Bike Reviews
Harley-Davidson X440 T first ride review: Finally more than a bike that just rides well?
The Harley-Davidson X440 T fixes the major shortcoming of the X440 by rectifying the rear end design. Is that all that has happened or is there more than meets the eye?
The Harley-Davidson X440 was a very important motorcycle for the Indian market. Not just because of the product, but what it meant for the two brands responsible for its creation. It was the first bike made in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp, the first product to come out of the strategic partnership. While the X440 was a fun motorcycle to ride, the design left a lot to be desired. The front half of the bike was quite handsome, but the rear with the large fender, tall gap between it and the wheel and the basic looking exhaust didn’t make for a very cohesive design. Harley-Davidson have attempted to rectify that with the X440 T, giving it a completely overhauled rear section along with a few functional upgrades as well. Have these changes translated into making the X440 T a more rounded package or does it still leave something to be desired? We jetted down to Goa to find out.
Harley-Davidson X440 T: What’s new?
72 changes. That’s how many Harley claims have been made to the X440 T over the standard X440. The major changes are cosmetic. With the new rear end, the 440’s design inspiration being the Harley-Davidson XR1200X is a lot more apparent now. The new rear comes courtesy of a new rear sub frame and new body panels. The rear end is a lot more defined, the gap between the wheel and the tail is in check and the grab rails are new as well. The exhaust has been resolved with a new end cap and a heat shield. The pipe that runs out of the catalytic-converter has a new cover as does the header pipe. There are four new colours – blue, white, red and black of which the blue looks the best in my opinion. The graphics on the tank and side panels are new with Harley-Davidson lettering instead of the bar and shield badge, staying true to the XR1200X’s styling.
The overall design has become more cohesive with addition such as new exhaust end cap, revised heat shield, rear grab rails – Shot by Harley-Davidson India
On the functional front, the engine output remains unchanged, but now makes use of electronic throttle bodies and that enables ride-by-wire which further enables two ride modes and switchable traction control. The mirrors are now bar end units. The right switch cube is new with an integrated starter and killswitch button. The seat is new with a ribbed texture for the rider seat and there are new grab-rails for the pillion rider. The next change, which is a big one, is the retune for the damping characteristics for the suspension – front and rear. These are the major changes on the motorcycle. The remainder of the 72 changes are focused at smaller component level things like stronger fasteners, braided lines for the brake and throttle cables and other changes that Harley-Davidson has implemented based on the feedback it has received from customers riding the X440 since 2023.
Harley-Davidson X440 T: How’s it?
To start off with, the design is significantly more palatable now and I can confidently say that it looks particularly handsome now. From all angles. The new colours are solid, fit and finish levels seem to have improved and the biggest factor holding the X440 back – rear styling has been resolved and how. The XR1200X inspiration properly comes through and the X440 T seems like a faithful interpretation of the 1200cc icon, in a smaller form factor. Full marks to the design team here. The new colours and graphics certainly help add to the visual appeal as well.
The new 1200XR-inspired tank graphics replace the bar & shield logo; it also gets racing motifs on the lower body panels – Shot by Harley-Davidson India
To ride, the ergonomics remain identical, which is a good thing, given that the X440 had a proper roadster setup. Sitting upright with your feet placed on mid-mounted ’pegs. The seat remains comfortable as ever, in fact, the quilted, ribbed pattern might just be a little more comfortable than before. The handlebar is a nice wide unit, giving you good enough leverage. The bar end mirrors have been executed very well and courtesy of the refined engine, barely any vibrations translate to the handlebar and the image behind remains crystal clear.
Speaking of the engine, the 440cc single remains loveable as always. With the addition of ride-by-wire, the engineers at CIT have also remapped the power and torque curves to kick such that both are delivered a smidge earlier than on the X440. This in turn makes the bike feel a little more lively while retaining all the qualities that made the previous bike nice to ride. You can still cruise at 90-100kmph on highways and comfortably trundle around town in a gear higher than you should be in without any protest from the engine.
The addition of electronic throttle bodies and that enables ride-by-wire, make it more livelier – Shot by Harley-Davidson India
The suspension has been retuned to make the ride quality more plush and adept at handling our roads. Something the X440 did very well to begin with. With the ‘T’ the ride quality on the whole feels more polished around the edges, handling sudden jolts and undulations from the road with more composure. This luckily, doesn’t come at the cost of its solid riding dynamics as it remains to be an extremely enjoyable motorcycle to take around corners as well. The electronics – traction control and rear ABS can be switched off and I’m happy to report that it stays off even after you switch off ignition and come back to ride the next time.
The retuned suspension damping has made the ride more pleasant, making it the most competent cruiser-bike in its class – Shot by Harley-Davidson India
Harley-Davidson X440 T: prices and range
The X440 T doesn’t replace the X440 it in fact goes on to sit on the top of the X440 range. The rest of the range has been rejigged to make space for the X440 T. The base ‘Denim’ variant has been axed and the earlier Vivid variant which was the mid-spec variant that used to cost ₹2.59 lakh (ex-showroom), is now that base variant and costs ₹2.34 lakh (ex-showroom). The top-spec S variant that used to cost ₹2.79 lakh (ex-showroom) now costs ₹2.55 lakh (ex-showroom). The X440 T, instead of costing more than the earlier top-end variant of the X440 (S), costs the same as it did at ₹2.79 lakh (ex-showroom).
At the price and more importantly, for what Harley-Davidson has achieved with the X440 T, it is a great motorcycle if a retro roadster is what you are in the market for. The design has finally caught up with how good the X440 was like to ride. With the updated damping, the bike is a little better to ride as well. All the extra paraphernalia that has been added to the motorcycle, doesn’t come at a premium and now I can very happily say that the X440 T is my favorite retro roadster motorcycle in the class.
