[Rajeevraj]

Headed down to Tusker Harley in Bangalore-Lavelle Road to see the X440 in flesh. No test drives yet, so had to be content on looking at it and sitting on it. Based on this some initial thoughts and pictures.

The Showroom:

• Tusker Harley seems to be the only one in Bangalore with a display bike, none of the Premium Hero dealerships authorized to sell this have got one yet. The dealer I had booked with had said, first part of August, but no information yet.
  
• People familiar with Tusker will know, a premium small showroom located at an old school prime location in Bangalore.
  
• My favorite pet peeve, no parking even for 2 wheelers in front of the showroom. Being a strict enforcement area, best option is to look for a paid parking slot on Lavelle Road(which surprisingly I got) or park in UB City and walk over.
  
• With these semi mass market bikes, the premium dealers need to think through on the showroom experience also.
  
• Once you enter, the X440 is displayed right up front. It is a fairly low lighted showroom- As seen from the pictures.
  
• I went on a Saturday evening, on an average around 10 people were around to check out the bike through out the time I was there. Fairly good crowd.
  
• The SA was welcoming. A pleasant person who was always near the bike, encouraging people to sit on it, answering questions, promoting the bike and Harley. Unlike Triumph, did not first ask-'Have you booked it'?
  
• My 19 year old niece was with me and she is a bike lover and just started riding since a few months. She was hesitant to sit on it with a 'what would they think' worry. The SA encouraged her, asked her to switch it on. She is a Harley convert now. These small things contributed to a good first experience.
  
• Bookings are closed as already communicated. No offline booking being taken and no visibility to when bookings would reopen.
  
• Only 1 display bike. SA said it is a pre-production unit.
  
• Test Drives to start only September first week, deliveries to start by first half of October.
  
• Expect communication from Harley latest by 25th on the next steps.

The Bike

• One look at it and really liked it. Looks much better in person than in pictures. This was the top end S variant. My niece who was like, why are you even looking at the Harley instead of the Triumph was wowed by it. She is a convert now.
  
• It does look and feel like a fairly large bike, especially with respect to length.
  
• I liked the all metal approach. Gives it a nice retro look.
  
• The build, fit and finish looked all fine to me. Did not see any major issues. Of course, I did not look in detail due to the crowd and the fact that the showroom was not very well lit up. Also, I personally don't have a fine eye for detail, so pls take this comment in that context.
  
• Loved the Alloys with the detailing on it.
  
• The seating position as expected seemed comfortable. Seat also seemed cushioned just right.
  
• My daughter and niece took turns in the pillion and again, seemed comfortable.
  
• The big gap between the wheel and the seat in the rear did not look too bad in person. Once you sit on it, the gap reduces further. This part of the bike I did not like in the pictures. Looks fine in flesh.
  
• The thump was fairly good. Sounds much better in person than in the videos. Definitely distinctive.
  
• Liked the cluster and the connected features. Again, looks bright and crisp up close.
  
• Headlamp with that distinctive Harley Logo looks nice.
  
• The wires from the handlebar could have been concealed better. Looks ugly.
  
• Definitely feel the weight. Not a light bike. Reviews indicate that it will still be ok in the city, but definitely will not be as comfortable as the Triumph. So I think it won't be as friendly or forgiving as the Triumph.
  
• The On Road I heard the SA say for the top end is ~3.69L. So definitely a good bit more expensive than the Triumph.

Pictures

The Mandatory Exhaust Note

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1qSP7d1jQ

A Combo Image

Overall Summary
Of course, the test ride is a key part, but I connected better with the X440 than I did with the Triumph 400. It felt that this would be a right upgrade for me. One thing that all reviews had indicated was that if you can get past the looks and fit and finish issues as opposed to Triumph and start riding , it is a very competent motorcycle. Well, I personally loved the looks, did not see a deal breaker fit and finish issue. It is clear it will not be as comfortable and friendly as the Speed 400, but I am ok with that.

Still hoping that I will be able to do a proper test ride before the decision point on my Speed 400 booking comes up but even if not, I think I have seen enough to try to push the Speed 400 commitment till I do a test ride of this.

[Sebring]

I need to see the yellow first. Red is the second preference. But yes TD is a must

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Headed down to Tusker Harley in Bangalore-Lavelle Road to see the X440 in flesh

[ManneAtWheelz]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I need to see the yellow first. Red is the second preference. But yes TD is a must

It's called the Mustard from Denim which is in lower variant, instantly I loved the red color and went for Vivid red booking but the only doubt in mind is that will I get the color TFT in this variant or it's only in the top S variant?

[inline4]

Originally Posted by ManneAtWheelz

It's called the Mustard from Denim which is in lower variant, instantly I loved the red color and went for Vivid red booking but the only doubt in mind is that will I get the color TFT in this variant or it's only in the top S variant?

TFT is standard across all variants. So is the bluetooth connectivity. The S as an e-sim that the others don't have.

