Fresh entry-level Harley-Davidson to be based on the Indian-market X440
Harley-Davidson has made no secret of the fact it’s launching a new entry-level model – the Sprint – as part of its 2027 lineup and a new filing with the Australian government confirms it’s based on the Indian market’s H-D X440, designed and manufactured by Hero MotoCorp.
The new type-approval documents lack much detail about the new model, but reveal that it’s part of a series of ‘SP1’ machines, and officially named ‘SP440.’
It’s not a surprise because back in May Harley-Davidson’s latest CEO, Artie Starrs, presented his vision of the company’s future with a document that included an outline image of the Sprint. While it didn’t reveal the bike’s specs, the engine visible in the picture matched the existing X440, a model that was designed specifically for the Indian market and is manufactured on Harley’s behalf by its partner, Hero MotoCorp. Harley’s own document also included details such as the fact the Sprint uses an oil-cooled engine, eliminating the possibility that the new bike could be based on the company’s other ‘X’ models, the X350 and X500, which are both made by Qianjiang in China and use water-cooled engines.
The SP440 uses a similar tubular steel chassis as the Indian market’s X440, too, but with a more traditional Harley-Davidson stance and style. The X440 is really a conventional roadster, while the SP440 Sprint will be more akin to a Sportster in its silhouette.
Harley’s plan is to offer the Sprint at under US$10,000 in America, which is equivalent to AU$14,000. How far under US$10,000 is unknown, but during its early development the company was aiming at a US$6,000 tag for the Sprint, equivalent to around AU$8,400.
Performance-wise, the confirmation that the Sprint uses the X440’s engine means we know what to expect: the existing Hero-made bike manages 20.1kW and 38Nm, while weighing 194.5kg, and it’s unlikely that the Sprint will stray far from those numbers.
In Australia we’re one of relatively few markets to be offered the 27kW X350 and 35kW X500, at AU$8495 and AU$10,995 respectively: bikes that both make more power than the 20.1kW X440, which doesn’t look like it will substantially undercut them in terms of price.
The new type approval filings mean that Harley definitely intends to sell the SP440 Sprint here, though, so it’s going to be interesting to see how it’s positioned in the range in comparison to those Chinese-made ‘X’ models.
