Harley Davidson

Harley-Davidson X440 deliveries commenceHarley-Davidson X440 deliveries will start soon – A few Hero dealerships are taking bookings as wellAfter launching at a very attractive price point starting from Rs. 2.29 lakh (ex-sh), Harley-Davidson X440 has received quite a strong reception in India. The brand was often-considered out of reach for the vast majority of the people. Now, Harley and Hero partnership has opened a new portal for a new range of audiences.The disruptive pricing takes a dig at Royal Enfield and has to compete with Triumph’s new Speed 400 as well. Deliveries for X440 have commenced recently with first buyers getting their Harley-Davidson. Select Hero MotoCorp dealerships seem to be authorised to take bookings for Harley-Davidson X440 as well.Harley-Davidson X440 Customer Previews BeginCapital Harley Delhi has shared a picture of one of the first Harley-Davidson X440 buyers from Delhi NCR region. X440 takes a lot of design attributes from its bigger brother Nightster. It comes in three trim levels namely Denim, Vivid and S. Prices for top-spec S trim go till Rs. 2.69 lakh and feature Bluetooth connectivity, dual-tone machined alloy wheels and other noteworthy add-ons over lower trims.We have a snippet of some of the Hero MotoCorp dealerships in Bengaluru and Pune that the company has authorized to take bookings. The list of Hero dealer appears during the booking stage on official website.Hero dealers in Pune taking Harley X440 bookingsThe Harley-Davidson dream is now affordable!For a long time, Harley-Davidson brand has been associated with big, burly and chromey choppers and cruisers with a V-twin and belt drive with a hefty sticker price. It stayed that way until the company launched X500 and X350 in China in collaboration with QJ and launched X440 in India in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp.Hero dealers in Bengaluru accepting X440 bookingsPricing is of prime importance here. Starts from Rs. 2.29 lakh (ex-sh). This directly rivals Royal Enfield’s highest-seller Classic 350 for a marginally higher price. For the price, Harley-Davidson X440 offers a brand weightage along with a larger engine (than RE’s 350cc) with significantly more performance on tap.We’re talking about 27 bhp of power and 38 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed RPM. Hero claims that most of this X440 is metal which should appeal to the target demographic. It has disc brakes at both ends, dual-channel ABS, 43mm USD telescopic forks, dual shock absorbers at the rear, all LED lighting and more.Features are fairly decent too. A fully-digital circular instrument console does duty. It supports Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone compatibility, turn-by-turn navigation, notification alerts and more. More

Harley-Davidson X440Despite going till Rs. 2.69 lakh (ex-sh), Harley-Davidson X440 seems to be the most appropriate bet considering brand valueHero and Harley-Davidson’s strategic partnership has yielded the first product. It is Harley-Davidson X440 and will primarily rival the likes of Royal Enfield 350cc products, Scram 411 to some extent, Yezdi Roadster and Honda CB350. In the battle of retro classics, Royal Enfield Classic 350 is by far the most popular.Royal Enfield makes around 60k units of 350cc motorcycles every month and 25,000 to 30,000 of them are Classic 350. Honda CB350 and Yezdi sell way less than that. Keeping specs under consideration, we think RE Scram 411 would be a great contender too and so we have included it in this comparison. Let’s see where the X440 stands.Harley-Davidson X440 Vs Rivals – The most expensive, the most VFM?Starting with pricing, Harley-Davidson has pulled quite a trump card with the Rs. 2.29 lakh base price. The primary target is Classic 350 and is now just Rs. 36,000 more expensive at base trims and Rs. 45,000 more expensive at top-spec trims. Considering the specs and features, Harley-Davidson seems more value for money than Classic 350.Harley-Davidson brand name will be a strong point while purchasing, ownership and selling too. In contrast, Royal Enfield has become extremely common and novelty factor is not there anymore. If we take the powertrain, Classic 350 is the weakest on paper and weighs the most as well. Even its arch-rival CB350 poses better numbers and better hardware like a slipper clutch and 4V head.Harley-Davidson X440 Vs Rivals ComparisonBringing Scram 411 into the picture, Harley-Davidson X440 Vs rivals comparison brings interesting results. Scram 411 weighs 5 kg lighter and has a bigger 15L fuel tank. 24.3 bhp and 32 Nm figures are behind 440X’s 27 bhp and 38 Nm. That said, Yezdi Roadster is the most powerful of the lot with 29.23 bhp and has a superior DOHC setup