Our Favorite New Harleys Revealed at EICMA

H-D is taking aim at new market segments with new models–and a new engine.

Harley-Davidson is working hard to attract new riders to the brand. Their multi-pronged approach includes new rider programs, clever branding, and, most notably, the LiveWire electric motorcycle.

However, the most important thing Harley-Davidson can do to attract new riders is to build the sort of motorcycles that new riders want to swing a leg over. The two new bikes recently shown at EICMA are aimed squarely at new riders — specifically, the sort of riders who wouldn’t step foot in a Harley-Davidson dealership otherwise.

The first bike, the Bronx, is a stripped-down, retro-modern urban cafe street brawler. While Harley-Davidson themselves haven’t said as much, it’s clear that this bike is designed to appeal to the sort of hip, young urban bikers that would normally find themselves on a new Triumph or Scrambler Ducati.

Hell, it’s right there in the name — we admire the restraint of Harley-Davidson’s product planning division. We probably would have gone the obvious route and named it the “Bushwick” or the “Williamsburg.”

The Bronx — and its new engine, which we’ll get to in a moment — could portend a replacement for the beloved, but aging, Sportster lineup. We’ve all heard the rumors about the end of the line for Sportsters, and the stripped-down,, simplified 2020 Sportster lineup seems to suggest that its days are numbered. Fret not, Sportster fans — this is just a rumor, and besides, it’s better to burn out than fade away.

The second new bike, the Pan America, is an adventure touring bike unlike anything Harley-Davidson has ever built before. Adventure bikes are red hot right now — while our parents may have worn leather and fantasized about being in an outlaw biker gang on the weekends, today’s motorcycle Mittys like to spend their weekends pretending to be brave, two-wheeled explorers, traversing the bush and badlands in search of, well, adventure.

According to the Journal Sentinel, Harley-Davidson describes the Pan America as “equal parts campfire, wanderlust and grit.” Both motorcycles are powered by an all-new engine design, the Revolution Max. While the Bronx gets a 975cc engine, the Pan America gets a 1250cc version. The Bronx and Pan America are scheduled to be released next year.

Photos: Harley-Davidson

Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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