After months of speculation, musings and would be influencers trying to convince their audiences that the 107 cubic inch engine from Harley-Davidson would be no more for 2022, the truth is just starting to emerge.
As dealerships in the USA just start to receive rollover models for 2022, those models that have not had any changes from 2021, and it is clear that some bikes like the Softail Standard with the 107ci engine is still very much in the mix.
Some creators from YouTube started to get creative and predict that the Standard would be axed too but the problem with these reasonings is that they are not looking at the wider business model that of the company.
For the brand that is notorious for high prices premium bikes, they still need to have entry level options for each model range, so it makes sense for the 107 to still be in place, for the time at least.
There will be lots of other changes this year and surely the 107 is the lesser cog in the bigger machine as the 114, 117 and potential standard 131 options become prevalent.
There still needs to be acknowledged the market variations too as the 107 might be a good seller outside of the USA too so perhaps Europe may still have more 107 options on bikes albeit unlikely if the company is aiming to standardise its fleet and optimise profit potential.
There will no doubt be more early loads shot by motorcycle prognosticators but on the 26th of January the truth will finally be out and more drips of tech and bikes will follow later in the year.