If launched in India, Harley-Davidson X350 will primarily go up against 650cc bikes from Royal Enfield
As part of its plan to target emerging markets, Harley-Davidson recently launched X350, a new 350cc motorcycle. The bike was launched at a starting price of 33,388 Yuan, which is approximately Rs 4 lakh, as per today’s exchange rate. This is the smallest Harley bike in production and marks a shift in the company’s growth strategy.
To reduce development and production cost of its low-capacity bikes, Harley has teamed up with local manufacturers. In China, X350 will be produced in collaboration with QJ Motor. Harley has a similar tie-up with Hero MotoCorp in India.
Harley-Davidson X350 Walkaround
One of the notable aspects of Harley-Davidson X350 is its neo-retro profile. Some key features include round headlamp and rear-view mirrors, all-LED lighting, circular semi-digital instrument pod, USD front forks, sleek fuel tank, sporty graphics, golden exhaust pipes, offset rear suspension, step-up seat, alloy wheels and underbelly exhaust.
Much of the machinery is fully exposed, which ensures a rugged look and feel for the bike. Colour options include Dazzling Black, Joyful Orange and Bright Silver. Take a look at the detailed walkaround video shared by Lang Thang channel.
Cockpit section of X350 is pretty basic with standard switch controls and a semi-digital instrument console. Users can access information such as speed, time, odometer, trip meter, etc. The bike has an ergonomic riding stance with wide handlebar and centrally mounted foot pegs. Saddle thickness has been minimized in order to achieve a sportier look. However, there shouldn’t be any discomfort, as high-quality foam material has been used.
Harley X350 utilizes cast aluminium front and rear frame, integrated with 41mm inverted rebound adjustable front forks. At rear, the bike has rebound damping and preload adjustable suspension. X350 has 17-inch wheels at both ends, shod with 120/70 front and 160/60 rear tyre. Braking duties are performed by petal disc brakes at both ends, with ABS. Dry weight of X350 is 180 kg, with fuel-tank capacity of 13.5 litres.
Harley-Davidson X350 performance
Equipped with a 353cc, in-line twin, liquid cooled motor, X350 churns out 36.7 PS of max power and 31 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Harley-Davidson’s next parallel-twin bike will be X500. Both X350 and X500 will share a number of hardware components to reduce production costs.
Harley X500 has conventional design aesthetics and is targeted at solo riders. The engine is likely to be borrowed from Benelli 502C that makes 45 bhp and 46 Nm. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Considering X350’s price, its larger sibling could be costlier by around Rs 1 lakh.
