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Where you riding this weekend?
Harley-Davidson’s Baby Bike
Sometimes less does mean more... customers.
Yesterday, Harley announced their partnership with Chinese Manufacturer, Qianjiang Motorcycle Company Limited, to produce the smallest bike in their current lineup.
At 338cc, HD will only offer the entry-level moto in China, catering to the needs of its large and ever-growing urban population. Whether you agree with the move or not, the announcement aligns with the company’s current direction, appealing to a younger, metropolitan demographic.
With a goal to reach 50% revenue in international sales by 2027, this news marks a pivotal moment in Harley’s future plans. While the rest of the motorcycle industry turns their attention to India, gaining access to the highly restrictive Chinese market helps the Motor Company plant a flag where others are unwilling to go. This move will also help Harley explore where it’s been historically reluctant to go, design updates.
Sporting a trellis frame and an inline twin, the new bike feels miles away from your classic Harley. Where are the forward controls? How am I supposed to attach a sissy bar? Why isn’t the motor v-shaped?
Despite all the departures from HD’s vintage aesthetic, the twin thumper still retains the iconic silhouette of one of the Motor Company’s most decorated models, the XR750. Leveraging the peanut tank, the tail section, and the livery of the XR, the brand plans to draw upon its legacy to attract a new group of riders. By leaning on the racing heritage, Harley preserves the design continuity of their past and acts as a stabilizing force in the face of a rapidly changing customer base. If the technology changes, if the feeling changes, at least the design is familiar.
Harley seems to be following the approach Ford took with the Mustang and VW chose for the Beetle: they’re making what’s old new again. You could say that’s what Harley’s always done, but this time, they’re not afraid to change what’s under the hood/tank. However new, however earth-shattering the design may be to the Harley faithful, I’d be remiss to not mention how HD’s newest model eerily resembles another bike that Qianjiang manufactures, the Benelli TNT 300.
Even if they’re essentially rebranding another bike, even if the production of the bike is restricted to China, I certainly hope the model makes its way to the states (along with production [of North American units]) because the small displacement market is the fastest growing segment in the industry. New and younger riders tend to opt for smaller, lighter bikes, and the Motor Company lacks a sub-500cc offering as it stands.
You could say that the Street and Sportster acts as Harley’s beginner bikes already, but at 450 and 550 lbs respectively, many new riders (female and male) don’t consider those models manageable rigs for their first two-wheeled vehicle.
With a 338cc motor, the MoCo’s baby brawler could deliver a lower entry point for riders (in age and weight), increasing the likelihood of developing brand loyalty with younger riders.
While I think this is a great move for HOG, I can’t help but ask:
Why aren’t they going even further/smaller?
It makes me wonder why Harley doesn’t have a line of 125cc and 250cc dirt bikes. It makes me question where their 50cc and 75cc pit bikes are. If they really want to develop riders from a young age, why aren’t they making models that grow with them? Why are the majority of dirt bikes produced by Japanese and Austrian-based companies when it’s a predominantly American sport? If there’s such a big demand for dirt bikes in America, why doesn’t Harley have a dog in that fight?
In March of this year, HD purchased StayCyc, a brand that makes e-bikes for young children. At the time of the news, I saw this move as a forward-thinking. I felt that this would help the Motor Company appeal to future generations much earlier than their mid-life crisis.
But once those kids outgrow those mini electric bikes, are they supposed to wait another 10 years before they jump on an 883? Are they expected to stay loyal to Harley when competing brands offer the next immediate step up?
While this announcement is an encouraging move for Harley’s evolution, they need to address the gap between their product lineup if they’re going to retain the youngest of customers. I can only hope that their promise to introduce 100 new models in the next 10 years will fill in that gaping hole. I mean, who wouldn’t want a Harley-Davidson dirt bike?
Though I feel the introduction of a 338cc motorcycle is a good step for HD, I look forward to seeing the next foot drop. The story will only continue to develop and I’ll be rooting for them the whole way.
