Hero-Harley has reportedly shown two motorcycles without any branding to select dealers recently in India
According to a recent report that emerged on the internet, two upcoming motorcycles from Hero MotoCorp and Harley-Davidson’s partnership have been showcased to select dealers and individuals. One was said to be a cruiser without any branding on the bodywork and it looked similar to the Harley-Davidson 338R that will be launched globally soon.
The other motorcycle appeared to have a street avatar with an aggressive design and a packed equipment list and it derives power from a single-cylinder engine. The duo was shown to people to gauge feedback and discuss the possible price range and thus we can expect them to be launched sometime next calendar year in the domestic market.
The street motorcycle was only on display for a while at the customer clinic. Interestingly, undisguised production-ready images of the Harley-Davidson X350 and X500 were leaked online a few days ago. The Milwaukee-based brand’s JV company established with Qianjiang has received the Chinese government’s permission to start rolling out bikes there.
The smaller Harley-Davidson X350 has a lot of similarities with the 338R shown in 2019 and it could be equipped with a 338 cc twin-cylinder engine based on Benelli’s 302S. However, the larger 353 cc inline twin engine used by Qianjiang’s SRK350 will now power the production model and is used as a stressed member. It develops around 36 hp and is a DOHC 8V liquid-cooled unit.
Some of the highlights are upside-down front forks, petal disc brakes, multi-spoke black alloy wheels, a circular LED headlamp, a compact rear end, etc. It has a curb weight of 195 kg and the top speed stands at 143 kmph.
The Harley-Davidson X500, on the other hand, has plenty in common with the Benelli Leoncino 500 including the mechanical bits and it kicks out a maximum power of 47 hp courtesy of the parallel-twin engine. It has a top speed of close to 160 kmph and the wet weight stands at 207 kg. Whether one of these motorcycles or mainly the cruiser, would influence the India-spec model or not is yet unknown officially.