Harley-Davidson Confirms 500cc Bike, Debut At 2014 Auto Expo

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

News Approved

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

BANG on Target, I would say. RE is going to have SERIOUS competition. If they can price at INR 2.5, it would just kill a substantial market of RE unless RE has something up it's sleeves. Good for us, any which way

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

Firstly, now that's one cool news to hear. . . With the HD making 500cc motorcycles here, it's gonna have some fight with the RE now if it's priced competitively. . . Secondly, the spied motorcycle spotted some time back is highly relating to a make from Yamaha, has all the features of a Yamaha, so no guarantee about that. . . It may or may not be the one. . .

Cheers!!!

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

RE.. here comes competition.

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

Yes, competition to RE, but the competition would still be in terms of pure brand loyalty and fan following more than the performance at all. This is however, just my opinion.

Harley Davidson has been in the market for quite some time now; however, it's been a lifestyle brand so far obviously due to its motorcycle lineup with the price range starting from 6Lakh + and the least powerful motorcycle being a v-twin 883cc.

This new 500cc HD, I believe, is the company's weapon to create its own mass market appeal *relatively*. Ofcourse, either by financial power or development capabilities or even both, HD is more likely to create an even smaller v-twin cruiser than RE stepping up and creating a twin to challenge Harley. Harley 883 cruisers top out anywhere between 170-180kph as far as my knowledge goes. So, the realistic top out performance of a 500cc Harley twin shouldn't be more than 150-155kph.

But then again, cruisers aren't about all out performance are they. Hence, the fight and the competition will be to own the more *premium* feeling motorcycle of the two brands, a sort of competition where HD is likely to come out as the winner. So many people have longed to own a Harley and this is probably the best chance they are going to get as far as finances are concerned.

If priced right, RE will likely loose a chunk of customers for their 500cc offerings especially for the Thunderbirds that are probably the costliest REs right now. Buckle up Royal Enfield! And best of luck Harley Davidson

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

Though I am not really interested in an HD but still its very sweet news that HD is going to enter a new segment..hopefully a "mass" segment..
read this news on FB & first thought came into my mind as almost everyone else "how RE gonna deal with it..as this is the first time they are really going to pit against a competition rather than competing with different segments"..no matter what but in the end its beneficial for all consumers (Y)

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

Woo. Definitely some competition to RE here. It would be very interesting to see.

Now loyal fans of RE would probably not give much fuss about it, they are the one who does not get deviated by anything and does not settle for anything less than RE Thump. They are the most "vafadaar" and RE can always boost about them .Then there are the those who just want a powerful 500 cc bike and then what would entice them more than something from the Harley line. Then there are those caught between RE and other bikes, soul says RE, mind says no RE those would be the share of people whom RE and Harley would share together, question remains who would get how much share. Then there are those who just can't afford so out of question. All but one thing I am pretty sure it would definitely push RE to improve their fit and finish (though I don't complain much about it ) and one more upshot could be finally RE brooding over twin cylinders which somehow they don't feel the need to be thought over.

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

Thump is gone now..current RE bikes already lack that Thump you are talking about..moreover I have come across many RE lovers who don't even include new crop of RE's as bullets..that's gonna benefit HD even more..

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News


And most of these "RE lovers" are nothing but pure show-off. Enthusiasts love the sweet thump which any RE produces & not those LOUD annoying obnoxious crap which the after market cans produce

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News


These are generally the ones who are reluctant to change and funnily live in the hope and expect that the company shall remain the same, *shouldn't* develop current vehicles into better ones and/or doesn't even want *their* company to invest into developing a new (read relatively modern) vehicle. They are ready to sacrifice reliability and longevity of an engine.

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

Well friend thump is not completely gone now as RE before launching the UCE engine did a rigorous 1000 hours of sound testing to make sure the thump can be retained as much as possible and they were able to successfully achieve 70% of the amplitude of old CI bullet thump(off-course the thump of CI engine is more prominent). RE lovers not considering new UCE engines as real Bullet is altogether a different topic and highly subjective matter, that is again CI Vs UCE endless debate.

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You are right. Yes off-course they belong to that category. That is what I said "vafadaar" now take it and inter-prate it in whatever way you wish But ultimately they have their own set of choice and priority.

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Well that might be personal experience show-off or something else. As I have encountered people on Pulsar 150cc trying to race around, make a cut past you to show "hey see I can move faster than you" so that depends upon person to person.

Aftermarket cans, yes I do agree, many are just disguised or they do not actually know what a thump is, they feel anything which is loud is thump. They feel you sit on Bullet and then you would be considered all macho, muscular and people would fear you. This is all hype and hoopla created around by those who absolutely have no respect for other bikes and bikers. Have seen such people, boosting on their bullet with a sense of pride about the irritating sound which their RE produces but NOT ALL of them does that. As I mentioned before in a reply, after 1000 hours of sound mapping RE could achieve 70% of the amplitude of the CI thump and their are beautiful exhaust which indeed produces very sweet thump. Just FYI.. put the old bullet Silencer which are made for new Bullets (silencer being short bottle one and have the same internals) and it does produce really beautiful exhaust note and then there are few more. The thump is not lost completely, just that the stock is silencer is very restrictive due to certain conditions. Loving RE is not all about thump , but indeed it is to a great extent so saying loving RE is all about thump and if it ain't thump then you are not RE lover is not completely correct.

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News

Super Like!

re: Harley Davidson 500cc in final stages: xBhp News


Exactly, and my post was appropriately indicative

I own a Bullet Electra 5S having a CI engine, 2006 model (also have an FZ-S). Unfortunately, I have more things to hate about it and less to love. I haven't sold it yet but it's definitely not because I hate to part with it.

From my particular point of view, RE is going to have much to worry about the upcoming 500cc HD. If the HD motorcycle hit the chords *right*, then it will choke REs 500 motorcycle sales in worse ways than we can imagine right now. I can assuredly tell that among the faithful RE lovers, many are those whose love for RE is majorly because it makes them feel closer to a Harley lifestyle (even if realistically the difference in lifestyle is still quite huge). This section of faithfuls believe that they are part of a cult just like Harley faithfuls believe. Among them will be the people switching loyalties to the HD in the blink of an eye once this 500cc v-twin is out even if they need to shell out a little more money. Then there are people who have wanted to buy REs but have stayed away for known reasons, they'll be more than happy for HD to oblige with a *budget* v-twin

I mean, let's not forget the cult, lifestyle and fan following of a Harley Davidson is incomparable irrespective of the Royal Enfield fan following. In some ways, RE is regarded highly among its lovers majorly because they love HD but can't afford one. This 500cc HD can change that. The sooner RE realizes this the better.


PS: Thanks rx100.7050