It has been rumoured for a couple of years now but, finally, the Harley Davidson Custom model is set to be officially launched. Using the new Revolution Max engine as seen in the Pan America adventure bike, it's hard to see from the video if the bike will resemble closely the prototype but we won't have long to wait to find out for sure.

Replacement for the Harley-Davidson Sportster to be Officially Launched

We always knew that H-D’s new Revolution Max engine would be seen in more than one model; the original announcement had the engine in three bikes - the Pan America, the Bronx Streetfighter and the Custom.

Whether we would see all three was thrown into doubt with the announcement that the Bronx Street Fighter concept had been canned, which was a shame as, after the Pan America, it was the most tantalising prospect.

That left the Custom to be officially revealed and, surprise, surprise, it now has been. Mind you, its not like we can see much of it in the very short teaser video so we can’t tell to what extent it will resemble the concept but perhaps the fact that it is coming is prospect enough? What is also not known is whether the engine will have the same 1250cc capacity and 150bhp output as the unit used in the Pan America or whether it will use the 975cc unit as proposed for the Streetfighter model.

In a way, it was inevitable the the Custom would appear; it will appease the traditional H-D owner while attracting a new, younger customer. At least, that is what Harley are hoping.

The full reveal will be on July 13th and everyone can watch if you sign up for the virtual launch. Follow this link to do that

What will it be called?

It is not certain that the new model will be called the Custom. Trademark applications made by the factory suggest either Nightster or Bareknuckle but we'll only know for sure on the 13th.

This will be an important model for Harley Davidson. With the demise of the Sportster in Europe and with a much reduced model line-up in the US after 65 years in continuous production due to the engine not meeting Euro5 emission standards, Harley was left without a 'small' model in its line up. The new bike will not be a direct replacement for the Sportster but will go some way to plugging the gap.

Styling Cues

It is likely that the production version will not differ much from the prototype in appearance. Harley has gone to some lengths to provide visual cues from previous models. The exhausts, tank and seat, for example, are similar to those found on the XR750 flat-track racer. One unfamiliar feature is the radiator which looks a bit of an afterthought on the prototype and may be better integrated on the production model.