Since the Harley-Davidson X440 debuted to India’s markets, opinions of the thing have ranged from “neat,” to, “I can’t wait to ride one, then walk away shaking my head” (via commentary following coverage from CycleWorld).
Admittedly, the X440’s profile doesn’t appear to be a good fit for potential competitors on the Western shore; still, Harley’s aim to unlock new markets with their Hardwire Strategy appears to have paid off, with the brand logging in February that their 2022 sales had helped “successfully complete the second year of [their] Hardwire Strategic Plan” (via Harley-Davidson).
So where does this leave little moments like the new X440?
If you recall, the X440’s detuned sibling variant – the X350RA – is anticipated for our shores, acting as a course bike for the Harley-Davidson® Riding Academy; still, all it takes is a wildly successful member of this famjam to get extra green into Harley’s business – and at the end of the day, extra green supports more bikes.
We like more bikes.
With that being said, it’d be worthwhile to know that Harley’s next move with Hero appears to be a Nightster version of the X440. This comes from India’s IP online platform, where RideApart tells us both Harley-Davidson and Hero Motocorp have filed for a “Nightster 440.”
Assuming that the powertrain remains loyal to the air-cooled, single-cylinder peashooter of the X440, we’re guessing that the aesthetics will borrow from HD’s current Nightster (see Thunderbike’s excellent rendition of the platform below)…
….but a little…smaller in stature 🤏🏽.
975cc’s of liquid-cooled, V-twin happiness may inspire the thing, but I’ll wager “street cruiser” will have a whole different vibe with this new “Nightster 440.”
What are your thoughts?