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low-double-digit percentage rates even as Harley's sales resumed their fall -- it's not about to overtake its rival any me in the foreseeable future. Not that it has to, as long as it can con nue building on the legacy of the brand, but Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and other bike brands will constantly be nipping at its heels if it doesn't. HARLEY-DAVIDSON TO BUILD ASSEMBLY PLANT IN THAILAND Bangkok (AFP) - Harley-Davidson, the iconic motorcycle brand is building a plant in Thailand, the company confirmed, as it seeks new buyers in Asia and lower tariffs. The factory -- only the third Harley has built outside the United States -- highlights the irresis ble draw of overseas plants for US manufacturers. "We are expanding our presence in the Asia-Pacific market by building an assembly facility in the Rayong Province in Thailand," Harley- Davidson spokeswoman Ka e Whitmore told AFP. She declined to say how much the plant was worth but said it would be up and running in "late 2018." Even Harley has found it hard to resist the lure of overseas assembly lines -- both to be geographically closer to emerging markets and circumvent high tariffs that favour local compe tors. It already has assembly plants in Brazil and India that put together bike kits made from parts from its US factories. The Thai plant will do the same. Whitmore said high tariffs were only part of the reason Harley decided to build a plant in Thailand but she added: "Our growth is currently limited due to uncompe ve retail prices." Thailand currently slaps around a 60 percent import tariff on foreign motorbikes. A plant in Thailand will also allow Harley to take advantage of tax breaks when expor ng to nearby neighbors under trade agreements struck by the 10-member Associa on of Southeast Asian Na ons (ASEAN). It also reduces import distances to China, which is fast emerging as a major market for foreign bike brands. Harley's decision to open the Thai plant sparked an angry backlash among US union workers. "Management's decision to offshore produc on is a slap in the face to the American worker and to hundreds of thousands of Harley riders across the country," the United Steelworkers union said in a statement. Harley has insisted the Thai plant will not result in American job losses, arguing instead it will enable them to grow their business using American- built parts. "There is no intent to reduce Harley-Davidson US manufacturing due to this expansion," Whitmore said. "Harley- Davidson US manufacturing will con nue to supply the US and certain other global markets," she added. MAN RIDING WITH MOTORCYCLE CLUB SHOT, KILLED AT CALIFORNIA GAS STATION By Beatriz Valenzuela Staff writer Ali Tadayon contributed to this report. An Orange County man was killed outside a Riverside, California gas sta on Sunday night May 21, when someone opened fire at a group of motorcyclists, police said. A second person with the motorcycle group was struck in the helmet by a bullet but was uninjured, Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback MORE NEWS said. Orange, California resident James Duty, 31, was pronounced dead at Riverside Community Hospital at 10:58 p.m. on Sunday, May 21, about half an hour a er the shoo ng occurred, according to the Riverside County Coroner's Office. The motorcyclists, who were not from Riverside and are believed to be affiliated with a Motorcycle club, had been passing through on the 91 Freeway, Railsback said. Late Sunday they stopped at the Shell gas sta on just off the freeway at 3502 Adams Street. As they were at the gas pumps, a car pulled up and a passenger got out and started shoo ng at the group, Railsback said. Police are s ll inves ga ng what mo vated the violence. Railsback said he was not aware of any alterca on at the gas sta on prior to the shoo ng. A gas sta on a endant called police about 10:30 p.m. as the shoo ng was in progress, police said in a news release. The vehicle that the shooter was in, le before police arrived. The gunshot vic m was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at 10:58 p.m. Riverside police asked anyone with informa on about the shoo ng to call Detec ve Jim Simons at (951) 353-7138 or Detec ve Adrian Tille at (951) 353-7105. The Shell sta on was open for business Monday a ernoon, though some of the pumps were out of order. The a endant on duty declined to comment. The sta on is right next to the Adams Street on-ramp to the 91 and situated in a shopping center that also includes a Baker's, a Subway and the Cal Bap st University campus store and recrea on center. 24 WheelsOfGrace.com Issue 37