Harley Davidson Street 500 launched in Indonesia, is India next?

Harley-Davidson, the world's leading leisure motorcycle manufacturer, has launched its most affordable bike- Street 500 in Indonesia at IDR 21 crore, which is equal to approx Rs. 11 lacs, according to the current exchange rates. So, we can expect that India to be the next destination for the launch of this budget H-D bike, with a price tag lower than Rs. 4.3 lacs than that of Street 750.

The Harley-Davidson Street 500 looks identical to the 750 version, which is already getting a huge response in India due to its affordable pricing. Now, just imagine that a H-D motorcycle coming in a price bracket of 3-4 lacs?

Powering the bike is an all new liquid-cooled Revolution X engine displacing 494cc, which delivers a peak torque of 40Nm at 3,500rpm. It comes mated to a smooth-shifting 6-speed transmission, which makes it easy to stay in the powerband in both stop-and-go traffic and highway riding conditions. The conventional belt type final drive works quite smooth and the 2-in-1 exhaust muffler produces the true Harley-Davidson sound.

The Street 500 comes with high quality paint on the tear drop fuel tank and other metal parts, which provides a premium feel. It also gets premium H-D detailing along with a cafe inspired bikini fairing over the round headlamp. The seat height have been kept at just 25.7-inches and it gets a pull back handlebar, so anyone can ride it comfortably.

The telescopic front forks and the dual spring loaded hydraulic rear shocks have been tuned specially to provide a better ride experience in both cruising and commuting. The larger 17" front wheel is skinny and gets a 100/80 section tyre for light handling, while the smaller 15" rear wheel is fat and covered with 140/75 section tyre for better grip and stability. The bike comes equipped with a double disc braking system for safe and precise braking.

If launched in India, the Harley Davidson Street 500 will be the only contender in the respective segment. However, it might disturb the sales of other entry-level performance bikes like Royal Enfield continental GT, Kawasaki Ninja 300, Hyosung GT250R and more.