[navin_v8]

The old American MoCo taking efforts to stay afloat by breaking its own barriers is commendable. Albeit, HD is a about a decade and a half late to the mid capacity range motorcycle party. Same can be said about Honda, Triumph and the likes.

The HD X440 looks like a relaxed motorcycle (deliberately not calling it cruiser/power cruiser, tourer, street fighter, etc.). The power figures are very close to my RE Thunderbird 500 with addition of a 6th gear and safety aids. It is a given that a single cylinder HD would be polarizing, but change is the only constant. HD made a wise decision of tying up with Hero India, given the wide sales and service network of the latter.

The motor will have the usual HD characteristic of delivering good bottom end torque delivery. It needs to be seen if HD retains the same build quality and cycle parts as used on their big motorcycles. HD needs to be given a chance considering the efforts they are taking. Remember HD ain't Regal Raptor or Eidder or UM or the likes of those.

Its direct comparison with Triumph 400 and others (RE 350, RE 411, Honda 350, etc.) is inevitable but what needs to be seen is how our market treats it in the long run.

All the best to the old MoCo Harley Davidson Motorcycles

[ajay0612]

When would we see x440's real world or full review?

[Axe77]

Lovely review Libran. You’ve covered all the key aspects really well.

I think the initial visual disappointment was so high, that it took folks a while to appreciate the fundamentals of this bike, most of which is really quite good. The challenge with this bike will be for people to get over the looks of it and appreciate it for how it rides.

The real winner at the moment of course is the customer. RE, from a product standpoint is in the best place it has ever been with a portfolio of excellent products out there and many more to come ranging from its J type to the new 450 cc mill running up to its parallel twin.

At the higher end of the spectrum is the KTM Duke 390, which is poised to get perhaps its most outstanding iteration to date, which will hopefully be followed by an all new 390 Adv as well sometime within 18-24 months one hopes.

In between are the extremely capable Indian / International offerings from Hero-Harley and Bajaj Triumph. At the heart of it, each of these deliver fairly distinct riding experiences and that is what will bucket the target customers I hope (and not simpliciter metrics of price alone).

The 400 cc market is in a cracking place right now with competition at its most intense ever. Exciting times ahead indeed.

[neoonwheels]

Road reviews of X440 have started coming in. One of such is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k1OED5h-mw

Credits to the YoutTuber/Rider

[Sebring]

Every reviewer was at the Triumph 400 test ride. About 6 were available to ride the HDX440. One guy crashes the bike even. BTW All those cables look terrible from rider perspective.

https://youtu.be/DEleqcM5dVM

[inline4]

Originally Posted by ReventonLover

This probably was the thing for me that made me feel overjoyed and dejected at the same time. I own a Classic 500 and I always wished it had a 6th gear to hold high speeds. It definitely fills the void left by RE ditching the 500cc platform, which was great mill (barring the vibrations). Old school enthusiasts of Classic 500 would definitely appreciate the engine figures and associated characteristic.

That being said, why would I spend close to 3 or 3.5 lakhs just to get a similar riding experience (albeit with some different ergonomics)? I would just use my motorcycle till it chugs along and then upgrade to something better. Picking out the perfect motorcycle is a nightmare indeed!

I rode the X440 over the weekend. Had a bunch of RE riders along with me at the dealerships. The experience is nothing like the RE. Its better in every department. Its a pity that there is a lot of hate on this online. I'd recommend that one takes a test ride and then decide.

Originally Posted by Sebring

Every reviewer was at the Triumph 400 test ride. About 6 were available to ride the HDX440. One guy crashes the bike even. BTW All those cables look terrible from rider perspective.
https://Youtu.be/DEleqcM5dVM

all of the main guys rode the 440 at the Hero CIT and their content is already out. I think HD is reaching out to the ones who have not yet ridden the bike.

[windiesel]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

What IS this bike?

• It's not a cruiser. Which is fine, I do agree that H-D needs to diversify / innovate / try new things. The LiveWire and Pan America are not "typical Harleys" but they're definitely interesting and well-made. But they're both quite expensive. Okay, fine. But there is such a thing as a cheap cruiser (anyone ever heard of this bike called the Avenger?) so I don't get why they couldn't have just made a baby entry level 400cc cruiser. There's a hole in the market there begging to be filled, too.

Well, that hole got filled a while ago don't you think, by the Meteor 350?

