Harley Davidson has said that they are developing a 500cc motorcycle that will be marketed as a learners’ motorcycle. This development was confirmed by Matthew Levatich, COO, at the 110-year anniversary celebration event that was held in the city of Milwaukee in USA.
The upcoming 500cc Harley is expected to be light weight, will have low seat height and supple throttle and braking, claims Matthew. It is likely to be built in India and exported to various markets. Two V-Twin cruisers were spied testing on the roads of Faridabad in Haryana earlier this year whose design cues resembled some of the Harley Davidson cruisers. This motorcycle is rumoured to generate 45bhp and 50Nm of power and is being developed under G platform which will become the base design platform for its future low cost models which are targeted to emerging markets like India.
"The upcoming 500cc is nimble, light weight, has a low seat height and supple throttle and braking. I’ve ridden it – it looks great, sounds great, it’s a Harley, and it’s priced right. We want to get it out as soon as we can, but it’s got to be right. New engines are complicated, and we’ve got to get everything right from a durability, reliability and confidence perspective. On the other hand, chassis and other things are a lot more straightforward.” said Matthew Levetich, COO, Harley Davidson.
"The American qualities of a Harley are very important to people. The literal ‘where does that shock absorber come from’ part of it is less significant, but it has to have the spirit and soul of America. We have Harley-Davidson factories in India and Brazil – can we leverage those facilities and expertise so it can get to the, for example, Indian consumer, faster? “ he added.
It will be really interesting to see at what price point the upcoming 500cc Harley Davidson will be priced, considering the fact it might be manufactured in India. We are expecting the 500cc Harley Davidson to make its debut in 2014 Auto Expo.
Source: gizmag
