[libranof1987]

Hero Mavrick 440 Review

Hero Mavrick 440 Pros

• Single-cylinder, 440cc engine has good low-end torque to make city riding comfortable. Fairly responsive mid and top-end keep highway cruising engaging
• Superb ride comfort; gobbles up bad roads without letting the rider, or even pillion feel them
• NVH and refinement are really good. Combined with good ergonomics, you can cruise at 80-100 km/h all day long
• Features such as standard dual-channel ABS, Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation etc. are standard on all variants. Top variant gets e-sim connectivity
• Hero's sales and service network is unparalleled, even in tier 2 and 3 towns
• Well priced for what it offers. Undercuts most competitors

Hero Mavrick 440 Cons

• Very basic instrumentation cluster in terms of look, feel and functionality
• Missing features such as riding modes, traction control, upside-down suspension fork, etc.
• Built to a cost. Cost-cutting is evident in a couple of areas
• Ride gets unsettled at higher speeds
• To many people, the Hero brand doesn't have the badge cachet of Royal Enfield, Honda or Harley-Davidson
• Long-term reliability of the new engine is unknown

Introduction

With Harley-Davidson launching the X440 last year, it was going to be only a matter of time until Hero MotoCorp came up with their version of this bike, given that the X440 is the first product resulting from the collaboration between Hero and Harley-Davidson. While the Mavrick 440 shares its underpinnings and engine with the X440, it differs from it in several areas be it mechanical, aesthetic or features.

While the X440 hasn't exactly set the sales charts on fire despite largely positive reviews, perhaps due to very delayed deliveries, the Hero Mavrick 440 is the latest entrant into the very competitive and action-packed 300-440cc segment. No one knows and does motorcycling in India as well as Hero has, and with the Mavrick 440, Hero seems to have dug deep into their knowledge of the nuances of the Indian market to fine-tune their version of the X440.

Available on the Mavrick 440 is the familiar 440cc engine that puts out 27 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 36 Nm torque @ 4,000 rpm (38 Nm on the X440). The 2 Nm lower torque on the Mavrick 440 is due to the tuning of the motor. The next big change is the front wheel. The Mavrick 440 gets a 17" tyre, similar to the rear. While the front portion of the Mavrick 440 is structurally similar to the X440, there are a host of design changes starting with the tank and proceeding to the rear.

Writing about this bike has been both, easy and difficult. Easy, because there are several aspects that the bike gets right, and a few that could be been better outright. Difficult, because this is a very "do everything well, but not necessarily warm the cockles of your heart when you ride it" sort of bike. And when you consider the price point, there's little left to ask for.

Hero sells a staggering number of motorcycles in India and they seem to have applied their immense knowledge of what ticks the customer to refine the Mavrick 440. There are no half-hearted measures and they have perfected the fundamentals (e.g. ride quality), while being stingy with some features (basic MID). There's no compelling reason for someone not to pick it over its peers unless you specifically look for brand value (Triumph, BMW) or performance (say, KTM Duke 390). Royal Enfield and Honda hit it out of the park with the Hunter and H'ness, but Hero might just spoil their party with the Mavrick 440.

Hero Mavrick 440 Price

The Hero Mavrick 440 has been launched at a very competitive price of Rs. 1.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base variant. The mid variant is priced at Rs. 2.14 lakh and the top variant goes up to Rs. 2.24 lakh. Bookings are now open and deliveries will commence in April 2024. Customers who book their bikes before March 15, 2024, will get a complimentary customized ‘Mavrick Kit’ of accessories and merchandise worth Rs. 10,000.

The Mavrick 440 undercuts most competitors in the 300-440cc segment; in a price-sensitive market such as ours and a segment that is seeing the bulk of action in urban motorcycling, the Mavrick 440 makes a very compelling case for itself. Being a Hero product, you can expect the cost of servicing to not pinch you either.

