With its full debut less than two weeks away, Harley-Davidson has picked World Motorcycle Day to share the first action video of its much-awaited midsize offering, the Harley-Davidson X440. The clip, which shows Harley’s latest heading up the mountains, also provides the first taste of its exhaust note.
Also Read: India-made Harley-Davidson X440 Revealed; Launch In July 2023
Harleys, for decades, have been known for the iconic ‘potato-potato’ sound produced by their V-twin engines, but the single-cylinder X440 breaks away from that signature note, with a seemingly sharper focus on a bass-heavy note. It remains to be seen how potential customers take to the Harley’s sound, especially in a space where segment leader Royal Enfield is known for its trademark ‘thump’.
The Harley-Davidson X440 is understood to have been designed by Harley-Davidson, with Hero taking the lead on the development, testing, and eventually, production and sales. The engine on the X440 is a 440 cc single-cylinder unit, which is oil-cooled and employs a chain drive. Details on power and torque output have not been revealed as yet, but we expect the motorcycle to have a 6-speed transmission.
Also Read: Upcoming Harley-Davidson X440 Shown In New Images
Harley-Davidson has co-developed the X440 alongside Hero MotoCorp.
On the suspension front, the made-in-India Harley X440 is equipped with an upside down fork at the front (instead of a telescopic fork), and twin piggyback reservoir shock absorbers at the rear. The bike is fitted with Bybre disc brakes front and back (dual-channel ABS will be standard), and features alloy wheels (18-inch at the front and 17-inch at the rear) and Ceat Zoom Cruz tyres, with the rear wheel shod in 140-section rubber.
Also Read: Harley-Davidson Will Eventually Become Fully Electric, Says CEO
The bike features an all-digital instrument pod, with the redline marked at 8,000 rpm. This cluster is also expected to pack Bluetooth connectivity for riders to be able to sync their smartphones with the motorcycle.
With its new, made-in-India offering, Harley-Davidson is gunning for Royal Enfield’s Classic 350, which commands the lion’s share of India’s midsize motorcycle market. Given Hero’s involvement, it is likely that this new Harley-Davidson will sport a competitive price tag, and could cost anywhere between Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 3 lakh (ex-showroom).
