The latest spy shots give us a comprehensive idea as to how the Hero Mavrick 440 will look like.
The latest spy shots give us a comprehensive idea as to how the Hero Mavrick 440 will look like.
The Hero Mavrick 440 is slated for launch on January 23. This will be the first big bike from the largest manufacturer of two-wheelers in India. It will be based on the same platform that also underpins the Harley-Davidson X440, so some of the mechanical components will be shared.
However, the Mavrick 440 will have an identity of its own. Earlier spy shots revealed how the Mavrick 440 looks like from the front, but our latest spy shot images give us a more comprehensive idea.
Unlike the Harley-Davidson X440, which gets a blacked-out and round exhaust pipe, the Mavrick 440 gets a two-tone exhaust pipe with a silver end-cap. The exhaust pipe seems production-ready, and so does the alloy-wheel design, which again is by far the most intricate alloy design we have ever seen on a Hero Motocorp bike.
As was evident in the previous spy shots, the Mavrick 440 is equipped with conventional telescopic fork whereas the Harley-Davidson X440 gets USD fork. The tank design is also different. In the M440, the tank looks round and muscular and has small fairing bits (which were earlier presumed to be air scoops) protruding out of it. The H-D X440 gets a much squarish tank design, in comparison.
The side panels also appear voluptuous, as against the slanted panels on the H-D X440. The tail light is a round unit as against the rounded-rectangular unit found in the H-D X440. The rear mud-guard is also positioned higher, and the short fender at the front are some of the key areas where the Mavrick 440 will look different from the Harley.
The newly-developed 440cc, air/oil-cooled, single-cylinder engine that Hero Motocorp developed for the Harley-Davidson X440 will be available with the Mavrick as well. It might have a different state of tune in the form of different gear ratios. But Hero has already previewed the exhaust note of the M440, and it really doesn’t sound that much different compared to the deep bass thump available with the Harley X440.
As one can see there are a lot of similarities and differences between the Hero and the Harley offering. We think the Mavrick 440 will undercut the Harley-Davidson with respect to pricing and that will be crucial in establishing the new motorcycle. Another big advantage the flagship Hero motorcycle has is the brand's humongous dealership network. A competitive price tag will also be crucial if it wants to take on the segment leader, the Royal Enfield Classic 350.