You can download the Hero Mavrick 440 brochure here - Hero Mavrick Brochure.pdf

[libranof1987]

Design & Styling

The Mavrick 440 shares its underpinnings with the Harley-Davidson 440, but there are several cosmetic and functional changes on the front 1/3rd of the bike. Running a length of 2,100 mm and an overall height of 1,112 mm, the bike has similar dimensions to its competitors. Given the seat height of 803 mm, you sit comfortably, able to plant your feet on the ground, but not necessarily having to slouch forward. Hero's first standalone offering in the 300-440cc segment gets very subtle styling and follows a very please-most approach.

The Mavrick 440 gets a Trellis frame and comes with several metal body and styling elements. At 187 kg for the alloy wheel version and 191 kg for the spoke wheel version, the Mavrick 440 is among the heaviest in its segment.

The Mavrick 440 comes in three variants - Base, Mid and Top. Features standard across all variants include auto LED headlamp, LED tail-lamp and indicators, USB-A port for charging, Bluetooth connectivity for features such as SMS and call alerts and turn-by-turn navigation. All these features are via the Hero Connect app which is based on Hero's Connect 2.0 technology. As a side note, Hero intends to equip all their offerings with this connectivity suite.

While the Base variant gets spoke wheels with tube-type tyres, the Mid gets alloy wheels, and the Top variant gets diamond-cut alloys. The Mid and Top variants get tubeless tyres.

The Base variant comes in the Arctic White shade, while the Mid gets two options - Celestial Blue and Fearless Red. The Top variant comes in Phantom Black in matte finish, and Enigma Black in glossy finish. The Top variant gets 3D Badging on the fuel tank. Apart from the paint shades on offer, the only difference between the Base and Mid variants are the alloy wheels.

The biggest difference between the Base and Top variants is the e-SIM connected features. The Top variant gets 35+ connected features that include real-time data of the bike and you can even run diagnostics to check for faults and errors. You also get an immobiliser and geofencing features. Through the immobilise option, you can immobilise the bike: this will work only if the bike is shut / stationary or under 5 km/hr. Through Geo-fencing, you can restrict its use within a certain radius and then choose to immobilise it.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

The Mavrick 440 costs Rs. 1.99 lakhs (ex-showroom) and this price is courtesy of a few cost savings across the bike.

Credit where it is due, the Mavrick 440 is very well put together. You won't find awkwardly placed parts or any half-hearted effort in the finish. The quality of most parts is pretty good and they feel sturdy to use. Yes, a few things could have been better - the centre console, for instance, is rather basic, as is the left stalk; but what's been provided looks like it will stand long-term use.

The two areas where we found the fit to be lacking are the indicators (especially rear) that do their own little dance even on good roads and the ORVMs that vibrate a fair bit, not allowing for a clear image of the proceedings at the rear.

Features and Instrumentation

This is one area where Hero has held back. It has equipped the Mavrick 440 with just the bare essential features and a rather basic and very un-2024-like instrument cluster.

The Mavrick 440 comes with dual-channel ABS and a slipper clutch as standard across variants and that is just about all the riding electronics you get. There is no ride-by-wire, no traction control, no selectable riding modes or adjustable front suspension.

In what is a rather awkward implementation, the instrument cluster is shaped like a keyhole resting on its side. The MID gets an LCD display which covers only a small rectangular sub-section of the cluster and is black and white for the most part, except for some warning/information symbols that are in colour. The periphery of the circle gets the warning and information symbols.

That said, the Mavrick 440 offers a very contemporary list of features on the MID. Standard on all three variants is Bluetooth connectivity, offering connected features such as SMS and call alerts, turn-by-turn navigation and phone status.

Additionally, the display provides the usual information:
1) Tachometer
2) Fuel gauge
3) Speedometer
4) Odometer, Trip A, Trip B
5) Gear position

What you get additional only on the Top variant is the suite of e-sim connectivity features. This suite covers about 35 features including those for safety (accident, theft), security (geo-fencing), vehicle health monitoring, driving analysis, RSA and navigation (find/track bike). There was no information provided on the pricing/duration of this subscription though.

The Mavrick 440 comes with LEDs lights at the front and rear. The instrumentation cluster houses a light sensor which triggers the headlight, when in automatic mode.

Wheels & Tyres

The Mavrick 440 gets 17" wheels, on both the front and rear. Hero mentioned that they decision to provider a small tyre on the front, and a wider tyre on the rear compared to those on the Mavrick 440's sibling was taken to enhance ride quality and better rider comfort.

