Harley-Davidson has confirmed its Bronx streetfighter will not be launched in 2021 as originally planned, but while it stopped short of saying it has been axed altogether it also doesn’t provide any clue as to whether it has merely been delayed.
As reported by Visordown on Tuesday [18 August], super sleuths Motorcycle.com had noticed the machine had suddenly disappeared from Harley-Davidson’s ‘Future Vehicles’ page, leaving just the sister Pan America model and it’s urban mobility machines showing.
Inevitably, speculation ramped that the Bronx – revealed at the 2019 EICMA show – had been given the axe, most likely as a result of the ‘Rewire’ turned ‘Hardwire’ strategic shake up underway at Harley-Davidson right now.
Having approached Harley-Davidson for comment, it has confirmed to Visordown that the Bronx will not see the light of day in 2021 as originally planned. However, while it stopped short of saying it has bitten the bullet, it doesn’t exactly go to any length to suggest it hasn’t…
“Harley-Davidson’s immediate new product focus in 2021 will be on the launch of Pan America, our first Adventure Touring motorcycle. In order to ensure an outstanding launch for Pan America, we will not be launching the Bronx streetfighter motorcycle next year.”
What’s clear is that the Pan America ADV is on the way, which still represents quite a departure for Harley-Davidson’s general modus operandi.
Indeed, given new CEO Jochen Zeitz has intimated the ‘Rewire’ strategy – which will become the Hardwire when it is announced – goes back to appeasing Harley-Davidson’s core demographic, even the Pan America might have seemed at risk.
Then again, since both the Pan America and Bronx had been conceived around the firms’ new 60-degree V Twin engine – a 1250cc version for the former and 975cc for the latter – it’s reasonable to assume at least one of these models had to make it to market to justify the outlay of developing such a pricey platform.
Which is why the axing of the Bronx altogether seems a rash move and makes us wonder whether it will instead undergo a major behind the scenes overhaul, taking it away from a streetfighter configuration and into a fully-fledged retro sportsbike, as was teased at the end of last year in thi grainy back of shot image.
More should become clear when Harley-Davidson outlines its ‘Hardwire’ strategy.
