and drag are tested. The engines are not started at Lehman. Once they passed the final inspection, the went onto waiting HD trucks to distribution. HD actually started trike consulting with Lehman on the TG in 2006. This was supposed to be kept completely under wraps, which is why casual visitors were turned away at the door, sometime rudely. Note that this is the same thing that happened when Polaris and Lehman teamed up on the Victory trikes. NO visitors.
After spending a week there, I believe that HD contracted the final assembly and painting, etc. to Lehman for only two years, just to see if the darn thing would sell, before committing themselves, although York laying off 800 some odd workers surely had something to do with something, LOL. What will happen to the 2011's, I don't know yet, but I believe that Mother Harley has a winner on their hands. How many did Lehman actually build? My (slightly) educated guess is more than 5500.

I created an album with some shots I took at Lehman's TG assembly area. These were taken in May of this year. The pictures do not show all of the hundreds they had yet to complete.

Independent suspension? I don't know about that one.

[tfdeputydawg]

Very good info. I like many others, thought HD did everything but, the trike part. Shipped to Lehman. Lehman assembled their trike conversion, including their re-manufactured automotive straight axle,brakes, et.
I wonder about not starting the bike @ Lehman. That's being kind of short sighted IMHO.
I would want to know "everything" worked before I let it out!
As far as the IRS-That is only a personal opinion. I studied, rode and discussed various conversions for over 3 years, contemplating the day I would need 3 wheels to continue on. I tested about every conversion available during that time on both Harleys and Wings. Some w/rake, some without. Even checked out the removable outrigger add-ons.
I came to the conclusion very quickly, for me, I would need a rake kit and IRS on a Wing.
I never did test a Tri-Glide. Probably should have!

[ultraboy]

No "Lehman" parts at all, and no "re-man" parts either, all HD built. Lehman did exactly what they were contracted to do, and they were told not to start the engines. I'm sure the firing up and complete checkout was done at the HD distribution centers and/or dealers.
I'm in the process of adding more pictures to the album........
OK, Album completed. 23 pictures total. Enjoy!


UB

[Gorilla]

Thanks Dave nice pictures.

[tfdeputydawg]

Lehman will no longer provide components, paint, and conversion services in the manufacture of the Harley-Davidson® Tri Glide® and Street Glide® trikes, effective with the end of production of Harley-Davidson’s 2010 models in Summer 2010.

Quote from the press release that HD will go in house w/their trike models.
Again, I thought HD built the "front", shipped to Lehman, who added the "back" which they manufactured?
But, I'm beating a dead issue here, doesn't matter.
The joint venture has ended.

[John Luciano]

Nice of them to get Lehman to do the leg work and now they throw them out like old bath water. Hey maybe they got a better deal with China .

[tfdeputydawg]

Nice of them to get Lehman to do the leg work and now they throw them out like old bath water. Hey maybe they got a better deal with China .

I'm betting on Lehman being a supplier of the rear drive componets, maybe as sub assemblies and bodies to HD for their in house trike.

[1550vt]

I can attest to Dave's comment about being turned away in Spearfish. I was one of those that got turned away "very rudely" and it has left an everlasting impression on me to the degree that I will do anything possible to obtain anything I need for my Lehman Renegade kit by other means, and I have. Same thing I do when I need MOCO parts, I get them from somewhere else. If I live long enough to wear-out the one I have, my next trike or kit will not have Lehman fingerprints on it anywhere.

I just tried again to get something out of Lehman last week through a dealer and Lehman made the dealer a price of $2,495 for the entire rear-end and would not sell individual parts. I told the dealer that I would give him the name of a website at which he could purchase an entire belt-driven rear end complete with disc brake components for $1,495. Then told him to have a good day.

[Gorilla]

Nice of them to get Lehman to do the leg work and now they throw them out like old bath water. Hey maybe they got a better deal with China .

Gee John did you read Ultraboys post? Lehman was only the assembler for HD. HD provided all the components. I sure whatever Lehman contributed to the build they were compensated for. I also have not heard that any contract was being broken.

HD had to make a choice of either possibly closing their York assembly plant and layoff the workers because it was under utilized or find more work for them. They choose to bring the assembly work that was being contacted out, in house to the York plant. It makes very good economic sense. The touring bikes are made there all ready so they do not have to ship the bike out, just continue the build process in the same plant. And they do not have to lay off THEIR employees.