Harley Davidson has been in partnership with Chinese company Qianjiang for a while now but rumours and grainy spy shots are all we have seen. Could this new 500cc parallel-twin engined bike be the next tease?

Is There a 500cc Harley Davidson In the Pipeline?

Back in 2019, the then-CEO of Harley Davidson, Matt Levatich, announced a partnership with Chinese concern Qianjiang and the first model to come from the partnership - or at least supposed to come - was the 338R model that would be built in China.

Of course, it wasn't going to be a new Harley from the ground up, rather a re-badged and slightly larger capacity Benelli 302S (Benelli is part of the Qianjiang empire). The 338cc capacity was a combination of the 302's stroke and the bore of Benelli\s 500cc parallel twin.

For whatever reason, the 338R has never made it to production but now what appear to be shots from a video show a different Harley-badged prototype undergoing dyno tests.

The new machine is known outside China as the Benelli Leoncino 500 but the Harley Davidson shield is clearly visible on the gas tank. Everything else is Benelli: engine, chassis, upside down forks and brake calipers, swing arm, wheels, handlebars and mirrors, even the licence plate hanger at the rear.

So, the hardware is the same, but the styling is unique. The tank is different, as is the headlight and the instrument panel and the rear bodywork.

The question is: is this a production-ready model? The fact that it is being tested on a rolling road, or dyno, is a clue, as is the protective plastic on the seat. Why would that be there if it was just a test mule?

In its current form, the Benelli motor produces 47bhp so it is reasonable to assume it will remain the same for the Harley version. That power figure works nicely with the European A2 licence requirements, that stipulate a bike may not have more than 47bhp. It would make sense for Harley to gun for that class as a way of enticing new riders to the brand.

If the Harley Davidson version of the Benelli Leoncino 500 keeps the same specifications, that means a weight of around 450lbs which isn't featherweight but could impart a solid quality feel to the bike. Or make it very slow!

As this new Harley would be aimed primarily at the Asian markets, we wouldn't expect it to be a big seller in Europe or North America. Similarly, building the bike in China would reduce costs and make it a viable purchase for that market. But it's not out of the question that the 500 - and possibly the 338 - could make it out of Asia. Would anyone buy it or would the cynicism towards a thinly disguised bike of Chinese manufacture be a step too far for those looking to buy into the Harley brand?

If the price was right, maybe it would. Look at what happened to the Pan America: not in the slightest is it a traditional H-D offering but it's selling like hot cakes. If the 'baby' Harley can look and feel like a real Harley, maybe it would sell.

Harley Davidson has shown recently that it's not afraid to takes risks and expand into new markets. Could this re-badged Benelli be its next step towards diversification?