Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz has supplied up a tiny bit extra details about plans to introduce extra reasonably priced, entry-level fashions to the corporate’s line-up.
Talking on an earnings convention name earlier this week, Zeitz instructed that new, inexpensive fashions will probably be showing (however not but offered) in US dealerships as early as October. One assumes that UK dealerships would see the bikes across the similar time.
In line with Widespread Tread’s Lance Oliver – who sat by means of the convention name – there are a variety of fashions within the pipeline, with the primary being known as the Dash.
The Nightster is at the moment Harley’s most reasonably priced mannequin
“Scheduled for launch in 2026 and for presentation to our world seller community in October, I’m happy to share that we’re focusing on an entry worth beneath $6,000,” Zeitz instructed traders.
That’s a little bit greater than £4,500 by present change charges, however clearly doesn’t account for VAT.
“This new bike embodies boldness, irreverence and enjoyable – capturing the rebellious power that defines the Harley-Davidson expertise,” Zeitz mentioned.
The previous-generation Sportsters have been much-loved by Harley followers
Zeitz additionally promised an “iconic cruiser” subsequent yr, in line with Oliver, which can or will not be known as the Eagle. Some speculate that this bike may function a course correction for the Sportster platform, which has didn’t win the hearts and minds of Harley followers since its overhaul just a few years in the past.
What is going to the Dash appear like?
“Dash” just isn’t a brand new identify to Harley-Davidson. Within the Nineteen Sixties, the corporate supplied the Dash 250, a 246cc single-cylinder machine made by Aermacchi, an Italian plane producer that dabbled in bikes to fill a monetary gap.
Digressing a little bit right here: Aermacchi’s motorcycling wing was ultimately offered to Harley-Davidson in 1974, which then offered it to Cagiva in 1978, which then purchased MV Agusta in 1991, which was then offered to Harley-Davidson in 2008. The snake eats its tail (Harley ditched MV Agusta in 2009).
1963 Harley-Davidson Dash 250 (picture by way of Bike-urious)
Anyway, the Dash 250 was a good bike by most accounts. In 1962, US publication Cycle World described it as a motorcycle “designed for individuals who actually take pleasure in going round corners with vigor.”
In 1969, the Dash’s capability was boosted to 344cc and it turned a 350. The bike was discontinued in 1974, partly as a result of sellers weren’t pleased about low revenue margins, and Harley fans disliked the thought of foreign-made bikes. Within the literary world, that final sentence is named foreshadowing.
What the Dash will probably be this time round is unsure, however there are clues. Members of the web commentariat are fairly certain Harley has chosen the Dash identify not simply because the forthcoming entry-level machine may have much less capability than present H-D fashions but in addition as a result of will probably be made exterior the US and never by Harley.
Harley-Davidson X500
Harley-Davidson already has a partnership with Chinese language manufacturing big Qianjiang, proprietor of Benelli, Morbidelli, Keeway, and QJMotor. The corporate produces Harley-Davidson’s X350 and X500 fashions, that are at the moment solely out there in Asian markets.
The latter of these bikes appears to be like rather a lot like a Benelli Leoncino 500, which was dropped from the US market just a few years in the past, across the similar time that Harley-Davidson ‘by accident’ created a US proprietor’s guide for the X500. The way you by accident create an proprietor’s guide, I don’t know, however that was Harley’s declare in 2023. It reiterated on the time that the X350 and X500 have been supposed solely for Asian markets.
In the meantime, a partnership with India’s Hero MotoCorp has just lately produced the X440 – a motorcycle that Harley says will solely ever be out there in that nation.
Harley-Davidson X440
However time modifications all issues. You could have picked up on Harley’s boardroom drama earlier this yr, throughout which Zeitz introduced plans to retire, and board member Jared Dourdeville tendered his resignation by way of a scathing letter criticising the corporate’s management and course. One in every of his foremost criticisms was the shortage of entry-level machines.
Zeitz says the Dash challenge has been within the works since 2021, however one can’t assist however surprise if the boardroom bickering didn’t assist pace issues up. Many imagine that the bike we’ll see coming from Harley this autumn will probably be a Qianjiang-made machine. Probably a reworked model of the present X500.
There are some issues with that idea, nevertheless.
The Harley-Davidson X350RA
Haven’t we been right here earlier than?
Harley has lengthy struggled to discover a method to carry new parishioners to its church. Massive, luxurious touring bikes are very a lot the place the MoCo makes its cash, however to get somebody concerned about forking over, say, £28,495 for a Road Glide Extremely, it helps to have a buyer who has been with the model a very long time. One who is aware of and loves the Harley approach of doing issues.
For a lot of many years, the Sportster served because the gateway drug for Harley riders. That platform – fully overhauled for 2021 – is now far too costly and highly effective to be thought-about entry-level. The “most cost-effective” Sportster at the moment in Harley’s UK line-up is the £14,495 Nightster Particular.
Within the latter 2010s, Harley rolled out the Road platform of 500cc and 750cc bikes. These bikes have been initially supposed to be offered solely in India. Though they have been really fairly good bikes (I used to be notably keen on the Road Rod 750), their aesthetic and match and end fell effectively in need of Harley followers’ expectations. The platform was quietly shelved only a few years after introduction.
Harley-Davidson Road 750
Curiously, the scrapping of the Road platform was one among Zeitz’s first actions as CEO. His predecessor, Matt Levatich, had launched the ‘Extra Roads Result in Harley-Davidson’ initiative, which positioned explicit emphasis on creating and nurturing new riders.
Beneath Zeitz, most of these plans have been jettisoned. The reported reasoning for this on the time was that H-D needed to refocus on what it does finest: constructing thundering cruisers and large, luxurious touring machines.
Now, right here we’re with Zeitz on his approach out the door, and sort of resetting the corporate philosophy to what it was when he began. Whether or not issues will work this time is up for debate.
Harley-Davidson Road Rod 750
It relies upon A LOT on what the Dash really seems to be. The identify and introduced worth level actually recommend a foreign-made machine. But it surely’s onerous to think about the Harley devoted taking kindly to such a factor. Particularly a China-made Harley.
That may be a very onerous promote in the US; on the Venn diagram of Harley house owners and MAGA voters there’s fairly a little bit of overlap. And dealerships all over the place could balk at low revenue margins.
All we are able to do proper now, although, is depend the times till October.
