The new Hero branded 440 cc bike will likely be launched on January 22 in India and it will have a lot in common with HD X440
Hero MotoCorp will likely look to start the new year with a bang as the long mooted 440 cc motorcycle from its stable could be introduced on January 22. In partnership with the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world, Harley-Davidson launched the X440 roadster this year and it has been well received by customers as well judging by the booking numbers.
It is more than apparent that the 440 cc platform will be shared with Hero. The company is widely reported to bring in a brand new 420 cc liquid-cooled engine for its flagship adventure tourer and faired supersport in the near future while a 210 cc liquid-cooled mill debuted in the new generation Karizma XMR 210 a few months ago.
Thus, Hero currently has three different engines and new architectures to expand its premium range in India. The first motorcycle from the new lineup will likely arrive as early as next month and its name could start with the R letter. It will have several commonalities with the Harley-Davidson X440 but the body type will be different.
It could be a muscular roadster taking inspiration from the Yamaha MT-01 or a scrambler but the latter could be a new iteration derived from the X440 for the American brand. The Hero 440 cc motorcycle will be underpinned by the same platform as the X440 and it could use the 43 mm KYB-sourced upside down front forks and preload adjustable twin shock absorbers.
The braking duties are expected to be handled by 320 mm front and 240 mm rear disc brakes, assisted by a dual-channel ABS system. Since Hero positions its motorcycles aggressively, we can expect the upcoming model to carry competitive pricing and whether it will be equipped with X440’s 3.5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity or not is yet unknown.
However, it will more likely feature a 440 cc single-cylinder air- and oil-cooled engine producing a maximum power output of 27 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 38 Nm of peak torque delivered at 4,000 rpm. It will be paired with a six-speed transmission. We can expect it to be priced more affordable than the X440.