Harley Davidson X440 vs RE Super Meteor 650: A biker compares both

Once the enthusiasm of the initial test rides wear off, you will start noticing the smaller aspects of both motorcycles.

BHPian neil.jericho recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I haven't ridden either the Harley Davidson X440 or the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650,  However, from my experience of riding motorcycles for several years, I can say that:

The HD X440 seems to be this decade's equivalent of the Continental GT 535. In terms of power, the X440 makes 27.37 PS @ 6000 rpm, while the Continental GT 535 made 29.1 hp @ 5100 rpm. In terms of torque, the X440 makes 38 Nm @ 4000 rpm , while the Continental GT 535 made 44 Nm @ 4000 rpm. What does this mean? Ill come to that in a bit.

The Super Meteor 650 is a very different motorcycle from the X440. On paper and in your initial back to back rides, the Super Meteor 650 will shine through as the better motorcycle. After all, with a power rating of 47 PS @ 7250 rpm and torque of 52.3 Nm @ 5650 rpm, it has to have the HD X440 beat, right? Right?

Once the enthusiasm of the initial test rides wear off, you will start noticing the smaller aspects of both motorcycles. For example, the weight. The X440 is no light weight, at its claimed weight of 190.5 kgs. That said, the 241 kgs of the Super Meteor 650 is two whole weight classes above the X440. How easy is it going to be to manage the Super Meteor's weight? Only multiple test rides and parking simulations can tell you that. Also, will you be more comfortable doing long rides on the X440 or the Super Meteor 650?

A lot of your decision making should revolve around where and when you will be riding your motorcycle. If you will be doing a fair amount of city riding, the torquey nature of the X440 will prove to be a boon. If you will be doing a lot of open highway riding, the superior performance of the Super Meteor 650 will seal the deal for you. If you will be riding a lot in the mountains, the lighter and more torquey X440 will probably be more fun to hoon around in than the Super Meteor 650. If you are a sedate rider who loves to cruise at just about triple digit speeds, the Super Meteor 650 should be the smart choice.

Simply put, these are 2 totally different motorcycles which appeal to completely different types of buyers. The real question is what sort of rider are you and what sort of riding will you be doing?

In many ways, it's a lot like asking which ice cream to buy - butterscotch or chocolate. Some of us will suggest that you get a scoop of butterscotch, others will wholeheartedly recommend going for chocolate and most of us just wish that we could have both!

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