My first taste of a Harley-Davidson was back in 2010 when I was part of the posse of Indian journalists riding a bunch of Harley-Davidsons across Rajasthan. This was the first time the bikemaker had organised a media ride and while there were nearly a dozen bikes to ride, my heart was set on the iconic Fat Boy. It lived up to my expectations, but there was another motorcycle that turned out to be a pleasant surprise, the XR1200X. It felt more modern than other Harleys and also had a sportier demeanour. Heck, I even pulled a wheelie on it, ticking an item off my bucket list – a wheelie on a Harley-Davidson! And the XR1200X was an instant favourite. Why am I waxing eloquent about the XR though? Because the new Harley-Davidson X440 reminds me of it in a lot of ways!
The ‘X’ prefix is obvious, but so is the design inspiration. The X440’s front end is heavily inspired by the XR1200’s and I’d like to believe that’s a conscious effort. What makes the X440 even more special, besides it being the smallest displacement Harley-Davidson yet is that it is the first product Harley has co-developed with Hero MotoCorp, right here in India. Then there’s the fact that the X440 is the first Harley in about 50 years to be powered by a single cylinder engine and not the trademark V-twin engines! Not enough? How about the fact that the X440 is also the most affordable Harley, priced from ` 2.29 lakh onwards? Our ride experience of the X440 at Hero’s own test tracks was short, but gave me an opportunity to ride and understand it.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of TURBOCHARGED.
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This story is from the July 2023 edition of TURBOCHARGED.
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