Nama Harley-Davidson telah kerap kali muncul dalam berita di Malaysia baru-baru ini. Jenama berlegenda dari Amerika Syarikat ini telah mengejutkan industri apabila ia mengumumkan perpisahannya dengan rakan kerjasama buat sekian lama, Naza Prestige Bikes Sdn. Bhd., dalam pencarian mereka untuk rakan kerjasama baru buat masa yang akan datang.
Great news for all Harley-Davidson owners in Malaysia! The official Harley-Davidson service centre at The Gasket Alley will officially open its doors tomorrow (Saturday 8th of December).
Built with an investment of RM1.5 million, the new service centre features unique tools and even hydraulic jacks that have been specially flown in from either Europe or the United States. These are unique equipment specially designed for Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The technicians including the management team have all been trained at the Harley-Davidson University in Bangkok, and are certified to service any type of Harley-Davidson.
The service centre is open to ALL Harley-Davidson’s regardless of whether they were bought from the official dealer, or second hand, or from the grey market. The new service centre does not charge a “localisation” or “initilisation” fee, and will service all Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
In a recent interview with Johan Kleinsteuber (pictured above), the Managing-Director of Harley-Davidson Asia Emerging Markets, the question of aftersales service cropped up, to which Johan replied, “Personally I will encourage grey market owners to visit authorised workshops. I am a rider myself and I will always want my bike to be in the best condition possible because at the end of the day it is also about safety. Our dealership staff are all fully trained. They have gone through the whole training process and attended the Harley-Davidson university in Bangkok, so they can be assured of the highest level of service quality. Ultimately this is what we want to bring to our customers, to be part of the whole ownership experience.” (You can click here to read the full interview)
The opening of the official service centre will be followed by the launch of the all-new Harley-Davidson showroom at The Gasket Alley which is scheduled to take place next month.
For more information, visit The Gasket Alley’s Facebook page here.
Harley-Davidson has been in the Malaysian news quite frequently lately. The legendary American brand sent a wave of shock throughout the industry when it announced its departure from long time partner Naza Prestige Bikes Sdn Bhd, in search of a new partner moving forward.
Rebranding itself from Harley-Davidson of Kuala Lumpur to Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya, the brand has since found a new partner and will be based at ‘The Gasket Alley’, opposite of Jaya One.
Exciting times lay ahead for the brand with a brand spanking new showroom due to be officially opened in January, a RM1.5 million service facility capable of servicing up to six bikes at one time, and with a new team of talented industry insiders with decades of industry experience.
We were recently invited to a chat with Johan Kleinsteuber (pictured above), the Singapore-based Managing Director of Harley-Davidson of Asia Emerging Markets. Not ones to turn down a good conversation about bikes, we found ourselves in a meeting room at The Gasket Alley with Johan and his colleagues from Singapore.
We had 10 questions for Johan and he answered them all, and was eager to share his plans for Malaysia, on engaging owners of grey market bikes which has always been a neglected segment of Harley owners for many years, and even on whether or not we will ever see a new Harley-Davidson for below RM50,000. Below are some excerpts from the conversation:
On why a new dealership was needed for Malaysia:
“We made a decision to take a new approach in Malaysia, driven by Harley Davidson’s strategy to grow ridership primarily through our existing customer base as well as reaching out to new customer segments. And we decided to refresh the network and appoint independently owned dealerships throughout the country, to enable us to serve our customers and to make our brand available to a wider segment. That is the idea behind it and is the way we operate in multiple countries, which means either single dealerships or potentially multiple dealerships are owned by separate dealerships.”
How will things change for Harley-Davidson in Malaysia?
“If you have read our 10 year strategy we have big plans rolling out in the next 10 years. We will be launching 100 new products throughout the world. We are planning to grow our international volume by 50%. As such we need to look into network expansion in order to make the brand more accessible and to go to the customers where we think they are. Malaysia, in the Asian context, plays an important part in this equation for Harley-Davidson.”
“We have been in Malaysia since 2008, we have built a very dedicated following of Harley-Davidson riders, and the brand is extremely popular in Malaysia and from what I see, the brand is one of the most popular ones in the region, and we want to capitalise on this by reaching out to our customers and giving them access to the brand and the lifestyle that is associated with the brand and its products.”
On what Harley-Davidson owners can look forward to in the next 2-3 years?
