X440 T review: Has Harley found its Hero in the mass market?

The bike developed in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp is refined, but lacks the visual punch that its rivals possess

December 14, 2025 21:45 IST

Harley-Davidson X440 T Review

Two years ago, Harley-Davidson collaborated with Hero MotoCorp to develop smaller, affordable motorcycles. The first model was the X 440 – it was more Hero than Harley, and didn’t have the latter’s road presence or the iconic design.

The result: it just couldn’t attract enough attention or buyers, who went to Royal Enfield and Triumph.

Last week, Hero-Harley rode in the X440 T, which we took for a day-long ride in Goa.

What are the changes?

The X440 T has ride-by-wire throttle, providing smoother, more precise throttle response (the X440 had the traditional cable-operated throttle). It also has switchable traction control, which prevents the rear wheel from spinning under hard acceleration, and switchable rear ABS for greater control on loose surfaces.

How’s the design?

Attention to detail is good (better than the X440), there are no loose hanging wires, and the paint seems to be of better quality.

It has a new tail section and subframe, giving the bike a cleaner and sportier look. The rear light is neatly integrated into the fender, and bar-end mirrors replace standard mirrors, giving it a custom-inspired appearance. A panel at the front of the fuel tank reduces the gap between the tank and the handlebar for a neater look.

Lastly, the bike gets new graphics inspired by the XR1200 – the celebrated sport-standard motorcycle – giving it a bit of a Harley identity.

How does it ride?

It’s got a low seat height (805 mm) and that makes it very accessible to people moving up from 100-150-cc bikes.

It is light (just 192 kg, with fuel), and that makes it very easy to manoeuvre in traffic where you have to constantly put your feet down to balance the bike. It’s definitely the most comfortable Harley-Davidson motorcycle for riding in the city.

Across engine RPM, the power delivery is linear – it feels very quick off the starting block till about 120 km/h. Real-world top speed is close to 145 km/h.

It’s quick, and feels light and agile. You can confidently corner it at most speeds without losing the line, thanks to low centre of gravity and, possibly, the MRF Zapper Hyke tyres it’s fitted with.

Fuel efficiency is about 30 km/litre and the fuel tank is 13.5 litres, so you can ride it for more than 350 km without refuelling.

Ride by wire

Engine remains the same – 440-cc, single-cylinder, air-oil cooled, developing 38 Nm torque and 27 bhp power – but feels smoother, thanks to ride-by-wire, which changes the way the power is delivered to your wrist. You feel the difference on the fly.

In the Road mode, the throttle response is sharper, and peak torque is delivered earlier in the rev range. It also has the Rain mode, in which the throttle response is controlled.

The X440 T also sounds a little different – and more like a big bike.

Should you buy it?

It’s priced Rs 2.79 lakh, ex-showroom, and competitors are Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 (Rs 2.56-2.72 lakh, but with bigger engine), and Triumph Speed 400 (Rs 2.34 lakh, which has a smaller engine, but feels peppier).

But even with the design changes, the X440 T lacks the visual punch that its rivals possess – it doesn’t have the head-turning road presence of the aggressively-styled Guerrilla 450 or the timeless appeal of the Speed 400.

If, however, you want to be part of Harley-Davidson family, and appreciate a bike that is strong on engineering and refinement, the X440 T is a sensible choice.