Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson updated its sharknosed Road Glide in 2017 and replaced the little-loved Twin Cam engine with its new Milwaukee-Eight powerplant, a combination that persists into model-year 2021. There were a handful of aesthetic adjustments made over that span, but the model remains pretty much as it was when it hit the showroom floors in MY17. On the current-year model, top-shelf infotainment capabilities join with a plush suspension system and premium paint packages to deliver the comfort and style H-D riders expect, and the Mil-8 107 engine turns out the torque that we demand.

It was a huge departure for the historic American manufacturer, but it seems as if the gamble has paid off as the Pan America adventure bike tops the sales charts in the Adventure Sports segment in the US, mere months after the bike was launched.

Harley Davidson comes full circle with the latest Serial 1 range of powered bicycles. However, whereas the original Harley Davidson had a petrol engine powering the bicycle, the Serial 1 has batteries and an electric motor. It’s the way of the future so you might as well get used to it.

Total visitor numbers to the 81st Sturgis Motorcycle Rally soared to over half a million, despite the ongoing risk of it being a Covid super spreader event. The numbers fall short of the all-time record of nearly 750,000 in 2015 for the 75th Anniversary event but are higher than last year, the first year of the pandemic.

Harley-Davidson ditched the Milwaukee-Eight 107 and repowered its Street Bob platform ahead of MY2021 with the powerful Mil-8 114 to give it a performance boost over its predecessor. This makes it the least expensive stoplight burner in the 2021 lineup, as well as the lightest Big-Twin to carry the up-sized Milwaukee engine. The homejob-custom look is a carryover from last year but the graphics package is unique to this year-model setting it apart from its peers.

Harley-Davidson gives us a glimpse of the near future of the Sportster lineup with the release of its all-new Sportster S model. The MoCo breaks with 35 years of tradition by moving away from the powerplant and base design that first rolled back in ’86 in favor of a new, from-the-ground-up re-imagination that bears little resemblance to its predecessor. Modern chassis design and high-performance V-Twin power set the tone for the newest Sportster addition as the factory looks to become more competitive in its sub Big-Twin range.

Harley-Davidson rebrands its tourbike line under the “Grand American Touring” banner in 2021, and the American marque marks the occasion with the all-new Electra Glide Revival. This bike is a bona fide rolling tribute that brings classic design elements together with top-shelf electronics and a large powerful engine, all of a more recent vintage to make this a thoroughly modern ride.

Heavily bobbed and blacked-out, the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob came with a choice of engine — the 107-inch Milwaukee-Eight or the 114-inch version – up until 2020 when only the 114 was carried forward. These grunty powerplants, along with a (relatively) sporty new suspension system from the redesign in 2018 give the Fat Bob an aggressive bent meant to appeal to a younger generation of rider. The Fat Bob saw a complete do-over in 2018, so if you rode it before and weren’t impressed, know that you haven’t ridden this Fat Bob.

Harley Davidson’s Street Glide has been a huge success for the Milwaukee-based manufacturer. Now it is available as a limited edition in the Arctic Blast paint job. Just 500 examples available with a price tag of over $38,000! Despite this, expect it to sell out quickly.

Last year, spy shots of a ’baby’ Harley Davidson, called the 338R, were all over the internet. The bike was based on the Benelli 302, produced by Chinese manufacturer Qiangjiang, or QJMotor. Since then, all has been silent in Milwaukee. However, a new tie-in with Hero Motor Corp in India, as well as ongoing links with QJMotor, could see a small-displacement Harley Davidson suitable for the lucrative Indian and Asian markets.

Manufacturers around the world are posting impressive sales gains in 2021 over the same period in 2020. These can be slightly misleading, however, due to the enormous differences in trading conditions from last year to this but the increases could be seen as a return of consumer confidence and a desire to just get on with life once again.

Often called the most famous motorcycle in the world, no-one really knows where the original Captain America, from the Easy Rider movie, is. But that doesn’t matter when you can have one built for yourself and re-create the American Dream.

Harley Davidson is busy reinventing itself, helped by the Revolution Max liquid-cooled engine. But where does the company go next? Could we see a sports bike some time in the future?