Harley-Davidson, from evolution to revolution of “More Roads to Harley-Davidson”

More Roads to Harley Davidson

At university, I still remember, I studied the most famous motorcycle brand in America for the economic history exam. A company that has just turned 115 years old, full of successes that have seen it become one of the best-known brands on a global level, but with dark periods that have also seen it close to disappearing. The first crisis came from the threat of the Japanese, who in the 60s and 70s took away market shares, with competition that, in fact, until then no one had been able to do. From here, together with the economic crisis that hit hard, came the worst years of difficulty for Harley-Davidson, with consequences also on the products and their quality. American motorcycles ended up being criticized as unreliable, to the point that one of the historic phrases from those years was that, if you wanted to buy a Harley, you had to get a second one for spare parts.

From here, after having been seriously close to bankruptcy, Harley-Davidson began to climb back up, first by regaining shares and production volumes which led it to quickly become the leader again in large-displacement motorcycles, and then aiming to raise the bar, starting to innovate the product. The first important case was the partnership with Porsche, to develop the V-Rod, the first motorcycle from the American company with a 4-valve per cylinder engine, liquid-cooled and with specific sports power (120 hp), called Revolution. We were at the beginning of 2000, the success was probably not the desired one, but it was a first strong signal, which is relevant today. However, the path that leads to these days and to a press release, apparently "innocent" and arriving at a time of year when we think more about holidays than about the future of the world of two wheels, is a long one. Taking a few steps back, the American giant began to renew itself in 2013, with the Rushmore project (from the famous mountain on which the faces of some of the American Presidents were carved). It did so silently, one might say, with hundreds of changes to the models in the touring range, which were achieved with a program of collaboration with customers and 4 years of work. An example that allows us to help you understand the style used to improve the product, but with the utmost respect for tradition, is the cylinder head cooling system, with pipes and radiators cleverly hidden from the eyes. In a renewal that we only later discovered was epochal, the next step took place two years ago, with the birth of the new Milwaukee-Eight engine. Faithful from an aesthetic point of view and not only to the tradition of the most famous V-Twin in the world, but with innovations such as the 4 valves per cylinder or the vibrations reduced by 75% (they could be eliminated, but it would not have been sufficiently respectful of a essential element of an HD). An evolution that becomes more and more revolutionary, but always silent, even with the new Softail range (presented in 2017), which evolves some models, revolutionizes others, giving a shake-up to the range and leading to the simultaneous presentation of 8 new bikes (you can find the details here).

And here we are, a few days ago, with the announcement of another 4 new models (here is the first article we dedicated to him), which, when silent, make the revolution decidedly loud. How would you define a company with 115 years of history, especially linked to the world of custom, which presents a Crossover, or maxi enduro if you prefer, like this Pan America 1250?

All the sector publications (or at least the vast majority) have used this as an opening photo, precisely because it is the strongest provocation, the entry into an important market segment, but totally foreign to HD until today (with the small with the exception of the Buell XB12X Ulysses, from a dozen years ago, do you remember it?). However, all 4 proposals represent absolute novelties, each with a character and characteristics that make this one from Harley-Davidson a strong choice, to open up new roads, as declared by the claim itself "More Roads to Harley-Davidson". The second is the one that points to a (more or less distant) future that many see as taken for granted, with the forced choice to produce motorbikes with electric propulsion. The American company has been investing in this area for years and it is not a first in all respects, but the LiveWire is still surrounded by an important aura of curiosity.

The other two bikes, at least in our opinion, seem like a very interesting way to make amends from purists, from those who see Harley for what it has been in the 115 years behind it, rather than for the innovations and revolutions that await it , in a context that sees competition so driven, also from a technological and content point of view, that diversification and development in previously unexplored segments are effectively indispensable. The first of the two, not for nothing called for now simply "FUTURE CUSTOM MODEL", with the last word clarifying that HD will always mean this too, has the 1250 heart in common with the future crossover.

Finally, the fourth model is the Streetfighter, which for some is even more interesting and "juicy" than the Pan America. Yes, because on the one hand it represents the desire to maintain an important presence in medium-sized displacements, given that it will adopt a 975 cubic capacity engine, on the other hand it returns to associating the V-Twin with a sports bike, a bit like what happened with Buell, brand whose fate has not been, unfortunately its admirers would say, the best. It does so for the first time, at least in modern times, with the official HD brand and, looking at it, we are curious to discover its features and performance, but above all, the desire to get on the saddle and try it is already very high!