Arial View of H-D Arizona Proving Grounds (Yucca)
The motor company delivers on its promise.
Not a new innovative motorcycle model, but to consolidate testing operations into one single location in Arizona – called the Arizona Proving Ground (AZPG).
Reports out of Kingman, AZ indicate that a local contractor (T.R. Orr, Inc.), received two building permits from the county Development Services Department, one for commercial renovation at the proving grounds and another for the construction of a brand new industrial plant.
You may recall that H-D moved into the Chrysler Proving Grounds at Yucca less than a year ago after it was booted from the General Motors proving grounds in Mesa, which had been closed and sold off the previous year. The motorcycle company is shuttering testing operations in Talladega, Ala., as well as Naples, Fla., as they are in the process of moving those operations to AZPG through 2011. I’ve previously reported as far back as 2008 on H-D plans of AZPG HERE and HERE.
According to H-D spokeswoman Pat Sweeney, the changes being made to the existing facilities and the new industrial plant will not only provide H-D the space and equipment it needs to make the most use of the proving grounds it will also – and are you ready for the “E” word – improve its efficiency. Details on the cost of the new industrial plant or the need for any new employees from the local workforce were – incomplete – as Ms. Sweeney cited an obvious benefit to the community just because we’re consolidating there, but “we’re just still not really sure at his point in time” when referring to hiring plans. I anticipate they offered folks in the shuttered operations an opportunity to move to AZ and are waiting on the final acceptance ratio before opening job req’s.
And speaking of jobs… the nearby and sprawling Arizona State Prison, Cerbat Facility (20 buildings on 45 acres) was a 2,000-bed minimum custody facility that just completed a major renovation and expansion into 3,400 beds. I see an inmate labor force expansion in the near future and it couldn’t come at a better time according to local reports.
Photo courtesy of Chrysler
Lets see. I build air cooled motorcycles so I will put my testing ground in a part of the country where the abient temperature is a 100 to 115 degrees 5 months out of the year. Yep that seems like a good idea cause that way I can get a real representative idea of how during normal temperatures my bike engines perform. Maybe this preperation for the water cooled H-D cruiser engine that will finally see the light of day?
Here’s an updated link to the Arizona Proving Grounds
http://www.chryslertestservices.com/test-service-locations/arizona-proving-ground.html
Perhaps HD can look beyond it existing product offering and include something truly innovative, which is comfortable to travel long distances.
Today, the Etracer just came in first for the X Prize for automotive! It got over 188 MPG and has a comfortable cabin with air conditioning.
If HD built these, its older demographic will be well served with an improved motorcycle design they can drive all year. Addtionally, the price will be reduced with volume.