Motor Company Finds Partner to Create a New 338cc Motorcycle
This collaboration is part of the "More Roads" to Harley-Davidson" strategic plan.
Baby Charley
In mid-2019, Harley-Davidson announced a new partnership with Qianjiang Motorcycle, with a joint effort called the HD350 project. The collaboration marks the Motor Company's latest bid for new markets as part of the 'More Roads to Harley-Davidson' strategic plan. Dubbed 'Baby Harley' or 'Charley,' it is now confirmed that the Chinese-built, Harley-Davidson will roll out this year in June 2020.
Benelli-Based
With only concept sketches released so far, it is believed that the 'HD350' will be heavily based on the Benelli TNT 300, or the updated 302S. Nicknames aside, there is also no word on the bike's actual name, although it is doubtful that HD350 will remain. Along with the announcement of a summer release, it was confirmed that the project would have a 338cc water-cooled engine.
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Bore and Stroke
Qianjiang Motorcycle owns Benelli — having invested $26 million into the floundering Italian motorcycle company in 2005. According to the Asphalt & Rubber website, the seemingly random 338cc displacement “isn’t too strange...if you are borrowing from the Benelli parts bin.” A&R calculated that the combined bore and stroke of select Benelli models equals Harley-Davidson's new number.
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Rigorous Market
Harley-Davidson and Qianjiang will cooperate for Asian markets, which encompasses Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, and Japan. In their partnership statement, the Motor Company stressed that “this new model will embody a distinctive look, sound and feel that will spark powerful connections with riders...and adhere to the rigorous quality standards and testing processes followed for all Harley-Davidson products.”
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Shared Space
As part of the arrangement, Harley-Davidson will get exclusive rights to use Qianjiang's retail presence. The brand indicated that it would create a separate sales area within its Chinese showrooms, some with a separate entrance. They also noted that as the scope of sales widens beyond China, the HD350, or rather 338, would share floor space in Benelli's retail distribution points.
>>Join in the conversation about the new 338cc Charley right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
Asian Market
While the partnership with Qianjiang is new, the Motor Company already has an established presence in China. Harley-Davidson opened its first dealership in Beijing in 2005, and now has locations in Shanghai, Qingdao, and Hong Kong. The key difference with Qianjiang is the ability to offer a domestically-made Chinese Harley-Davidson while benefiting from trade agreements when entering the wider Asian market.
Photo courtesy of The Guardian.
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Licensed Version
Some moto-pundits are calling the Harley-Davidson/Qianjiang venture a classic case of badge engineering. They are correct, and it has happened before. In the 1960s, the Motor-Company purchased half of Aermacchi's motorcycle division, and went on to sell the rebadged small-displacement Italian motorcycles in the U.S. In 1929, Japan began producing the Rikuo, a licensed version of the Harley-Davidson Flathead.
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Brand Cachet
Rebadging is nothing new in the motorcycle industry, and Harley-Davidson is following in the footsteps of BMW and KTM. Hopes are that the Chinese Harley-Davidson x Benelli bike will be a better success than the Street Rod. If the affordable HD338 makes it to America, it might well attract the sought-after younger rider base, but for now, it will only ply its brand cachet in Asia.
>>Join in the conversation about the new 338cc Charley right here in Harley-Davidson Forums.
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