Own a Harley-Davidson at Rs 2.3 lakh: Firm rides in with ‘affordable’ X440

Harley-Davidson (Harley), in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp (Hero), launched its most affordable motorcycle — the X440 — in the 440cc class on Friday with a clear focus on domestic sales.

Royal Enfield and Bajaj Auto are the market leaders in the 350-500cc motorcycle segment. In 2022-23, 145,585 units were produced in this segment in India; 62 percent of them were exported to other countries.

Hero MotoCorp CEO Pawan Mongal told reporters, “Right now, the focus is on Harley’s X440 for the Indian consumer and the Indian market. We are going one step at a time.”

“This is the first time that Hero has gone into this particular segment and is working with this engine size… We want to prove ourselves to our customers and then talk about other things,” he said.

Mengele said Hero will use the same 440cc engine to develop its bike in the Neemrana unit, which will be launched January-March of 2024, with all the bells and whistles of design and features.

Most Harley motorcycles come with over 1000cc engines.

Harley-Davidson President and CEO Jochen Zeitz told reporters that the company’s brand was “out of reach” for many customers in India. But that was set to change as the company debuted a “attainable” bike for a broader segment of the market.

“It’s in the luxury class, but it’s more achievable because it’s not in the 975cc-plus class. It’s a 440cc bike with that unique Harley personality.”

X440 motorcycle has been launched in the pink city with a starting price of Rs. 2.29 lakh (ex-showroom). It will come in three different types – Denim, Vivid, and Pinnacle.

He explained that the company wasn’t going “to the bottom” with the release of a 440cc bike.

Not everyone can afford a $20,000 bike, but everyone aspires to own a bike like you used to when you were a kid. If the X440 had been around when I was 18, I would have definitely bought it. I think it opens up the opportunity for buyers who wouldn’t immediately be looking for a big bike like what Harley has traditionally offered.”

Citing his personal experience, Zeitz said he got into motorcycling when he was 16 years old. Since then, he’s graduated to bigger bikes.

“Until you get comfortable on the big bike, you’re going to ride the smallest. That’s what I did. That’s what a lot of people do. The X440 opens the door to more riders than the traditional cyclists who run big Harley bikes.”

“The strategy we had in 2020 was to get more riders into the brand. I think this bike achieves that in India.

The X440 will be sold at Harley stores, premium Hero dealers, and select general Hero showrooms across the country.

Harley closed its production plant in India and exited the country in 2020. However, that year it signed an agreement with Hero to develop and sell a range of luxury motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand.

“We’re combining the strength of the global brand with Harley’s engineering and design capabilities and put that together with the knowledge that Hero has about India and from a manufacturing standpoint. This is a win-win proposition,” Zeitz noted.

When noting that India’s 350-500cc bike segment sells around 50,000 units domestically, Mongal said, “Hero has a knack for expanding the market, reaching more and more customers in whatever it’s done in the past.”

When Harley and Hero announced a partnership in 2020, both companies said Hero would also release its bike using the same Hero-badged platform.

“You will see a product that stands out for its look, design, features, sound and performance. It will be launched in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year,” Manjal said.

From the 440cc engine platform, the Hero will provide riders with different bike grades, Mengal said.

The 440cc- and X440-engined Hero bike will be sold by a similar group of dealers.

Hero had announced last month that it plans to open more than 100 exclusive stores of premium models in 2023-24 (FY24) in “key” locations across the country to provide a “sensory experience” to its customers.

Hero plans to launch a premium motorcycle model (in the 150-450 cc range) every quarter of FY24, CEO Niranjan Gupta said in June.

Hero, the leading manufacturer of commuter bikes (75-125 cc), has around 9,000 points of contact, including 1,000 major dealerships in India.