[johnnyvee]

Here is another article from an India source that includes more technical speculation

Most affordable Harley-Davidson HD350 to rival Royal Enfield Bullet soon: India launch likely by 2021

The design of the smallest, most affordable Harley-Davidson motorcycle has been finalised and it will most likely come powered by a Benelli (which is a subsidiary of Harley's Chinese partner) parallel-twin engine.

www.financialexpress.com

It says that the expected price in India is expected to be no more than 3.5 lakh, which is about $4900, and easily twice what Royal Enfield has been asking for their 350cc bikes, which are considered as premium machines. For comparison, HD Street 750 is priced at about $7500 in India and somewhere around $8K in the US, before dealer fees. Maybe if HD decides to sell this HD 350 cheap enough, it will get some US buyers, but I'm skeptical.

My advice to HD would be to partner with a Chinese E-bike company, and start importing private labeled E-bikes that can be sold to the youth market for a whole lot less money than the Livewire. Exactly what they are doing with bicycles, HD should be doing with motorcycles.

 

[johnnyvee]

An in-house private label would be a very good idea. Their dealers could opt in or out, and they could let independents who were not bound pick up the brand. HD's distribution network and financial mass are their biggest assets in pursuing foreign and the domestic youth market. I think the HD name on these little rice burners is actually a liability, at least in the US.

The core HD ridership in the US largely ignored the Street 500 and 750, but I could see this little 338, if it appeared in the US, being actively targeted for abuse. I can practically hear some biker guys I know saying, "It don't DESERVE to wear that!", as they deface the tank of some hipster's parked HD350.