Harley-Davidson will launch the 1200 Custom in India on January 28. The Sportster will be priced a little above the Iron 883 and below the Forty Eight.
Harley-Davidson is gaining popularity with latest affordable offerings like the Street 750. Keeping with the momentum, the American manufacturer has decided to launch the 1200 Custom on January 28. The new motorcycle will sit between the Iron 883 which is priced at Rs. 7,67,500/- (ex-showroom Mumbai) and the Forty Eight which costs Rs. 9,49,800/- (ex-showroom Mumbai). Hence, the 1200 Custom is expected to be priced somewhere around Rs. 8 lakhs. The manufacturer recently discontinued the Superlow and the Fat Boy Special.
Harley-Davidosn 1200 Custom is being brought to the Indian market with an aim to fill the gap created with the discontinuation of the Superlow. It has an appearance similar to the Superlow but with some modern touches.The 1200 Custom will be powered by a 1200cc air-cooled V-twin engine that is good to produce 61 BHP at 5900 RPM and 69 Nm of torque at 4100 RPM. This engine is mated on a 5-speed gearbox that sends power to the rear wheels using a chain drive system which is used in most of the cruiser motorcycles. The braking department is handled by a 300 mm disc with two piston callipers on the front wheel while the rear wheel also has a similar 300 mm disc.
The 1200 Custom went into production in 1957 and formed a very important part of the post World-War 2 American economy. The motorcycle has seen a number of refreshments since then and the current model is the most modern and advanced variant. It rides on a 21-inch front wheel while the rear wheel is as small as 16-inches. The ride height is lowered to 28-inches for the perfect riding experience. Harley-Davidson has not a used a single part which does not compliment the Sportster character.
Harley-Davidson will have to price the 1200 Custom very competitively as along with popularity, the automaker is facing a tough competition in the Indian market. For this, the new motorcycle will be brought in India via the CKD-route. The American manufacturer recently announced that it will expand its operations to tier-II cities after the success in Lucknow. Along with the expansion, Harley-Davidson has also announced a price hike across its range with Road King as the only exemption.
