Harley Davidson X440 launch today: Price, specifications, what to expect

The make-in-India focus and effective use of local materials is expected to bring costs down for the Harley, enabling it to offer X440 at a competitive price

In what is likely to be the most-anticipated launch of the year, Harley-Davidson will launch its motorcycle X440 in India today. The bike has been developed as the first product coming out of the Harley Davidson and India's Hero MotoCorp collaboration.

The launch is being viewed as Harley's attempt to break Royal Enfield's unquestioned dominance in the middleweight segment of the Indian two-wheeler market.

The Harley Davidson X440 will be the American company's most affordable offering so far and, unlike its earlier offerings, Street 500 and Street 750, may undercut Royal Enfield's offerings.

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The make-in-India focus and effective use of local materials are expected to bring costs down for the Harley, enabling it to offer X440 at a competitive price.

In the pictures shared on Hero MotoCorp's website, the X440 appears to have taken inspiration from other larger displacement bikes from the Harley Davidson stable. The images show a round and modern headlight with an LED setup, round indicators, a tear-drop-shaped fuel tank, and an overall retro touch.

Powering the Harley-Davidson X440 will be a newly-developed 440 cc single-cylinder which is oil and air-cooled that redlines at 8,000 rpm. Power figures for the engine have not been revealed so far. However, estimates say that it will be near 30 bhp and 35 Nm of peak torque. With a bigger engine, the X440 will have a clear advantage against the established rivals from Royal Enfield that sport a 350 cc engine.

The Harley will also sport upside-down (USD) front forks, twin shock absorbers at the rear, and disc brakes in both tyres with dual-channel ABS.

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The prices of the X440 will be released later today. Industry experts expect prices to be around Rs 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom) onwards, HTAuto reported. The bike is likely to be offered in more variants with additional features and accessories to make things more interesting.

The bike may also be exported to various other markets starting this year. With motorcycles like the Triumph Speed 400, Honda H'ness 350, Benelli Imperiale 400, and the offerings from Royal Enfield already in the segment, the launch of Harley's X440 will make things even more competitive in the segment.