In 2020, Harley-Davidson made significant changes to its strategy in the Indian motorcycle market. After a decade of pursuing sales in India, including manufacturing bikes and creating the Indian-specific Street 500 model, Harley-Davidson announced its withdrawal from the country in September 2020. However, just a month later, Harley surprised everyone by partnering with India's Hero MotoCorp. Under this agreement, Hero MotoCorp would handle the distribution of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in India and collaborate to develop and sell premium motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand.

The collaboration between Harley-Davidson and Hero MotoCorp resulted in the introduction of the Hero-developed Harley-Davidson X440, the first of its kind. This motorcycle is not only manufactured in India but was also designed there, with the Harley-Davidson brand licensed to Hero MotoCorp. While it may seem unusual to allow another company to use the iconic Harley-Davidson name, this arrangement benefits both parties involved. Hero MotoCorp, already the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer in terms of volume and with a strong market share in India, can expand into the upscale segment, where profit margins are higher. For Harley-Davidson, which faced challenges establishing a foothold in India and even developed bikes specifically for the Indian market, such as the Street 500, this collaboration provides a low-risk opportunity to attract riders in one of the world's largest motorcycle markets.

This arrangement bears similarities to the one between Triumph and Bajaj. Just as Hero MotoCorp handles distribution and sales for Harley-Davidson in India and develops new Harley-branded bikes, Bajaj does the same for Triumph's operations in India and plans to release a range of Triumph-branded single-cylinder motorcycles.

While technical details of the X440 have not been officially revealed by Hero or Harley, images of the finished bike have been released. The bike, previously teased as the HD 4XX, will be called the X440, indicating a capacity of around 440cc. The naming convention aligns with Harley's other collaboration with China's Qianjiang, which manufactures the parallel-twin X350 and X500 models for the Chinese and Asian markets, featuring Harley-specific styling. In contrast, the X440 takes a different approach for the Indian market.

Unlike the more advanced X350 and X500 with liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engines, the X440 features an air-cooled single-cylinder engine, a design favored in India. The simplicity of this design can be advantageous, as proven by the enduring popularity of Royal Enfield's 350cc singles in India. Although specific specifications are not available, certain indicators suggest the X440's performance. The rev counter's range suggests a peak power output around 7,000 rpm, and similar air-cooled singles in the market point to an estimated 35 hp. While this may not sound like much, it is competitive considering Royal Enfield's 350cc singles, which have been successful in India with sub-20 hp. However, this segment is set to become more competitive, with Royal Enfield developing a new Hunter 450 model and Triumph poised to introduce a range of Indian-made singles in a similar capacity class.

The X440's chassis is simple yet expected, featuring a traditional twin-shock design. However, it incorporates an upside-down fork and a single ByBre front brake caliper. ByBre is Brembo's cost-effective brand, and these features, along with the Harley name, LED lighting, and LCD instruments, position the X440 in the luxury segment of the mainstream Indian motorcycle market.

It is worth noting that the X440 will not be sold outside of India. The Indian market is substantial enough to support the design and development of motorcycles tailored specifically for it, and the agreement between

Harley and Hero specifies that Hero-designed Harleys are exclusively for the Indian market. Consequently, concerns about the Harley-Davidson brand being negatively impacted by the existence of a small-capacity, affordable, and low-performance bike are likely unfounded.