Right, here we are. It has become evident that Harley-Davidson has been working on a budget entry-level motorcycle for the better part of the last four years, and it’s supposedly set for a 2026 launch.
The news first broke out via Motorcycle.com, which cites Harley-Davidson’s July 30 earnings call. It was during this call that the soon-to-exit H-D Chairman, President and CEO, Jochen Zeitz, confirmed a US$6,000 "Sprint" motorcycle for next year.
The upcoming bike will apparently be ready for a public reveal as soon as this fall (Northern Hemisphere). Currently, the 975cc, $9,999 Nightster is the brand's smallest and cheapest motorcycle. So, to offer a moto nearly half that price will surely tickle the fancy of younger, more frugal Harley-Davidson enthusiasts.
Of late, Harley’s strategy seemed to shift towards bigger, more expensive offerings. But that's not to say this will be the first time that the Milwaukee-based bikemaker will offer a sub-$10,000 bike. The likes of Street 500 and Street 750 were on sale between 2014 to 2021, but none of them were able to gain enough interest from American consumers.
And interestingly enough, this will not be the first time Harley will be offering a motorcycle called the “Sprint” either. In 1960, the company purchased half of Italian aircraft brand Aermacchi's motorcycle division and began importing its Aermacchi 250, and rebadged it as the Sprint 250 the following year.
The bike was renamed the Sprint 350 when it went up in capacity from 246cc to 344cc in 1969. The small, sporty Sprints became instantly recognized for their ability on dirt tracks and short road courses. Eventually, in 1974, the Sprint was pulled from H-D’s portfolio, only to make a resurgence now.
“Inspired by our heritage and the spirit of the iconic Harley-Davidson Sprint motorcycle, this new bike embodies boldness, irreverence, and fun, capturing the rebellious energy that defines the Harley-Davidson experience,” Zeitz said.
“We believe this motorcycle will not only be highly accessible but also profitable, marking a significant step forward in driving Harley-Davidson’s future profitable growth and opening up a new […] segment for the company in future years for its key markets.”
The original Sprint 250 was no slouch. Back in 1962, Cycle World defined it as a bike "designed for people who really enjoy going around corners with vigor." While details on the new Sprint are scarce at this time, there are a few things that one can already assume.
For starters, that '60s name and the $6,000 price point clearly point to a bike that will likely not be produced in the USA – much like H-D’s other low-capacity motorcycles being sold outside of the States, such as the X440. Harley-Davidson may turn to its strategic partnerships with India’s Hero MotoCorp or Chinese manufacturing giant Qianjiang, which also owns Benelli, Morbidelli, Keeway, and QJMotor.
The demand for accessible motorcycles has been growing, so I see a good case for Harley to go that direction. Heck, I even mentioned the very opportunity that H-D seemed to have missed in its strategy when I last covered the company’s growing boardroom struggles. So, I and the countless Harley loyalists should be pretty stoked with this news, right?
Well, on the contrary, things might be a little too complicated for the bike to be a runaway success in my opinion. First things first – the timing. This news comes at a time when the company’s boardroom crisis has yet to come to an end. Zeitz announced his retirement earlier this year, and soon after, board member Jared Dourdeville followed suit with a scalding letter criticizing the company's leadership and strategy.
Then, there’s the case of too little, too late. The likes of Enfield’s retro 350s, Honda’s Rebel and CBR 300s, and Triumph’s 400 twins offer tense competition to the upcoming Sprint. And if you consider the naked and sports categories, that competition becomes even more cutthroat.
So, while Harley's goal to attract young Americans may be noble, it might have come a few years too late. High interest rates and uncertain economic conditions have not helped Harley’s sales either, which have dwindled sharply.
Third and perhaps most importantly, even if you consider who this bike may be meant for, let’s not forget that Harley's search to find a means to attract new buyers hasn't exactly been a cakewalk. H-D’s core fanbase has been aging, and with the company not exactly rolling out yearly products for a younger, budget-conscious audience, the Sprint might end up being a hard sell.
But hey, I’d love to be wrong. It might work if it’s not the only affordable product coming from the bikemaker. And that may well turn out to be the case, with rumors suggesting Harley is also planning to release a more approachable cruiser next year – likely carrying the “Eagle” name.
What's more, the recently-revealed moped-like LiveWire prototypes have also been confirmed to go into production soon. All of this points to a major strategic shift within the company. Zeitz’s statement summarizes the situation the best: he said that small-displacement bikes "is the only area that really shows growth right now, which is really the result of the affordability issues."
A step in the right direction? Your thoughts?
Via: Motorcycle.com
