A while back, Harley announced that they would be partnering with a Chinese production company to create a smaller 338cc bike, the Baby Harley. Now that the bike is ready for production, some of the official concept renderings are circulating online.
Harley-Davidson teamed up with Qianjiang, a Chinese company, to build its motorcycle. Qianjiang also produces Benelli bikes, so the Benelli 302S and the new Harley will have strong links. According to Bennetts, the name of the HD350 Project is just what the bike was named at the event in which the two companies signed off onto the concept. The next move is to actually make a bike. It’s not clear if that’s the official name that Harley is going to have. There is a probability that they’re going to use another name.
Visually, the HD350 looks considerably different from the Benelli 302S. It’s amazing how much a new tank, a different seat, new fenders, a different handlebar, and a more conventional headlight can transform the look of a vehicle. Under the hood, we believe that it will be fairly similar to the Benelli 302S. That means a steel trellis-style frame, a low-swooping and stubby exhaust, and a large mono-shock in the rear.
With all this in mind, this could be a good bike, no matter how you feel about the fact that it was designed by Qianjiang. If you are hyped to see this bike on European or American highways, you’ll be disappointed. Baby Harley is for Asian markets only. We presume it won’t see its launch outside those markets anytime soon.
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Source: Web Bike World
