Breaking: Harley-Davidson X350 Launched In China

We have known for sometime now that Harley-Davidson had plans of rolling our two small capacity, affordable bikes to invite new riders to the HOG community. And today, it has launched the X350, a entry-level, 350cc Sportster. This isn’t the bike Harley is making for India along with business partner Hero MotoCorp, that’s yet to come. This model is mainly for China.

This motorcycle has been co-developed with QJ Motor of China. Yes, the same brand which recently made its India debut. Under the skin, this new Harley X350 is essentially a QJ Moto SRK350, or a Benelli 352S with aesthetic changes. Hence, it’s business as usual on the inside.

The engine is a 353cc, liquid-cooled, in-line twin cylinder motor making 36.7PS and 31Nm. Those torque figures alone sound inviting. The motor is mated to a six speed gearbox and this powerplan is suspended on adjustable suspension. At the front you get a 41mm adjustable up-side-down fork and at the back you have a monoshock which is both preload and rebound adjustable. 

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Braking is handled by twin discs at the front and a single at the back. However, there is no mention of ABS on the main website and could be offered as standard only in the countries that demand it. 

The main difference between the X350 and its Chinese cousins is the styling which looks closest to Harley’s Sportster family.  That said, there’s strong flat tracker inspiration coming through its flat boxy look. In terms of features, the bike is pretty barebone and gets a simple analogue cluster with a small digital readout for basic stuff like trip and fuel. The lighting is all LED though.    

This could have an impact on the pricing depending on where in the world you are buying one. In China, it costs 33,388 Yuan, roughly Rs 3.93 lakh. That’s a bit expensive for a 350, no?