This Might Be Harley-Davidson’s Upcoming 300cc Cruiser
Harley recently submitted a photograph of the upcoming 300cc cruiser as part of the type-approval documents, and here is what we found out!
Harley-Davidson is currently going through a lot of changes. The company that recently introduced its Pan America Twins has now confirmed that it is in the process of adding new products to its lineup. Traditionally, Harley has been revered as a company that manufactures large displacement motorcycles.
However, the success of entry-level models such as KTM’s Duke 390 and Royal Enfield’s 650 twins in recent years seems to have motivated the Milwaukee-based bike manufacturer into exploring new frontiers. Harley’s plan of introducing a 300cc cruiser model is common knowledge in the motorcycle industry. Recently the company submitted a photograph of the upcoming cruiser as part of the type-approval documents for the upcoming SRV300 and the automotive website Cycle World managed to get their hands on the leaked images.
This marks a very important milestone in Harley’s ‘Rewire’ strategy. The company is co-developing the upcoming 30cc cruiser bike by collaborating with Qianjiang Motor (QJ Motor), which is a Chinese motorcycle brand. Qianjiang also happens to be the parent company of Italian motorcycle brand- Benelli- and for a while, rumors hinted that Hayley’s upcoming cruiser might be a badge-engineered version of the Benelli TNT 300 model.
Since then, the company has confirmed that Harley’s upcoming entry-level cruiser will be powered by a V-twin motor and TNT 300’s powertrain features an inline two-cylinder engine. Even though the bike in the photograph sports QJ badging, it is very likely that Harley’s upcoming cruiser will be based on this model.
HD’s entry-level offering is being developed to primarily target Asian markets. According to industry rumors, the motorcycle will get a 296cc powerplant, which will generate around 30 HP of power. The bike’s pictures suggest that the new model will draw design inspiration from the company’s more popular and larger-displacement bikes like the Sportster Iron 883.
The pictures also suggest that the new model will get an LED headlight cluster, which is reminiscent of the one found on Honda’s Neo-Sports Café models. The small-displacement model will not be the only offering to join Harley’s global portfolio. As we reported earlier this month, Harley might soon revive its Nightster nameplate and introduce a model, which will be based on the company’s Custom 1250 platform.
Photos: Cycle World
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