Design of the 338cc Harley-Davidson 338R revealed ahead of launch!

Latest patent leaks of the Harley-Davidson 338R showcases the incoming “Baby Harley” in detail ahead of launch.

 

Folks here is another “leak” of the upcoming Harley-Davidson 338R, aka “Baby Harley”. A month ago the 338cc Harley Davidson in near production-ready form was spotted in China, however, the “spy shot” of the bike wasn’t that clear as it showcased the bike from just one side with the majority of the bike out of frame. Well, the latest design filing of the bike gives us a more detailed preview of the bike ahead of the official launch.

In case you missed the buzz, here is a quick run-through before we get into the details. The Baby Harley news broke out when Harley Davidson partnered with China’s Qianjiag/ QJ Motor (Benelli’s parent company) last year. The purpose of the partnership was to design and develop a line of smaller Harley Davidson model called the HD 350 specifically aimed at the Asian market. It’s either you hate or love the idea but taking into account Harley’s badge prestige and the demand in the Asian market, we think Harley is playing the game smart.

Following this, the “HD 350” project was seen on Benelli’s production plan which meant Benelli was taking care of the development of this bike. Months later, although the name changed from HD 350 to HD 338R, the earlier spy shots last month confirmed the Baby Harley is actually on its way.

The Recent Leaks and Speculations on the Specifications

Now let’s get right into the latest leak, comparing the spy shot of the bike in metal with the detailed design filings side by side, both the bikes are identical which confirms 99% of what we are seeing now is what Harley is planning on launching. Looking at the design filings, the Harley Davidson 338R looks very similar to Benelli’s 302s and QJ Motor’s QJ350.

However, HD 338R has a more Harley-specific design, where the bike somewhat looks similar to Harley’s Tough Guy.  Looking at the bike in detail, the frame, rear swingarm, suspension and brakes are identical to that from the 302s. However, the engine is something new and it is specific to the 338R.

According to reports from China, the crankshaft and pistons have been carried forward from the bigger two-cylinder Benelli 502s. Because of this, the new 338 mill would roll in with a 69mm bore and 45.2mm stroke.

The Launch

In the case of the launch, since a production-ready Harley Davidson 338R was recently spotted, we think the launch is just around the corner. We believe Harley would pull the cover off the 338R by end of this year at least.

What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comment section below!