Hero MotorCorp recently made global headlines thanks to its collaboration with Harley-Davidson. Although launched exclusively for the Indian market, the Harley-Davidson X440 stirred global interest, as lots of people, particularly in the Asian market, found interest in a small-displacement, Harley-branded roadster.
Like most joint-ventures, Hero and Harley’s collab would eventually result in two bikes that share nearly identical architecture, albeit branded and styled slightly differently. We’ve seen it with the likes of TVS Motor Company and BMW, with the TVS Apache 310 RTR mirroring the specs of its BMW counterpart the G 310 R. Now, the same is apparently becoming true with Hero MotoCorp, as it recently filed trademarks for its highly anticipated 440cc bike, modeled after the Harley X440.
Hero’s trademark filings on India’s intellectual property office reveal not one, but two trademarks, each bearing the 440 moniker at the end: Maverick 440 and Hurikan 440. When translated to English, Maverick clearly means Maverick, and Hurikan means Hurricane – does this mean that Hero is launching two iterations of the 440 roadster?
Whatever the case may be, it looks like we won’t need to wait that long, as Hero MotoCorp is expected to officially launch its new model on January 22, 2024, in the Hero World event in Jaipur. To add to this, Hero’s clearly been building up the hype for the launch of its new models by posting teasers on social media highlighting the bike’s exhaust note which is clearly a mid-size thumper just like that of the Harley X440.
We’ve ran through the specs and details of the Harley-Davidson X440 in great detail in the past, and chances are Hero’s new Mavrick or Hurikan 440 will feature nearly identical specifications. Chances are that the bike will also take on a retro-inspired appearance, and go head-to-head with other popular retro roadster such as Royal Enfield’s 350 series, the Benelli Imperiale 400, Honda CB350, and yes, even the Harley X440 – who doesn’t love a little sibling rivalry?
For reference, the Harley-Davidson X440 starts at Rs 239,000, which translates to approximately $2,875 USD. Sources suggest that Hero’s version of this bike might go for a more affordable, budget-focused approach, with the model expected to carry a competitive price tag of around Rs 200,000, or about $2,400 USD. Now, 400 bucks may not seem like much, but remember, India’s an extremely price-sensitive market, and folks are always looking to get the best deal.
