Harley-Davidson 300 cc sportster could spawn out of the leaked Qianjiang SRV300 and is powered by a 296 cc v-twin producing around 30 horsepower
As part of its restructuring plan known as ‘The Rewire’, Harley-Davidson announced quitting operations in India as an independent entity not too long ago. The job cuts and plan to reduce range by 30 per cent across the globe came as a direct consequence of the dwindling sales numbers. Its ambitious future strategies and investments were also affected big time.
A couple of years ago, the famed American manufacturer joined hands with China’s Qianjiang to bring out a small capacity motorcycle targeting volumes in Asia. Dubbed the 338R, the motorcycle is based on the Benelli 302S with a larger engine and even the images of it in production-spec state were leaked online but it never made its way into production.
The reason for that could be Harley-Davidson deciding to work on a more convincing V-twin motorcycle and it has now been leaked. Christened the SRV300 by Qianjiang, as indicated by the teaser image, it appears to have an engine capacity of 296 cc. While the ex-CEO Matt Levatich’s Pan America adv did come into existence, the majority of his aggressive expansion plans were scrapped by Jochen Zeitz under the new roadmap.
Harley-Davidson intends to develop and maintain a production partnership with Zhejiang Qianjiang Motorcycle still and tyre approval documents suggest that the SRV300 carries a 296 cc engine producing a maximum power output of around 30 horsepower and it has a low kerb weight of 163 kilograms. The sportster has the styling reminiscent of the bigger Harleys including the Iron 883 despite being a Qianjiang product.
And it strongly suggests that it could be rebadged as a Harley-Davidson for use in volume-based Asian markets like India in the near future. It does not boast features like USD front forks and a water-cooled OHC V-twin maintains its lineage with the Iron 883. It gets ABS, 16-inch front and 15-inch rear wheels, a similar alloy design, seat finish, rear end and handlebar give it an unmistakable compact Harley look.
The type approval docs say it has a claimed top speed of 129 kmph and the wheelbase length stands at 1,400 mm. The SRV300 could carry a different name upon wearing a Harley-Davidson badge and it could target the lucrative entry-level 300-350 cc cruiser space in India, if it arrives here. It could be priced at a premium over the equivalent Royal Enfield, Jawa and Honda motorcycles.