Harley Davidson Bikes

Latest Updates on Harley-Davidson

• Harley-Davidson unveiled the Pan America CVO, which gets a new colour scheme, additional panniers, a top box, a bi-directional quick-shifter, and more.

• Harley-Davidson quietly launched India's all-new Street Glide and Road Glide models.

• Harley-Davidson launched its cheapest motorcycle in India to date, the X 440, in three variants, in mid-2023.

• A new Royal Enfield Meteor 350 rival from Harley-Davidson, rumoured to be called Nightster 440, is under development.

• Harley-Davidson also launched X 350 and X 500 roadsters in China, which will not be launched here in India.

Who Owns Harley-Davidson in India?

The story behind the debut of Harley-Davidson in India is rather interesting, going back to 2007. The then U.S. Trade Representative and Minister of Commerce and Industry of India agreed on the decision to import Harley-Davidson motorcycles in India in exchange for the export of Indian mangoes to the USA. However, the unspecified emission standards for motorcycles with engines larger than 500cc and high import duties became major hurdles for Harley-Davidson’s debut in India.

Despite all the odds, Harley-Davidson finally made an official announcement of its fully-owned Indian subsidiary in Gurgaon in 2009. After affirming its presence in India, Harley-Davidson launched 12 motorcycles across five of its motorcycle families, including Sportster, Dyna, VRSC, Softail, and CVO. All these motorcycles came to India through the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route (meaning, fully imported), thus attracting over 100 per cent import tax. The sales of these motorcycles began in 2010 through five dealerships in the initial stages, with the addition of more dealerships in the following years.

In 2011, Harley-Davidson inaugurated its CKD (Completely Knocked Down, meaning the bike parts will be imported from abroad and then assembled in India) facility in Bawal (Haryana), its second facility outside the US at that time, for local assembly of some of its models. A big breakthrough for Harley-Davidson came in 2014 when it announced starting production of the Street 500 and Street 750 at its Indian facility. The Street 750 was meant for both local and export markets whereas the Street 500 was meant only for exports.

Harley-Davidson faced a big setback in India in 2020 when it announced that it would be shutting its Indian production facility and discontinuing the sales of its motorcycles in the country due to losses and lower demand. However, the American brand soon made a comeback to the market with a partnership with Hero MotoCorp, which is now responsible for the distribution of sales and service network of Harley-Davidson in India. This partnership also led to the development of the all-new Harley-Davidson X 440 with Hero MotoCorp, an entry-level motorcycle for emerging markets, including India.

Who Founded Harley-Davidson?

The start of Harley-Davidson goes back to 1901, when two childhood friends from the USA, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, decided to make a motor bicycle with a 116cc engine. This idea gave birth to a prototype, which was finished in 1903 and became the first Harley-Davidson bike. However, this prototype was not powerful enough for hilly roads, which led the two friends to declare it as a test bed and restart their research and development for a more powerful motorcycle with a more powerful 405cc engine and extensive changes to its chassis. After much groundwork, their first-ever functional motorcycle was launched in 1904. Then Harley-Davidson as a brand came into existence in the next couple of years.

Where is Harley-Davidson Made?

Harley-Davidson inaugurated its first-ever production facility in India in 2011 in Bawal (Haryana), where it manufactured Street 500 and Street 750 motorcycles, of which the latter was also sold in India. Harley-Davidson also used this facility for the local assembly of a few models from Sportster, Dyna and Softail families through the CKD route.

As a part of Harley-Davidson’s decision to quit the Indian market in 2020, the company also decided to shut this production facility at Bawal. However, Harley-Davidson soon made a comeback into the Indian market, with Hero MotoCorp as its distribution partner. At present, the only Harley-Davidson motorcycle made in India is the X 440, which Hero MotoCorp manufactures at its production facility in Neemrana (Rajasthan).

How Much of Harley-Davidson is Made in America?

Besides the X 440, locally manufactured by Hero MotoCorp, the other premium Harley-Davidson motorcycles are made in America and brought to India through the CBU route. These imported motorcycles include models from four of its categories – Grand American Touring, Cruiser, Adventure Touring and Sport.

Best Harley-Davidson Bikes In India

• Harley-Davidson X 440: The cheapest Harley bike in India, the X 440 is based on an all-new platform jointly developed by Harley-Davidson and Hero MotoCorp. The X 440 is now the most affordable way of getting into the Harley lifestyle.

• Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special: The first-ever adventure tourer from Harley-Davidson, the Pan America is available in India in its premium ‘Special’ variant. It comes with fancy bits including a semi-active suspension with adaptive ride height that lowers the bike to ensure the seat is easily accessible by shorter riders. 

• Harley-Davidson Nightster: The most affordable premium bike from Harley-Davidson in India, the Nightster debuted the Revolution Max 975T engine platform in the country.

• Harley-Davidson Fat Bob 114: The Fat Bob 114 is one of the sportiest Harleys in India. It comes with a torquey 1868cc air-cooled V-twin engine. 

• Harley-Davidson Fat Boy 114: Known for its incredibly muscular design and great road presence, the Fat Boy 114 is among the best-selling Harley-Davidson bikes in the world. It gained massive popularity after its appearance in the movie Terminator 2, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.