“It is obviously a very exciting time in Malaysia as we grow the network. You know the new facility in Petaling Jaya. We will start service operations in Malaysia this weekend. Harley-Davidson owners will be able to service their bikes here (at the service centre at The Gasket Alley) beginning this weekend. There are trained and dedicated service staff here to address any concerns or any issues that customers may have with their bikes. So we are looking forward to that, and our plans are to grow the network next year, so we are looking at two additional dealerships, one in Penang and one in Malacca. We will continue to assess where there are opportunities in order to reach out to customers. Not to speak of any specific locations, but there is ongoing business case work and as and when we see there is an opportunity, we will then start work. And coupled with the new products we are launching, the MY18 Softail and the CVO’s, I can only recommend the new range of Softail’s, it is a fantastic range of products and extremely well received. I just came from the Bangkok Motor Expo and we had a successful launch there too, we are very excited about that. As and when we offer new products, new locations, we will reach out to as many people as we can and introduce them to the lifestyle, the HOG community, participate in events and that will all happen soon.”
Will Malaysians get the full range of Harley-Davidson models?
“We are looking into bringing in the full range of models beginning with the MY18 Softails and CVO bikes. The plan is to make the full product range accessible to the market. I believe from a model specific perspective it is more about customer demand, we will give the customers what they want.”
On how aftersales service will be improved and engaging owners of grey import and second hand bikes:
“What I can say is that the owners (of grey market bikes) should approach the dealership to see whether there is an opportunity for them to service their bikes here. Personally I will encourage grey market owners to visit authorised workshops. I am a rider myself and I will always want my bike to be in the best condition possible because at the end of the day it is also about safety. Our dealership staff are all fully trained. They have gone through the whole training process and attended the Harley-Davidson university in Bangkok, so they can be assured of the highest level of service quality. Ultimately this is what we want to bring to our customers, to be part of the whole ownership experience.”
On customisation of Harley-Davidson and whether the full range of options will be available:
“We have a catalogue of 10,000 different parts and accessories for our bikes. Our intention is to give the customers the full range of products. I believe the best thing is for the customers to approach the dealer to get any specific part and be able to customise the bike as they want to. At the end of the day a Harley is a reflection of your personality and that is something we obviously encourage.”
Supporting the Harley Owners Group and what will be different from the past:
“Since Sept 22 of this year all HOG chapters in Malaysia are supported by the brand out of HQ. As we open more dealerships we will tackle and address these issues and see how we can reach a proper agreement on chapters. That is on going work.”
Will we ever see a sub-RM50,000 Harley-Davidson in the near future?
“We are in the process of building an assembly facility in Rayong, Thailand and will be operational by the end of 2018. A plant such as that gives us the opportunity to make the brand more accessible throughout the Asian region and to a wider range of customers. Asia in general has a burgeoning middle class with disposable income, it is a good opportunity for Harley-Davidson.”
“Specifically for a sub-RM50,000 bike or what model range it is, we are still working through the demand plans and looking at all scenarios. So at this stage it is still too early to tell. However, the Street 750 and the Street Rod will continue to be assembled in India.”
What is the one thing that will change for Harley-Davidson in Malaysia?
“We had a 10 year partnership with Naza and we thank them for the commitment to making Harley Davidson brand accessible in Malaysia. Going forward we believe we have an opportunity to make the brand even more accessible to consumers in Malaysia. And really carry the brand lifestyle into more segments that are currently not associated with Harley Davidson. Ultimately the key goal is to make the brand more accessible and increase ridership. We want to welcome everyone who want to be part of the lifestyle. Whether it is through events or general merchandise or whether it is through motorcycles. In that sense, Harley Davidson has a lot to offer to everyone. We want that to be accessible. If there is one thing that will change for Harley-Davidson in Malaysia, it is accessibility and a high level of engagement towards Malaysian customers.”
A message for Harley-Davidson owners in Malaysia:
“To Harley Davidson owners and future owners, stay tuned we have great plans for Malaysia and we hope to see you all in our dealerships and in upcoming dealerships. Hope to welcome you there.”
Artikel oleh Keshy Dhillon
So it is officially official then, Naza has lost the Harley-Davidson dealership for the Malaysian market. Naza, under its sister company Naza Prestige Bikes Sdn Bhd, has been the exclusive dealers of the HD motorcycles in Malaysia for over a decade now, but the news does not come as a surprise for many industry insiders.
I personally heard of the news over two months ago, but was urged to keep mum about it, pending an official statement. Though that humble request went against every journalistic instinct in me looking for an “exclusive story”, friendship meant more to me than the story, so I toed the line.
It is not surprising that Naza lost the deal, the fact that the company used to sell grey import HD’s side by side to brand new HD motorcycles never really made sense for many. Why would you spend over RM100,000 for a brand new HD, when you could spend about RM60,000 for a slightly used, almost new, imported bike. And Naza even had the technical expertise and aftersales know-how to back you up after you buy the bike.
It made perfect business sense for Naza, but not for HD.
The big question on everybody’s lips right now is – what’s next for the HD brand in Malaysia? Who will take up the gargantuan task of managing such a elite brand in Malaysia. The only company that would step up to the challenge is a company that has huge experience in selling and maintaining mass market brands, and one that understands aftersales and has the capacity to do so.
