Who doesn’t want to own a Harley? Yet, the brand’s restrictive pricing has led to the shrinking of its market share in the past years.

Most Harley-Davidson bikes are too expensive for younger riders, while those who can afford them are either too busy to ride or too old to be straddling a big, heavy machine.

So the heritage brand from Milwaukee has been busy addressing this dilemma and came up with the Harley-Davidson X350.

Not a V-twin, not a cruiser too

The Harley-Davidson X350 is powered by a 353 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin, which produces 27 kW and 31 Nm. Its styling seems like a cross between a flat tracker and a roadster, with an exposed trellis frame and 17-inch rubbers.

The X350 also sports an inverted front fork and an asymmetrical single shock absorber at the rear.

Made in China

The X350 was developed and produced in partnership with Qianjiang (QJ) Motor, a motorcycle manufacturing giant based in Zhejiang, China. QJ Motor was established in 1985, and they have been selling their motorcycles outside China under the Keeway brand.

In 2005, QJ Motor acquired the iconic Italian brand Benelli. Hence, it was not a surprise for us to learn that the Harley-Davidson X350 uses the platform of the Benelli 302S.

Tollway-legal version is in the works

We have not heard from Harley-Davidson Manila if they will bring the X350. If they do, the first concern that would-be buyers will raise is that they won’t be able to ride the bike on tollways. It’s comforting to know that Harley-Davidson will launch the X500 soon, probably based on the Benelli Leoncino 500 or Benelli 502C.

If the price is right

Of course, the X350 will almost certainly receive flak from Harley-Davidson purists, such as the case with the Street 750 and Street 500. However, if priced correctly, the X350 will be hard to resist for newbies and old-timers.

When it was launched in China a couple of days ago, the X350 had a price tag of CNY¥ 33,388. That’s only around ₱ 265,000! Take my money, please.     

To the Harley-Davidson purists, the X350 might sound like a different motorcycle (literally) that is devoid of the brand’s legendary character. On the other hand, this could be a good way to expand Harley-Davidson’s market share by making their bikes accessible to a broader range of buyers.

Yet, one may ask, what does it profit a brand to gain the world and lose its soul?