New Delhi, Aug. 27: The Hog is finally coming to India.

Harley-Davidson has revved up for the launch of its iconic motorbikes in the world’s biggest market for two-wheelers.

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based bike maker said it would start retail sales sometime next year after tortuous discussions with the government over the past three years on duty cuts and a relaxation in emission standards.

Harley has already established a subsidiary outside Delhi — two years after the government cleared its proposal to set up base in India.

“As a first step, we are looking for local dealer partners who share our passion and commitment to build customer relationships and the Harley-Davidson brand,” said Anoop Prakash, managing director of Harley-Davidson India.

Prakash will be responsible for sales, business development and marketing activities in India.

Harley’s deep-throated roar into the Indian market was crafted by a curious mangoes-for-bikes diplomatic overture with the US. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) had cleared Harley’s investment proposal in April 2007 — and the US government lifted an18-year-old ban on mango imports from India as a quid pro quo.

But the Harley won’t come cheap since the bikes will attract an import duty of 104 per cent on completely built units.

The bike maker had lobbied hard for a duty cut — concessions it had managed to wrest in Vietnam and China – but the government hasn’t relented. So, the Harley will run into several lakh rupees, which translates into bragging rights for the owners.

“Given the rapid development of India’s economy and physical infrastructure, this is exactly the right time to bring the world’s greatest motorcycles to one of the world's largest motorcycling nations,” said Matthew Levatich, president & COO, Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

The excitement over the famed bike maker entering India is already palpable online. A clock on the Harley-Davidson-India website is counting down hours, minutes and seconds for the “adventure” to begin.

Indian auto enthusiasts have been blogging about it for some time and today’s posts underlined the excitement.

Harley is being very cagey about the models and the price range of the bikes it will launch first, although an official said 12 to 15 of its 43 models could be launched in India next year.

The company is less coy about emission standards now. India has emission standards for bikes up to 500cc and the government was under pressure to accept norms that were more relevant for the big thunderbirds.

The government has since agreed to accept emission standards that the US and Europe have for bikes with engine capacities of over 800cc.

A company source said: “Our bikes in the US meet Euro III emission norms. When we come to India, we will fully comply with the emission norms applicable here at that point in time.”

Harley-Davidson bikes became popular in India after US Army stores sold off the two-seater motorcycles they had brought to the Eastern theatre of the Second World War here as surplus.

Many of them found their way to become ingeniously re-crafted as three-wheeler passenger vehicles nicknamed “phat-phatias”, which ran from 1946 till the late 1980s in Delhi, carrying up to eight passengers.

Harley-Davidson is the global leader in cruising and touring motorcycles and ranks as one of the strongest brands in the world, with motorcycle sales now in more than 70 countries.

Harley Davidson Inc is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC), Buell Motorcycle Company, MV Agusta and Harley Davidson Financial Services (HDFS).

India’s rapidly growing economy, rising middle class and significant investment in construction of new highways have opened the door to leisure motorcycle riding, the company said.