Harley Davidson’s Made For India Bike

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Harley-Davidson’s Made-For-Emerging markets motorcycles have been testing in and around Gurgaon (near the company’s facility) for the past few months. It has now emerged that Harley could be revealing these bikes at the upcoming International Motorcycle Exhibition (EICMA) which commences for the media on November 5th.

The folks at Motociclismo.it have managed to get a picture of the invite/banner which reveals the names of these bikes. So, get to ready to see the Harley-Davidson Street 500 and the Harley-Davidson Street 750 this week!

A leaked invitation spills the beans on the branding of Harley’s entry-level motorcycle which is central to its Indian operations’ future.

This also confirms the fact that there would be two bikes – a 500cc and a 750cc – that begin the lineup. The current Harley lineup starts with the Superlow which is powered by an 883cc air-cooled engine. Reports indicate that these 500cc and 750cc units would be liquid-cooled.

In early September this year, Matthew Levatich, COO of Harley-Davidson, described the new bike(s) as “nimble, light-weight”, featuring a “low seat height and supple throttle and braking”. Levatich also said that he had ridden the bike and that the pricing would be spot on.

Other details on the Street 500 and 750 are unavailable, though the company is expected to make an announcement soon.

Harley-Davidson Street 500, Harley-Davidson Street 750 leak!

 

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Harley-Davidson Street 500 and 750 revealed in Italy

The Street series will form the entry-level lineup of Harley, slotting below the Superlow. Harley says that the Street series will appeal to the next generation of young adults.

While the company has not gone into the detailed technical specifications, we got to know that the Street series will be built on an all-new platform (an all-new platform in 13 years). Over 1,600 one-on-one interviews with prospective customers were conducted to finalize the design of the Streets.

The all-new 500cc and 750cc engines have been codenamed ‘Revolution X’. The exact power and torque outputs of these fuel-injected units are yet to be known, though Harley has confirmed that these are liquid-cooled units. Harley’s marketeers were keen to mention that these liquid-cooled units will have the exhaust note of an air-cooled engine however.

Both bikes feature a 6-speed gearbox and their ground clearances are 2 inches higher than the Iron 883. The dry weight of the Street 500 is rated at 217 kg.

Design highlights come in the form of a tear-drop steel tank mated to a steel body and 7-spoke alloy wheels. Harley will also offer extensive customization options for both these bikes, keeping inline with their tradition for doing so.

Both motorcycles will come in two color options – red and black. The prices haven’t been disclosed however.

Harley-Davidson Street 500 and 750 revealed

The design of the bike is pretty disappointing, now it's almost decided that my next ride will be RE continental GT

 

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Sidharth Vinayak Patankar from the Car and Bike show tweeted last night that he expects the Made in India Street 500 to be priced anywhere between 3.75-4Lacs ex-showroom. If so is the case, this would turn out to be an absolute game changer for the bike company. Though the design itself is not very striking looking at the pictures.

 

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Harley Davidson may become affordable soon as it plans to enter 250-300 cc segment

Harley Davidson's recent unveiling of two Dark Custom motorcycles starting at an estimated 4.5 lakh may be just the beginning of a bid to reach deeper into India, the world's largest two-wheeler market after China, as it looks at developing bikes in the 250-300 cc segment with competition intensifying in premium vehicles. The iconic motorcycle maker wants to make and sell these smaller-engine bikes with extensive local involvement to bring prices down, said two persons close to the development.

"It's an all-new bike from Harley Davidson, being developed with extensive involvement with Indian component makers, using a large percentage of locally sourced parts to control costs," said one of the two. "The new bikes are expected to hit the market next year and would help the American bike maker garner some big volumes in the Indian market."

These bikes could compete with the likes of the Bajaj Pulsar and the Hero Karizma ZMR. Harley Davidson will source headlamps, tyres, cowls, shock absorbers and other parts from local vendors, said the persons cited above. Engine and gear technology will be handled by the company itself, apart from the signature design. "The product is currently under development without a price point," said the person cited above.

The company won't comment on speculation or what products may be in development, said Harley Davidson India managing director Anoop Prakash.

"Harley Davidson has stated that it is not our strategy to develop any market-specific motorcycles," he said. "We don't have any in our portfolio today and we have no plans. The company is committed to developing exceptional products that fulfill the dreams of customers worldwide."

India's premium motorcycle market is growing rapidly. Harley Davidson is the leader of the segment, having sold more than 2,000 motorcycles since its India debut in August 2009 and is looking at increasing volume.

Its rivals include Ducati of Italy, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki of Japan and Hyosung of South Korea, with sales of around 1,500-2,000 bikes a year in the premium price band of 10 lakh and upward. India's Royal Enfield, meanwhile, produces about 1.25 lakh bikes for its global markets, but these are sold at much lower prices of up to 3 lakh.

Harley Davidson has been assembling completely knocked down kits at its facility in Manesar, since January 2011.

The company is trying to build a stronger base in the Indian market as competition intensifies. UK-based Triumph Motorcycles will launch half a dozen new bikes in India on November 28. The range includes cruiser, sport and motoring models.

The two Dark Custom motorcycles - Street 750 and Street 500 - feature the first all-new platform from the company in the past 14 years, and have been designed for India and emerging markets. Both bikes were showcased at the ongoing Milan motor show targeted at young urban riders.

In India, the Dark Custom bikes will roll out from Harley's manufacturing plant in Bawal, also in Haryana, according to a top executive.

They have a large proportion of locally sourced components, which helped the company price them lower than its existing range and gain volume in the annual 14 million unit Indian two-wheeler market. The Street 750 and Street 500 are expected to hit the market in 2014 with starting prices of 4.5 lakh excluding insurance and road tax in New Delhi. These bikes are priced in the range of $6,700-7,500 in the US market. The cheapest bike in Harley's current line-up is the Superlow that starts at Rs 5.91 lakh in Delhi.

Prakash confirmed to ET that Harley Davidson will launch the Street 750 model at the 2014 Auto Expo, which is scheduled for February 5-12.

Harley Davidson may become affordable soon as it plans to enter 250-300 cc segment - The Economic Times