with 4 valves.Only X440 and Roadster get a 6-speed gearbox. Scram 411 has the longest wheelbase and the highest ground clearance. CB350 is the lightest of the bunch. Yezdi has the lowest seat height at 790 mm, but X440’s and Classic 350’s 805 mm highest seat height is not far off too. Harley-Davidson offers both wire-spoke and alloy wheel options. Honda and Yezdi offer only alloys and Royal Enfield offers only wire spokes.Who has the most features?All motorcycles offer 100-section front tyre. But Harley’s 140-section rear tyre is the fattest. Both X440 and Roadster get 18” front and 17” rear wheel setup. Classic 350 has 18” wheels at both ends, CB350 offers 19” front and 18” rear combo and Scram offers 19” front and 17” rear. All motorcycles offer single disc setup at both ends and dual-channel ABS.Only Harley-Davidson X440 offers USD telescopic front forks. These are fatter 43mm ones from KYB. While the rest offer RSU telescopic forks. Except for the Scram 411 with mono-shock, all motorcycles in this list offer twin-shock absorbers. Classic 350 is the only one with all-halogen lighting, while Harley-Davidson, Yezdi and Honda offer all-LED setups. Scram 411 gets LED tail lights.Both X440 and Roadster offer a fully-digital instrument console. Royal Enfields offer a Tripper screen tacked on. The Roadster should have gotten the same instrument console from Adventure that features Bluetooth connectivity and navigation. None of these motorcycles offer ride modes. Considering all the attributes, Roadster and CB350 come off as very underrated (on paper) when compared to Classic 350. But impact of Harley-Davidson’s pricing strategy is may have a noticeable effect on Royal Enfield’s 350cc bike sales. More

Harley-Davidson X440 LaunchedFor the first time, Harley-Davidson X440 will be the company’s first single-cylinder motorcycle in India and the most affordable one at that, tooPartnership with Hero MotoCorp has yielded fruits for Harley-Davidson in the form of a new 440cc platform. This new engine will open a new portal for Harley-Davidson in its Indian lineup and will attract a much wider target demographic than it could before. The first motorcycle with this engine is Harley-Davidson X440.This motorcycle debuted recently and takes a Roadster design. Specs and numbers are out with the launch today. Bookings had commenced for Rs. 25,000. Now, the company has launched it in India. There are three trims on offer. Base trim gets wire-spoke wheels, mid-spec trim gets alloy wheels and top-spec trim gets diamond-cut alloy wheels.starting price of Rs. 2.29 lakh for base Denim trim, Rs. 2.49 lakh for mid-spec Vivid trim and prices go till Rs. 2.69 lakh for the top-spec S trim (all prices ex-sh).Harley-Davidson X440 Launched – New thumper in town?Royal Enfield’s absolute domination in retro classic motorcycle space is what Harley-Davidson is likely to primarily target. With a larger engine and more performance at a marginal price increment, Harley-Davidson is likely to make a mark. Royal Enfield’s upcoming 450cc platform will rival Harley’s new engine better along with Triumph Speed 400. Starting price announcementSpeaking of Harley’s new engine, it is a single-cylinder, 2 valve unit. Unlike RE’s new 450cc engine, Harley’s new 440cc engine gets oil-cooling. With these attributes, it generates 27 bhp of power at 6000 RPM and 38 Nm of torque at 4000 RPM. A 6-speed transmission does duties.More modern gizmos like ride-by-wire, slipper clutch and engine ride modes are welcome. Also, a belt drive would be welcome too, but Harley-Davidson X440 launched in India, features a chain drive. Harley is known for its vibe-free and maintenance-free belt drives. But, at Rs. 2.29 lakh starting price (ex-sh), we can forgive it. Suspension components include 43 mm USD telescopic front forks and dual twin shock absorbers.Harley-Davidson has offered X440 with a 320 mm disc at the front and a disc at the rear with dual-channel ABS. Brake calipers are from Bybre. Riding stance and ergonomics look very neutral, yet has a hint of sportiness. Single-piece seats should ensure comfy long trips. Seat height seems to be accessible too.Harley-Davidson X440Feature-loaded Harley?Design attributes from Harley-Davidson Nightster are immediately evident with X440. Black is a general theme that Harley is implementing. It brings out retro vibe along with a touch of modernity and stealthiness. X440 gets a double stand, which should protect the exhaust pipe which the company has routed from under its engine.It is to be noted that this motorcycle is different from China-specific Harley-Davidson X500 and X350, made in partnership with QJ. Features include LED headlights with Harley-Davidson lettering, round turn indicators with retro vibes and company’s logo. There is a circular fully-digital TFT instrument cluster that shows various vehicle parameters along with Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. More

