Harley-Davidson expands Hero MotoCorp partnership for new small bikes
Filipinos have long had a soft spot for Harley-Davidson, shaped by American pop culture or the lifestyle the brand represents. For many, though, owning one has remained out of reach, limited instead to a Harley-branded shirt or cap. Others take it up a notch, customizing small-displacement motorcycles, often Chinese-made, into Harley-inspired cruisers.
That’s just how it has been, and there’s nothing wrong about it. But that gap may not stay the same for long. In the coming years, owning a real Harley-Davidson that doesn’t break the bank could become more realistic.
Just recently, Harley-Davidson has been reported to be moving further into the entry-level motorcycle space, building on its partnership with Hero MotoCorp. The collaboration is now being expanded to support a broader range of small-displacement motorcycles aimed at India and global markets.
This next phase builds on the Harley-Davidson X440, currently the brand’s most accessible model in several markets and already produced through Hero MotoCorp’s manufacturing network.
What’s different this time is seriousness and scale. It is no longer a one-off, testing-the-waters-type of project. The direction now points to a wider lineup of entry-level motorcycles, with reports suggesting it will cover both everyday commuter bikes and small-capacity performance models.
Production is expected to remain in India, anchored on Hero MotoCorp’s manufacturing prowess. The X440 served as the starting point for this strategy, as it gave Harley-Davidson a foothold in India's 300cc to 500cc segment, a space long dominated by Japanese manufacturers and Royal Enfield. Its positive reception appears to have encouraged both companies to push the formula further.
While full model details are still under wraps, the direction is already clear that the American brand is no longer limiting itself to heavyweight cruisers with high price tags. Instead, it is building a parallel lineup aimed at the entry-level segment, now one of the most competitive areas in the global motorcycle market.
This shift also says a lot about the broader reset inside Harley-Davidson as it works to expand its customer base, attract younger riders, and lower the entry point to the brand. Smaller-displacement motorcycles seem to be a part of that long-term strategy to make the company profitable again.
If the plan stays on course, it could open the door to more affordable Harley-Davidson models beyond the X440 in the coming years. Unlike earlier efforts, this new direction is being developed with a global rollout in mind from the start, rather than being tailored to specific markets such as India after production.
