- Harley joined hands with QJMotors to build a small-capacity bike for Asia.
- New CEO Zeitz’s Rewire strategy was thought to have killed that budding dream.
- The Rewire also saw the American brand shut its manufacturing facilities in India.
It was believed that the small bike project was going to be axed under the Rewire plan but new patent filings in China suggest that Harley-Davidson will be bringing it out soon. The bike was spotted earlier in a production-ready guise and these new images might just mean that the bike will be arriving in its local market.
However, it does not spell good news for Indian enthusiasts as it is unlikely to ever make it across the Himalayas. Yes, the small Harley, intended for emerging markets like China, India and Southeast Asia, will not be sold in India. New boss Jochen Zeitz’s Rewire plan shut the Indian manufacturing plant of the American icon. And bringing it via the CBU route doesn’t make for good commercial sense, especially for a company that is struggling to achieve high sales targets.
Also Read: Harley-Davidson’s India Roadtrip: From The Highs To The Lows
So, this Benelli TNT 300-based Harley-Davidson, which is likely to be called the 338R, will remain out of our reach. There’s no reason to lose hope entirely though. If rumours are to be believed, Harley is looking to woo Hero MotoCorp as its Indian partner. Not only will Hero look to take up the sales and service network of the American brand but also perhaps collaborate on a special motorcycle for our market. The latter idea still seems a bit far fetched but with everything that’s going on in 2020, one shouldn’t rule anything of the sort out.
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