Mystery cruiser spotted testing: Harley 500cc motorcycle?

The mystery cruiser motorcycle, touted by many to be the 500 cc, entry-level Harley Davidson motorcycle, has been spotted yet again on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India. Images of the latest spotting come from Team-Bhpian Metallica, who goes on to add that the exhaust note of the motorcycle was muted and that it did not resemble the signature, potato-potato sound that Harley Davidsons make. 

Given the fact that the Gurgaon-Manesar-Faridabad belt plays host to a range of two wheeler makers such as Honda, Hero MotoCorp and Yamaha, the real identity of the mystery cruiser remains as mysterious as ever. Counter-theories stating that the exhaust could be muted on purpose are also doing the rounds. For now, the mystery cruiser being devoid of badging indicates that the motorcycle is indeed a test mule.

A notable change on the test-mule is regarding the registration number. While previous mules featured the HR 99 RTO code, the latest test mules feature a HR 26 RTO code, another hint that the motorcycle in question is running a temporary Gurgaon registration. Notably, the HR 99 registration code is given to all temporary registrations in the state of Haryana. The Harley Davidson India mother plant is situated at Bawal, Haryana.

On whether it is the 500 cc Harley being tested is something that we'll know in due course of time. For now though, the only indication of the existence of a 500 cc Harley Davidson has come from the American motorcycle maker's chief operating officer, Mr Matt Levatich. The 500 cc Harley Davidson cruiser is expected to be showcased at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo with an official launch closer to 2015. 

Harley Davidson could leverage India's low cost-high quality manufacturing base advantage to build this cruiser, which is expected to be exported to destinations across the globe in both developing as well as developed motorcycle markets. The 500 cc motorcycle could make do with upgrades to engine technology, particularly in the engine cooling department. A price in the whereabouts of 3 lakh rupees is what the 500 cc Harley is likely to come with.