Upcoming Harley-Davidson 338R spied

A single spy image of Harley-Davidson’s upcoming small capacity motorcycle that’s being built by Qianjiang (QJ) has just emerged. The image suggests that the bike will be called the HD 338R

• This is the spy image of the small capacity Harley bike to have emerged
• The final engine capacity remains unclear
• Harley-Davidson’s plans for this motorcycle are under question
  

We recently wrote about the new Qianjiang QJ350/ Benelli 350, which appeared to use an engine that had ‘Harley-Davidson’ stamped on the left side of the engine case. This implied that Harley-Davidson’s upcoming small capacity bike, which is based on the Benelli platform, would also be a 350. However, this spy picture shows that this might not be the case. For now, it isn’t certain whether this Harley-Davidson will use a 338cc engine or the 353cc motor as seen in the QJ.

What hasn’t changed is that this bike is clearly based on a Benelli and the similarities can be seen in the design of the frame, parallel-twin engine, swingarm, underslung exhaust and even the footpegs. The Harley-Davidson HD 338R seen here appears to look quite similar to the original design sketches that Harley-Davidson shared in 2019.

This project was created specifically for China and some other Asian markets and it was to be retailed from the QJ dealer network. While some reports suggest that it would come to India as well, there is, and never has been, any indication that Harley-Davidson plans to do so.

The American company is currently going through a major internal restructuring and it recently released a more conservative business model called the Harley-Davidson Rewire. Under this, the company has cut jobs worldwide and announced that it will be reducing its planned future model line up by 30 percent. The company also announced that it will renew focus on its core models and concentrate its business in 50 overseas markets that matter. With all the uncertainty within the 117 year-old company, the future of this small capacity Benelli wearing Harley-Davidson clothes remains in question.

Official: Harley-Davidson to discontinue its business in India

It’s been rumoured for a while, but Harley-Davidson USA has just announced that it will officially end its business operations in India

    The international statement says that both sales and manufacturing will be concluded in India

    This comes as part of Harley-Davidson’s Rewire business strategy

    The move will terminate around 70 jobs

Is Harley-Davidson shutting down in India?

That appears to be the case. Over the past few months, Harley-Davidson has been announcing multiple cost-saving measures as part of its new Rewire business strategy. The latest news is the biggest so far and the American company has just reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission of USA that it will be ending its sales and manufacturing business in India.

What does this mean for Harley-Davidson India's customers?

Following the international statement, Harley-Davidson India has just released a statement of its own that states it will close its manufacturing plant in Bawal, Haryana and “significantly reduce the size of its sales office in Gurgaon”. The Harley-Davidson India press release continues, “The company is communicating with its customers in India and will keep them updated on future support. The Harley-Davidson dealer network will continue to serve customers through the contract term.”
But this may not be the end of Harley in India

Harley-Davidson has recently celebrated ten years in India and there is a vibrant Harley-Owners-Group or HOG community in place. While Harley-Davidson is clearly  wrapping up its own business here, there are some signs that this may not be the last time a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is sold in India.

For starters, the press release shared by the Indian subsidiary is titled “Harley-Davidson Rewires business model in India”. If you read between the lines, it means that Harley-Davidson may not officially be present in India anymore, but the company is evaluating other options.

We have been hearing of rumours for a while now that Harley-Davidson looking for an Indian partner and this could be just the reason why. Just as premium international brands like Ferrari, MV Agusta and others have no official company owned business presence in India, Harley-Davidson could also sell motorcycles and provide support to existing customers via an Indian business partner.

The manufacturing plant certainly will shut down permanently, and that might just spell the end of the Street 750 model as well. But it might be a little too early to call it curtains closed on Harley-Davidson in India.

We have reached out to Harley Davidson officials for a statement and will update this space as we learn more.