New version of Hero-made Harley single
We’re still waiting for more news of Harley-Davidson’s promised low-cost ‘Sprint’ model – confirmed as a global entry-level offering in 2026 but still not officially unveiled – but in the meantime the company has taken the wraps off a new version of its Indian-made (that’s the country, not the bike brand) X440 single.
The ‘X’ branding has already been applied to a trio of low-cost, foreign-made machines that wear the Harley-Davidson logo in selected non-US markets. In Australia we’ve had the X350 and X500, both liquid-cooled parallel twins manufactured in China by Qianjiang, the parent to QJMotor and Benelli among others, but in India the entry model is the X440, made by manufacturing giant Hero MotoCorp.
Hero, uniquely, has a deal with Harley-Davidson that allows it to develop and market bikes in India wearing the Harley-Davidson badge, and that agreement was recently extended with an additional provision that will allow Hero-developed machines to be sold in some other markets as well. For 2026, the original X440 has been joined by a second version, dubbed X440 T, that features revised styling and technology.
The basics are the same as before, including an identical 440cc, air-cooled single with 27hp, but the T version gains ride-by-wire to allow two riding modes, road and rain, as well as switchable traction control. It also gets a sportier-looking seat unit that moves away from the traditional Harley cruiser look and instead takes its cues from the XR1200. Coming in at 192kg ready to ride, the T is 2.5kg lighter than the standard X440 (194.5kg) but otherwise mechanically unchanged, with no alterations to the KYB forks or dual gas shocks, the wheels (18in front, 17in rear) or the ByBre brakes.
Will the upcoming Sprint be related to the Hero-made bikes? That remains to be seen, but with a planned US-market price of under $6000 US, it’s going to be at least 40% cheaper than any other new Harley on that market in a move that promises to open the brand up to a whole new gamut of riders.
