New Harley-Davidson 338R Replacement Coming?

[advrider]

Back in August and September of 2020, we showed you some spy shots of Harley-Davidson’s 338R.  Carrying a parallel-twin engine making about 37 HP, it would have been Harley’s small-displacement entry bike into the Asian market.

The bike was not manufactured by Harley but was being built through a partnership with Chinese manufacturer Qianjiang.  It looked like things were progressing nicely, but that suddenly changed.

Jochen Zietz, Harley’s new CEO, decided that the MoCo would prioritize what it knows best and stick with large displacement v-twin powered machines to cater to Harley’s core clientele.  The result?  Harley’s plans for Harley’s 338R were scrapped.  That is, up until now.

A large Harley-ish air cleaner is attached to the right side of the engine.

Replacement for the 338R?

Photos of a new, small-displacement cruiser are now online.  It looks far more like a Harley-Davidson than the previous 338R.  The bike presently carries Qianjiang badging and is known as the Qianjiang SRV300.

The photos show a small, v-twin engine with a traditional Harley look.  According to team-bhp.com, the new bike has a 296cc v-twin engine that makes somewhere around 30 HP.  They also say that the bike will weigh around 163 kg (358 pounds).

This bike is a much more cruiser-ish bike than the 338R it may replace.

From the images, we see a bike that looks similar to Harley’s Iron 883.  Features include a teardrop shape fuel tank, single-piece seat, a round headlight, and an extended rear fender.

Its suspension comes in the form of an upside-down fork, and dual rear piggyback shocks.  Braking comes from a single disc at both the front and rear.

It’s not clear when the bike will be released and in which markets.  But one thing is certain. This bike looks far more like a Harley than the previous generation 338R that Harley canceled.

 

 

All photo credit: NewMotor.com.cn

 

 

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