In the face of criticism that its cruiser-heavy range is playing to a diminishing audience of aging riders Harley-Davidson is working flat out to diversify its offerings. If the firm’s plans come off, it’ll soon have a spread of models wider than most of its rivals, spanning the gamut of motorcycling from electric scooters to 145-hp adventure tourers. And here are two more of the machines that will expand Harley’s appeal in the coming years—a café racer and a flat tracker, both powered by the new liquid-cooled, DOHC Revolution Max engine.
The Revolution Max is the centerpiece of Harley’s new Pan America adventure bike as well as the Bronx streetfighter, both of which were revealed in late 2019 and are scheduled to go into production later this year. They were the starting point of the “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” strategy announced back in July 2018, but the same plan also explained that the Revolution Max engine is due to appear in at least five streetfighter bikes, five custom bikes, and two adventure models.
Both of the models you see here are believed to be members of the streetfighter range that starts with the Bronx. Images of them first appeared as mock-ups in a document released to Harley-Davidson investors last September, but Harley has now filed design patents with the European Union Intellectual Property Office showing what production-ready versions will look like.
The first is a flat tracker that clearly takes its styling cues from Harley’s XG750R racebike. The shapes of the tank and seat unit are virtually identical to that machine and the two stacked exhaust pipes on the right side also closely mimic its layout, while also paying tribute to classic Harleys like the XR750.
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Although the low resolution of the image in Harley’s investor document makes it hard to be certain, it looks like the script on the air cleaner housing reads “975”—indicating it’s the same version of the engine used in the Bronx. That means a claimed 115 hp and 70 pound-feet, and given the narrow, slightly knobby rear tire, that’s probably plenty. Since the 975cc engine and the 145-hp, 90-pound-feet, 1,250cc version used in the initial version of the Pan America are externally identical, it would be simple for Harley to slide the larger engine in if desired.
The new design drawings show minor changes compared to the original mock-up, including more refined shapes to the radiator cowls and the bellypan, which also hides an oil cooler. The turn signals are also moved, as are the instruments which are now tucked neatly behind the number board-style front cowl that incorporates a rectangular LED headlight.
The bike’s chassis appears similar to the Bronx, with the same fork and Brembo front brakes, but the tubular, triangulated swingarm is exclusive to the flat tracker.
Harley’s original “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” document accurately showed that one adventure bike, the Pan America, and one streetfighter/standard model, the Bronx, would be launched for 2020. For the 2021 range the same document promised no fewer than six streetfighter/standard model launches. Surely the flat tracker seen here will be one of them (or two of them, if both 1,250cc and 975cc versions are made).
The second new model revealed in the new European patent documents is this café racer, which again confirms a machine that was first previewed in last September’s investor documents. Like the flat tracker, it’s based on the 975cc Revolution Max engine from the Bronx—but similarly it could just as easily be joined by a 1,250cc version—and is likely to appear later this year as a 2021 model.
The chassis is again similar to the Bronx and the flat tracker, with the same front suspension and brakes, but the café racer gains its own swingarm—a simple, straight design—and eschews a rising-rate monoshock in favor of more traditional twin shocks.
Although this model will compete in an arena that’s new to Harley-Davidson, the styling is very clearly in the H-D mold. The reverse-raked front edge of the minimal nose cowl follows a design cue used on bikes as diverse as the Road Glide and the Low Rider, not to mention the VR1000, which also had a circular headlight in a similar trapezoidal opening. Further back the tank shape has a hint of Sportster, while the seat is reminiscent of the XR1200, albeit with a less heavy-handed treatment.
Compared to the mock-up in the investor document, the newly published café design patents show slightly higher bars with conventional mirrors rather than bar-end-mounted versions.
These bikes, along with the Bronx, the Pan America, and the yet-to-be-named liquid-cooled custom model that was also shown in the 2018 More Roads to Harley-Davidson document, are instrumental to H-D’s transformation into a company that appeals to a broader range of riders.
And they’re just the tip of the iceberg. In total, the plan calls for 16 new liquid-cooled V-twin middleweights across three ranges—two Pan America adventure bikes, nine streetfighter/standard models, and five custom designs—with capacities ranging from 500cc to 1,250cc. The smaller 500cc and 750cc models will surely be based on the existing Revolution X-powered Street 750, Street 500, and Street Rod machines, but the 975cc and 1,250cc bikes using the Revolution Max engine are completely new.
On top of that, Harley plans to launch at least one small-displacement parallel-twin bike this year, the 338cc machine being made in alliance with Chinese firm Qianjiang, owner of Benelli. Harley’s own drawings show it’s closely related to the Benelli 302S, sharing the same basic engine design and chassis but with Harley-specific styling and a different 338cc capacity that’s gained by mixing and matching parts from the Benelli 302 and 502 twin-cylinder engines.
While that machine will be aimed at increasing Harley’s presence in developing markets like India, the firm’s other big push is going to be electric bikes. Between two and five electric models will be launched in 2021–2022, including a scooter, but the most intriguing is a new middleweight electric bike with dirt tracker looks. Shown as the EDT600R in Harley’s investor document, it looks set to take the technology developed for the impressive but expensive LiveWire and bring it to a larger audience at a more affordable price. If Harley plays its cards right, it could get a significant headstart on mainstream rivals dragging their heels on electric bike development at the moment.