In October 2020, Harley-Davidson and Hero MotoCorp signed an agreement under which Hero will sell and service Harley Davidson bikes in India. The home-grown two-wheeler manufacturer started retailing the Harley motorcycles via its dealership network by started accepting bookings in April 2021. The model lineup includes around 13 models including Street Bob, Fat Bob, Softail, the upcoming Pan America 1250 adventure motorcycle and more. These bikes are priced between Rs 10 lakh – Rs 35 lakh (ex-showroom).
The first batch of around 100 Harley bikes has already been sold out in the country. In fact, Hero MotoCorp has begun taking pre-bookings for the second batch of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The home-grown two-wheeler maker is planning to retail premium motorcycles under its own brand which are being developed for Harley-Davidson. The range will include middleweight bikes with engine capacity ranging from 500cc to above. In India, the middleweight motorcycle segment consists of model between 350cc – 400cc and it’s dominated by Royal Enfield.
Hero MotoCorp has also been working on EV bikes and scooters independently at its Rajasthan based R&D centers in India and at Stephanskirchen in Germany. Earlier this year, the company announced its partnership with Taiwanese EV brand – Gogoro. Hero will take advantage of Gogoro’s expertise in battery swapping technology and might introduce a few rebadged models in the country.
Hero MotoCorp won’t use ‘Hero’ brand name for its upcoming electric vehicles as ‘Hero Electric’ has “global rights over Hero brand name in perpetuity” for EVs. The new Hero electric bikes and scooter will be introduced under a new, dedicated sub-brand that will be announced at the time of launch. Rumour has it that the Gogoro Viva electric scooter might be launched in India under Hero’s new EV sub-brand. The model comes in two variants – Basic and Keyless – packed with an electric motor making power worth 4bhp and 115Nm of torque. The first Hero electric two-wheeler is likely to launch sometime next year.
