Entry-Level Harley-Davidson Sprint Confirmed for 2026
MSRP to be below $6,000
Harley-Davidson confirmed it will introduce a new entry-level model called the “Sprint” for 2026. A callback to the Aermacchi-era Sprint models of the ’60s and ’70s, the new Harley-Davidson Sprint will be revealed this fall, with a starting price below $6,000.
Speaking during Harley-Davidson’s Q2 2025 presentation, Chief Executive Officer Jochen Zeitz confirmed the new Sprint along with a second entry-level cruiser model will be part of the 2026 lineup. Zeitz didn’t offer much in the way of specifics, but he did announce it will be presented at Harley-Davidson’s dealer meeting in October. That suggests a public announcement will come shortly after, perhaps at EICMA in early November.
Zeitz confirmed the Sprint will be a small-displacement model and will be sold for the U.S. and international markets.
“Inspired by our heritage and the spirit of the iconic Harley Davidson Sprint motorcycle, this new bike embodies boldness, irreverence and fun, capturing the rebellious energy that defines the Harley-Davidson experience,” says Zeitz. “Scheduled for release in 2026 and for presentation to our global dealer network in October, I’m pleased to share that we’re targeting an entry price below $6,000 We believe this motorcycle will not only be highly accessible, but also profitable, marking a significant step forward in driving Harley-Davidson’s future profitable growth and opening up a new path in motorcycle segment for the company in future years for its key markets.”
Zeitz noted the Sprint has been in development since 2021, which we can’t help but think of as a response to criticisms from its investor H Partners about Harley-Davidson not working on any entry-level models.
Harley-Davidson has made several attempts at introducing entry-level models in the past, such as the Street 750 and 500. In previous quarterly presentations, Zeitz stated that these past attempts were all ultimately unprofitable. Zeitz says that will not be the case with the Sprint and the as-yet-unnamed entry-level cruiser.
“This bike has been in development since 2021. It’s taking time, but we feel confident that it can achieve a profitable margin’ says Zeitz. “And from there, obviously, we can build a profitable business in various segments that we have not or partly not competed in – the cruiser segment – that we had competed in before. But as you know that has never been a profitable business for many decades. We believe that how we’ve engineered this product, it will be profitable.”
The original Sprint was a small-displacement model introduced after Harley-Davidson acquired half of Aermacchi’s motorcycle division. Harley-Davidson imported an Aermacchi 250 as the Sprint 250 in 1961. In 1969, the Sprint’s displacement grew from 246cc to 344cc to become the Sprint 350. The Sprint was eventually discontinued in 1974.
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Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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I agree. Buell's were cool. Harley blew it by killing off Buell.
Keep in mind that the original Sprint, V-Rod, and Street 500/750 were soundly rejected by the Harley faithful, both dealers and customers alike. What makes you think that any other attempts to revitalize the brand will be successful? The HD culture says “NO" to evolution (an ironic lol eyeroll). The new 2026 Sprint will most likely fail as well. Why? It’s made in India by Hero Motor based upon their small capacity Maverick which has been rebadged as a Harley Davidson. It’s not even an original Harley creation. So tone deaf. It’s a cheap, mass market Indian bike made for markets outside the U.S. That’s no criticism, unless it’s badged a Harley because doing so makes it appear inauthentic. It does not look like a Harley Davidson. Were the HD executive board not paying attention to Triumph’s successful 400cc line up? By all accounts Triumph succeeded in these challenging times for motorcycle sales. Check out Benda's Chinchilla 500. It beat HD at their own classic bike game. R.I.P HD. ;-)