The wheels on the Mavrick 440 differ on each variant. While the Base variant gets spoke wheels, the Mid variant gets alloy wheels and the Top variant gets alloy wheels with a diamond-cut finish.

All the three variants get 110/70/R17 tyres on the front, and 150/60/R17 on the rear. While the tyres on the Mid and Top variant are tubeless, those on the Base variant are not. Both wheels are shod with MRF Zapper-FY2 tyres.

Ergonomics and Comfort

The Mavrick 440 gets ergonomics spot-on. At a seat height of 803mm, most riders would be able to confidently plant their feet on their ground. With the brake and gear lever placed at a comfortable spot slightly ahead of the rider's seating position, and a flat and wide handlebar, the Mavrick 440 allows for a very comfortable riding posture. Complementing this relaxed straight-up riding stance is the seat, which has just the right mix of being soft/firm. The riding geometry coupled with the seat allow you to ride the day out, without much fatigue. Hero mentioned they worked extensively on the ergonomics, and they haven't disappointed one bit.



Courtesy a fellow reviewer, we also had the chance to ride pillion for some distance and the Mavrick 440 excelled at that as well. With a sufficiently wide seat for the pillion and perched only a few inches above the rider, the bike gives a similar level of riding comfort to the pillion, with well-positioned foot pegs and usable grab rails. Available as an accessory is backrest of the pillion, which can be quite helpful.

The buttons on the control stalk are placed conveniently, albeit there's no functionality on them apart from controlling the lights, horn and firing up the engine. The gear and clutch levers are not adjustable, but feel and fit well to use.

The brake pedal and the gear levers also seem at ease with riding boots; there was no hesitation in up/down gear shifts, nor with braking.

The one area where the rider may struggle is wind-blast. Given the bike's relatively short height, there's a good chance you may face a fair bit of wind-blast at higher speeds. We rode on the highways near the salt plains that had quite the breeze flowing; the cross-winds at highway speeds could be unsettling, especially when heavy vehicles are passing by.

Fuel Tank Capacity & Range

The fuel tank of the Mavrick 440 can hold 13.5 litres of petrol, which translates to about 450-500 km of actual range. We rode the bike on Gujarat's beautiful state highways as well as the narrow roads surrounding the Rann of Kutch and after almost a day of riding (~250 km), used up only about half a tank of fuel.

Warranty

The Mavrick 440 comes with a standard warranty of 5 years / 70,000 km. Details on the possibility of an extended warranty have not been provided.

Accessories

Hero has developed several accessories for the Mavrick 440. Among those displayed on our test bikes were the crash guard and backrest for the pillion. On the display bikes at the review event, they also showcased fog lamps, and tank & saddle lamps. They did mention about a front visor screen being available. The complete list of accessories should be available shortly.

[libranof1987]

Riding the Hero Mavrick 440

The Mavrick 440 is powered by a 440cc single cylinder, SOHC, air-cooled engine, that Hero has branded as "TorqX". It produces 27 bhp @ 6,000 rpm and 36 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. This engine also does duty in the Harley-Davidson X440 that was launched a few months back, albeit in a slightly different tune.

Hero claims that 90% of peak torque is available at under 2,000 rpm. This suffices most use cases for a bike in this segment. During our test ride which included open state highways, slightly broken village roads, and even salt plains, the bike felt fairly engaging to ride. It is eager while taking off from a standstill given its ample low-end and even an engaging mid-range for that matter. Unless you're riding in peak city traffic, you can look forward to cruising for long distances with minimal gearshifts. You could continue to ride even from near-standstill scenarios such as nasty speed-breakers, without having to drop down to the 1st gear, just as easily as you can remain on the 3rd or 4th gear while you ride at varying speeds from ~30 km/h to 80 km/h.

The power delivery from the TorqX engine follows a flat torque curve and you can find enough power on tap across speed and the rev range. On several instances on the highway, while riding at ~80 km/h in the 6th gear, the engine seemed quite responsive when looking for a quick overtake, or when accelerating to higher speeds.

