A premium brand shakes hands with a mass market genius

Harley-Davidson has launched its most affordable bike, the X440, and the prices start at Rs 2,29,000.

Harley-Davidson and Hero MotoCorp are co-developing a 400cc roadster for Harley’s India market and it looks near-production-ready. Code name HD 4XX, it will be Harley-Davidson’s smallest motorcycle in the country and here are three reasons why we believe it will be an affordable motorcycle to own: 

#1 - Made-in-India:

Harley-Davidson has identified the need to produce and sell small-capacity motorcycles in Asia. For its Chinese markets, it has launched the X350 and X500, essentially rebadged and restyled Benellis. However, in India it has opted to work with Hero to develop the 4XX from the ground up. With Hero’s engineering abilities and mass production capabilities, this upcoming roadster will be almost entirely localised and produced right here. This will allow Harley-Davidson to offer this 400cc bike at a competitive price point.

#2 - It’s basic in some aspects: 

Although Harley-Davidson is a premium brand, the 4XX is meant to be an accessible motorcycle in every sense. While the brand hasn’t compromised on the hardware like suspension and brakes, it could come shod with CEAT tyres to keep costs in check. It’s likely the bike will miss out on features like Bluetooth connectivity despite having a TFT console. Here are the top five things you need to know about the HD 4XX if you’re considering buying one.  

#3 - The Hunter 350 philosophy:

If you consider what the Hunter 350 has done for Royal Enfield - bring in new customers - Harley-Davidson could use the HD 4XX to do the same. It’s not going with the signature V-twin setup for this 400cc motor but has opted for a simple 400cc single-cylinder, air-cooled motor with an oil cooler. This sample size portion of performance, style and ‘brand’ - Harley-Davidson should encourage new riders to join the clan.

With an expected pricing of around Rs 2.5-2.7 lakh (ex-showroom), it wouldn't be surprising if Harley released the motorcycle by mid-2023, potentially between June and August. While the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, Jawa 42 2.1, Yezdi Roadster, and the Honda CB350RS are among its obvious rivals, it will also compete with the Honda CB300R and the KTM 250 Duke in its anticipated price range.