Oh! It’s been a while since we’ve had a trademark to chew on and to spin off a few more and less silly theories from. This time, instead of yet another Indian trademark, we’re treated to a Harley-Davidson one. This one could hint at one of the brand’s promised upcoming models.
The Plan Is On Track:
Same time last year, Harley-Davidson shook the industry with a big announcement regarding its plans for the future. As we all know by now, the brand is in dire need of an image upgrade. Harley is very aware of it which is why last year it announced it would launch a flight of new models in the upcoming years, hoping to diversify its audience. The first newcomers are expected in 2020 and while we don’t know how things are progressing behind the scenes, it looks like Harley is paving the way for the first new addition to its lineup.
A trademark filed on June 19, 2019 gives Harley the rights to the name “Bareknuckle”. Now looking at Harley’s big plan that includes the addition of a 975cc streetfighter-type model, we can comfortably assume that the “bare” monicker might already have a reserved spot in the lineup. A typical streetfighter model is a high-performance bike devoid of a fairing—think Ducati Diavel or Triumph Street Triple. Bareknuckle sounds like an appropriate name for a naked model that packs a punch.
Also expected sometime for 2020 is Harley’s champion in the popular adventure segment, the Pan America 1250 as well as 1250cc Custom. The company also seems to be on target with the development of small displacement models for the Asian market as suggested by its recently announced partnership with Qianjiang. The ambitious timeline seems to be unfolding as expected. Soon enough, we could witness the official unveil of the H-D streetfighter, possibly branded with the name Bareknuckle.