The Harley-Davidson BareKnuckle project kicks off on July 13, 2021.
Things are happening again at Harley-Davidson. On Monday, the company announced that it plans to unveil a new Harley-Davidson model in an online presentation on July 13. It starts at 5:00 p.m. You can tune in at the following Link Register in advance for the launch event.
The name „BareKnuckle“ is unofficially on everyone's lips.
But what will Harley be unveiling on July 13? We can only speculate, otherwise we could hold the launch event in advance on the Harley website, but there are a few clues, of course. It will be the power cruiser that belongs to the new Bareknuckle project series, based on the new Revolution Max engine. On July 13, the 1250 engine variant with the new powerful Revolution Max engine is set to be unveiled. However, the power delivery will be different from that of the Pan America, which also features the 1250 engine. The power cruiser is designed more for torque, which makes sense for a cruiser and is best suited to a Harley-Davidson.
So we can assume that it will have less power on paper, but to be honest, I can hardly imagine what kind of cruiser this will be—it's bound to be a hot rod. Above all, this bike will take off like a rocket. I've ridden the Pan America with its 152 hp in race mode, and you really have to hold on tight on the catapult, otherwise it will leave you behind. The Revolution Max engine will change a lot, we can assume that.
Originally, the new power cruiser was supposed to be available at dealers in August, but Harley-Davidson has postponed this date until the fall because, unfortunately, there are still delivery bottlenecks. And who would have thought that the traffic jam in the Panama Canal is also partly to blame for this. Various solutions are being sought to get the bikes to Harley-Davidson dealers as quickly as possible.
Two engine versions are under discussion.
Two versions are under discussion, but it is not entirely clear whether the 975 engine variant will also be presented. Originally, a 500 and 700 engine variant were under discussion, but there is no mention of these today. The smaller versions would open the way to a younger target group, which would indeed be a big step.
The BareKnuckle project will certainly be well received by younger riders. If the Pan America's display also finds its way into the power cruiser, the door will be open for customized riding modes and connectivity to mobile phones, which is somehow part of everyday life for young people today.
There is talk of a customizing program that will enable customers to tune their vehicles in a simple manner, meaning that it will not only look stylish, but will also enable simple performance optimization.
The photo accompanying the article actually reveals quite a lot about the prototype, so I would imagine that the Cruiser will have a few more cool features that aren't immediately apparent. Technically, it will be equipped similarly to the Pan America, with various safety features and riding modes expected, because it's really interesting how cool you can configure your own mode, which will appeal particularly to tech-savvy riders.
Is there going to be a BareKnuckle MotorClothes collection?
Following the Rewire program, Harley-Davidson is now running the Hardwire program, with the long-established company aiming to completely reposition itself. Harley-Davidson is not only a motorcycle manufacturer, but also represents a lifestyle factor, so it would come as no surprise if the new Harley-Davidson BareKnuckle project were to be accompanied by a matching MotorClothes collection. Jochen Zeitz has already recognized this aspect and will push ahead with these opportunities accordingly.
BareKnuckle is a new model series
BareKnuckle is the name given to a new model series from Harley-Davidson, which includes the announced Power Cruiser. The price range is expected to be somewhere below $15,000, which would be a competitive price for Harley-Davidson. The Pan America has already shown us where the journey is headed; no one would have thought in advance that the standard version would start at $15,995; the assumption was that the entry price would be around $20,000.
And if they are really serious about „Evolution to Revolution,“ it will cost as much as the last Sportster, which is somewhere around €14,000! But you'll have to be quick if you want to ride one this year. We just saw with the Electra Glide Revival how crazy things can get sometimes—it was briefly introduced and then it was gone.
Whether the BareKnuckle project is intended to replace the Sportster will only be revealed when Harley-Davidson unveils the actual model name of the new power cruiser on July 13.
„From Evolution to Revolution“, That tells us quite a bit, but you can never really be sure with Harley-Davidson.
„LiveWire One“
What has become known in passing is that Harley-Davidson, or rather „LiveWire,“ also wants to introduce a new electric motorcycle in July. It will be called LiveWire One and will be equipped with a 75 kW electric motor. This has 4 kW less than the actual LiveWire electric motor, which could be beneficial for the range. This is the biggest challenge that continues to be worked on intensively.
The presentation could take place as early as July 8 in the US, with a further presentation scheduled for the following day at the International Motorcycle Show in Irvine, California. No information has been released about the price yet, but it is expected to be significantly lower than that of the LiveWire.
Text Harleysite Image credit: Harley-Davidson prototype
