Daily Slideshow: Harley is Making Some New Names for Itself
Harley Davidson's fan base is getting older, so the hog brand is proactively seeking to tap into the millennial market, determined to add one million new riders over the next ten years. These are the bikes that can get the FNGs on the road there and maybe even spark interest in some of us old-timers, er, baby boomers.
1. Pan America
This year, Harley-Davidson announced it would release 100 new "high impact" models over the next 10 years. This will be done with the intention of getting one million new riders on Harleys, paying particular focus to the millennial market. We have already seen a few of the bikes but, until anything else is officially unveiled, all we can do is speculate. Helping inform our speculations are some trademarks for names that Harley-Davidson recently applied for. One of these names is "Pan America" and, due to its timing, it may have something to do with the fact that it's the 70th anniversary of the Panhead. But, there is a strong likelihood it will be an addition to Harley's extensive touring range. This is based on the fact that "Pan" is often used for touring bike names, like Honda's Pan European for example.
2. 48X
Another one of the trademarked names is "48X" and, although it's just two numbers and a single letter, there's a lot to be taken from the three characters. Harley-Davidson already produces the Sportster Forty-Eight, so it would seem strange to launch a model with such a similar name and have it be completely unrelated. In the Harley world, putting an "X" on a model is usually used to denote a sports model, so the 48X could be a sportier version of the Sportster Forty-Eight. But, the model code for the current Sportster Forty-Eight is XL1200X, so this one leaves us scratching our heads somewhat.
3. An Alternative 48X
As this writer said, a lot can be taken from the three characters in "48X," and the theories don't stop at a sportier Sportster Forty-Eight. Another theory is that the 48X could be a blend of the Sportster line and the new, smaller-displacement, Street line. But, arguably the most exciting theory, is that the 48X could be a kind of adventure/dual-sport bike based on the Sportster platform. It would probably be quite heavy, and unlikely to be able to do much in the highly competitive adventure class, but it sure would be cool to see.
4. The Bronx
In December 2017 Harley applied for a trademark on the names "Bronx" and "Harley-Davidson Bronx." There has been a lot of speculation over what kind of machine could represent this name. One of the most popular theories is that the "Bronx" could be like an Indian Scout Bobber or Triumph Bobber, as this would be pretty in line with current market trends. This would be nice to see. But again the theory has been thrown out that it may be an adventure style bike, although this could be more what people want rather than what's likely to happen.
5. The Livewire
We're not basing the Livewire's existence of some trademarked name that Harley-Davidson applied for, we know it's coming. In fact, we've already covered it. The first promotional video for the Livewire was released in 2014, so the project has been going on for some time now. Harley recently confirmed that the Livewire is on track for an official launch in the summer of 2019. The Livewire will be crucial to reaching the millennials that the brand is seeking. According to Harley-Davidson CEO, Matt Levatich, "We continue to see electric vehicles as a tremendous opportunity. These motorcycles are easier to ride than bicycles... They are suited to a generation of people that don't have the mechanical depth of experience that baby boomers had with manual transmissions and clutches." Whether millennials go for the Livewire or not, it's going to be exciting to see how it turns out.
For help with your Harley maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.