“Unfortunately, there’s nothing our unions or local or congressional members could have done to relieve the pressure of excess capacity we have in the U.S. today,” Harley spokesman Michael Pflughoeft told the Journal Sentinel. “If there was, we would have reached out to discuss options.”

Days after Kansas City’s congressional delegation made a plea to company officials to keep an 800-person manufacturing plant open, Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) said it won’t reconsider the decision.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the motorcycle maker says the decision won’t be reversed. Harley reiterated that the plant closing is based on the market, and is not a reflection of the “tremendous job” done by the workers in Kansas City.

Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and Reps. Emanuel Cleaver and Sam Graves all signed the letter [PDF] that noted the 20-year history of the Harley plant and the “considerable incentive package” that brought it to Kansas City.

Union officials also have been applying pressure on Harley, calling out the company for mishandling the situation and its workers.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing our unions or local or congressional members could have done to relieve the pressure of excess capacity we have in the U.S. today,” Harley spokesman Michael Pflughoeft told the Journal Sentinel. “If there was, we would have reached out to discuss options.”

Harley announced Jan. 30 that it planned to shutter the plant in the third quarter of 2019, moving the work to a factory in York, Pa. Company officials said layoffs in Kansas City would begin in July.

Source: The Drive

A garage-built custom…from the factory. Harley-Davidson introduced two new Sportster models to add to its goal of 100 models in 100 years, for the 100th-anniversary celebration in 2027. These two new, high-bar Sportsters have “throw-back styling trends from the custom-bike scene,” according to Harley-Davidson. That marketing line has a scent reminiscent of the old days and reminds me of the start of the FX line, which was said to be a factory-built custom. The two models are claimed to be new, but not really.

“Since its inception, the Sportster has offered the perfect combination of size, power and character that makes it appealing to so many different riders,” said Harley-Davidson V.P. of Styling & Design, Brad Richards.

Both bikes feature the same basic goodies as the rest of the Sportster line, the 1202cc Evolution 1200 V-Twin engine with a claimed 73 pound-feet of torque (Harley-Davidson doesn’t release horsepower numbers). They both sit on the traditional narrow chassis and twin-shock rear swing arm suspension. Both bikes feature nine-spoke cast wheels.

Iron 1200

The Iron 1200 features satin-black Mini Apes handlebars (8.75-inch rise, 32-inch spread and 6.5-inch pullback), a gloss black headlight “speed screen” fairing and a Cafe Solo seat. The paint scheme is a multi-color striped that wraps around the tank, it reminds me of the AMF paint schemes of the ‘70s. The Iron 1200 is mostly blacked out, with a gloss-black air cleaner, and blacked out exhaust and engine.