In 2019, Harley-Davidson and Qian Jiang announced a cooperation in the development of small-displacement models, although rumors continued, but there was no substantial progress. Recently, this car has a new eyebrow. Now there is evidence that the car has been declared in the United States, and the vehicle identification number (VIN) information submitted by Qian Jiang to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been made public.
The Harley-Davidson 338R was originally scheduled to enter the Chinese market by the end of 2020, and the launch was scheduled to be held in June 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused indefinite delays. Then, in the fall of 2020, new images of design patent applications and the first images of finished motorcycles appeared.
At that time, the 338R, which was glimpsed at a glance, was basically based on Qianjiang's model, and in addition to some details, it was still very characteristic of Harley. If you look closely at the pictures, you'll even find the cast letters Harley-Davidson Motor Company on the hood in the pictures.
And Harley-Davidson has released drawings for the 338R's motorcycle, which indicates a further sign as an upcoming launch to the market. The first recent registration documents have now been submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Where the decoding of the VIN code accurately points to the expected Little Harley, it may have two versions with and without ABS.
In another version, the Harley Jr. can also be supplied as Benaly, a side-by-side twin engine with a displacement of 353cc and an expected performance of nearly 37 horsepower, meeting Euro 5 emissions standards. Harley said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in February that it was uncertain when the small-displacement model of the partnership would be launched to the market.
The VIN code declared by Qianjiang covers multiple model years starting in 2021, further indicating that these models are ready for production, but are stuck at a certain point due to certain problems. While there is no definite release timeline, the VIN code tells us that we are at least one step closer to a product launch.