[Sebring]

If I look at the TFT in base variants (YouTube Videos) I see a rectangular box, but in the topmost its merged quite nicely. I could be wrong here

Originally Posted by inline4

TFT is standard across all variants. So is the bluetooth connectivity. The S as an e-sim that the others don't have.

[inline4]

Originally Posted by Sebring

If I look at the TFT in base variants (YouTube Videos) I see a rectangular box, but in the topmost its merged quite nicely. I could be wrong here

Its all absolutely the same. Must have been the angle from which the image was shot. All have a rectangular TFT within a circular mount.

[Rajeevraj]

Received below from Hero/Harley via email. Came on 14th and was actually in the spam folder. Just noticed today

First of all, we would like to thank you for the faith that you have reposed in us.

Harley-Davidson X440 received an overwhelming number of bookings and we are working to ensure that dispatches to dealerships begin as early as possible.

Test rides begin from September 2023 and the first priority will be given to our valued customers who have booked the H-D X440. We will be contacting you soon in this regard.

Deliveries will commence from October 2023 onwards.

By September 2023, we will confirm which dealership has been allocated to you for delivery of your X440.

We appreciate your patience and we are proud to have you in the Harley-Davidson Family.

[Abh1nav]

Originally Posted by Abh1nav

Thank you for the help here! So well put.

While I do have a fair idea about the kind of riding I plan on the bike, i’d still go for a few more test rides and see which one appeals to both, the head & the heart!

Just an update here: After 3 extensive test rides, I have finally gone ahead and booked the Super Meteor.

Will be cancelling my booking for the X440 post the test ride next month. Don’t want to give up on the chance of having one good ride on this bike.

[Sebring]

Did you see it as more VFM? Can you list the pros on the Super Meteor which tilted your decision in its favour. Of course, apart from the 650CC engine

Originally Posted by Abh1nav

After 3 extensive test rides, I have finally gone ahead and booked the Super Meteor.

[naveenvenkatesh]

Originally Posted by Abh1nav

Just an update here: After 3 extensive test rides, I have finally gone ahead and booked the Super Meteor.

Will be cancelling my booking for the X440 post the test ride next month. Don’t want to give up on the chance of having one good ride on this bike.

Nice and congratulations. I had been to HD showroom here in Bangalore couple of days back and they said test rides will start in September! What a bummer. I booked the bike in last July and need to wait 2 months to ride. How come other cites are getting test rides and not in Bangalore?

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

How come other cites are getting test rides and not in Bangalore?

General public is yet to get test rides. Only media houses/ YouTubers have got the test rides till now on pre-production bikes. Test rides would start in September on the production ready bikes.

[Abh1nav]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Did you see it as more VFM? Can you list the pros on the Super Meteor which tilted your decision in its favour. Of course, apart from the 650CC engine

Firstly, I do believe that both, Super Meteor and the X440 are VFM for what they offer.

It’s more about what I want from the motorcycle - Occasional (low traffic days) office trips, early morning / late night weekend rides and highway trips. In that respect, I enjoyed the Super Meteor more.

Rather than listing down the pros, let me tell you why I booked the SM:

A couple of weeks ago, I took a 40 min test ride (my 3rd one) for the SM 650, and that’s when I knew it is the one!

1. I love how it looks. It can keep looking at it all day.

2. Comfortable sitting position - I’m 5’11”, so both Super Meteor and X440 felt fine, but the SM more so.

3. While on the open road, I was riding super comfortably at 80-100 kmph, and could comfortably overtake the traffic with a slight pull of the throttle - Kind of riding I would be doing mostly.

4. The feel - I guess this is why I’ve really booked the bike. The first time I sat on the SM, it gave a feeling which the X440 did not. While the weight has been a huge talking point, It did not feel that heavy as soon as I got on the saddle. It is quite manageable in traffic, and on the open road, it feels so planted at whatever speed I rode it on.

5. The fit, finish and paint quality of the SM is much superior to the one on X440. Felt like more than buck you pay for it.

6. Long term feedback - since the SM has been out for quite some time, we have a fair idea of the real world usage. This isn’t the case with the X440, which is slightly bothersome for me.

7. 1st Batch apprehension - These X440 are going to be the first lot of motorcycles, and while I hope these are niggle free, we’ll only get a fair idea by Jan / Feb ‘24.

After considering all these, I zeroed in on the SM!

[Abh1nav]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

How come other cites are getting test rides and not in Bangalore?

Official test rides have not started yet. The dealership here allowed a short test ride around the showroom.

[Carfool_Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Received below from Hero/Harley via email. Came on 14th and was actually in the spam folder. Just noticed today

Hey thanks for pointing this out! It was in my spam as well, I'm sure I'd have missed it if not for this message.

Hope the TD mails don't get marked as Spam as well

[Carfool_Wheeler]

Just received a card from Harley, looks like they are sending one to all who booked.
Gotta hand it to them, the infamous wiring has been immortalized in paint!

Have booked the Scrambler 400X as well, if it boils down to customer engagement and after sales, I feel I might just be pivoting towards Hero/Harley.