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So we always knew Street 750 would be available first, but there was always the assumption perhaps aided by HD themselves that the Street 500 was going to be available at some point in the Indian market. That however seems to of changed, that is if Indian Cars Bikes is to be believed...
ICB Exclusive: Harley Davidson Street 500 unlikely to see India launch - Indian Cars BikesICB Exclusive: Harley Davidson Street 500 unlikely to see India launch
by Rakesh Datton April 8, 2014No Comments
Harley Davidson builds the Street 500 and 750 models in India. Both cruisers have a lot of local content sourced from India, where Harley Davidson runs a mother plant in Bawal, Haryana. We were stumped when Harley launched the Street 750 first in India, when it could have easily launched an even cheaper bike, the Street 500.
We contacted our sources close to Harley Davidson to find out why the American cruiser maker is going slow on the Street 500 for India. Our sources came back with the reply that the Street 500 is not meant for India. It is a bike that will be sold as a beginner bike for markets like the United States and Europe.
Beginner bikes that are sold in the UK come with a power handicap as they are limited by law to produce lesser than 34 Bhp. The Street 500′s engine is said to output 32 Bhp, which is not much as the engine is not just a 500cc V Twin but also is liquid cooled.
Selling a heavy, underpowered bike in India that is probably slower than the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 won’t win Harley Davidson many admirers here. As the Street 750 is priced at Rs. 4 lakhs, the Street 500 will have to be priced about a lakh lower due to the bike’s cubic capacity lower by more than 33 % when compared to the Street 750.