While the Mavrick 440 isn't the most powerful bike in the segment, it will not be insufficient for the majority of users. The engine is capable enough for the bike to be a daily ride for city use, as well as for weekend rides. It will not keep up with the big boys from the superbike world, but if you do want to go for cross-country rides, it won't really lag too far behind.

Being a single cylinder, vibrations are inevitable. However, the engine is very refined until you are well past 5,500-6,000 rpm or above ~110 km/h. The engine doesn't feel strained as you ride at legal highway speeds for long distances without disturbance; and while we didn't go anywhere near the top speed given the narrow state highways, the engine seemed like it had enough juice to go much faster.

Accompanying the engine is a 6-speed gearbox, that gets an Assist & Slipper clutch. The clutch is easy to use and gear changes are quite smooth and definitive, both upshifts and downshifts.

Refinement & NVH

Hero has managed the NVH on the Mavrick 440 quite well. Despite being a single cylinder, vibrations don't creep in until you are riding well into triple-digit speeds. The suspension settings and ergonomics along with the engine characteristics come together so well that you can essentially ride at 80-100 km/h all day long, without being worn out.

The engine note has a noticeable bass at the lower end but doesn't really transform into a growl as you rev the engine. The Mavrick 440 gets a very characteristic Hero exhaust note, that will remind you of the several Hero bikes you have ridden throughout your life.

Suspension and Handling

While the Mavrick 440 doesn't get a lot of fancy tech to dazzle you or scare you with a monster torque, what it does spectacularly well is, provide terrific ride comfort. We got to ride the bike for almost a day and a half, and used the time to test the bike on Gujarat's state highways, interior roads and even the salt flats! Ride the bike at highway speeds, putter around the countryside on broken village roads, or ferry a pillion around the city, the Marvrick 440 excels at providing a very comfortable ride.

The front suspension is a 43 mm telescopic fork with 130 mm travel that does not get any adjustable settings, while at the rear is a 7-step adjustable twin shock. The bike felt effortless to manoeuver.

As much as a delight the bike is during majority of riding conditions, there is that noticeable tentativeness in the ride quality once you are at higher speeds. In the few instances where we were able to cross 100 km/h and ride in the 110-120 km/h range (on unmarked / unregulated roads), the bike was bouncing about quite a bit and seemed to be affected by road conditions easily. This isn't very uncharacteristic of bikes from this segment. It can be unsettling if you intend to ride at high speeds on highways for the bulk of your ownership.

Braking

The Mavrick 440 gets a 320 mm disc brake at the front and a 240 mm disc at the rear brake. Dual-channel ABS is standard across all variants. Braking is fairly good and confidence-inspiring, especially when riding at highway speeds.

The brakes are provided by ByBre, Brembo's budget brand that has now become almost an industry standard.

[libranof1987]

Hero Mavrick 440 Images

Front end gets a smart, yet understated look. The headlight houses a DRL that mimics the "H" for Hero:


Front 1/3rd of the motorcycle gets the bulk of aesthetic changes compared to its sibling, the Harley-Davidson X440. There's a fair bit of metal used from the front mudguard to the tank shrouds.

Here's the Mavrick 440 in the Phantom Black shade that comes with a matte finish, available on the Top variant:


The bike in Enigma Black also available only on the Top variant. This is a dual-tone shade, with a glossy finish:


With a wheelbase of 1,388 mm and ground clearance of 175 mm, the bike feels at home on highways and streets alike, regardless of the condition of the road:


Rear two-thirds of the bike is fairly similar to the X440, with minimal changes, mainly for branding. Notice the crash guard which is available as an accessory:


Simple design for the rear:


LEDs at the front. Here are the indicators and headlight + high-beam in action. Notice the Hero branding on the indicators. The bike gets an ambient light sensor to trigger the automatic headlamps when enabled:


Flat and wide handlebar allows for a relaxed riding stance:


Fuel tank has a capacity of 13.5 litres. Note that E10/20 compliance is not known. The tank design allows for a nice grip:

Here's the sideways-resting keyhole-shaped instrument cluster with a rectangular LCD. Since we didn't get to use the connected features, here's how the display would look for them. SMS and call alerts and turn-by-turn navigation are standard on all variants:


Instrument cluster could have been slightly better integrated. It sticks out awkwardly:


Instrument cluster gets the standard set of warning indicators. LCD MID gets a single-tone display that is easy to read, even under bright sunlight. MID is not customisable with the same information - digital tachometer, speedometer, fuel gauge and time readouts are always displayed:


All you can do is toggle to get information for trip A and B...


