Earlier last week, we reported on the latest leaked photos of the Harley-Davidson 338 R from China. However, the latest report from China gives more insights on Benelli and Harley’s joint project. We promised you guys we would update more details of the 338R project and here it is.
To begin with, just like we told you guys earlier, the Harley 338R appears to be based on the Benelli 302 S but with obvious HD specific body and an improved engine.
Diving more into the appearance, the 338R follows Harley’s classic design. Judging from how the bike looks on the recent leak, the 338 R looks very similar to Harley’s Tough Guy. Of course, some of you might not like the idea of this bike but Harley’s plan with the 338R is to influence the Asian market with a relatively affordable price tag.
Next up, talking of the frame, the Harley-Davidson 338R appears to share Benelli 302S’s frame, rear swingarm, suspension and brakes. If that’s the case, we can expect the weight of the bike to be similar to the Benelli 302S.
Moving onto the engine, according to the reports from China, 338R’s engine is based on the two-cylinder 300cc Benelli 302s mill. However, the crankshaft and pistons have been carried forward from the bigger two-cylinder Benelli 502s. The reports suggest this is how Harley and Benelli managed to bump up the capacity of the engine from 300cc to 338cc with a bore of 69mm and a stroke of 45.2mm.
Again, if that’s the case, increasing the displacement by 13%; the 338cc engine would push around 43hp compared to the 302s mill’s 38hp. However, we can’t guarantee much on the figures as these are just speculations based on rumours for now.
Speaking of the availability and launch; as reported by a few media channels from China, the Harley-Davidson 338R was supposed to be launched back in July during the Beijing Moto Expo, however, because of the COVID-19 pandemic this never happened. Did you know, the domestic Harley-Davidson dealers have already started promoting the Harley-Davidson 338R? This clearly gives us an idea of the demand this bike would generate. Looking at the situation now, we can expect Harley-Davidson to launch this baby street fighter by October 2020.
What do you think of the Harley-Davidson 338R? Yay or Nay?