You can say that again. It also has an image to which the HD team fully exploits. Not that HD has not waken up, they have a good machine in the V-Rod.

Regarding the duty rate, yes the 1200cc big ones are coming at 20 lacs, but then again, the 800 Sporster will be coming as CKD and they should drastically redice the price, of course it still wont be affordable for most Indians.
But what the heck, cant be Arnie Terminator, but probably once the Sportster is launched and then add 10 years and whaddoyaknow... you just might get a 4th hand HD at 3 lacs.

but the thing is that , then we wont be getting good mileage and petrol will be more than triple than what it is now!

Better late than never.Good to see the iconic brand reaching this part of the world.All of the HDs are outrageously priced and still they are popular.I am sure even in India there is no dearth of HD fans who vouch for the beauty of these machines!!

Another link for the same:-->

Which means that the "expected for Rs. 10 Lacs" Sportster (883) may come later ... Anyways.

Source:-->

Harley finally set to hit India - BusinessWeek[Hindustan%20Times,%20New%20Delhi]||docSource||Knight%20Ridder/Tribune||provider||ACQUIREMEDIA&symbol=GM

So finally Harley is here. They have designed a bike specially for India. From what I gathered there, its going to be nothing more than 3.75L. The bike looks like a smaller version of the V-Rod. The bike should be launched anytime this year.

Are you sure about the price?

As for VFM on Harleys- Yes, if you buy a Harley today, in the year 2020, most probably the same model will still be sold as new from the showroom- so you can be happy that you still have the 'latest' model- Thats one way of looking at VFM for Harleys!

Yes, I'm sure about the price.

Source please.
And give us more infos on this if possible.

they are not here yet i have been to there survey excercise in delhi and they have a prototype that may come in india the bike was dummy it had the bottom end of the vrod (as told by a good friend who owns a harley and is a expert on them was with me there) and the top end was 749 cc.

What you saw was this



In Orange. This is called the HD Iron. It is a 883CC with 50 odd Bhp. You saw it in a Orange combi and there were images kept in Grey and black as well.

US starting price is at $7800 odd, poorly sprung apparently as I was reading, measly brakes as well and a top whack of 160+. If you noticed, the model on display did not have pillion footrests!!! And the front wheel wore slicks! I wondered why. When I asked them, obviously they were in no position to say anything.

The way the questions were asked rather they were thrown at me, it "seemed" as if the bike was ready for a launch at 3L INR. And if I would buy it at that price!!!

Wow! Lets hope this time its for real!

The HD Iron that Ken mentions looks like the Sportster 883.
The Sportster 883 if sold at 3 lakhs plus (including customs/taxes etc) is OK (but still not a super-good buy). With fuel injection & rubber mounted engine the newer version is a shade better, but brakes are still so-so and many die-hard HD fans always consider the Sportster the 'HD-Scooter'' or some other unparliamentary expressions!

I have owned a 2000 model 883 & personally rate it the most crappy bike I have ridden (my personal opinion).
1. Tail light fell off due to excessive vibration (replaced under warranty).
2. One exhaust mount often started coming loose
3. The handle bars vibrated so much, mirrors are almost always blurred with vibration.
4. When riding with the big displacement Harleys, anything above 120km/h to keep up with the group becomes a real project by itself.
5. Brakes- Not even worth discussing.
6. Suspension- Even the lightest bump will travel thru your spinal cord.
SOLD FINALLY AFTER 6-7 MONTHS OF USE.

Well, I recently rode their demo 2009 Night Rod, Softail Heritage & Roadking. Wow, these bikes handle & ride a lot lot lot different than my crappy Sportster. The night rod has serious torque. Besides, with many critical componenets made in Japan/Germany etc, the new Harleys are now quite reliable and simple to work on.

NO, pls dont compare Harleys to RE Bullets. New Harleys do use Brembo brakes, fuel-injection, ABS on touring models etc. plus their paint & chrome finish etc are among the best in the motorcycling world. Also their belt drive is warranted for 100,000kms. So HD is in a different league.

So will I go in for another Harley? YES, AS A SECOND BIKE if I can afford it in future. Probably a Night Train or a RockerC, but never a Sportster again.

I went for their market survey yesterday.

They will launch the bike by this year end or early next year. There were 2 guys from Harley there as well.

The front rim and disc were a little different than in that picture. They said they will make changes to it according to the results of the survey.

I recently rode a Sportster1200 for a few thousand kilometres. During the HD concentration at St. Tropez, I saw the French National Police doing their routine of stunts on the 883 Sportster. Have not ridden that one.


My experience of the 1200Sportster is not quite all that negative. Yes, it was a used bike and it did have vibes. Brakes are quite poor, but then HDs are known to have poor braking in the earlier models.
I rode with a "small" pillion and some luggage at 180 for a short while. But these bikes are NOT made to be ridden like that. They are for more sedate riding, cruising at 130. For riding fast, you should go and get a bike with a Lot of plastic on it!

I did a few kilometres on the Road King. Now THAT is a bike! Just riding that bike is a project in itself. 300 kilos of chrome and metal!!! But once you are out in the wide open, you feel as if you are riding a vessel on the high seas, smooth and elegant.

I also did a few kilometres on the Night Rod. That thing as Haroon correctly points out has Serious Torque.

I would not say that from the above three bikes I have mentionned, any of them classify to be some of the crappiest bikes I have ridden, no, certainly not. But I have not ridden the 883.

But if HD gives me a 50+Bhp bike with good Torque on which I can tour for long distances, 600kms, with pillion and luggage and cruise at 120km/h all day long without bike and biker fatigue, hassle-free Fi, at 3L, I think I will go for it and even vote out the Ninja 250R.

Na Na ken i know this one thats a sposter. the one that they had a protype was a lot smaller when compared to all of the HD.s there.