Could This Secret Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Be the Key to a Big Brand Rebound?

The inviting approachability and revised style of the upcoming X440T introduces thought-provoking possibilities.

Harley-Davidson

Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published December 4, 2025

·

Updated December 5, 2025

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

As two-wheeled enthusiasts know, the headlines haven’t been all that kind to Harley-Davidson of late, with tales of boardroom drama and struggling dealerships hard to escape.

Amidst the darkness are rays of light, however.

Blue and black Harley-Davidson X motorcycle with black exhaust and dual rear shocks on a gray reflective floor. — The matte finishes on the dark blue X440T help it reach the top of its class in the looks department.

With new CEO Artie Starrs bringing fresh energy, the inspired Honcho electric bikes and reports of a sub-$6,000 motorcycle on the horizon, die-hard fans have reasons to be optimistic about 2026.

Regarding the third item on that list, I’m pulling for something like the super-compelling small-bore street bike hitting the Indian market this weekend, the X440T.

There goes my Hero

The reality is, the motorcycles you see on American streets are not in fact the only bikes with Harley-branded tanks.

Through a strategic partnership with Hero MotoCorp, a Delhi-based manufacturer with a whopping 30 percent share of India’s two-wheeled market, Harley puts its name on a pretty rad bike you can only get on the subcontinent.

Black Harley-Davidson X 440T motorcycle with red lighting in an urban setting. — The meatier tailpiece and seat meet at the taillight in a seamlessly reassuring fashion.

As you may know, smaller bikes are huge over there — as well as in Asia and to a lesser extent Europe — a big reason why the real forbidden fruit is the X440, essentially a re-skinned, slightly higher-spec’ed simulacrum of the Hero Hunk 440.

While the X440 is currently the sole motorcycle you’ll find in the Harley-Davidson X section of the brand’s Indian site, that’s about to change thanks to a follow-up packing just as much performance and even more style.

Red and black Harley-Davidson X 440T motorcycle with black exhaust and dual rear shocks on white background. — This bike was clearly made for two, as those substantial pillion grab handles make abundantly clear.

The X440T features fresh paint — red, black, white and dark blue — and graphics, of course, but the look has also been updated.

The biggest distinction is the tail and seat unit, which gets a sculpted overhaul, highlighted by a seamless taper into the taillight. It’s a much cleaner approach that instantly modernizes the bike.

White and black Harley-Davidson motorcycle with red accents and black exhaust on a white background. — The white tank and tailpiece aren’t my favorite, but they do play nicely with the light graphics to give off racing vibes that recall Royal Enfield’s dirt-sliding dynamo, the FT450.

A subtler update surfaces in the form of chrome hits on the spokes, contrasted by killer matte black touches on the snazzy bar-end mirrors, crankcase cover and exhaust pipe.

Nods to the past are present in the round TFT display, mirrors and headlight, but for my money, that aesthetic is as timeless as can be.

Bring it on home

By all indications, the new bike gets the same power plant, a 440cc single-cylinder air-oil cooled engine. That’s right, a Harley without a V-Twin, can you even believe it?

At half the size of anything available in the US — where the smallest engine is the Revolution Max 975T found in the Nightster and Sportster bikes — it’s not going to blow you away with its grunt.

Matte black Harley-Davidson X 350T motorcycle with orange accents and dual rear shock absorbers on a white background. — This dark treatment has me thinking of Wesley Snipes’s *Passenger 57* advice: Always bet on black.

But as the world market — and frankly, more and more new and different types of American motorcyclists — are well aware, 27 horsepower is plenty when it comes to city commuting and tangling with the twisties.

That’s especially true considering the X440’s curb weight under 430 pounds, which, together with a seat height under 32 inches, invites a wide variety of potential riders to swing a leg over.

Assuming the X440T hits similar specs — and potentially a price point less than half that of the Nightster’s $9,999 — I’ll be rooting for a US edition to roll up ASAP.

Availability and pricing

No pricing for the Harley-Davidson X440T has been announced, but the X440 starts at ₹2,39,500, roughly equivalent to $2,666, so presumably the new bike will come in under $3,000 as well. It will reportedly launch in India this weekend.

Harley-Davidson X440T

Learn More

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.