The motorcycle maker said Pennsylvania and Wisconsin facilities will handle work tied to the Pan America, Sportster S and Nightster after earlier production shifts to Thailand drew criticism from unions and President Donald Trump.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Harley-Davidson plans to return production of its Revolution Max engine to the United States, reversing part of a manufacturing shift that had drawn criticism from labor unions and President Donald Trump.
The company announced Tuesday that facilities in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will take on work tied to the engine platform, including machining, powertrain assembly, painting and final vehicle assembly.
Harley-Davidson said the transition is expected to be completed before production begins in 2027 for its 2028 model year motorcycles. The company’s goal is for motorcycles powered by U.S.-made Revolution Max engines, including the Pan America, Sportster S and Nightster, to reach dealerships in 2028.
The company said the move has been “months in the making” and cited changes in U.S. trade policy under the Trump administration, along with broader changes in global trade conditions, as factors behind the decision.
Harley-Davidson said the current domestic policy and global trade environment gives the company an opportunity to “lean even further into our American manufacturing footprint and build more motorcycles here at home.”
The reshoring plan is part of Harley-Davidson’s “Back to the Bricks” strategy, a turnaround effort led by CEO Arthur “Artie” Starrs, who took over last October after years of declining sales and financial pressure at the company.
Harley-Davidson shifted production of the Pan America and Sport series to Thailand in 2024. At the time, the company described the move as temporary. Labor unions representing Harley workers criticized the decision, saying the company had broken a 2018 promise that motorcycles produced in Thailand would be intended for European and Asian markets and would not be shipped back to the United States for sale.
Trump had also criticized the company’s earlier offshoring plans. In 2018, after Harley-Davidson announced it would move some production overseas in response to European Union tariffs on U.S.-made motorcycles, Trump said Harley-Davidson motorcycles “should never be built in another country.”
The European tariffs had been imposed in response to Trump’s tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports.
“Their employees and customers are already very angry at them,” Trump wrote on X, then known as Twitter. In a follow-up post, he supported an owner boycott of the brand.
The decision to bring Revolution Max engine work back to the United States comes as Harley-Davidson continues to face business challenges.
In its most recent quarterly earnings report, the company said retail motorcycle sales fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2025. Harley-Davidson has been working to attract younger riders while navigating tariffs and changing global trade conditions.
In February, Harley-Davidson reported that global retail motorcycle sales declined 12% in 2025 from the previous year, falling to 132,500 units. Sales were down 32% from 2021, the last year in which the company recorded an increase.
The company reported a net loss of $279 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, compared with a $117 million loss during the same period a year earlier. For the full year, consolidated revenue fell 14% from the prior year.
Tariffs have also added costs. Harley-Davidson said a 50% tariff on aluminum and steel cost the company $31 million in 2025.
Although 95% of Harley-Davidson’s U.S. motorcycle revenue comes from motorcycles assembled at its Pennsylvania final assembly plant, the company still sources some materials from outside the United States, leaving it exposed to tariff costs.
The company’s latest production shift is intended to expand its U.S. manufacturing footprint while positioning key models around domestically produced engines by the 2028 model year.
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