New Harley Davidson X440Transforming roaring engine noises into a musical purr is an art that has been perfected by Harley-DavidsonDeveloped in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp, Harley Davidson X440 is scheduled to make its global debut next month. It’s a new beginning for the marquee brand, as it throws the challenge to middleweight segment leader Royal Enfield.Ahead of its launch, Harley-Davidson has shared a captivating teaser of X440 gliding through the great Himalayas. Also revealed is the exhaust note, which seems quite refined and melodious. Ultimately, it’s the enthusiasts’ votes that will determine if X440 has better vocals in comparison to Royal Enfield bikes.Harley-Davidson X440 exhaust noteEvidence to the single-cylinder engine is quite strong with the bike’s exhaust note. The thumping rhythm seems familiar to that of Royal Enfield, especially when the engine kicks into action and is idling. However, the exhaust note of X440 acquires a more distinct quality at high revs. X440’s exhaust note is most melodious at high speeds. The throaty feel is there, but it appears to be tamed down a bit for a more refined aural experience.X440 may not be looking at playing the volume game. However, having a sweet-sounding exhaust note doesn’t hurt. It can actually help push sales. A relevant example is apparently Royal Enfield bikes that are loved for their exhaust note. Over the years, exhaust note of Royal Enfield bikes has evolved to become more refined. It’s based on changing consumer preferences as well as new sound emission norms.New Harley Davidson X440Even though X440 seems to have perfected the exhaust note, a definitive conclusion cannot be derived until one gets to test drive this new machine. Things could turn out to be different in the real world, as compared to listening to a recording. Enthusiasts will surely be eager to carry out a side-by-side comparison of X440 and a Royal Enfield bike, which will include the exhaust note. On speakers, it appears that Royal Enfield finally has a match, if not something better.Harley X440 performance, specsPowering Harley-Davidson X440 will be a single-cylinder, 440cc air-/oil cooled engine. It is estimated to produce around 40 Nm of peak torque. For reference, Royal Enfield Classic 350 churns out 20 hp and 27 Nm. Clearly, X440 has a lot more power to tackle a wide variety of terrain. Harley could offer specialized accessories to make X440 suitable for long-distance journeys.As compared to other Harley bikes that have belt drive, X440 is equipped with chain final drive. This will ensure long lifespan and low maintenance. Chain drive also suits local conditions.Harley X440 has a neo-retro profile with features such as round headlamp and rear-view mirrors. It has all-LED lighting, circular instrument pod, tapering fuel tank design, USD front forks and dual rear shock absorbers. The bike has a comfortable riding stance, with wide handlebar and centrally-positioned foot pegs. More

New Harley Davidson X440Harley X440 is scheduled to debut on July 03; unofficial bookings are open for Rs 25,000Some exciting new launches await enthusiasts in coming weeks. Towards the end of this month, the first of Bajaj-Triumph bikes will be launched. It will be followed by Harley X440, scheduled for July 3. It is apparent that Royal Enfield will be closely monitoring these developments.Talking about Harley X440, some fresh images have emerged. These provide more details about the upcoming made-in-India Harley roadster. Harley’s India operations are being managed almost entirely by Hero MotoCorp including production of X440.Harley X440 styling and featuresX440 has created its own distinct styling instead of following on the standard design language used with higher capacity Harley bikes. In that sense, it could be even termed as a rebel. The bike has a neo-retro profile with features such as round headlamp, indicators, rear-view mirrors and a circular instrument pod. We are yet to see a close-up of the instrument console, in terms of what all information is available for display.Core silhouette of the bike is pretty smooth and overall fit and finish is truly remarkable. There are hardly any panels, something that provides a clear view of the bike’s sinewy internals. It ensures a strong street presence and highlights the bike’s capabilities.New Harley Davidson X440Overall look and feel are further augmented with the blacked-out theme, encompassing the headlamp cowl, engine guard, engine assembly, exhaust muffler and rear shock absorbers. The bike has