[9thsphinx]

On occasion of its 110th Anniversary celebrations, Harley Davidson has formally announced that it will be building an all-new 500CC Twin-Learner motorcycle and is giving a serious consideration to building an eco-friendly Electric Harley!

In with the times? Market demand? You decide.

Source Link: Gizmag

[abhijeetsng]

It basically seems a product in line with the market demand for a cheaper Harley.
The launch of this product will prove to be a volume multiplier for Harley Davidson in India.
I must say its a cool strategy.

Cheers..!!

[mac187]

If this news is true, what about those pictures of 2 cruiser bikes spotted by a Tbhpian... Those looked like Harley and in testing mode. This news says they will be building one!!!!

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...d-testing.html

[B O V]

According to the news Harley Davidson plans to release a 500cc motorcycle.Now I'm very very interested to see how this will affect the market.

Considering the main competitor to the motorcycle would be the Royal Enfield CL500.I cannot wait to see how this unfolds.If priced competitively it might take a few customers away from RE,However I feel that since there is a far better service network compared to Harley,Quite a few people will still stick to RE's.What customers would they be looking to attract

I think that this might just be the nudge that RE requires.It will finally have a true competitor.I myself own an '83 bull,I've been waiting for a bigger RE for a very long time now.Can we hope for an 800cc+ RE in retaliation?I sure hope so.Gives us as consumers more to choose from.

I for one wouldn't buy this Harley(The only one I would choose would be the softails ).

Should RE be concerned about HD's foray into the 500cc class?

Please do share your thoughts

Regards

B O V

[chotu_r]

If the upcoming Harley is priced competetively to target the Thunderbird 500, i might be tempted to go for it. Having owned a TBTS 350cc model since the past one year, i am well aware of RE quality and the mandatory running around their ASC. The new UCEs are equipped with a reliable engine, but niggles keep cropping up frequently. Hate to admit it, but the Harley brand means quite a bit more to me than RE, especially due to their bigger engined motorcycles. These machines are bought more with heart than mind, the service network might not be such an issue. However, brand value of RE is higher in the semi-urban & rural areas. I wonder whether the new Harley will have enough GC to glide over our potholed roads.

If RE makes something like the V-twin musket and improves their quality, now that would be really something.

I feel Thunderbird 500 buyers might be more tempted towards the Harley 500 than Classic 500 buyers. Between RE & an affordable Harley, i'd go for the latter. Presently though, the probable launch of the Duke adventure holds more interest for me than any RE or Harley

[tharian]

A lot would depend on the pricing of the Harley.
A 500cc crusier would be a direct competitor with the TB500. Knowing the HD would have a V-Twin , many would prefer that and the HD tag over the TB500 provided the pricing is somethimg like what the KTM390 was launched with. But I highly doubt that would happen .

Many like me would go for the HD over the TB provided the pricing is right, regardless of service centers, GC, etc.
Most of the demand for the KTM390 is because of the pricing, somethimg similar from HD will do the trick.

Regards

[himanshugoswami]

IMHO, the one problem HD will face is Size, or rather the lack of it. if you look at their current entry level 883s and iron, they are really diminutive and a person of my build (5ft 11 in) felt uncomfortable on it- no such issues with the TB.

So if they reduce the dimensions of the 500 that will tehn take it in the Eliminator category, not something HD will relish.

So IMHO this may be the one spoiler for HD.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

they are really diminutive - no such issues with the TB.

Well this statement really goes contrary to the specs. A 260kg 2.2m 50bhp bike looks diminutive while a 195kg 2.06m 27bhp bike doesn't!! Can't really understand the logic of that. And I have driven both bikes on my 6' 95kg frame.

[TheStig]

I'm pretty bent on buying the upcoming RE Continental GT 535. Now what? Should I wait for this? Anyone have any idea as to what might be the expected price?

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by B O V

I've been waiting for a bigger RE for a very long time now.Can we hope for an 800cc+ RE in retaliation?I sure hope so.Gives us as consumers more to choose from.

Should RE be concerned about HD's foray into the 500cc class?

If RE could manage to extract their heads from their corporate behinds, they might remember that they themselves made a kickin' twin back in the day:

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/cl...terceptor.aspx

You just can't tell me this isn't a drop-dead gorgeous machine.

I saw one at the Barber Motorsports Museum (Alabama, USA) a few years ago and was duly impressed. An 80-ish old-timer working there reminisced on his youth, when he used to race Enfields competitively. Think the Interceptor was 750cc, which would of course be quite enough. Imagine the sensation something like this would create in the Indian market!

-Eric

[suhaas307]

Now I'm not into riding (although at some point, I'd love to do it!) but is the Bullet Classic / Thunderbird 500 and HD's new 500 twin comparison a justifiable one, regardless of the engine capacity?

Is it wrong to assume that these 'learner Harleys' range of motorcycles would be sold at nothing less than 4 lakhs?

[Wildy]

Very good news. As some one said, if they price it right for example, something like a TB, I would love to buy one. But that price would be too much to expect from the brand like HD.

[B O V]

I'm pretty bent on buying..

As it turns out it will be first sold in the UK during this month.It should be launched in India by the end of this year.It should be somewhere between 2 to 2.5 lakhs.Expect it to be cheaper than the HD.They say that it(HD) would be priced between 3 and 4 lakhs.The continental certainly is a looker.Can't say if its worth it just yet.They haven't done any significant changes other than the double cradle frame.I would suggest that you wait for a while.

http://www.motorbeam.com/bikes/harle...se-g-platform/

If RE could manage..

Yeah I had come across the interceptor while reading up on RE's history.The additional cost in retooling involved for the manufacture of the parallel twin unit might be the issue.Can anyone in manufacturing shed some light on this? It would certainly sell though,if they decide to go ahead.Still keeping the fingers crossed for that.

[vaibhav amlekar]

Good news that a more affordable Harley will be available. I would like to buy one surely. But what is the news about the electric Harley. Electric bikes don't have any sound at all. And Harley is nothing without its classic roar. Is Harley losing its most important character? It will be sad if it does....