Is Harley Slowly Dieing?

Can These New Bikes Save Harley-Davidson? Is That Really an Adventure Bike?

One trip to the Sturgis Rally in the last 10 years was enough to convince just about anyone (besides Harley-Davidson, apparently) that the iconic American motorcycle brand was in trouble. Commonly, the Harley riders at the event were in their 70s, barely able to throw a leg over a bike, and rapidly losing any credibility whatsoever when it came to rebel role-playing. Bandannas be damned.

When your target demographic is literally dying off, what do you do to save your business?

EICMA was the scene for the unveiling of two new Revolution Max-powered models, including the 975cc Bronx naked and the 1250cc Pan America adventure tourer. Harley says both of these bikes will “launch in late 2020 extending the iconic brand into new market segment [sic].” Too little too late?

Although the claimed horsepower and torque figures for this new engine platform are impressive (see details in the press release below), Harley is sticking with a relatively narrow angle for the new v-twins (60 °), while embracing liquid cooling. The narrow angle poses significant challenges when it comes to controlling vibration at the higher rpm levels these horsepower claims will require. Quality components include Brembo brakes and Michelin tires.

Here are the details from Harley:

• 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America™ adventure touring and Bronx™ streetfighter models available in late 2020
• New Harley-Davidson 975 cc and 1250cc Revolution® Max – the powerful all-new liquid-cooled V-Twin engines
• Horsepower and torque range announced
• New partnerships with Brembo® and Michelin® support middleweight development

Displayed for the first time publicly at EICMA in Milan, Harley-Davidson® is showcasing two all-new middleweight motorcycles, including the release of information surrounding the latest signature Harley-Davidson® V-Twin engine – the Revolution® Max. The powerful all-new 60-degree V-Twin has been designed for a new range of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in two different guises – 1250cc in the new Harley-Davidson Pan America™ and 975cc in the Harley-Davidson® Bronx™. Harley-Davidson® first announced expansion into new segments including new middleweight offerings in its More Roads to Harley-Davidson® accelerated plan for growth in July 2018.  These exhilarating new models will both launch in late 2020 extending the iconic brand into new market segment.