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Harley-Davidson's next new bike will take the torch from the Sportster



Harley-Davidson's ambitious turnaround plan is beginning to bear fruit. The company announced it will introduce a new model in July 2021 that will, in its words, go from Evolution to Revolution. That's not just marketing-speak, either.

Posting on its social media channels, the firm released a short video (embedded below) that shows the outline of a bike with what looks like a sporty silhouette. It's not an old-school Route 66 cruiser; it's low, and its dual exhaust system is mounted high up near the saddle. In many ways, it reminds us of the "all-new custom model" presented as a close-to-production concept in 2018 as Harley-Davidson looked for ways to explore uncharted waters.

At the time, we speculated the model (whose full name hasn't been released yet) would replace the well-established Sportster line of bikes; it looks like we were spot on. And, as we reported, power will come from Harley-Davidson's new 1,250cc water-cooled V-twin. That's where the "from Evolution to Revolution" tagline comes from: Enthusiast site Motorcycle News pointed out the Sportster was powered by an engine called Evolution, while the twin inaugurated by the Pan America is named Revolution Max. Although technical details haven't been released yet, the Revolution engine makes 150 horsepower and 94 pound-feet of torque in Harley's first adventure touring bike.

Full details about Harley-Davidson's next new model (including its name) will be announced during an online event scheduled for July 13. We expect to see the bike in American showrooms before the end of 2021. Crucially, using the Revolution Max engine should also allow Harley to replace the Sportster in its European lineup.