Despite the unfavourable tax slabs, Harley-Davidson and Hero MotoCorp partnership are navigating the premium 350cc to 500cc motorcycle segment with persistence and continuous evolution along with a major price reduction, against market practices. Say Namaste to the new Harley-Davidson X440 T which has been just launched in India for a price tag of Rs 2,79,500 (Ex-sh).
It is positioned as the new top-spec variant, while X440 Vivid and X440 S now get major price reductions of up to Rs 25,000. After experiencing X440 T in Goa across narrow city lanes in peak traffic and going full throttle on the highways, we think this is what Harley-Davidson X440 should have been in 2023. Here’s why we said what we just said.
Harley-Davidson X440 T First Ride Review : Much-Needed Redesign
With a strategic partnership with Hero MotoCorp, Harley-Davidson bet big on India’s premium 350cc to 500cc motorcycle segment with X440. Two years down the launch, Harley-Davidson has launched a new top variant called X440 T. It gets revised rear design, improved features and quite a lot of changes under the surface.
Starting with colours, X440 T gets four striking colours – Vivid Black, Pearl Red, Pearl White and Pearl Blue. While it is Pearl Blue that has a special composition, Pearl White is the one I mostly gravitated towards. Pearl Red has the most pop to it and pictures don’t do justice to it. One colour which surprised me in person was Vivid Black. I liked it more than I would have thought. It is the cleanest and stealthiest among these four.
Where design changes are concerned, the entire lot of these are concentrated at the rear. We now get a more “Harley-Davidson” look and feel with X440 T as its rear design was inspired by Harley-Davidson XR1200. This was a much needed facelift (or buttlift in this case) to overhaul the overall appeal of X440 motorcycle.
Entire tail section is new with a new subframe and body panels around it. Previously, X440 used to get a classic-style fender on which the rear LED tail light looked kind of tacked on. New X440 T neatly fuses the rear tail light straight into the rear subframe, sort of lending it a Roadster look, rather than a classic bike look. License plates and rear turn indicators lie below.
Bar-End Mirrors add Panache
Flanking this revised rear tail section are new pillion grab rails. While we are at the rear, we can also see X440 T gets a new heat shield for the exhaust and then a new exhaust cowl element at the end. Even the element on cat-con is new and more stylish. One can also see new graphics on X440 T in 2D, while X440 S gets 3D badges. This is because X440 T is inspired by XR1200 which didn’t get 3D badges.
Another change with X440 T that one might easily miss out if not acknowledged is its fuel tank shroud. This aims to reduce the gap between fuel tank and handlebar which many expressed their reservations about. The main differentiating factor of X440 T over X440 S at the front is bar-end mirrors, which lends it a distinctive Roadster look.
Another design change with X440 T is the new seat which we felt was slightly wider, especially for the pillion. Rider’s scooped out seat part now gets unique ribbed treatment and we felt like it was slightly better cushioned. There’s even a Harley-Davidson logo at the back of the new seat, which shows improved attention to detail over its predecessor.
Improved Features List
The features list on Harley-Davidson X440 was already quite well considered. X440 T adds to it further, making it a more tech-savvy product than it used to be. The most notable addition to X440 T is the electronic throttle (ride-by-wire tech) that aims at smoother and seamless on/off throttle transitions.
Ride-by-wire throttle unlocks new possibilities for a motorcycle. With 125cc Hero motorcycles, Ride-by-wire has enabled Cruise Control, which is a complete oversight for a motorcycle like X440 T with impressive touring prowess. Why should 125cc commuters get Cruise Control and motorcycles with touring prowess miss out on it? Only Hero and Harley can comment on it.
While Cruise Control hasn’t made it to X440 T, Ride Modes have. There are two – Road and Rain. Riders can cycle between them on the fly and see a small change in overall riding characteristics. X440 T also gets switchable ABS on rear wheel if you want to slide the rear wheel down an incline and have some fun off the road.
Traction Control is switchable with X440 T too, which its predecessor couldn’t do. Both rear ABS and Traction Control can only be switched on and off when the bike is in Road Mode and standing still via the switchgear and TFT instrument cluster. Another notable safety feature added with X440 T is Panic Braking Alert where turn indicators blink profusely to alert other road users.
Changes In The Background
One might just pass off the X440 T as a facelift (or a buttlift in this case), but there is more to X440 T than what meets the eyes. There have been a multitude of changes behind these obvious changes which make X440 T a much more polished, presentable and appealing motorcycle over its predecessor.
It would have been nice if X440 was like this from the start, but we’re glad Harley-Davidson and Hero MotoCorp took these necessary changes in production, quality control and attention to detail. The most noticeable area of quality improvement is in the mainframe, subframe and rear swingarm which now gets a more premium matte powder coating and hides the welding and joints better.
Even the electric wiring management across the motorcycle has been tidied up significantly. On the handlebars, one could see messy cables all around, which looked quite cluttered. All of them are now cleaned up in X440 T. Even the heel plate and other elements have been revised, based on customer inputs and feedback.
How Is It To Ride?
Where ride, handling and dynamics are concerned, Harley-Davidson X440 T remains almost the same as before. This is not a bad thing as this platform was criminally under-rated and is surprisingly fun and an absolute hoot to ride. I particularly love the exhaust sound and revved it just to hear the pops and bangs and smile like a kid again.
Overall rider’s triangle is the same as before. It is comfortable for both short stints and long hauls with an upright posture. I also liked the new handlebar grips with a rubber-y texture. Even standing and riding, I didn’t face any particular load concentration on my heels. They are well optimised for broader riding styles.
The new ride-by-wire throttle feels much better with on/off throttle transitions and finer control it brings to the table. It could have been slightly better executed as I did face some jerks here and there. Acceleration is apt for laid-back torque-ridden rides expected of these high-displacement long stroke engines. There was very few vibrations on X440 T and they can be passed off as character.
Even when you open the throttle wide on a straight stretch of highway, the speedo-indicated top speed can cross 130 km/h mark with enough performance in reserve. Handling aspect of Harley-Davidson X440 is surprisingly good and it feels light on its weight and is more than willing to tip into a corner.
I even scraped my boots a couple of times by leaning more than I should. The confidence it inspires is commendable, especially for a 192 kg Roadster style motorcycle. Gearbox on the unit I experienced was slightly clunky and I even faced quite a few false neutrals. Also, I had some tough time positioning my boots under the gear selector for up-shifts as well.
Conclusion
Harley-Davidson X440 T finally looks right and has an objectively better design than X440 S and it is even better equipped now with more features than before. Overall production quality and attention to details have been stepped-up and we have a feeling that if this was what X440 was at launch in 2023, Hero and Harley duo would have made a bigger impact in this segment.
Not offering X440 T with Cruise Control is a glaring omission and a puzzling one at that, considering 125cc budget Hero commuters are getting it. Where X440 T shines is that it is a mechanical bliss and a hoot to ride, coupled with the iconic legacy of Harley-Davidson brand. If you are in the market to buy a Retro Classic Roadster in the 350cc to 500cc segment, we highly recommend test riding a Harley-Davidson X440 T and get a taste of this package.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
