2023 Harley-Davidson X440 – First Look

Today, Harley-Davidson made further inroads into the huge Indian motorcycle market by announcing the 2023 Harley-Davidson X440. A project with Hero MotoCorp, we first posted about this bike back in April. This joint venture with Hero shouldn’t come as a surprise since Hero will be the official sales, service, and merchandising organization for Harleys in India. At the time of our original post we also noted: “Hero will also be developing ‘a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand name,’ as part of a licensing agreement.” All of which brings us to where we are now.

Hero Motocorp Teases Harley-Davidson-branded Model for India

The styling of the X440 matches the previously leaked photos exactly, showing more than just a nod towards Harley’s air-cooled Sportsters. Take a gander at the wheels that could be straight from the Iron 883. Still, given the 55.8-in. wheelbase points to it being a small displacement motorcycle.

What we know about the engine is little more than its specifications, but they are interesting nonetheless. The 440cc engine is an air-oil-cooled Single. Bore and stroke are 79.6mm x 88.4mm with a relatively tame 9.5:1 compression ratio, which is likely to make it run smoothly on a wider variety of fuel octanes. The EFI breathes through an unspecified valve train into a single-sided exhaust. Harley claims 27 bhp at 6,000 rpm, translating, we surmise, into roughly 22 hp at the rear wheel. Given the displacement, peak torque is roughly a claimed 28 lb-ft.

The 3.6 gal. tank delivers a calculated range of 140 mi. from the claimed 39 mpg. Other interesting specs include the 36° lean angle, left and right. The twin shocks are seven-step preload adjustable, and the fork is a KYB 43mm dual-cartridge unit. Rake is 25.5°, and trail is 4.0 in. Bybre calipers squeeze the single front 320mm disc, which has a 240mm mate in the rear and both are controlled by dual-channel ABS. No other rider aids are listed.

The instrument cluster is a 3.5-in. TFT featuring: Range Display, Gear Indicator, Speedometer, L/R turn Indication, High Beam Indicator, ABS Alert, Side Stand Alert, Service Indication, Low Fuel Indicator, Neutral Position Indicator, Check Engine Light Indication, Smart Phone Features, which include Turn By Turn Navigation, Music Control, Accept and Reject Calls, Phone Battery Status, Missed call Alert, Message Alert, and Network Strength. The phone-based information requires the accessory Connect 2.0 Package.