Harley-Davidson X440 T First Ride Review - Redemption Or Not?

Harley-Davidson’s second innings in the Indian market has been a decent one after it collaborated with Hero Moto Corp and got us the X440. Now the X440 is a nice motorcycle but it had its own set of faults such as the quality issues and the way it looked. To address those concerns, Harley-Davidson has launched the new X440 T. Now this motorcycle isn’t a replacement of the X440 but more of a new variant as the older motorcycle is still on sale. It gets cosmetic updates and mechanical updates so let’s find out if the X440 T ticks all the right boxes or not.

Performance

The power and torque figures of this engine remains the same, but the big change is the addition of Ride-by-Wire, which introduces two riding modes -  Rain and Road. Rain has a softer setting in terms of the throttle calibration. It feels more relaxed to ride and the highlight for this engine for me personally is the amount of torque the long stroke engine offers. You can ride this motorcycle in third gear, in city traffic, around 30 kmph in an effortless and chill manner. And the six-speed gearbox also works very well. 

The second aspect is when you shift to the Road mode, and the bike feels more sprightly. The acceleration is punchy and even the exhaust note of the motorcycle changes and the X440 T feels more alive. I particularly like the dual nature of this engine because it gives you the option of whether you want to chill and relax on this motorcycle or go full hustle mode. In my opinion this duality makes the X440 T stand out in this segment because most of the other motorcycles are very single-dimensional. Either they are very relaxed or a bit quick. With the X440 T, you have this possibility of changing the ride modes and changing the nature of the motorcycle. And even the switchable traction control is a good addition with respect to safety. 

Styling & Features

The biggest change though is on the cosmetic end of things. Harley designers and engineers focused on two areas - to improve its visual appeal and to make the quality levels better. The basic form of the bike is the same but the fuel tank shape is different to make it flow better, it gets bar-end mirrors, the centre panel is all new and the tail light has been integrated into the rear section. The above changes have made the new Harley bike look more premium and attractive. There are also four new colour options (Vivid Black, Pearl Red, Pearl White & Pearl Blue) and even the graphics are redesigned. 

Onto quality, now this was a big pain point for me personally as for the price point and the badge, the quality of the bike wasn’t up to the mark. However, Harley has addressed it on the new bike as the panel gaps are tight, the paint finish is good and there’s no ugly gaps between the bodywork and the panels. Even the exhaust muffler finish is much improved and with respect to quality there is a huge step up. Talking about features, you get the same TFT digital instrument console which can be controlled via switch cubes and there is also panic braking alert which actuates the indicators under hard braking. 

Ride, Handling & Braking

The underpinnings have broadly remained unchanged. It has the same chassis, suspension, and braking hardware as seen on the X440. Talking about the handling dynamics, when I first rode the X440 at the CIT track, I was mighty impressed by its handling dynamics. It feels very agile and is confidence-inspiring when you want to corner fast. And the same nature is there on the T version as well. We were riding through some narrow roads around Goa and the baby Harley felt very comfortable going through the twisties. So in terms of the handling, if you want to go on the mountain roads, have some fun, the Harley-Davidson is up to the challenge. 

The second aspect is the suspension. I think the suspension tuning is fantastic because it absorbs most of the broken roads very well. Hardly do you get tossed off the seat. So the ride quality of the bike is very good. And talking about the braking performance, I like the bite and the feedback from the lever on the front. But the rear, I think the bite could be slightly stronger. The X440 T gets dual-channel ABS as standard but you have the option of switching off the rear ABS. So in terms of dynamics also, the motorcycle is very sorted.

Verdict 

Let me be clear at the very beginning that this was more of a first ride experience because we rode this motorcycle for around 50 to 60 km and not a thorough road test, the latter will soon happen on Acko Drive. Now the first thing is the pricing of the motorcycle. The pricing of this bike is around ₹ 2,80,000 for the T version, which makes it around ₹25,000 more expensive than the X440 S. In terms of pricing, I think it is a bit expensive. Maybe Harley Davidson could have been more competitive, especially as an introductory price point. Another aspect is the on-road price as it attracts 40% GST, which would further amplify the price gap. 

Now coming back to the motorcycle, the first thing that they have really improved on this bike are the quality levels. The fit and finish of the bike is much better than the older motorcycle and it looks finally like a premium Harley Davidson product which was missing on the X440. So in terms of the visuals and in terms of the quality, Harley Davidson has done a good job with the T version. Talking about the engine, as I mentioned before, the engine is very, very likeable. With the addition of ride-by-wire and the ride modes, it makes the motorcycle have a dual nature. Same thing with the introduction of traction control, makes the motorcycle more safer. There is also dual-channel ABS, which is switchable. 

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So as you can see the bike gives the rider a lot of choice to pick and choose from what he/she wants to do with the motorcycle and I think that’s a good thing. I think Harley Davidson has done a good job with the X440 T. Now whether or not it makes an impact in the market because this segment is very, very crowded. So if you wanted a relaxed long stroke and torque heavy bike for commuting and some highway jaunts, the X440 T is worth giving a shot.