Harley-Davidson Opens First Showroom in Vietnam

Harley-Davidson has opened its first dealership in Vietnam, the world’s fourth largest market for motorcycles.

Located in Phu My Hung in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City, the new Harley-Davidson of Saigon opened its doors this past weekend with a full lineup of 27 models.

Vietnam is one of the world’s largest markets with sales of 3.1 million two-wheelers in 2012, trailing only China, India and Indonesia. Almost all of those are small displacement vehicles however, as most residents were restricted to engines smaller than 175cc. Large displacement motorcycles weren’t even legal until 2007. That will all soon change, as the Vietnamese government is removing license restrictions on March 1, 2014, opening up the market to manufacturers.

Suzuki, Ducati and KTM have all entered the Vietnam market in recent years, and Harley-Davidson is joining their ranks, ready for the expected floodgates to open on a large and mostly untapped market. As in many markets, the Harley-Davidson brand carries a lot of cachet in Vietnam, initially brought to the country in the ’60s by American soldiers.

ADVENTURE: Motorcycling in Vietnam

Prices range from VND336 million (US$15,900) for Sportsters to VND1.17 billion (US$55,400) for Touring models.

[Source: Thanh Nien Daily]

By Dennis Chung