What do you think of the new model? What do you think of Harley producing it exclusively for China? Would you want to see more small displacement options from the Motor Company?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
2017 Yamaha FZ-07: Ride Review
Twisties, drag races, and wheelies: my 24-hours with Yamaha's FZ-07. I threw a leg over, settled into the saddle, grasped the handlebars, and that's when everything changed. That's when I lifted the bike off the side stand. That's when I realized how light a motorcycle could be. That's when I thought to myself, 'this is gonna be fun...'
As a Harley owner, I'm used to sitting inside a bike, not on it. I'm accustomed to stretching out my legs, not tucking them under me. I'm comfortable with my fists at shoulder height, not just above my waist. To say the least, the seating position on the FZ was different, but that's not to say that it was uncomfortable.
With a seat height of 31.7 inches, it was, by far, the tallest position I've taken on a motorcycle, but I could also flat foot the bike at a stop. The bars were the lowest I've experienced, but they didn't leave my back sore after a full day of riding. The pegs pushed my feet right under my torso, and somehow, I never felt cramped. The only issue I encountered was a sore wrist and shoulder mid-way through my first fill up, but once squeezed the gas tank with my knees (and alleviated the pressure on my arms) the pain subsided.
Overall, the ergonomics felt aggressively neutral...if that makes sense. The cant of the tail section pitched my upper body forward, but the risers + handlebars combo allowed me to sit more upright than a supersport. Similarly, the footpeg placement lends to a more relaxed position than your standard track bike, and that's exactly where Yamaha gets it right. They designed the bike for street riding, for congested urban environments and lone highways, not for the endless curves of the raceway. But I know what you're saying: what if I want those endless curves? Oh, believe me, the FZ gotchu! If I had to make a pie chart of my seat time with the FZ-07, I'd estimate that 70% of it was spent in the twisties. From Mulholland to Sunset to the PCH and back to Mulholland, I made it a point to test the handling of Yamaha's mighty middleweight. Southern California boasts some of the most scenic canyon roads in the world and I "waste" a healthy portion of my lunch breaks, weekends, and holidays navigating these winding wonders. On a Harley, you're always compensating for the lack of turn radius, you're praying that you have enough lean angle in the hairpins, you're battling against the sheer weight of the thing.
But with the FZ, your wheelbase is 10" less than your standard Big Twin, allowing you to throw the bike from side to side much easier. Not once did I scrape pegs, and I typically touch metal to pavement 3-4 times when I rip through Mulholland on the Harley.
However, I didn't start pushing the FZ through its paces until I adjusted my body positioning to better attack the curves. Tthe FZ came with a curve of its own, a learning curve. When I started my run, I kept the upright posture that makes the FZ such a comfortable bike, but in the twisties, that led to some really uncomfortable situations.
From the neutral position, the bike behaved like it wanted to stay upright along with me. At each turn, I needed to apply excessive braking because the FZ didn't react as if it was following my inputs. Due to this disconnected feeling, I proceeded with caution and lost confidence in a lot of my lines. I know every turn of Mulholland Dr. by memory and even that foreknowledge didn't help put me at ease. I guess familiarity with a bike goes a long way because, at this point in the ride, I could probably beat myself on the Harley.
It's only when I lowered my chest to the tank and my head to my inside hand, that the bike obeyed my commands. Each turn imbued me with more confidence. The forward pitch of the tail section only contributed to the aggressive riding through these sections and helped to compress the front suspension, allowing me to approach each subsequent turn with more speed. While advantageous - and a ton of fun - this was the highlight of the bike's suspension.
It's no secret that the FZ's suspension resides in the budget tier but I didn't think it would stand out so prominently. The first slip up I noticed was the rear wheel drift that occurred in the first few corners. I swapped bikes with a buddy mid-way through the ride and he had the same feedback. The bike seemed somewhat disconnected from the rest of the bike (or disconnected from the road), which wasn't confidence inspiring when it came to rolling on the throttle upon corner exit.
