Without question, Harley-Davidson is one of the most readily recognized brand names in the world. It's right up there with Mickey Mouse, and it doesn't even have a friendly-faced cartoon mascot. Still, when Harley first partnered with Indian motorcycle juggernaut Hero MotoCorp back in 2020, no one knew exactly how it would turn out, even if they had high hopes.
You can't tell the future, after all; no one can.
But if anyone was worried, the launch of the Harley-Davidson X440 in 2023 quickly put any and all fears to rest. The bike was well received in India and elsewhere, it went on to be a massive sales success in the months to come. As part of the deal, Hero also went on to put out its own-brand variant, the Mavrick 440, earlier in 2024.
Hot on the heels of that success, thoughts naturally turned to contemplating when and what new X440 variants that Hero and Harley might have up their sleeve in the not-too-distant future. That is, after all, the name of the game in 2024; it's not a bike, it's a platform. A few accessories and ergonomics tweaks later, maybe give or take some slick bodywork, and you've got a whole new flavor for potential new bike buyers to dream about.
Now that we're nearly into 2025, we can confirm that Hero MotoCorp and Harley-Davidson are officially extending their partnership. More specifically, the deal will involve development of additional X440 variants (yes, that's plural). But wait, there's more!
While it'd be cool to see, say, an X440 scrambler and an X440 flat tracker and an X440 cafe racer, it turns out that Hero and Harley are thinking even bigger than that. You see, there's a key additional line in the filing that says, in no uncertain terms, that this partnership extension will also be "to develop a new motorcycle."
The necessary enclosures to file with the National Stock Exchange of India give even more useful information as well. Although you'd probably expect that manufacturing of any new motorcycle would also be covered, that fact is explicitly spelled out in the enclosures, so no speculation is even necessary. The deal covers both motorcycle development as well as contract manufacturing, period.
Interestingly, it even gives insight on whether we can expect to see future X440 or other Hero/Harley collaborations in markets outside of India. This extension covers not only the domestic Indian market, but also "select international markets."
Now, further details about which specific international markets might be involved aren't included, but since other small-displacement Harleys (think the X350, made in partnership with QJ motors, for example) have made their way to Australia, as well as other Asian markets, it's not difficult to imagine the X440 following in their footsteps.
Are you excited to see what future Hero and Harley collaborations come to dealerships down the line? What bike(s) do you wish they'd make? Let us know in the comments below.
