Harley-Davidson 400cc Bike: Top 5 Things You Need To Know Know Before Buying

Let's see what the recently leaked images of the Harley-Davidson HD400 means to you as a buyer

The first images of Harley-Davidson’s upcoming bike have surfaced and it looks and sounds quite exciting. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming bike: 

It’s A New, Made-for-India Bike

No, neither is this a rebadged version of the recently-launched Harley-Davidson X350 nor is it the one that’ll be seen in the upcoming Hero XPulse 400. Both the bikes have liquid-cooled mills while this one’s an air- and oil-cooled unit. The HD4XX (let’s call it the HD400 for easier reference) is a brand-new bike, one that’s made-for-India. 

Looks Familiar 

The HD 4XX looks similar to the Harley-Davidson XR1200X with round elements all around, a slightly raked-out front and a relatively compact build. While it’s too early to comment on how it’ll be like to ride, the ergonomics appear to be upright, with a wide handlebar and a single-piece seat. 

It’ll Be Affordable! 

Its 400cc-odd heart will be an air- and oil-cooled one, with output figures likely to be around 30PS. Yes, that’s not a lot given its capacity, but that also means it’ll be accessible to a lot more riders than an average Harley-Davidson bike. 

With its pricing expected to be around the Rs 2.5 lakh-2.7 lakh (ex-showroom) mark, the upcoming bike will be Harley’s most affordable one in India. This is further visible from the fact that the bike will get more affordable componentry like CEAT Zoom Cruz tyres, twin gas-charged shock absorbers and ByBre brakes. So the accessibility we talked about earlier, will be both in terms of affordability and rideability.

It’s Aimed Towards The Younger Crowd

An inverted fork, TFT console (albeit with basic readouts, as it appears), LED lighting, and sporty handling (we hope!), this upcoming Harley-Davidson does have some goodies to attract youngsters. The 8000rpm redline means that while the 400cc Harley won’t be as free-revving as a KTM, it’ll be a lot peppier than most of the Royal Enfield bikes at the same price point. 

With the help of Hero, Harley would want to attract a new wave of buyers who traditionally don’t associate with the cruiser charm which is the marque’s DNA, something that’s the most evident by the streetfighter design. Harley has ditched the cruiser format for one that’s a lot more versatile and practical, especially for the Indian environment. Think what Royal Enfield tried to do with the Hunter 350. That way, Harley will be able to attract a much wider range of audience than what it can with cruisers.

But as we said, one of the biggest factors in doing so will be an aggressive price tag. So, akin to what Bajaj is doing with Triumph and TVS with BMW,  we expect Hero to do the same with Harley, helping the premium brand price its bikes effectively.  

Launch Timeline And Competition Check

Going by the images, the Harley-Davidson HD400 looks pretty much production ready, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Harley launches the bike by mid-2023, possibly around June-August. While its natural rivals include the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, Jawa 42 2.1, Yezdi Roadster and the Honda CB350RS, it will also go up against the Honda CB300R, and the KTM 250 Duke in its expected price bracket.