Harley-Davidson is working on an affordable motorcycle in the 250cc-300cc segment, reports Economic Times. The company has shifted its focus from making big motorcycles to smaller capacity ones. It recently went ahead and launched a new platform (their latest in 14 years) Street 750 and the Street 500 targeted at developing markets.
The upcoming 250cc-300cc Harley is being developed to cater to the growing interest among the motorcycle enthusiasts as it is a premium yet affordable segment. The company wants to develop this motorcycle with extensive local involvement to bring prices down. It will source parts like headlamps, tyres, cowls and other parts from local vendors but the overall design and technology will be handled by the company.
"It's an all-new bike from Harley-Davidson, being developed with extensive involvement with Indian component makers, using a large percentage of locally sourced parts to control costs. The new bikes are expected to hit the market next year and would help the American bikemaker garner some big volumes in the Indian market," said a source to ET.
Currently, there are many motorcycles in the 250cc-300cc segment in India and many more will be launched in the future too. Expect the new small Harley to compete with these motorcycles when launched but the deciding factor will be its price point which hasn’t been decided yet. On the other hand, the company isn’t commenting on this development.
"Harley-Davidson has stated that it is not our strategy to develop any market-specific motorcycles. We don’t have any in our portfolio today and we have no plans. The company is committed to developing exceptional products that fulfill the dreams of customers worldwide," said Anoop Prakash, managing director, Harley-Davidson India.
