The new Hero-Harley Davidson bike has been developed and designed to be best suited for the Indian market – It is set to come in at aggressive pricing
It may be recalled that in September 2020, Harley Davidson exited the Indian market on the back of lackluster sales. The company however, entered into an alliance with Hero MotoCorp in 2021 and the two companies are jointly developing a range of new motorcycles.
Hero-Harley 420cc Motorcycle For India – Different than Chinese X350
The made-in-India India Harley-Davidson motorcycle first photos have now been shared by Hero MotoCorp. In the photos, the new Hero 420cc Harley Davidson motorcycle is seen at the Hero MotoCorp CIT R&D facility outside of Jaipur. It is in a near production ready format indicating launch is near, likely by Diwali 2023.
Harley-Davidson has recently launched the X350 in China, in association with local partners QJ Motor. In India, they are going to launch this 420cc motorcycle in association with Hero MotoCorp. This new Harley Davidson motorcycle is likely to be offered with a single cylinder 420cc engine. It will rival the likes of Royal Enfield 350 (Classic, Meteor, Hunter, Bullet), Honda Hness 350 and the upcoming Bajaj Triumph 350cc.
Made-in-India Harley-Davidson – Features, Specs
The new Harley Davidson has been designed at the company headquarters in Milwaukee. Its testing and development has been carried out by Hero MotoCorp in India so as to ensure its suitability for the India buyer.
It boasts of an LED signature circular headlamp with Harley Davidson lettering in LED DRLs much in the same way as is seen on the HD X350. It also gets LED turn indicators and a muscular fuel tank. It gets a colour TFT screen with a speedometer, odometer, tachometer and fuel indicator, and an instrument cluster with connectivity features which can be paired to the user’s smartphone.
Hero 420cc Harley Davidson rides on 18 inch front and 17 inch rear alloy wheels fitted with tubeless CEAT Zoom Cruz tyres. Seat height is at around 790-810mm thus ensuring comfort for most riders. The bike also boasts of wide set handle bars, mid mounted foot controls and neutral rider triangle for better ergonomics. Images also show off a saree guard as per RTO mandate.
Power and Performance
The new Harley Davidson will likely be powered by a 420cc air/oil cooled, single cylinder engine. The engine could get mated to a 6 speed gearbox with slip and assist clutch. However, it may come with ride modes of Rain and Sport Mode. Braking will be via Bybre disc brakes at the front and rear along with dual channel ABS.
USD forks are seen at the front and gas charged twin shock setup at the rear, instead of monoshock, so as to ensure affordable pricing . The upcoming Hero Harley motorcycle is expected to be competitively priced and expected in the sub Rs 2.5 lakh range. Once launched, it will take on the RE Classic 350 which currently retails at Rs 1.93-2.20 lakh (ex-showroom).
