It is not breaking news that Harley-Davidson has been working on a relatively affordable and small-capacity motorcycle (called the Harley-Davidson HD350) for quite some time now. The American company had joined hands with China’s Qianjiang Group (Benelli’s parent company) more than a year ago to develop the HD350, which is said to be based on the Benelli 302S/Benelli’s new sister brand QJ Motor’s QJ350, with several technical changes. While the future of the HD350 is blurred right now thanks to the strategy of the company’s new CEO, IndianAutosBlog.com’s digital artist Shoeb Kalania has come up with a rendering of the motorbike.
With the HD350, Harley-Davidson is eyeing to reach out to the masses and increase its presence in the Asian markets.
The Harley-Davidson HD350 rendered image shows us the side profile of the motorcycle. The orange paint scheme in an instant eye-catcher and somehow goes pretty well with the overall look of the bike. The sculpted fuel tank flaunts the company’s name in an attractive font. We like the design of the seat. It seems to be a single-piece, however, the raised pillion portion gives an impression of a split, step-up arrangement.
Some of the other Harley-Davidson HD350 features noticeable in the rendering include:
USD front forks
Small front fender
Alloy wheels
Single-piece handlebar
Round headlight
Monoshock at the rear
Single front petal disc brake
ArrayThe large silver radiator shrouds add the missing masculinity to the bike’s side profile whereas the 2x1 exhaust system with an under-belly muffler keeps the sportiness intact. Enhancing the Harley-Davidson HD350’s visual appeal is the blacked-out engine and side body panels. Speaking of the engine, it is likely to be a 353cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor which should deliver 36 hp (27 kW). The powerplant should also be Euro-5 compliant. It is also expected from the upcoming, China-only QJ350 to use the same engine.
Also Read: Harley-Davidson HD350 engine revealed via leaked patent images of QJ350
With the HD350, Harley-Davidson is eyeing to reach out to the masses and increase its presence in the Asian markets where demand for smaller-capacity motorcycles are much higher than fully-fledged, heavy-weight cruisers. The Harley-Davidson HD350 is also expected to be the company’s most affordable model in its entire global product line-up. However, with the adoption of the new strategy, it would be interesting to see whether Harley-Davidson will proceed with the HD350 or pull the plug on it.
Do let us know in the comments your views about the Harley-Davidson HD350’s rendering.
