Is There a Dual-Sport Adventure Harley in Our Future?

1. From the Dirt to the Road... and Back?

By 1903 Harley-Davidson had established itself in the dirt tracks against Indian motorcycles. By the time the company sent its machines to serve overseas in support of our troops, Harley-Davidson motorcycles were kings of the road and off the road. Fans of the brand have always dreamed of a motorcycle that can perform off the road as well as on the road and some builders have, in fact, managed to conceive some impressive builds - but is there an adventure dual sport Harley in our future? 

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2. Drafted into Service

The first Harley-Davidson model shipped off to WWI was not exactly an off-road model. It was what technology allowed at the time and these bikes were fully commissioned for service in the front lines, outfitted with side cars and machine guns. The WWII models, which offered a more comfortable suspension, were there as dispatch and ancillary support vehicles behind the front lines. Nevertheless, these machines were expected to operate in grueling off-road conditions that most of us would probably just avoid with our own.

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3. The Birth of Adventure Riding

While many credit the Germans, specifically BMW, with the creation of a new motorcycle genre; big V-twin engines were already conquering unpaved roads and far-away places. In 1981, BMW released a motorcycle which confused critics and riders alike. Of course, dirt bikes had been around as a light and under 500cc recreation motorcycles and the 420 lb, 796cc R80 G/S didn't sit well with many. Soon, however, it became clear what this motorcycle meant. It was more road-worthy than a dirt bike and more capable than the V-twins off-road, a happy medium of sorts. Since then, Harley-Davidson fans have been asking for what later became called as an "Adventure Motorcycle." It seemed for awhile that Evel Knievel was heading in that direction as his one-of-a-kind builds had to focus on better suspension in a dual-sport fashion. 

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4. Expansion into New Markets

We have seen Harley-Davidson adapt to consumer demands and expand into new markets. In 1994, the company flirted with superbikes, and although the VR 1000 never took off, it was built.  In 2001, we saw the introduction of the V-Rod reaching for a younger generation, and in 2017, we now have the Street 500 and 750 geared towards the "Urban" rider. We have never really heard much talk of an Adventure Bike out of Milwaukee, but that doesn't mean there aren't any Adventure Harley-Davidson Motorcycles out there. The 2016 Bangkok Motor Show showcased an unusual "Harley Davidson Adventure Bike" which created quite a response from riders all over the world. The "Stealth 750" is a concept bike in Thailand and is not, by any means, a production model nor is it a Milwaukee concept. It did, however, cause a lot of buzz around the internet and as it turns out both the Harley-Davidson and "Adventure" communities greatly favor a production model. 

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5. Carducci Dual-Sport

While the Stealth 750 is only a concept model, there is a true dual-sport Harley out there that you might just run across if you are in the right place. Carducci motorcycles is a dual-sport and prototyping company which specializes in producing the SC3 adventure motorcycle. The SC3 is a special order build and utilizes a Sportster engine and modified frame - and although it has a larger displacement than the BMW's 1200 GS A, it is not intended to be a competitor but a dual-sport in its very own category. 

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6. Maybe just maybe

The Livewire project is in full swing and everyone is eagerly anticipating the release of the first-ever all-electric Harley-Davidson. As the technology has evolved and manufacturers already offer electric production bikes we all expect big from the company. Growing with technology and popular demand is good for business and with that in mind, it may be not so far-fetched to imagine that we might just see an Adventure bike roll out of Milwaukee. After all, this is yet another segment of the two-wheeled market available for Harley-Davidson. 

>>Join the conversation about a possible dual-sport Adventure Harley right here in HDForums.com.

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