Hero MotoCorp and the art of motorcycle makeover

Hero is gearing up to provide service and parts support to customers even where there are no Harley dealerships through its own network

When automotive firms embark on alliances, it’s a roll of the dice on how such marriages will play out. Carmakers have not been victorious at such efforts. Ford’s first tango with Mahindra & Mahindra failed. Renault’s dalliance with M&M went the same way. Fiat and Tata Motors gave their tie-up their best shot but the play stumbled in the long term. For Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler company, it’s a calculated gambit to revive Harley-Davidson whose ride in India has been anything but easy since it got here. But can both players, who announced the tie-up this October, win in