India tours on Classic 350. just go to Ladakh and look around, that bike is a fav amongst the touring folks, and the X440 betters the Classic on all fronts. It has more power, is slightly lighter, similar wheelbase if not longer. I see no reason why people will not tour on it.
In fact, this bike fills the void left by the demise of the Classic/Bullet/TB 500. I had a Classic 500DS once, I would love to own this bike, once the dust settles.
Cheers!

[Newtown]

At the risk of being called stupid, what opinion do bike loving BHP ians hold on this being someone's first motorcycle?

For a while now I have been dilly dallying on getting a motorcycle for short trips and convenience. I have been a regular cyclist but not actively used a motorcycle on the road.

My concerns - Will I find it too much to handle? Will the power to weight overwhelm me? What do I do to keep myself safe and protected? Will this be stable and not easily slip if its throttled?

Would love any and all thoughts and suggestions.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by Newtown

At the risk of being called stupid, what opinion do bike loving BHP ians hold on this being someone's first motorcycle?

For a while now I have been dilly dallying on getting a motorcycle for short trips and convenience.

For you, Triumph Speed 400 would be better choice (lighter, lower low-end torque, better built).
440X is more suited for long relaxed rides.

[inline4]

Originally Posted by Newtown

At the risk of being called stupid, what opinion do bike loving BHP ians hold on this being someone's first motorcycle?

Test Ride both.

A longer wheelbase, low revving, long stroke engine is a lot more easier to ride and live with everyday than a shorter wheelbase, short stroke motorcycle.
Do not decide by what you see on paper or what most reviewers say. Indian journalists have a bias towards BHP. Why? because Wheelies and Knee downs make for better pics than a relaxed upright touring shot.
If we only read their stories to make the purchase decision then the KTM 390 would have been India's number 1 selling premium motorcycle.

The Classic 350 however holds that title.

Enough said.

[gearless]

Originally Posted by inline4

Test Ride both.

Indian journalists have a bias towards BHP.

We are team-bhp and not team-nm for a reason.


On a serious note, I found most of the Triumph Speed 400 reviews to be too good to be true, whereas HD x440 seems to be getting lot of hate. Very few well balanced reviews.
I found Shumi's review to be balanced on x440. Waiting for their review on Speed 400.

[gtx2]

Originally Posted by gearless

We are team-bhp and not team-nm for a reason.


On a serious note, I found most of the Triumph Speed 400 reviews to be too good to be true, whereas HD x440 seems to be getting lot of hate. Very few well balanced reviews.
I found Shumi's review to be balanced on x440. Waiting for their review on Speed 400.

Only negative feedback I have seen is on the attention to build quality, otherwise 440 is checking all boxes for what it is.

[Newtown]

Originally Posted by ajay0612

For you, Triumph Speed 400 would be better choice (lighter, lower low-end torque, better built).

Thank you. Would something lighter be less stable on a ride both within the city and on the highways? To me Royal Enfield bikes look so much more confident on the road because of the weight they carry.

Originally Posted by inline4

Test Ride both.

A longer wheelbase, low revving, long stroke engine is a lot more easier to ride and live with everyday than a shorter wheelbase, short stroke motorcycle.

Thank you. I see there is significant considerations just like for a car.

Originally Posted by gearless

On a serious note, I found most of the Triumph Speed 400 reviews to be too good to be true, whereas HD x440 seems to be getting lot of hate. Very few well balanced reviews

I shall try and ride some of these.

[nasirkaka]

For a while now I have been dilly dallying on getting a motorcycle for short trips and convenience. I have been a regular cyclist but not actively used a motorcycle on the road.

Your use-case does not justify a relatively big (200+cc) motorcycle.

However, if you feel strongly drawn towards motorcycles, where they start affecting your sleep, you know its time. As for choosing a motorcycle, they are all so different from each other. Many start with 100cc commuter as their first motorcycle, i know a few who have started with bigger bikes like RD350, interceptor, and even one person whose first bike is a BMW1200GS.

All you got to identify is your riding preference like sporty, relaxed upright, whether torque heavy bikes or high revving ones, whether modern look or retro/classic, etc and this can be achieved only by test riding as many as you can. Once you identify your preferences, the choice becomes easy and you would be the best judge of what will work for you. Esle others can only advise on what they think will work for you, which may or may not.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by Newtown

Thank you. Would something lighter be less stable on a ride both within the city and on the highways? To me Royal Enfield bikes look so much more confident on the road because of the weight they carry.

It is not so much lighter. Have you ever tried an RE bike? If that is comfortable to handle than x440 is good all-rounder.