[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by AtheK

Pretty good pricing IMHO, should do some good numbers. The quality is a question though, let’s see some real life reviews.

Hero has put lot of efforts into this project and you will see more updates in coming months. Their efforts are not limited to the bike alone but overall customer experience for premium bikes.
Product quality is at par with the premium bikes (especially at the launch price) and the upcoming launches will testify the same.

[Tucker48]

Was not expecting it to be priced at these affordable levels. The name Harley Davidson itself commands a premium. It is going to be tough for Royal Enfield from now on. Let's see what Bajaj has to offer. Bullet might have to bite the bullet.

[ruchirtnt]

Pricing is too attractive and I believe it is due to the fact that the complete motorcycle is designed, engineered and produced by Hero. I believe Harley has just given its logo on the Tag

[payeng]

There is an INTIMIDATION factor associated with the name HARLEY DAVIDSON. Arnold on the FATBOY in Terminator 3 is what HD stands for me.

People don't just buy Price Tags.. they buy an IMAGE as well.. especially true when it comes to lifestyle products.

This Dilution of brand Harley will only Benefit Royal Enfield.

[ruchirtnt]

Originally Posted by payeng

There is an INTIMIDATION factor associated with the name HARLEY DAVIDSON. Arnold on the FATBOY in Terminator 3 is what HD stands for me.

People don't just buy Price Tags.. they buy an IMAGE as well.. especially true when it comes to lifestyle products.

This Dilution of brand Harley will only Benefit Royal Enfield.

Yes. Terminator was one of young days memory which made me bought the original Harley Fatboy old model.
With this model, suddenly Harley seems to be standing in queue with Hero, KTM, Honda, Bajaj, RE and TVS of the world.

[marcussantiago]

Originally Posted by payeng

There is an INTIMIDATION factor associated with the name HARLEY DAVIDSON. Arnold on the FATBOY in Terminator 3 is what HD stands for me.

People don't just buy Price Tags.. they buy an IMAGE as well.. especially true when it comes to lifestyle products.

This Dilution of brand Harley will only Benefit Royal Enfield.

I strongly agree.

I'm sure the x440 is a decent enough bike in terms of build quality and whatnot, coming from Hero.

But-- and I don't mean to sound like a Harley purist snob here, and I'm not one-- I think there's something to be said about what the brand means.

When H-D came out with the Street 500 / 750 twins, Harley purists were outraged, dismissing it as "not a 'real' Harley" and whatnot. And I don't agree, I think they were just being snobs for the most part.

But this isn't really a Harley aside from having a Harley badge. What makes it a Harley? It's not a cruiser, it's not really special in any specific way, it's just a bike. I'm no stickler for tradition, and I thought what H-D was doing with electrics and adv bikes was a promising sign of them finally evolving and changing with the times, while retaining their identity and heritage.

Put another way: this is like if Tata, who owns Land Rover, took the Punch and just stuck a Land Rover badge on it and called it a Land Rover. Would the kind of person who wants a Land Rover be fooled? Seriously, imagine that scenario, and apply it here.

Buying a Harley (or any superbike really) is a special moment in your life. Buying this would feel like buying a washing machine or toaster.

At 2.5 something lacs I'm sure it will sell, but... Harley has definitely lost a bit of its soul here. Hopefully it's worth it for the brand to survive long-term.

[Himalayan_Ice]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

I strongly agree..

Absolutely on point Marcus. This is in no way a Harley. No one who wants to get a Harley because it’s a Harley will go for this.
Will it help Hero sell more bikes? Sure.
Will it help Harley create a lifeline for its legacy business? Absolutely not.
In terms of an analogy Budweiser can develop a Bud light, but the moment, say Hibiki launches a canned beverage, it’ll be a severe departure that won’t resonate with existing OR prospective buyers.

And holy cheeses, does this thing take a toll on your eyes!
The least they could have done is look at the Huskies and stayed away from giving us this mishmash of a Splendor with a Motoguzzi tank!

But at this price. It very well could sell!

[payeng]

When the Street 750 and Street Rod were considered virtually outcasts among the Harley OG's..

What chance does the X440 have to make it to a HOG RIDE..??

From a brand that once wanted to PATENT its Exhaust Note... to this... Sigh..!!

