HERO MAVERICK

Hero's biggest offering yet is more than just a retro-cool motorcycle

- SABHAY VERMA

HERO MAVRICK 440 Engine: 440cc, single-cylinder, air- and oil-cooled Power: 27PS @ 6,000rpm Torque: 36Nm @ 4,000rpm Weight: 187kg Gearbox: 6-speed Price: ₹1.99 lakh ex-showroom onwards

As the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp has been doing really well, selling commuter motorcycles and also steadily increasing its presence in the scooter space. It’s also 12 years now since Hero started its solo journey and the past decade has seen Hero MotoCorp push aggressively to be seen as more than just a manufacturer of small capacity motorcycles like the ubiquitous Splendor. Hero’s premium motorcycles like the XPulse 200, Xtreme 160R and even the Karizma XMR that saw the revival of the Karizma nameplate all bear testimony to Hero MotoCorp’s aspirations to be seen as a premium player. But nothing screams premium as much as the all-new Mavrick 440.

Hero becoming the exclusive distributor for an iconic brand like Harley-Davidson and then creating history by developing the X440 as the first Harley powered by a single cylinder engine in over 50 years was a huge statement. But to me, the Mavrick 440 is a massive statement too, especially on the product front. It’s easy to say the bike uses the same engine as the Harley-Davidson X440. But what does the Mavrick bring to the table? I spent a couple of days with it, exploring the desolateness of the Rann of Kutch to find out. Straight off the bat, Hero MotoCorp has done a lot to ensure the Mavrick has its own character and except for the engine, there’s little in common between the X440 and the Mavrick.