Is Harley-Davidson’s New Naked Sport Bike Called ‘Bareknuckle’?
Harley’s big push into the Streetfighter market might be exactly the move H-D needs.
As many of you H-D enthusiasts know, Harley-Davidson has been trying for a brand revamp in recent years. This includes seeking out different previously-unexplored markets to see if they can appeal and tap into a completely novel client.
What you might notice on your afternoon ride is the big presence surrounding naked sport bikes, or “streetfighters.” Increasingly popular, what they are able to do is perform well in a variety of situations, but they do not necessarily excel at one particular thing. Harley wants to know what that’s about, and according to H-D’s “More Roads to Harley” project, they’ll be releasing a 975cc streetfighter of their own. Now, I Motorbike and Car and Bike are reporting that this new bike has got a name: Bareknuckle.
Harley has never made a naked sport bike in their long history and in Harley terms, anything under 1000cc is “low-end” displacement. It truly would be a big step forward into a new world for the company. How do they plan to attack this already aggressive market head on? Well, assuming that the name of this bike is literally as aggressive as it gets, we hope that it will drive as hard as its name implies.
If they are able to string the pieces together that make this naked a strong contender in the market, Harley could see a whole new set of clientele at their dealerships. Breaking out of the pre-established mold that Harley has kept for its bikes and the people who buy them is just the way to do that.
What about the competition and how does Harley plan to beat them? Considering bikes like the Triumph Street Triple, Ducati Monster, Yamaha FZ-09, and KTM Super Duke 1290, there is a lot of brands offering models that will compete directly with the Bareknuckle. The prototype model that was displayed last year boasted an aggressive exhaust, sporty, yet upright seating position and sleek body lines.
Will this be enough to win over the customer base Harley so deeply desires? Sadly, until more details about the bike, such as pricing and technical specs come out over the next few months, we will have to wait and see. I, for one, am excited to see what the brand has to offer for the segment, what about you guys? Let us know in the comments below.
