Developed with Benelli’s parent company Qianjiang, the Harley-Davidson 338cc motorcycle is on track to make a debut by mid-2020. Reports claim that the bike could see the light of day by June 2020, and this would become the brands most affordable motorcycle worldwide. As of now, it is the Harley-Davidsion Street 500 & Street 750 models which are the entry-level motorbikes for the American cruiser brand. However, Harley-Davidson is bullish on entering new segments moving forward, and this 338cc motorcycle would be more of a street roadster motorcycle.
The Harley-Davidson 338cc motorcycle will share underpinnings with the Benelli 302S. Parts like the chassis and engine will be shared, but Harley-Davidson will to their trickery to the suspension, body work and electronic features to be offered. Now we know that Benelli bikes are on the heavier side as per segment standards, but this could still relate to a relatively lighter motorcycle as per Harley-Davidson standards. This model is being developed for emerging markets and it would rival the likes of BMW G 310 R & KTM 390 Duke. We expect Harley-Davidson to manufacture this bike in China, and assemble it in India via CKD route to price it competitively.
For reference, the Benelli TNT 300 has a 300cc, liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder motor producing 38.26 PS of power & 26.5 Nm of torque. But this is an old motor and motorcycle. The Benelli 302S will also be BSVI compliant when launched in India, and it will share the engine with the Harley-Davidson 338. So power and torque figures would be slightly different from what you just read. The Benelli 302S has not yet made it to Indian showrooms.
The most affordable Harley-Davidson in India at INR 5.34 lakh ex-showroom is the Street 750. We can expect that the Harley-Davidson 338cc motorcycle will easily undercut the INR 4 lakh price tag. But more on that will be known closer to the bikes unveiling. Would you buy a Harley-Davidson which is not a cruiser?