There is a clear answer to that, and one that our friends at dsf.my have already hinted at (you can read their report here), is the big boys at The Gasket Alley. 
The Gasket Alley is a new showroom in Petaling Jaya located by Jaya 33 that serves as the headquarters for some unique brands like Moto Guzzi and the Japanese custom bike builder, Zero Engineering. They have the perfect location to house HD, and the people behind it are brighter than daylight when it comes to managing big brands like HD.
The Gasket Alley was founded by a few businessmen with some really deep pockets. I will not go into details but one of them is from a famed Malaysian automotive group with vast experience in managing automotive brands, including mass market brands, and a luxury brand. And the other is a successful bumiputra entrepreneur with interests in property development in Malaysia and abroad.
The collective experience of the company is perfect for a brand like Harley-Davidson because it already has vast experience in managing unique and luxurious brands, and has the capacity to facilitate aftersales service. In fact, the company is known for great aftersales service, and if they can manage a luxury brand which demands perfect aftersales service of all their dealers, then they can definitely do a good job at managing a brand like HD.
Other than that, The Gasket Alley also has a few key people who previously served at Naza and know a thing or two about managing a brand like Harley-Davidson. These people were key to the success of brands under Naza like HD and even Ducati, but were either let go for reasons unknown, or simply quit and moved on.
There is no official statement confirming whether or not The Gasket Alley will serve as one of the new importer and distributor of the Harley-Davidson brand in Malaysia, but you can consider it a done deal. Especially since the key person in charge of aftersales was recently spotted attending the prestigious Harley-Davidson University in Bangkok. So, it is safe to then assume that the new dealers for the HD brand in Malaysia would be – The Gasket Alley!
So Harley owners in Malaysia, worry not, you’re in good hands.
Photos courtesy of the The Gasket Alley Facebook page
The Harley Owners Group KL Chapter (HOG) recently organised its first ever riding clinic called HORSE, short for Harley Owners Riding and Sharing Experience.
HOG organised HORSE (couldn’t resist that one) to help new and experience owners to learn the basics of Harley ownership and riding the bike to its potential, and of course staying safe.
The clinic was held over two days with day one focusing on theory, and day two on practical with an organised convoy to Lemang To’ki (a popular biker hang out) in Bentong.
The lessons focused on rider preparation which included the basics of selecting a new helmet, wearing full gloves over half gloves. To put it simply, the message from this lesson was to ‘dress for the slide, and not just dress for the ride’, as the safety officer of HOG KL, Jaspal Singh so eloquently put it.
The other lesson focused on bike preparation. All bikes come with a standard setting from the factory, but because all riders have different riding style, it is important to customise the bike accordingly too. This included suspension set up, foot rest position, closing the right seat and others.
The third lesson was on managing the bike and getting the right body position and control set-up. It went along the lines as setting up the brake and clutch lever so that it is positioned in a straight line to the arm and shoulder.
The final chapter focused on bike set up – getting the controls like the foot pegs set up in a right position, selecting the right seat and understanding suspension set-up and static sag.
The first installation of HORSE attracted 20 participants with the instructor was from the HOG committee. Jaspal Singh (below in orange tshirt) serves as the safety officer at HOG and was in charge of lessons while members of HOG contributed to a safe and organised convoy during the second day by leading the bikers and serving as the sweeper.
HOG plans on holding more installations of the HORSE, and will be making an announcement in due time.
The new Harley Davidson of Johor Bahru 3S centre now stands as a one-stop centre and dedicated hub that will cater to all Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners in the Peninsula’s southern region.
Present during the launch were several top tier executives of the Naza Group led by group executive chairman Datuk Wira SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin. Also present here were Harley-Davidson Asia Emerging Markets’ managing director Peter Mackenzie.
Of course, no major milestone in the soutern state of Johore is complete without the approval of HRH Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the Sultan of Johore. Sultan Ibrahim was present during a specially organised private launch ceremony and tour held prior to the scheduled press launch later in the afternoon.
The new Harley-Davidson 3S centre is located just next to Ducati Johore in the heart of Johor Bahru along Jalan Dato’ Abdullah Tahir. The two-storey facility measures roughly 470 square meters for each floor. Inside, it houses two state-of-the-art service work bays, a large showroom display area, a Parts & Accessories store, an official Harley-Davidson merchandise and apparels boutique, as well as customer waiting lounges.
The opening of Harley-Davidson of Johor Bahru was aimed at further enhancing the famed American brand’s presence in the peninsula’s southern region. It now joins in the brand’s Malaysian network along with the main Harley-Davidson of Kuala Lumpur flagship store in Petaling Jaya and Harley-Davidson of Penang.
Owners and customers can locate the new Harley-Davidson of Johor Bahru outlet via the following Google Maps link:
Harley-Davidson of Johor Bahru Launch
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