...and the range. Notice the two buttons on the right for menu selection and navigation. These two buttons make up for the deleted menu selector from the left stalk that comes on the X440:


USB-A port at the front end of the fuel tank. Given the positioning, we wonder how effectively the cover will protect the port in rain:


Left stalk holds buttons for the indicators, headlight and horn:


This big grey blank is where the Harley-Davidson X440 gets buttons to operate the MID (reference image):


Right stalk holds the engine start/stop button and switches for the hazard lights and SOS (flip the cover for the switch):


ORVMs provide ample coverage of the action at the rear. But they carry a fair deal of vibrations, so the view isn't clear and steady:


Front wheel is a 17" rim shod with a 110/70 section tyre and doing braking duties is a 320 mm disc:


Enabling a superb ride quality is the 43 mm telescopic fork with a travel of 130 mm for the front suspension:


Single radiator is tucked behind the front wheel on one side:


440cc, single-cylinder, oil-cooled TorqX engine puts out 27 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 36 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. Hero mentioned that 90% of peak torque is available under 2,000 rpm:


Exhaust note has a noticeable bass but is very Hero-like at higher revs:


Well placed gear and brake provide good ergonomics. Gearshifts are easy to execute and it didn't seem that any of us were riding the brake, despite wearing various types of riding boots:


Generously wide seat that has the right amount of firmness doesn't leave you sore after riding all day. The pillion gets a usable grab rail:


Available as an accessory is this backrest for the pillion:


Everything is neat and tidy under the seat, but if you want to fiddle around, the battery and OBD port aren't easily accessible:


Rear comes equipped with a 17" alloy wheel with a 150/60 section tyre and a 24 0mm disc brake. Hero talked about fitting the bike with a wider rear tyre to enhance the ride quality:


Rear suspension gets a 7-step adjustable twin shock:


Rear lights are LEDs all-round. The tail-lamp gets similar branding as the headlight, with an "H" that gets completely lit when the brake is applied:


Keeping things simple with the key:


Apart from the two colours available on the Top variant that we had during the review, the Mavrick 440 comes in five shades. Here it is in the Arctic White shade (available only on the Base variant):


Fearless Red...


...and Celestial Blue are available on the Mid variant:


Disclaimer: Hero MotoCorp invited Team-BHP for the Hero Mavrick 440 test-ride. They covered all the travel expenses for this riding event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Nilesh5417]

All.positives aside, I can't get over the fact that this looks very commuterish and small when I look at the pics with the rider on it.

Maybe it's different in flesh.

[RunGaDa]

It looks like a good package. Ergonomics, handling needs to be tested. Quality of buttons, display, brightness of display and asthetics if at basic high standard then it’s commendable for the price. I think Hero has a very good bike. 27bhp seems less. It would define more of a commuter bike, easy to use in weekday city traffic with a week end 200-350km ride.
On the outset, job well done Hero motors!

[loki]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

All.positives aside, I can't get over the fact that this looks very commuterish and small when I look at the pics with the rider on it.

Maybe it's different in flesh.

Yup. All pics hinting at the bike's Compact-ness. Need a side-by-side with the Triumph Speed 400 to make things clear.

[ityogi]

Reviewers: any comments on the Mavrick being 10kG (for alloy variants) heavier than Speed400? How does it affect the maneuverability in city traffic?

[Rudraksh]

Excellent review.

Considering this is Hero's first 400+cc bike and the flagship, the fit finish and NVH looks good and not to complain about. (which was not the case with X440 about fit & finish)

However, can this engine be used for a touring motorcycle?

[anjan_c2007]

Thanks Libranof1987 for reviewing the Hero Maverick in details. This bike is shaking up the segment with lots of inquisitive eyes and ears since its Hero's first ever foray into this segment.

