Harley-Davidson 338R Details Leak Out, New Small Bike Coming Soon
New, small, and affordable Harley-Davidson 338R appears to be inching closer to production following a recent VIN filing.
It’s been a terribly-kept secret for some time now that Harley-Davidson was working on developing a new small-displacement motorcycle built in partnership with Chinese-based Qianjiang. However, precious few details about this new bike have leaked out to date, though there has been a lot of speculation. Now, however, we’re learning more about this new offering – which will reportedly be called the Harley-Davidson 338R – courtesy of vehicle identification number (VIN) decoder information recently submitted to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which was discovered by Motorcycle.com.
That VIN information – which was filed by Qianjiang but follows Harley’s structure – gives us a bevy of information about the forthcoming Harley-Davidson 338R, but perhaps the biggest news is the fact that it will utilize a 353cc parallel-twin powerplant that’s fuel-injected and liquid-cooled. There are a total of two models as well – a base version and one equipped with ABS – both of which will be built in China by Qianjiang for H-D.
The 338R has been in development since 2019, so it comes as no surprise that the VIN information provided is for bikes of prior model years, which suggests that the new model has been ready for production for some time, but perhaps some problems arose that delayed its launch along the way. Given the state of the market over the past two years or so, which is riddled with supply chain issues, that’s not a huge surprise.
In its Q4 filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Harley noted that “to date, the Company has not yet launched a premium low displacement motorcycle through this collaboration due to regulatory requirements, among other factors.” There are, of course, many hurdles to creating, producing, and selling a new motor vehicle of any kind, though it’s unclear what, exactly, has delayed this project over the years.
Regardless, Motorcycle.com reckons that this VIN filing is a sign that the 338R is finally getting close to production, which is great news for anyone in the market for an affordable, entry-level Harley-Davidson motorcycle that’s truly fit for beginners, urban dwellers, or just anyone looking for a smaller two-wheeled ride.
Photos: Harley-Davidson
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