The presentation of the small Harley-Davidson 350 and 500 is scheduled for March 10, but in the USA the smaller of the two cruisers born from the partnership with QJ Motor it is already in actionand the video published on the Youtube channel “Bert’S Harley Davidson” testifies to it, where two specimens appear, one of which is used for driving lessons, given the side protections designed to prevent the bike from being damaged in the event of a fall.
No technical information is disclosed in the video, but let’s see what we know.
The 350 was first shown in 2019 by Harley-Davidson, when the project was called the “338R” and involved the use of a 338cc parallel twin engine, the same engine used on the Benelli 302S. Since then, Qianjiang has made a increased version of that engine, 353 cc, and it is precisely that engine that we see in this little Harley-Davidson. Here the engine is set in a frame very similar to that of the Benelli 302S and QJMotor SRK350 (which also uses the same engine), combined with upside-down forks, spoked rims and a braking system with double daisy front discs. In terms of performance, the first released numbers speak for themselves of 36 HP of power for this 350 cc, which has an empty weight of 195 kg and is capable of reaching, according to the homologation document, a maximum speed of 145 km/h.
In addition to the small 350 cc version, there is also the 500 cc big sister, which shares most of the components with the Benelli Leoncino 500. This version has a more traditional design, compared to the flat track style of the 350, and the its parallel twin is capable of delivering a maximum power of 47 HP and to push the bike up to 160 km/h of top speed. Weighing 207 kg, the HD500 has the same chassis as the Leoncino 500, just as the suspension, braking system and wheels appear to be identical.
More detailed information will arrive tomorrow, with the official presentation of the two “baby” HDs, as well as the remote possibility that they will also arrive in the European market.
