Milwaukee-Qianjiang Collaboration Rejigged as Mini Sportster

Foreign Tactic

Harley-Davidson is in cahoots with Qianjiang Motorcycle—again. The Motor Company has a long history of selling small displacement motorcycles. With a few exceptions, most have been re-badged machines from foreign manufacturers, but the patch-over tactic works well. With a purported 'mini Sportster' in the works, is this just another copy job, and does it even matter?

Spied Images

Code named SV300, the small v-twin project looks a lot like a pared-down Forty-Eight, but the leaked images are not very clear. The new bike was first spied by the Chinese moto media website Newmotor, and here on the HD Forums in March 2021. As most will remember, this is not Harley-Davidson's first collaboration with China's two-wheel automotive group, Qianjiang Motorcycle.



>>Join the conversation about Qianjiang Motorcycle's mini Sportster right here in HDForums.com. 

Premium Motorcycle

In a 2019 press release, Motor Company brass announced that they were developing a “premium 338cc displacement Harley-Davidson motorcycle for sale in China.” The HD350 appeared in unofficial images as a full-size mock-up in 2020, but no other news has followed since. So, what happened to the HD350, and what is the rationale for the SV300?


>>Join the conversation about Qianjiang Motorcycle's mini Sportster right here in HDForums.com.

Directional Shift

Like many other projects, the HD350 is a hangover from former CEO Matt Levatich's strategy 'More Roads to Harley-Davidson.' The SRV300 is quite possibly a change in marketing direction—one that better establishes the iconic V-Twin brand in a more accessible package. The first confirmation of this directional shift came from a March 2021 article in India's Times Now News.



>>Join the conversation about Qianjiang Motorcycle's mini Sportster right here in HDForums.com.

Significant Issue

The Indian news agency wrote, “Based on some recent media reports, Harley and Qianjiang have shelved 338R and have moved to a different bike which is more in line with the American motorcycle maker's DNA.” While none of the proposed bikes are destined for North America, they are still significant and also highlight an unresolved domestic issue.


>>Join the conversation about Qianjiang Motorcycle's mini Sportster right here in HDForums.com.

Revenue Streams

The target for the SV300 is the lucrative Asian bike market, one that Harley-Davidson has yet to tap. Increased sales abroad would add to the Motor Company's financial stability, something which has been a recent concern. Better revenue streams would also help boost the development of domestic products, and that sounds like a winning proposition all around.


>>Join the conversation about Qianjiang Motorcycle's mini Sportster right here in HDForums.com.

Real Fold

The Motor Company's last attempt at offshore production was with their plant in New Delhi, India. Those operations are now closed and with them the cancellation of the Street 500 and 750. Critically, this means that Harley-Davidson no longer has an entry-level bike available for the North American market, despite the real need to attract new riders to the fold.



>>Join the conversation about Qianjiang Motorcycle's mini Sportster right here in HDForums.com. 

Domestic Nut

Interestingly enough, the new Milwaukee-Qianjiang collaboration bears a close resemblance to the Korean-made, Hyosung GV300S Bobber. Seems like a smart plan, just rebrand an existing product. While Asia gets an entry-level 'Harley-Davidson,' the same cannot be said for North America. With the lackluster sales of the Street, a viable beginner bike for domestic markets seems like the harder nut to crack.

>>Join the conversation about Qianjiang Motorcycle's mini Sportster right here in HDForums.com.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section right here in the forum.