The Villiers engines of (-) 200 cc were shared by many old British bike makers including Royal Enfield, BSA, James to name a few. It was just like the Fiat diesels that are being shared by many major carmakers in India since about two decades till the present day.

The Bajaj Pulsar 220 shared KTM's engine since 2011 and hence the Maverick sharing Harley's engine was on expected lines, since they are partners in arms now. But would many buyers not prefer the HD with this engine for the brand equity the US brand provides? As you put it, this engine's long term durability remains to be seen- how far their joint R&D efforts have borne fruits. I too feel that for such a premium bike (for India) the instrument cluster could have been better designed to appear more chic, rather than the sub 200 cc, cruiser bike like looks.

About the three variants, Hero's differentiation methodologies for the base to top appears rustic and crude. The spoke wheels on the base variant are really out of the blue. We get not diamond cut alloys but alloys cut by something else even on those commuter bikes of 100-125 cc, and courtesy Hero a 440 cc bike buyer doesn't get this choice even after spending Rs 2 L plus (incl taxes). Also the base variant needs to have a better choice of shades. We are 100 years past the Model T Ford "any colour as long as it's black" Era.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

All.positives aside, I can't get over the fact that this looks very commuterish and small when I look at the pics with the rider on it.

Maybe it's different in flesh.

Originally Posted by loki

Yup. All pics hinting at the bike's Compact-ness. Need a side-by-side with the Triumph Speed 400 to make things clear.

The bike does look small, compared to those that we typically think of. However, it is actually wider and taller than the Speed 400 (for comparison).

Mavrick 440 specs
Speed 400 specs

That said, most riders won't really find the 803mm seat height a problem; you won't find your knees bent upward.

Originally Posted by ityogi

Reviewers: any comments on the Mavrick being 10kG (for alloy variants) heavier than Speed400? How does it affect the maneuverability in city traffic?

The point about the 10kg weight difference: honestly, I'm not really sure how / where it would make such a drastic impact. The bike is pretty nimble to manoeuver in traffic; you don't struggle with the weight.

Originally Posted by Rudraksh

However, can this engine be used for a touring motorcycle?

The engine is pretty decent; it has sufficient juice even on the higher gears, when doing highway speeds. On several instances when riding on the state highways, we could effortlessly overtake other vehicles. Of course, this is while doing legal speeds.

The bike will happily cruise at 80-100 km/hr all day long. NVH is perfect until as much as ~90 km/hr. It is only as you approach 100 km/hr that you notice vibrations setting in. Even then, the engine can still pack some punch.

What can be a slight bother is the wind blast, especially since you seat low. Hero mentioned having a windscreen as an accessory, perhaps that would help.

[sulivan]

How is the access to replace regular stuff that needs attention like battery, air-filter and spark-plug. From the pictures a frame sub-member hinders easy reach to the plug.

[Rudraksh]

Thanks for the info @libranof1987
It will be great if they bring out the Tourer version on the 440 platform. It will be a good replacement for H411 and a better competitor for the upcoming Honda Adventure 350.

The Xpulse lacks the touring ability, where its engine gets stressed after 90kmph.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

The Hero Mavrick 440 has been launched at a very competitive price of Rs. 1.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base variant.

Lovely review @libranof1987. I like this bike quite a bit (and probably that makes it the first ever Hero / Hero-Honda vehicle that I have liked other than bicycles from Hero Cycles). It seems to get most basics right - #1 being comfortably tuned suspension from whats mentioned in the review. No matter what else - this for me always remains #1 on the horrendous roads anywhere around my place for 300 kms. I like its compact packaging and associated looks as well. No problems. In fact I'm alright about the conventionally positioned front telescopes as well. Not too bummed out due to the lack of the now favourite upside down shockers. Then, being a Hero, I think we can safely expect it to be a reliable and easy to maintain for long term piece of machinery.

That said - the following 2 are painfully frustrating. OCD triggers!
1. The spelling of the name. If you don't get the trademark of what you want - name it something else please.
2. Do I see a single horn on this bike? Really? My 150cc Suzuki commuter has factory installed twins, loud enough to make auto-rikshaws move aside. Or there are 2 and I noticed only 1 unit?