dual-tone alloy wheels, a mix of black and brushed metal.Harley X440 utilizes a single downtube tubular frame. It gets USD forks at front, which will improve control and handling at high speeds. At rear, the bike has twin shock absorbers. Wheels are 18-inch front and 17-inch rear, shod with MRF tyres. Users can expect a comfortable riding stance with Harley X440. Rider seat section has a scooped profile, which will optimize comfort and control. However, pillion seat doesn’t seem so welcoming due to its narrow profile.Harley X440 performancePowering Harley X440 will be a 440cc, single cylinder, air-/oil cooled motor. Official details are not available, but one can expect around 40 Nm of peak torque. Power and torque output will be higher than Royal Enfield 350cc bikes. For reference, Classic 350 generates 20 hp and 27 Nm.New Harley Davidson X440In line with local needs and preferences, Harley X440 has been equipped with a chain final drive. Except for a few exceptions such as Pan Am, all Harley bikes are equipped with a belt drive system. It is considered to offer smoother and quieter rides, in comparison to chain drive system. However, chain drive has its own benefits such as low maintenance and long lifespan.Instead of engaging Royal Enfield in a direct conflict, Harley X440 will focus on creating a niche customer base. It is expected to be launched in the price range of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. More

New Harley Davidson X440Harley-Davidson X440 roadster will create its own customer base, instead of engaging in a head-on clash with Royal EnfieldSoon after announcing its India exit in 2020, Harley-Davidson had managed to salvage its operations by partnering with Hero MotoCorp. The deal encompasses sales and service being managed by Hero MotoCorp. New product launches are also part of the agreement.The first product to be launched as part of the Harley-Hero deal will be Harley-Davidson X440 roadster. While the design and development are likely to have been done by Harley, production, distribution, sales and after-sales will be taken care of by Hero MotoCorp. Bookings at dealerships are now open. You can book Harley Davidson X440 by paying an advance of Rs 25,000.Harley-Davidson X440 styling and featuresRetro styling is evident with the circular headlamp, turn indicators and rear-view mirrors. The headlamp has LEDs and there’s a LED DRL as well, placed across the centre. Turn indicators have the Harley logo in the centre. Instrument pod is a circular unit and expected to be equipped with a digital screen. Other highlights include a conical, tapering fuel tank with Harley and X440 badging, minimal body panelling, copper coloured exhaust pipe and side-mounted grab rails.Harley-Davidson X440 is expected to be offered in a wide range of colour options. To ensure a sense of power and dominance, a number of parts have been blacked out. It includes the headlamp cowl, engine assembly, engine guard, rear shock absorbers and exhaust muffler. Alloy wheels have a dual-tone finish of black and brushed metal. Overall, Harley Davidson X440 has a modest profile. It does not attempt to be overly flamboyant.New Harley Davidson X440Talking about ergonomics, Harley X440 has a comfortable riding stance. The bike has a flat handlebar and centrally mounted foot pegs. The handlebar appears slightly low-set, which could translate into a sporty riding stance. The seat looks comfy, especially the rider’s section that has a scooped profile. Pillion section is a bit narrow, although it may suffice for city needs.Harley-Davidson X440 performance, specsWhile engine details have not been revealed, Harley-Davidson X440 power and torque are expected to be more than that of 350cc bikes from Royal Enfield. For reference, the Classic 350 makes 20 hp and 27 Nm. On the Harley X440, the single-cylinder, oil-cooled unit could deliver around 40 Nm of peak torque. This should be quite useful across city streets.Unlike other Harley bikes, X440 has chain final drive. It is the second among modern-day Harley bikes to get chain drive. The first was Pan Am. Harley X440 has a tubular frame with a single-downtube design. It has USD forks at front and pre-load adjustable twin shock absorbers at rear.New Harley Davidson X44018-inch wheel at front and a 17-inch unit at rear ensures a majestic stance for the bike. The wheels have MRF tyres with a retro tread pattern. Appears similar to the treads seen with Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tyres. Harley Davidson X440 could be launched in early July. It could be priced in the range of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. In comparison, Royal Enfield Classic 350 is available in the price range of Rs 1.9 lakh to Rs 2.2 lakh. More