There is an increasing interest in small to mid-displacement motorcycles, especially outside the US market. In Europe and Asia, the majority of motorcycles on the road are smaller than the typical 1,000cc-plus machines seen in the US. Riders in these regions use their bikes for more than just leisure activities.

In the Asian market, particularly in India, motorcycles with displacements larger than 250cc are considered enthusiast machines. This is why bikes like the newly launched Triumph Speed and Scrambler 400, as well as the Harley-Davidson X440, have become incredibly popular, even though only pre-bookings for these models have opened. The Harley-Davidson X440, in particular, is significant for Indian Harley fans because the brand hasn’t had a stable presence in India in recent years, with Harley-Davidson pulling out of the country in 2020.

However, the Harley-Davidson X440 signifies a renewed commitment by the company in the Indian market. It’s a model developed in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp, one of the established motorcycle manufacturers in India. The Harley X440’s design is ideal for the Indian market as it eliminates the heavyweight nature of the brand’s bigger cruisers, offering a lighter, more agile, and easier-to-ride platform for enthusiasts and commuters to use on a daily basis.

According to Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz, the reception of the new X440 in the Indian market has been extremely positive. He stated, “We’ve been extremely pleased with the reception that the X440 has received since the launch, with pre-orders exceeding our initial expectations.” Zeitz also expressed his belief in the long-term potential of the Indian market, not just for the X440 but for Harley-Davidson overall. He said, “Now I look at India as a long-term opportunity… it’s a huge market overall.”

While Zeitz didn’t provide further details about the brand’s plans for the Indian market, a patent filing by Hero MotoCorp for the Nightster 440 name suggests that the X440 is just the beginning of a new series of small-displacement Harley models. These models are expected to be popular not only in India but also in other Asian markets.