For the first time, Harley-Davidson X440 will be the company’s first single-cylinder motorcycle in India and the most affordable one at that, too
Partnership with Hero MotoCorp has yielded fruits for Harley-Davidson in the form of a new 440cc platform. This new engine will open a new portal for Harley-Davidson in its Indian lineup and will attract a much wider target demographic than it could before. The first motorcycle with this engine is Harley-Davidson X440.
This motorcycle debuted recently and takes a Roadster design. Specs and numbers are out with the launch today. Bookings had commenced for Rs. 25,000. Now, the company has launched it in India. There are three trims on offer. Base trim gets wire-spoke wheels, mid-spec trim gets alloy wheels and top-spec trim gets diamond-cut alloy wheels.
starting price of Rs. 2.29 lakh for base Denim trim, Rs. 2.49 lakh for mid-spec Vivid trim and prices go till Rs. 2.69 lakh for the top-spec S trim (all prices ex-sh).
Harley-Davidson X440 Launched – New thumper in town?
Royal Enfield’s absolute domination in retro classic motorcycle space is what Harley-Davidson is likely to primarily target. With a larger engine and more performance at a marginal price increment, Harley-Davidson is likely to make a mark. Royal Enfield’s upcoming 450cc platform will rival Harley’s new engine better along with Triumph Speed 400.
Speaking of Harley’s new engine, it is a single-cylinder, 2 valve unit. Unlike RE’s new 450cc engine, Harley’s new 440cc engine gets oil-cooling. With these attributes, it generates 27 bhp of power at 6000 RPM and 38 Nm of torque at 4000 RPM. A 6-speed transmission does duties.
More modern gizmos like ride-by-wire, slipper clutch and engine ride modes are welcome. Also, a belt drive would be welcome too, but Harley-Davidson X440 launched in India, features a chain drive. Harley is known for its vibe-free and maintenance-free belt drives. But, at Rs. 2.29 lakh starting price (ex-sh), we can forgive it. Suspension components include 43 mm USD telescopic front forks and dual twin shock absorbers.
Harley-Davidson has offered X440 with a 320 mm disc at the front and a disc at the rear with dual-channel ABS. Brake calipers are from Bybre. Riding stance and ergonomics look very neutral, yet has a hint of sportiness. Single-piece seats should ensure comfy long trips. Seat height seems to be accessible too.
Feature-loaded Harley?
Design attributes from Harley-Davidson Nightster are immediately evident with X440. Black is a general theme that Harley is implementing. It brings out retro vibe along with a touch of modernity and stealthiness. X440 gets a double stand, which should protect the exhaust pipe which the company has routed from under its engine.
It is to be noted that this motorcycle is different from China-specific Harley-Davidson X500 and X350, made in partnership with QJ. Features include LED headlights with Harley-Davidson lettering, round turn indicators with retro vibes and company’s logo. There is a circular fully-digital TFT instrument cluster that shows various vehicle parameters along with Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.
