Could the Harley-Davidson Bronx still make it into production?
A recent trademark renewal in the US points to Harley-Davidson hanging onto the Bronx name for just a little bit longer…
THE last few years have been a roller coaster for America’s most famous motorcycle manufacturer. First off we had former Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich and his ‘More Roads…’ strategy, and more latterly the Jochen Zeitz branded ‘Rewire’ plan.
And it’s not been just business terms banded around a boardroom table either. We’ve seen some proper all-new bikes from Harley, with all-new engines, frames, electronic systems, and styling. The thing is, there was one bike that we were all (in this office anyway) wanting to see more than any other. That bike was the Bronx, a sports naked with a Harley-Davidson V-twin engine, and a distinctly European style to it.
Sadly though, H-D CEO Zeitz poured cold water on the machine, pretty much before he’d even got his feet under the table. His focus was on delivering the Pan America 1250 models, and some bikes that would appeal to Harley-Davidson’s core customer base. That final box was ticked off last month, with the arrival of the surprisingly spritely Nightster, a bike that shares the same 975cc engine as the Bronx.
So, that’s it. The Bronx is gone, long live the Nightster… Well not totally. Trademark filings uncovered in the US have revealed that Harley is renewing its right to retain the Bronx name to comply with US trademark laws. If a trademark is filed and not used on a commercial model within three years, the trademark owner must renew the filing, or risk losing the rights to the name. While this in itself isn’t concrete evidence the bike is still set to come, there are a few other pointers that lead us to believe that this is a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’ it will arrive.
First of all, there was Jochen Zeitz own admission that the Bronx would not be released ‘next year’, a comment he made in 2020 when the project was shelved. In saying this he didn’t shut the door on the bike totally, he just pushed it closed slightly. There is also the fact that the bike looked pretty much ready to go. We saw it at the EICMA show in 2019, and it was definitely not a show pony or show bike. With all the hard yards done with regards to designing and prototyping the machine, you’d be surprised if they didn’t put it all to use.
Harley-Davidson Bronx walkaround EICMA 2019
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
