Harley Davidson As Affordable As Royal Enfield? X440 Launched At 2.3 Lakhs

Harley Davidson, arguably the most famous motorcycle manufacturer in the world, has come up with - what might just be - its most significant launch in its illustrious 100-year history. 

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based manufacturer, who has partnered with Hero MotoCorp - India's market leader in the two-wheeler space - on Monday unveiled the first product of their joint venture and it happens to be the cheapest Harley Davidson every made.

The Harley Davidson X440 is a single cylinder, 440cc motorcycle that aims to take the fight directly to Royal Enfield's 350cc platform - the highest sellers in the above 200cc motorcycle segment in India.

And the motorcycle has been aggressively priced - Rs 2.3 lakh onwards - that's just a few thousand rupees more than the top model of the best-seller Royal Enfield Classic 350. In contrast, the cheapest Harley currently on sale in India is the Nightster, prices for which begin at 17.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Harley Davidson X440 has a 190 kg kerb weight

There are a total of three variants on offer - base variant 'Denim' for Rs 2.29 lakh, mid-spec 'Vivid' for Rs 2.49 lakh and the top spec trim 'S' for Rs 2.69 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom.

The motorcycle carries a retro street design, drawing inspiration from the Harley XR1200, unlike the typical stretched out cruiser design you'd expect from a Harley.

It makes class-leading 27 PS of power, 38 NM of torque from its 2-valve, oil cooled motor and has a six-speed gearbox. The company claims it can deliver 25 kilometres to a litre of fuel. 

The base variant comes with wire spoked rims, while the more expensive variants come with alloy wheels and two-tone colour options.

There are a total of 3 variants on offer for the Harley Davidson X440

Unlike its competition from Royal Enfield, this Harley also has a KYB 43mm upside down front suspension - a hot demand amongst the enthusiasts in India. There's LED lighting on offer all around - be it the headlight, tail light or the indicators.

The motorcycle also has a 3.5 inch TFT display with phone connectivity features, and an extremely important fuel range indicator.

During the launch, the company stressed they have paid extensive thought to how it will sound. A Harley typically has a potato-potato sound, but this being a single cylinder, should be slightly different.

What now remains to be seen is how the Indian two-wheeler enthusiast reacts to the X440. On one hand, the Royal Enfield has the biggest brand value in the Indian space and has been rapidly increasing its foothold in Europe and North America, but Harley Davidson is still the bigger international brand. 

The X440, though slightly costlier than Royal Enfield single-cylinder offerings in India, does offer that much more in performance and features to justify its price tag. Will the Indian buyer agree?