A bike collab that's finally come of age

The new Harley-Davidson X440 T, built at Hero's Neemrana plant, is a motorcycle that can take the rough with the smooth

- Rishad Saam Mehta

When Harley-Davidson first announced the X440 in partnership with Hero MotoCorp in October 2020, the reception was part curiosity, part cynicism.

Could an American cruiser reimagined for Indian roads and wallets survive without the excess or the exhaust note that made Harleys famous? The Harley-Davidson X440 launched in July 2023 proved that there was an aisle in the crowded Indian motorcycle supermarket for a Harley you didn't hear coming from three streets away.

The new Harley-Davidson X440 T is the brand's determined effort to garner more footfalls in that aisle. It's cleaner to look at, smoother to ride, and peppered with more tech than its predecessor. The design no longer feels like three different bikes ended up in one assembly line. The X440 T looks like a well thought-through motorcycle. The silhouette is cohesive, there’s a redesigned rear subframe, slimmer side panels, new tail-lamp, and grab rails that look integrated rather than bolted on as an afterthought. The seat has been reshaped, and all of it comes together to give the X440 T a proper stance. The exhaust has evolved too; what was once a slightly apologetic stub now wears proper heat shields and a reworked end can.

The changes are beyond skin deep. Harley-Davidson hasn’t just refreshed the styling; it has clearly spent time tightening the overall quality. At the product presentation, the company emphasized 72 revisions over the standard X440, and once you start looking closely, it shows. The heel plates, footpegs, rear brake lever and the chassis welds are noticeably more robust and better finished. The switchgear has been upgraded too, using higher-quality plastics and offering a more reassuring, tactile action.