The first images of Harley-Davidson’s upcoming bike (made in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp) have surfaced and while it is an all-new machine, the design is quite familiar.
- Powered by a 400-odd-cc single-cylinder engine
- Gets all-LED lighting, USD fork, digital display
- Neo-retro cruiser design, neutral rider triangle
Harley-Davidson’s made-in-India bike: what can be seen?
The big news here is that this new Harley-Davidson is powered by a new air-/oil-cooled 400-odd-cc single-cylinder engine. The number plate visible on the bike calls it the Hd 4xx; this could be a teaser to the engine capacity being above 400cc. Given Harley’s iconic 883cc V-twin, this may just end up being a 440cc single.
Currently, we have no information on the output figures, but given the relatively low redline, this engine will probably prioritise torque and mid-range performance over a big power figure.
Visually, this appears to be a handsome motorcycle with quite a sizable presence. The design appears to be inspired by the old XR1200 roadsters and the bike looks large with its wide and muscular-looking fuel tank that flows down to the seat. From what the images reveal, this appears to be more of a roadster than a traditional long and low cruiser.
That look gels with the fact that this new Harley gets a USD fork instead of a telescopic fork. Things are more traditional at the rear with twin shock absorbers sporting progressive springs and piggyback reservoirs.
The bike gets Bybre disc brakes at both ends and dual-channel ABS as well. A round, fully digital display can be seen although whether it's an LCD unit or a TFT unit remains to be seen. This new entry-level Harley gets LED lighting all around. The LED headlight gets a horizontal DRL right in the centre, and the rectangular tail-light is quite reminiscent of the Yamaha FZ-X, although the big round indicators are very Harley-Davidson.
It runs on CEAT Zoom Cruz tyres (as found on quite a few RE models), with a 140-section rear tyre quite clearly visible. The front wheel looks larger than the rear and the alloy design is just like what you’ll find on Harley’s big cruisers. The rider triangle appears to be quite neutral, with the footpegs not being very forward-set. It seems like it will get a pillion seat (at least as an extra) as well as the RTO-mandated saree guard. One of the images shared shows the bike leaned over quite far without the footpegs scraping, so this should be quite a fun bike to ride.
Fit and finish levels are far from those on early prototypes or rough test mules, indicating that this bike is quite close to being production ready. We expect this bike to be launched quite soon, judging by just how close to production-spec this bike looks in the images here.
When launched, we expect this new entry-level Harley-Davidson to be priced quite aggressively and from the looks of it, it has its sight set firmly on Royal Enfield. Expect a price range around or below the Rs 2.5 lakh mark and it will be interesting to see how close Harley is able to position this bike against the Royal Enfield Classic 350, which currently retails between Rs 1.93 lakh and Rs 2.21 lakh (ex-showroom, Chennai).
What price tag do you think this new made-for-India Harley-Davidson will carry? Would you pick this over the comparable Royal Enfield? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also See:
Harley-Davidson X 350, X 500 leaked ahead of launch