In 10 Images: Harley-Davidson X440 vs Harley-Davidson X 500

The desi X440 is very different from its Chinese sibling, X 500, check them out in the images

Harley-Davidson recently launched the X440, co-developed with Hero, in the Indian market. As part of its ambitious plans for Asia, the Milwaukee-based manufacturer also offers the X 500, the elder sibling of the X440, in the Chinese market. And here is how it fares when compared to its Indian sibling.

Design

Firstly, the design. The X440 gets muscular design language with neo-retro design elements. With its beefy fuel tank, round headlight, and clean side panels, the bike embodies the typical roadster looks. The design of the bike seems to be inspired from its discontinued sibling, the XR1200, and in its stealthy finish the bike looks quite premium. However, the blackened exhaust looks a bit plain-jane in our opinion. The bike is available in three variants: Denim, Vivid and S. The denim variant gets spoke-wheels and single-tone colours while the other variants feature dual-tone alloys and premium colours. 

The X 500, on the other hand, gets a chunky one-piece seat and a bigger (13-litre) fuel tank and a chopped rear fender that looks quite appealing. It also features round headlights, high-set handlebars and an upright riding stance highlighting the typical Harley-Davidson sportster look. 

Engine

Secondly, as the nomenclature suggests, powering the X440 is a new 440cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine producing 27.4PS and 38Nm. It is a new unit co-developed with Hero MotoCorp specifically for the Indian market. The Harley-Davidson X 500 on the other hand gets a more powerful, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine producing 47.5PS and 46Nm, which is based on the Benelli Leoncino 500.

Features  

Now coming to features, the X440 sports an LCD TFT console unit displaying basic information. It also gets smartphone connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation, music controls as well as message and call alerts. 

Meanwhile, the X 500 gets a semi-digital single-pod unit with an analogue cluster that displays the usual information such as speed, trip meter, odometer, and clock but lacks smartphone connectivity.

Hardware & Underpinnings

In terms of underpinnings, the X440 features 43mm upside-down forks and preload-adjustable gas-charged twin shocks and ByBre disc brakes at both ends with standard dual-channel ABS. The bike rolls on 18-/ 17-inch alloys wrapped in MRF Zapper Hyke tyres which haven’t been used on any other motorcycle yet. 

The X 500 gets a rebound-adjustable 50mm USD fork and a preload-adjustable monoshock at the rear. It also gets dual-channel ABS as standard.

Price

The Harley-Davidson’s X 500 is priced at 44,388 Yuan, approximately (Rs 5,06,775), while the entry-level X440 is priced at Rs 2,29,000 in India. The aggressive pricing of X 440 is only possible due to Harley-Davidson’s partnership with Hero which gives the brand the liberty to increase localisation to keep the prices in check.