Trademark applications filed late last month indicate three new Harley-Davidson models are coming soon, and at least one of them hints at an interesting possibility.
The three names trademarked are Bronx, 48X and Pan American. It’s not hard to figure out what the Pan American is. That’s a touring bike name if we ever heard one, and considering the new massive V-twin touring bikes from Yamaha this year, plus the K1600B and Grand America from BMW, and the revised Honda Gold Wing, it would be smart for the MoCo to bring out a new touring bike instead of simply repainting the same old, same old model and putting it up against the competition.
And as for the Bronx: That’s likely some urban-type bobber, based on the new Softail platform, although possibly it’s going to be based on the Street 750.
But the 48X is the most intriguing name. Harley-Davidson already has a 48 in the lineup, a pseudo-retro bobber based on the Sportster platform, with big balloon front tires. So what’s the 48X? It’s hard to imagine Harley-Davidson doing another mash-up with any of the Sportsters, especially that bike. Emissions regs are making air-cooled big-cylinder bikes harder to keep in the lineup. Could the 48X be a retro model built around the Street platform? Could this be the beginning of the end of the Sportsters? We’ll likely know around the time of Daytona Bike Week, when Harley-Davidson typically unveils new models.
