Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ll know Harley-Davidson is gearing up to debut its small-capacity roadster. Called the X350 and X500, the motorcycles have been trademarked in China (where they’ll be built) and the MoCo has even registered the smaller X350 in America. Although the latter gave us hope for the roadster’s imminent U.S. launch, Harley-Davidson has finally revealed its intentions, announcing that the X350 will NOT go on sale in America. By the way, this is the first time the MoCo has publicly acknowledged the Chinese roadster.

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The X350 Will Be Used By The Riding Academy

Harley-Davidson Street 500 Riding Academy
Harley-Davidson

The X350 might not go on sale, but you will see it in the United States. Particularly, in Harley-Davidson Riding Academies. According to HD CEO Jochen Zeitz, the X350 will replace the age-old Street 500 to play an integral part in the expansion of Harley’s Riding Academy program. And thanks to Harley’s VIN filings, we already know the riding academy version will be called the X350RA.

The ‘RA’ in its name brings a few notable tweaks such as prominent crash guards and slimmer 110/150-section (F/R) tires. Most importantly, however, the X350RA will be powered by a restricted 353cc, parallel-twin engine which produces just 23 horsepower. In contrast, the standard X350 produces 36 horsepower and rolls on 120/160-section rubber.

Should The Baby Harley Come To America?

Harley-Davidson 338R Patent 1
National Intellectual Property Administration (China)

So is Harley-Davidson’s decision to scrap the X350’s American launch sensible? Well, yes, and no. Yes, because the X350 and X500 were always meant to exploit Asian markets. Plus, since America has no tiered license, there’s a high chance Harley-Davidson is planning to bring the bigger X500 here instead. On the contrary, we think Harley should still bring the X350 to America - even if it’s in limited numbers - to test the waters. After all, the X350 is more powerful and better equipped than its arch-rivals, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 and Honda CB300R.

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Benelli 302S
Benelli

Speaking of which, the X350 roadster is built around a trellis frame, which is sprung on upside-down forks and an offset side-mounted monoshock. Topping this is a set of 17-inch alloy wheels, clamped by dual disc brakes up top–both being oddities on Harley-Davidson's current lineup. Meanwhile, dual-channel ABS, all-LED lights, and a semi-digital instrument cluster all run standard on the X350. Most of this - including the above-mentioned engine - is derived from the Benelli 302S, which is also built by Harley-Davidson’s Chinese partner QJ Motor.

Finally, now that Harley-Davidson has acknowledged the X350’s existence, it’s not long before we see it in the flesh. Even in the Riding Academy colors, the motorcycle will still mark a new chapter in Harley-Davidson’s life, and we hope the motorcycles do well in Asian markets. Above all, let’s hope we at least get the bigger X500.