Harley-Davidson Files Trademarks For RMCR and RMXR
RevMax café racer and flat tracker may be headed for production
Harley-Davidson has filed trademark applications for "RMCR" and "RMXR", suggesting two potential new Revolution Max models may be headed for production.
We emphasize the “may” there because trademark filings are just one of several steps in a product’s development, and not all trademarked names make it to mass production (the Bronx comes to mind). What they do tell us is a company has a serious intent to produce a new product, enough so to proceed with submitting documents with the government and leaving enough of a paper trail for us to start drawing conclusions.
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What we do know is that both names have connections to prototypes Harley-Davidson showcased when it first announced the Revolution Max platform, and in design filings submitted to the various intellectual property agencies. Along with the Pan America and the since-cancelled Bronx, Harley-Davidson showed off both a café racer and a flat track-inspired motorcycle.
Officially, Harley-Davidson never mentioned anything specific about either prototype until earlier this year, when it showcased a new café racer concept with “RMCR” badging at events like at Daytona and the MotoGP round at Circuit of the Americas. The RMCR concept is a modern interpretation of a café racer Harley-Davidson certainly has not had in its portfolio since the XLCR in the late ’70s.
Harley-Davidson Chief Executive Officer Artie Starrs mentioned the concept briefly during the company’s first quarter presentation, when he laid out his Back to the Bricks business plan. While being careful not to confirm any potential production plans, Starrs did say the concept might be something the company will consider.
“At the Mama Tried Show here in Milwaukee, subsequently at Daytona and at the MotoGP race in Austin, we teased a modern expression of our iconic cafe racer," Starrs said . “And it's got an extraordinary buzz and feedback from our riding community, and I think that would be the type of motorcycle — in terms of large displacement powertrain — that you can expect us to get feedback from riders, and you might see that from us in the market.”
That was back in May, and the new trademark filing was submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 29, which tells the window for the RMCR to go into production remains open.
The “RMXR” trademark application was filed on the same day, and while we haven’t seen a new concept yet, the name draws a direct lineage from Harley-Davidson’s XR750 flat tracker and the XR1200 and XR1200X models from 2006 to 2013.
The XR1200 models were based on the air-cooled Sportster platform, but the “RM” portion of the new trademark is a clear indication the proposed new model will be using the liquid-cooled Revolution Max engine. The early flat track-inspired prototype drew some inspiration from the XR1200, but with a similar high-routed exhaust like the one used on the Sportster S. As Harley-Davidson did with the RMCR, we expect a new RMXR will have several changes from that original prototype.
During the Back to the Bricks presentation, Harley-Davidson presented the following slide showing its plans for the 2027 and 2028 lineup. The RMCR concept employs the 1250cc version of the RevMax engine, which means we can probably fit it into the oval in the $10k-40k range on the left. We don’t know if Harley-Davidson is planning for the RMXR to use the same displacement, or the smaller 975cc version used on the Nightster and Nightster S, but that decision will determine where the flat tracker will fit in the product roadmap.
Assuming the slide’s timeline is still on track, we can expect more details about a potential RMCR in the fall as a 2027 model. We might see the RMXR then as well, but it’s also possible Harley-Davidson will present a prototype first, with a production model planned for 2028.
Harley-Davidson RMCR Café Racer Concept Gallery
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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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Man...disappointment never ends for me with Harley Davidson... How is it possible for a country the size of California (Italy) able to produce so many "beautiful" motorcycle brands,,,Yet H.D. is rehashing a model from 40 years ago?!!! They have mind-block! With all the resources available to the manufacturers in the USA they can't compete with any of the Italian brands not to dismiss the other European brands?! I've been riding two wheels going on 47 years...Never bought a H.D. I leave nothing on the table and see no better offerings from any of the USA motorcycle manufacturers...Such a shame!
Harley lost me when they killed the Bronx. I sold my 2008 Street Glide. I took a year off. I wanted a street bike and I he Bronx was shown at EICMA. I was waiting. HD killed it and I bought a Triumph Street Triple. Great bike. I don’t trust HD to release a flat tracker and the audience for a cafe racer is about 3 people and two of them are in Europe. HD has no clue. I’m done with them.