Harley Davidson motorbikes in Pakistan
Call it the sway of the American culture or the bike’s macho looks and feel, Harley Davidson has a cult fan following globally. For those who cannot afford it, a Pakistani entrepreneur, Imran Malik, came up with a solution: buying second-hand bikes abroad, and refurbishing them locally before putting them up for sale at his Harley Davidson Store.
A bikes aficionado himself, until a few years back Imran Malik used to wonder whether many Pakistanis would want to own a Harley Davidson. Then he decided to take the plunge, and find out for himself. Malik was not disappointed, once his startup started selling second-hand but expensive Harley Davidson motorbikes, the response was good enough to convince him once and for all that the bike has a fan base.
Such is the history and the iconic image – indeed a pedigree of its own making bikers crave to possess it – that Malik did not have to do much by way of advertising to strike it reasonably big – to the extent that he has now opened a second store in Islamabad.
Having sold above 180 motorbikes last year, a good 15 on average every month, the sales manager at The Harley’s Store, Umer Usmani, put the price range in perspective: between Rs1.5 million to a staggering Rs6 million for a refurbished Harley Davidson.
To the aficionados, just the roar of a Harley Davidson is uplifting. Ehsan Sehbai, the CEO of Shaheen Air, said in a recent interview that the whirring sound of his Harley’s engine is an antidote for his stress.
“I love riding my Harley Davidson. It’s the best antidote to stress. There’s something about the roar of the engine that relaxes me,” he was quoted as saying. Apparently a vintage cars and motorbikes buff, Sehbai also owns a 1967 Ford Mustang.
Harley Davidson dealership is really sought after in Pakistan. And Dewan Group – a major entity some two decades back in the automotive market producing Hyundai and Kia cars before it withered away, and even now importers of BMW – is said to be one of the contenders for some time now.
But now the Harley Store, with an established niche of its own in Harley Davidson bikes, albeit used and refurbished ones, also has its hat in the ring for the lucrative dealership.