After several denials, Harley Davidson has finally admitted that it is planning to introduce a 500 cc bike, which will be locally developed in India. Much to the delight of bike enthusiasts in the country, the local manufacturing of these bikes could make it easier to own a low cost Harley. According to industry sources, the upcoming bike will be manufactured by the American company at its plant in Bawal, Haryana. In this unit, the iconic bike manufacturer assembles Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units of its motorcycles that are offered in the Indian auto market. Besides the mother plant at Milwaukee, the Indian facility happens to be other major plant of the company from which it manufacturers motorcycles meant for different markets.
As reported, the new 500 cc bike that the company is working on shall be locally manufactured in India after which it will be exported to other international markets. Even the Chief Operating Officer of Harley Davidson, Matthew Levatich confirmed that the bike will be produced in India and further sold in markets spread across the different parts of the globe. He said “Nimble, light weight, has a low seat height and supple throttle and braking. I’ve ridden it – it looks great, sounds great, it’s a Harley, and it’s priced right.” He further told that the company will not compromise on the quality of the vehicle and the traditional American made feel that one senses in a Harley Davidson will be retained.
The pricing of Harley Davidson 500 cc motorcycle is expected to lie between Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 4 lakh. It is said that this aggressive pricing strategy adopted by Harley Davidson is to lure potential buyers that are willing to buy a premium motorcycle other than Royal Enfield. On the engine front, this new 500 cc bike is expected to retain the V-Twin engine layout as provided in most of the Harley Davidson motorcycles. This upcoming model of Harley Davidson is all likely to get 40 bhp of power while generating 45 Nm of torque.
According to Industry experts, the manufacturing of new 500 cc motorcycle in India will give the company numerous advantages like reducing on the cost of its bikes. It must be noted that this type of strategy was also adopted by Austria based KTM through Bajaj's contract manufacturing. Industry experts are betting on the expected unveiling of this low cost bike from Harley Davidson at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo as the event provides a great platform for auto makers to showcase their products. But according to Levatich, the bike might not feature in the country by 2014.
