Harley-Davidson has been causing quite a stir in the Indian market recently, thanks to the launch of the X440. This model marks the launch of the only single-cylinder-powered motorcycle in Harley-Davidson modern lineup, and seeks to welcome beginner riders, as well as those on a tighter budget, into the Harley-Davidson fold.
That being said, with a price tag of Rs 239,000, or about $2,871 USD, per current exchange rates, the Harley-Davidson X440 is still well and truly a premium model that’s beyond the reach of most Indian motorcyclists. Yes, you could say it already has the smallest engine – perhaps too small of an engine – to be considered a “real” Harley, but it’s important to take context into account here. The Indian market is dominated by motorcycles with engines smaller than 250cc. As such, machines like the X440 are considered “big bikes” in India. Naturally, big bikes come with a big price tag, and that is indeed true with the X440.
Now, while the X440 technically wears a Harley-Davidson badge, it isn’t produced by the Bar and Shield per se. Indian motorcycle company Hero MotoCorp partnered up with Harley for this bike, and the former handles the manufacturing of the bike in its home country of India. Apart from the X440, Hero’s forte lies in small displacement bikes. As such, it isn’t really surprising that a smaller Harley-Davidson of the same nature as that of the X440 is rumored to be in the pipeline.
Multiple Indian motoring publications suggest that a smaller Harley produced by Hero is indeed in the works, and it’s speculated that it’ll share the same powertrain as the Hero Karizma XMR, a bike that was also just launched in the Indian market. Sporting a 210cc engine, it isn’t a far-fetched notion that a Harley-Davidson X210 could be on the horizon, looking to go up against the likes of Royal Enfield’s Hunter 350 and the Husqvarna 250 duo.
Performance-wise, we’d be looking at a 210cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine peaking out at 25 horsepower and 14 pound-feet of torque. For reference, the X440 pumps out 27 horsepower and 26 pound-feet of torque. That being said, we can expect tweaks to the single-cylinder engine to provide more torque at lower revs, as a two-horsepower difference between the rumored X210 and the current X440 seems a bit odd to us.
Nevertheless, should Hero and Harley release an even smaller model, chances are its price tag would dip well below the Rs 200,000 mark (about $2,400 USD), making it more accessible to a wider audience, thereby boosting the sales of both Hero MotoCorp, who previously announced its intentions of entering the premium segment, as well as Harley-Davidson India.
