Harley Davidson X440

autocar.india

•4d

Electric motorcycles do make sense for daily predictable city commutes with a fixed distance and secure charging. There's no hassle of changing gears and modulating the clutch, and your running costs are also pleasingly low. However, it seems like you want to venture out farther from your home in Pune, in which case a petrol motorcycle is the more enjoyable choice. The Harley-Davidson X440 is a wonderful machine because it is one of the last authentic, air-cooled, long-stroke, single-cylinder experiences available today, and since you are looking to buy a machine that you can build a cherished bond with over time, it has the right ingredients to make that happen. Stepping up from a 125cc machine, you will also appreciate the step up in performance and comfort it has to offer you. From the Triumph stable, we'd recommend you take a good, long look at the 350cc Scrambler 400 models because they are great city machines that can also prove to be good fun on the highway and when the road turns squiggly. If you want a properly sporty riding experience, then the 350cc KTM 390 Duke and Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 are good options to consider, and these will be - by far - the fastest and sharpest machines from the ones listed here.Make sure to take exhaustive test rides of all machines before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•4w

Both the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 X and Harley-Davidson X440 are very good candidates for your next purchase, but they are quite different machines underneath. The H-D X440 is a relaxed roadster with a smooth, characterful long-stroke single-cylinder engine which has a good dose of low and mid-range torque. Despite its weight, the X440 is a manageable and comfortable machine inside the city and is planted and stable on the highway. If you can, make the stretch to the X440 T because not only does it look better, its finish levels are also much higher. On the highway, cruising at 100-110kph, the X440 is relaxed and vibe-free, although this is not a sporty machine. In fact, the Scrambler 400 X will be much sportier in its overall handling despite having decent off-road capability. Its liquid-cooled engine is more powerful, but you will need to rev it to make quick progress. The Scrambler also has good seating and ride comfort, although its pillion seat is on the smaller side. Take a test ride of both since they are such different machines before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•6w

To improve the braking performance of your Harley-Davidson X440, we would first recommend replacing the brake fluid with the manufacturer-recommended grade and upgrading to high-quality sintered brake pads from brands such as EBC, SBS or Vesrah, if you can. For a better grip, consider swapping to better tyres from brands like Pirelli, Metzeler, Vredestein, etc., from your stock ones, but do not upsize as that can fundamentally impact the bike's handling.

autocar.india

•8w

Since you already have a relaxed bike in the garage with your X440, we'd recommend you look at something sporty - specifically, the KTM 390 Duke R and Aprilia Tuono 457. The 390 Duke R is a proven product, and if you want a thrilling machine with good cycle parts, it doesn't get much better than the 390 at this price point. Of course, you'll have to deal with some amount of vibrations and the fact that the Duke is quite a cramped machine for taller riders. The Tuono 457 offers a more polished riding experience thanks to its twin-cylinder engine, which is one of the biggest reasons to buy one. It is smooth at almost any rpms, makes a great sound and has plenty of punch almost everywhere. Its handling is also sublime, but it does come at the cost of a stiff ride over broken roads. There's also the fact that the Aprilia 457cc engine doesn't have a stellar reputation for reliability, and the company's sales and service network is quite small. Aprilia's service is also expensive and not always friction-free. The Duke is definitely the safer buy of the two, although if your nearest Aprilia dealer can give you some reassurances on the ownership front, the Tuono 457 is a machine that will keep you happy for a long time to come.

autocar.india

•17w

If you don't mind the look of the Harley-Davidson X440 S, then you should go ahead and buy that bike. Conventional mirrors are easier to use and during lane filtering, they don't protrude as much as bar-end ones. The ride-by-wire throttle on the X440 T does not offer any significant real-world advantage over the S variant's cable throttle, nor does it bring in significant improvements in performance in this application. The only reason to consider the T variant would be its improved fit and finish, a more cohesive tail section design and slightly better controlled suspension damping.