Harley-Davidson officially revealed its upcoming, made-in-India bike — X 440. This is the first machine to come from Harley’s partnership with Hero MotoCorp, and looks more like H-D’s old XR roadsters than its trademark cruisers, sporting a flat handlebar, neutral ergos and a butch design.
Not much has changed on the motorcycle since its first pictures emerged, but these new shots do give us a clearer look at the motorcycle. At its heart is a meaty-looking, oil-cooled, single-cylinder engine that we now know will displace 440cc. Given its displacement, and the fact that it is oil-cooled, it looks more powerful and torquey than something like a Royal Enfield Classic 350 (20hp/27Nm). You can see as high as 40Nm from this motor, which should make for a fairly effortless urban experience. The final drive is in the form of a chain, making this only the second modern-day Harley after the Pan Am to employ chain-drive.
Ergonomics are fairly neutral, with no forward-set footpegs or swept back handlebar like you see on a typical cruiser. Instead, the pegs are mid-set and there is a flat handlebar (mounted on some large risers), which should make for fairly upright, perhaps slightly sporty seating.
One thing that has changed are the tyres. The X 440 was earlier seen on CEAT Zoom Cruz rubber, but has now been revealed shod in MRF tyres that sport a retro tread pattern quite similar to that of the Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp. Wheel sizes are 18-inch at the front and 17-inch at the rear, which gives the motorcycle a nice, commanding stance.
There is a theme of circularity seen across the headlights, indicators and mirrors, while the tail-lamp is an oval-shaped pod that sprouts from the rear fender. The headlight gets an LED DRL bar running across the centre, while the indicators sport some neat detailing, with Harley logos at the centre.
Overall, there seems to be high attention to detail across the motorcycle, and fit levels appeargood. Areas like the polished cooling fins on the engine, and the fasteners across the motorcycle all point towards this. Though not seen in these latest images, we know that the instrumentation will be fully digital, and take the shape of a round single pod.
The front of the motorcycle is chunky and dominated by the large square-ish fuel tank, while the rear gets a sleeker look. The single-piece seat kinks up as it flows into the pillion section, and is flanked by some meaty grab rails on either side. Perhaps the one slightly underwhelming design element is the exhaust system, which looks rather simple and plain compared to the rest of the motorcycle.
Underneath the bodywork, the X 440 is held together by a tubular frame featuring a single-downtube design. It is suspended on an upside-down fork and preload-adjustable twin shock absorbers. There is a single disc brake at both ends, and dual-channel ABS is standard.
Given everything we see in these images, the Harley-Davidson X 440 should cost between ₹ 2.5 and ₹3 lakh (ex-showroom) once it is launched in early July. Perhaps there will be a slightly different version than the one we see here, which will form the entry point to the range, and maybe with simpler equipment. For reference, something like the RE Classic 350 costs ₹1.9 lakh to ₹2.2 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
