Harley-Davidson X440 First Ride Review: 'Not The Harley' We Expected

Harley-Davidson X440 Review: Two opposite ends of the motorcycling world, two bike-makers with almost opposite brand philosophy, product portfolio, customer base, marketing strategies and insights. One is known for its cost-effective, practical, and affordable commuter motorcycles, while the other is known for its heavy, expensive, luxury-featured motorcycles designed for rich enthusiasts. And, a tie-up between these two entities had to be one of the most exciting events in the motorcycle industry, and it was. Hero and Harley-Davidson's combo story has so many layers that it is difficult to summarize it in one story, but HD X440 managed to do that. One of the most awaited products, backed by the biggest producer of motorcycles globally and the most legendary motorcycle brand, is important, interesting and impressive.

Hero and Harley have been facing contrasting challenges. While Hero has been trying to ace the larger engine motorcycle segment, Harley Davidson is struggling to transition from its old-school, heavy-duty motorcycles. Harley-Davidson X 440 might be the first step towards solving their problems. Let me use a couple of more paragraphs to explain myself.

I don’t remember when was the last time the desi-rider in me was so surprised by any price announcement. When the on -road price of a Honda Activa is touching a Lakh in certain parts of India and the top end variant of an Alto kissing Rs 7 lakh figure, I had kind of given up on the concept of price-game by any company. But X440's pricing surprised me. I am sure it would have been a really tough decision for both the partners where an American-lifestyle-luxury brand was involved and there must have been endless rounds of discussions on the pricing strategy and to debate whether this will dilute the brand or not. But I am not a purist and just happy that the riders who have been hearing about Harley, seeing them on YouTube channels and movies might end up owning one. Rs 2.29 to 2.69 Lakh is that kind of pricing. So in case you were reading this story to understand what I meant by the title of this story, can stop reading now.

X440 isn’t the Harley we are used to, or have known for so long. Hardcore Harley fans might ask if this is a diluted Harley-Davidson they are looking or is Harley just desperate? Well, I don’t think so. X440 seems to be reaching out to new kinds of customers and this smaller engine-aggressive pricing combo will be its USP.

But, just a price tag or a logo can’t guarantee a success and we have seen it in the past, the product has to be solid, compelling and competitive. How is X440 on that front? Let’s see.

Features

Harley's X440 is a modern bike with all-LED setup design and contemporary features, including connectivity.

The 3.5-inch TFT screen on X440 is packed with various features, common Indian motorcycle enthusiasts are looking for these days. The top-end variant of X440 comes with almost 25 connected features which includes geo-fencing, turn-by-turn navigation, remote engine start and various in-app vehicle diagnostics. The rider can connect the phone via Bluetooth and listen to music, changing tracks and adjusting the volume.

Instrumentation unit also gets a sensor which controls the intensity of lights, changing the display and DRL based on the ambient light. The bike gets one type-A USB slot to charge your phones.

Engine specifications

Harley-Davidson X 440 is equipped with a 440cc single-cylinder engine with two valves. This engine produces 27 bhp at 6000 rpm and peak torque of 38 Nm at 4000 rpm.

Ride-Performance and Handling

Harley-Davidsons are known for their built quality and especially the material, the company has tried maintaining that image with maximum use of metallic body parts. The X440 weighs 190 kg, which you feel while lifting it from the side stand or parking. However this weight is a non-issue while riding. The bike feels agile and planted. The engine has quick enough for red light racers and peppy enough for sudden fast-paced overtakes. It’s an easy motorcycle to ride both long and short distances.

I rode the motorcycle at Hero’s Jaipur R&D facility test track and the bike felt impressive. It felt planted on the straights and confident in the corners. There were a couple of foot peg scraping episodes but the bike didn’t lose composure, it didn't scare me much. On the straights, I could touch the top speed of 126 kmph in half-committed riding posture and 132 kmph when I totally tucked myself in, crouching. (I deliberately skipped mentioning my weight, you can understand why!) The X440 maxed out at that speed but it felt at ease, the engine wasn’t whining or shrieking. Point is, this baby Harley felt like an easy cruise at around 110 kmph for expressway rides.

The braking part was satisfactory as well, with dual channel ABS, 320 mm front and 240 mm rear disc brakes.

Overall the X440 is a fun bike to ride around the city or a tour on new age expressways. I hope Harley comes out with affordable accessories too for this.

Looks

Now I would try to objectively touch upon the aspect which is the most subjective one- the looks. X440 has some similarities and a couple of hints of Harley’s sportsters’ design elements, especially the fuel tank. Headlamp cluster, tail lamp give a modern touch, exhaust design looks a bit Harley-ish, however, the overall persona isn’t overwhelming. It is not intimidating as the typical Harleys look, purposeful the way PanAmerica is or futuristic as LiveWire looked. X440 has a generic design and the most attractive part of that whole design might be the logo for most enthusiasts.

Conclusion

The X440 doesn’t look like a typical Harley-Davidson, might not have the similar road presence or intimidating personality, but at the same time it is not priced like one either. Both Hero and Harley-Davidson have managed to pack a great combo- a modern motorcycle with Harley-Davidson feel and Hero MotoCorp’s aggressive strategy.

This motorcycle is fitted with an adequate number of features that would appeal to a vast variety of riders and is priced much below what everyone expected. X440 is an easy and fun ride and feels like a balanced package for both daily and long commute. This motorcycle is going to attract new kinds of customers which Harley or Hero have never seen. Only task left for the duo is to make sure that they back this up with a robust after-sales service network and servicing. If they manage to do that, X440 might become their X factor.