Additionally, the non-adjustable front suspension handled changes of direction just fine, but any irregularities in the road sent the fork hopping like a pogo stick. Isolated, the two issues posed independent and minimal issues. But at times, the combination of the bouncy front suspension and the sliding rear suspension felt like riding on a jackhammer with ice skates.
The twitchiness of the fork and the mushy/vague feedback of the rear monoshock contributed to the general feeling of instability while on the bike. I can't say that I ever felt planted, whether in the twisties or on the open road. At one point, I hit 105mph (in 4th gear!!!) and I had to throttle down because the suspension didn't feel like it could handle any more turbulence. That instance was a microcosm of the entire experience on the FZ-07 because the utter brilliance of the engine makes most components on this bike feel second-rate. First and foremost, the word that encapsulates the motor is: fun! It's torquey, yet it doesn't send you into unintentional burnouts (it sends you into unintentional wheelies!). Though it doesn't boast the craziest horsepower figures, it's damn fast yet it never feels like it could get away from you. The 689cc powerplant is approachable for the novice while simultaneously delivering excitement for the more experienced riders.
Not to mention, the parallel twin is ultra-forgiving. At one point in the ride, I was lane splitting through heavy traffic at 15mph, and I looked down to see that I was in 4th gear! Now, I was right at the friction point, but on my Harley, I definitely would have stalled and teetered into one of the surrounding cars. The FZ didn't even lug. I simply down shifted a few times and blew out of the hole.
When you can practically span 15mph to 100mph in one gear, you know the engineering is bordering on perfect. However, the engine goes beyond numbers. It outperforms its pedestrian spec sheet - in numerous ways.
The day I was scheduled to return the bike, I woke up at 5 am and rolled her down to an empty road along the LA River. I wanted to wring her out. I wanted to get that front wheel up. I wanted to do hoodrat shit!
I started with solo drag races. I would accel hard, brake hard, and repeat. As I prepared for my fourth run, I eased the clutch into the friction zone. The tires rolled over the asphalt at 2mph. I cranked on the throttle and just like that, the front wheel lifted into the air!
Before I even realized that I was wheelieing, the bike set itself down smoothly. I finished the run without skipping a beat, but I can't say the same for my heart. And that's when I realized the importance of brakes because a great engine is useless without an equally great set of brakes - and the FZ's system delivers in full.
The front caliper bites with a steady, reassuring force, but that was expected with dual 282mm discs and a set of 4-piston calipers. What did take me by surprise was the stopping power of the rear.
Sporting a miniscule 245mm rotor and a measly 2-piston caliper, I thought that the rear brakes were more formality than function, but oh, was I wrong! The first time I pressed on the foot pedal, the bike slowed immediately. A welcome feeling for a Harley rider that's used to squishy front brakes and practically non-existent rears.
The only blemish that I could find with the brakes was the lack of ABS. Though ABS is offered on the FZ-07, the model I rode lacked the safety feature. Luckily, I only encountered sketchy situations twice during my ride and the slide felt controllable. Because this is such a long, exhausting, review, I saved the best for last: controls (read as sarcasm). While Harley controls are completely different from the FZ-07, I didn't find the transition difficult.
The minimalistic layout and single-function buttons contributed to a lax learning curve. Though I didn't use the blinkers too often (), I do understand why every non-Harley rider complains about the dual-hand blinkers, because I never had to alter my throttle hand to press a button.
In the end, the FZ-07 was the perfect non-Harley bike for me to test first. It was approachable AND accessible. It was fast AND safe. It was aggressive AND comfortable.
Now, would I buy one? I should start this answer with a note that I would never sell my Harley. That bike allows me to ride long-distance trips with my girlfriend...comfortably. I couldn't say the same for the FZ.
Yamaha's naked bike does a few things very well, whereas the Harley does everything okay! The FZ is a scalpel, my Softail is a swiss army knife.
When it comes down to it, I would only add Yamaha's FZ-07 to my garage as a second bike, BUT I'm not currently in the market for a second bike. In the meantime, I think I'll try out a few more options...
Read news, reviews, in-depth articles, and features by motorcycle industry writer Dustin Wheelen.
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