Harley-Davidson X 350 2023 — Specifications

Since the disappearance of the 883 Sportster, entering the Harley-Davidson world has become more complicated. The range now begins with 975 cm3 via the Nightster and a rather hefty price tag. The good old days when you could treat yourself to an Iron for 10 plates are long gone...

But Harley must continue to adapt in a world in perpetual mutation. With a new objective: a larger and more accessible presence in emerging countries. This is for them that the new X 350 is presented. A small Harley, in a super compact format, to bring the "Bar & Shield” to a more modest audience.

X 350! Not a complicated name. Simplicity and mystery combined at a glance. Also a good way to instantly discover its displacement. A three and a half from Harley-Davidson is unprecedented in the modern era. We haven't seen such a small displacement since the Aermacchi era. The 353 cm3 may seem quite small for a Milwaukee machine, typically synonymous with blocks approaching two liters – but it’s the ideal range for China.

Once again, it’s a twin that powers the motorcycle. But parallel this time. The solutions are similar to everything in the category, with 4 valves per cylinder, overhead camshafts, injection and liquid cooling. The engine produces 36 horsepower and a little over 3 mkg of torque. Sufficient for urban journeys or small plains but far from the enormous breath of a Big Block Milwaukee Eight.

Anyway, the Chinese know that they will buy above all the name. Like them, let's not fool ourselves. Baby Harley doesn’t have much of a Davidson. The technical underpinnings are those of a SRK 350 from QJ Motor; from which the Benelli 350 S also derives. The X 350 is distinguished only by its trim, its round instrument panel, its headlight and a few cosmetic artifices. If Harley has concluded an agreement with Qianjiang, it is to open a door to the Chinese market with a Chinese motorcycle. From one people to another, the appetite is not the same.

Justly. We would need to understand what this X 350 has eaten to display a well-fed weight. Within the H-D range, its 195 kilos would not be anything particular. But a small displacement with such a mass is like a schoolgirl with cinder blocks as shoes. An even more astonishing figure given the light design, more or less inspired by the XR 750 Dirt-track. The peripherals seem more than correct, with a 41 mm inverted fork, a single offset monoshock, 3 petal disc brakes and a steel tubular trellis frame.

This X 350, Harley-davidson announced it a long time ago. More than 3 years will have passed between the announcement and reality. But here it is, the smallest and least expensive Harley has been born and will discover the multitude of the Asian market. To support it, the X will also exist in a 500 format, with a 47 horsepower engine – a motorcycle also extrapolated from an already existing model, namely the 500 Leoncino.

M.B - Photos constructeur