[Deepak George]

Quick update please. Bookings now postponed to 5:40 PM today from the originally stated time of 4:40 PM.

[Baristyro]

Honestly speaking, I had no hope for this motorcycle to succeed when they were rolling out the initial teaser shots and snippets.

However, those hopes of doom seemed to have cooled down somewhat after seeing initial media walkarounds on YouTube. Seems like this bike looks much better in reality than in official marketing visuals, especially the Mustard Yellow and the Red variant. On the road, there's no doubt this bike will have some presence. The exhaust note seems to stand out as well. Has Hero-Harley trumpeted the exhaust pipe like that especially for the sound?

The pricing is appealing indeed. But I feel the success of this bike will depend upon it's accessibility. If typical Hero showrooms are allowed to sell and service this bike, it can surely make some in-roads into RE sales. But if Hero chooses the Honda BigWing route, then it'll peak out at being a niche alternative to RE.

[Vikram9193]

Imagine if they had done a real air-cooled V-Twin for a lakh or so more. Same engine size and performance, epic Harley sound and look. Now that would’ve been a Harley for India. This is just an attempt at one-upping the RE 350s. It’s a good attempt, though, and will sell very well.

I hope this inspires RE to launch a 500 J-series with six gears. I would take that over this any day, but compared to the 350s this is a tempting bike.

[bharath79]

Originally Posted by Vikram9193

Imagine if they had done a real air-cooled V-Twin for a lakh or so more. Same engine size and performance, epic Harley sound and look. Now that would’ve been a Harley for India. This is just an attempt at one-upping the RE 350s. It’s a good attempt, though, and will sell very well.

I hope this inspires RE to launch a 500 J-series with six gears. I would take that over this any day, but compared to the 350s this is a tempting bike.

That is nothing but your 650. RE will not sell single cylinder 500 cc due to pollution regulations. It will be the 650's, we are already seeing the Classic 650 leaks.

Regards
Bharath

[Sudarshan42]

Honestly, looks fine. I know it looks little like a traditional Harley (which is also not strictly true, it draws inspiration quite heavily from the XR1200), but as a standalone product it's tremendous. Hugely improved from the RE350s, but will not hold a candle to the 650s.

I've now removed the Honda CB350s, the RE350s and the Yezdis from my consideration set completely. This is now a straight shootout between this, the upcoming RE650s and the Triumph Speed 400.

[AnAntinspired]

For better or worse, my impulse got the better of me and iv booked the 440x at 540 sharp.

Impulse is pun intended, given my impressions of Hero have always been good from the Impulse which began my association with them to the Xpulse that took it forward.

While I dislike some angles of the bike, the price point and some of its specs make me overlook both aesthetics and the fact that it may be a Hardly Davidson.

I'm posting however to share the booking experience. When I called the Bangalore Harley dealership, Tusker, with whom I have already faced concerns during my GS310 ownership, I was made to explicitly understand that I would HAVE to pay 20,000 as booking amount and promptly confirmed the same along with bank details via WhatsApp. This was on 2nd, 1 day prior to the launch. When I expressed surprise that this booking amount seemed higher than some cars even, the explanation was- this is a Harley, sir!

This morning, several articles post launch mentioned that the booking amount would be 5k and open from 4:40pm. When I rechecked with the agency, it was repeated that 20k was the amount.

Luckily I waited till 540 and when navigating the site realised that there were 5 other Hero dealers apart from the sole Harley dealer of Bangalore in the fray to take the booking. And all of them were registered and willing to accept the booking at 5k via the Hero website! Needless to add, my choice of dealership wasn't the Harley one.

This forum has for long lamented about the money muscling techniques by sole franchisees of premium motorcycle brands. I'm relieved Hero seems to be pitching in their bigger dealers in every city and not convert customers into business investors of dealerships.

Now to wait for the Triumph Bajaj launch and book that as well if there is similar value to be had even if the final decision to own will be both, either or neither!

[Funny]

Looks like first ride reviews are coming in..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr0tlNyurLw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDvAkvi0mP0

Edit: Just noticed the right side switch gear & accelerator cable is routed weirdly from the top. It looks out of place like an afterthought, could've been designed better.