X MARKS THE SPOT

Harley-Davidson has collaborated with Hero MotoCorp to create a made-forIndia motorcycle. We took it for a ride to find out how the bike performed

- Rahul Ghosh

There was a time when the Indian motorcycle market was dominated by Indo-Japanese motorcycles. However today it is the European and American brands that are banking on Indian manufacturers to create a made-for India and made-in-India motorcycle and all to get a piece of the massive Indian motorcycle market. The latest entrant in this segment then is Harley-Davidson. The American brand has now created the Harley-Davidson X440 in conjunction with Hero MotoCorp.

The Harley-Davidson X440, is a smar-tlooking motorcycle that seems to have derived inspiration from the Harley-Davidson Sportster range and especially the Harley Davidson XR 1200X. The Harley-Davidson X440 rides on 18-inch MRF Zapper Hyke tyres which are specifically developed for this motorcycle and they are fitted to diamond cut alloy wheels. The short fender looks smart and so do the chunky USD forks. The headlamp is an all-LED affair complete with a signature LED DRL. The headlamp also features an ‘auto on’ function which automatically switches it on when ridden in the dark. That’s a rather smart and useful feature.

1. The all-LED headlamp features an automatic on/off function for the main light.

2. The exhaust note is brilliant but the unit does not gel well with the overall design.

3. The X440 comes with a large 320mm disc brake up front. The diamond cut alloys are available in the top of the line S variant.

4. At the back there is a 240mm disc.