Sometimes manufacturers do things that are so far removed from what their customer base usually expects which can be an resounding success of failure. Harley Davidson motorcycles are no different in that regard, but as they struggle with Trumps’ tariffs and other global motorcycle leaders’ competition, some might question their decision making.
I already reported on their deal to build smaller capacity engine motorcycles for the Chinese market and possibly to enter India too, however they will face very stiff opposition against manufacturers who are absolute leaders in that field with years of experience. Will that be a success? Time will tell.
For next year, Harley have decided to launch their Pan American Adventure Touring bike and some might wonder if they’ve finally lost the plot as they chase other morsels of cheese.
Of course in the early days, both Harley and Indian were no strangers to dirt bike rides but times have moved on and other brands such as BMW, Triumph, KTM etc have leapt forward in the ADV world with amazing products too, so the Harley really has to be something special to even compete…and on the face of it, it just doesn’t.
The big stepping stone will be how light they can make it, power delivery and gearing…and not to mention it’s resilience in the dirt. Most if not all ADVs are simply too heavy and cumbersome for serious and challenging off road riding, but that being said they are still capable in certain circumstances, with a lot of energy spent by the rider. Harley not only have to match this level of performance but actually have to improve upon it to convince the ADV world that they are serious contenders and the price has to be competitive too.
We associate the American brand with shiny chrome, customising and the brand appeal with merchandising and lifestyle…not with getting down and dirty and being reliable enough to face the harsh conditions.
Whilst prototype photos have only been released courtesy of Harley Davidson, there aren’t any as yet on the engine, chassis and performance capability, so I will reserve judgment until more details come to light.
However by the looks of it, it may just have entered the ADV market at a time which is already over saturated with different brands which are not only top heavy in the big ADVs but also with the 700-800 cc models too. Moto Guzzi and Norton have entered their variants which look great and might be capable off roaders too, but they are aiming their bikes and leisure dirt riders, not hard enduro…and the same must be the aim of Harley too, otherwise they will fail before they even launch.
Leave a Reply